Rigging Question

[CMKURT]

I just started taking my boys down to the river for quick fishing trips. I just set up their rods with jigs & slip bobbers. I picked up some leeches & we caught some small mouths & 1 catfish. My trouble was trying to keep them in an area of the river to keep catching anything. Rocks & current kept messing with them. I am not up on all the different rigs & I was wondering if there was a better way to rig there poles. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, I had to take them down 3 days in a row they had fun but I would like to make it easier for them. Thank you in advance for any help.

[Stick in Mud]

I suppose it depends on how old they are...but the slip bobber is probably going to be not only one of the most effective but also the easiest things you can do. You'll also have to deal with some current if you want to be catching fish.

Areas above the dams might be a little easier for you--the water is deeper and slower. Still, the fishing, at least in my experience, isn't usually as good.

[river rat316]

I never use slip bobbers in the river, they are more of a pain then anything. I usea all bottom rigs if I am just fishing for whatever, on your main line (usually braid) take a weight that you can slide onto your line like a no roll, or bank sinker, or even the normal bass casting sinker, tie on a swivel big enough so the sinker can't slide through it, and tie on a peice of mono about 6"-12" long and tie on a 2-3/0 circle hook.

The beauty of this rig is its easy, all you do is watch the tip of your rod for it to start bouncing, wait for the fish to take the bait, pick up the rod and start reeling and when you feel the weight of the fish a very slight sweep of the rod and it is fish on. The rig is easy for kids both my kids use it and they have no problem hooking up with fish, the fish are almost always hooked in the corner of the mouth also. The down side to this bait is snags, to minimize snags use enough weight to minimize how much it moves in the current, and don't reel in slow along the bottom, reel it in fast up off the bottom. Thats why I like no rolls the lighter ones don't roll aorund as bad and they are easier to reel in then others.

For bait you can either use crawlers, leeches, or my favorite cut bait, all cut bait is, is cut suckers or bullheads or whatever is available. I get dead sucker from the bait shops and use those but you can even catch your bait with crawlers. If you are using normal bait shop size suckers just cut it down the middle in half, cut the head and tail off and use the center sections, throw it out and its channels galore!

[EBass]

Good post Rat

[Stick in Mud]

That's interesting--I love using slip bobbers in the river, especially if the depth is relatively uniform.

[river rat316]

When I am "junk" fishing like this I get lazy, thats why I dislike slip bobbers in current, I like to cast out, lounge around, [PoorWordUsage] with whoever is with me, and not worry about my bobber going down river at mach 1. This rig allows me to be as lazy as I want, heck I don't even have to set the hook!