i use both also,rollo. thats my main 2:wink:

 

Two favorite bottom rigs over the years have been either a three-way rig, or the carolina rig for flathead catfish around here. I have ran both, and still do. However, I find myself running the three-way setup more. I actually prefer a double barrel set-up over a 3-way swivel. I like the fact that the mainline goes to the hook, and I can run a lighter line off the other barrel to the sinker. Many times I have had good fish take me in rock or timber, and the sinker seems to always snag.. Atleast with the modified 3-way, I still have the fish on the mainline if I snag and break off. I like the carolina rig though for fishing in faster current, or when I am going to run larger weights to hold baits down in current, or when I am going to hook livebaits through the lips or nostrils. A carolina rig with a longer leader line will often help keep your livebaits upright in stronger current, be more streamlined also, preventing them from drowning by keeping them more as a straight rig from the mainline back. What rigs do you all usually run on livebaits, or even cuts? Do you have a system you go by? Do you do what I do, and rig things accordingly to the situation, bait, etc..? Like to hear your techniques......rollo

Rollo my friend one day I will "teach you" the art of the bridge brother balloon rig:smile2::smile2: I was and still may write a article about it...... not a real great writer!:smile2:

 

Rollo my friend one day I will "teach you" the art of the bridge brother balloon rig:smile2::smile2: I was and still may write a article about it...... not a real great writer!:smile2:

I always enjoy learning bro..:wink: Sounds kinda complicated...???..lol.. rollo

 

Imagine this.... Rollo learning sumthin new??? next to impossible!!! listen to this cat folks, he is IMO one of the most Advanced knowledgable fisherman I have ever come across:wink:

 

i use both as well. i also started putting a snap swivel above my barrel swivel and put a gum band in the snap. then i put the gum band through the hole in my sinker and and place gum band back around it so it sinches. cheaper than using mono when you have to break sinker off and you still have your snap swivel so all you have to do is open it up and put another gum band on put it through your sinker and your ready to go. you don't have to waste time with tieing up mono to the sinker which means you have your line in the water longer. you can get varying lengths of gum bands to suit your preferences, they are cheap, and this rig is suprisingly snag resistant. i only lost two of my sinkers last year and i fish in some hairy places with it.

 

i use a carolina rig with a sinker slide(snap swivel), with no-roll sinkers i started using a bread tie to attach the sinker to the snap swivel, the bread tie pulls free when snags occur

 

i use a carolina rig with a sinker slide(snap swivel), with no-roll sinkers i started using a bread tie to attach the sinker to the snap swivel, the bread tie pulls free when snags occur

Bread tie..hmmm...that could be called the "Wonder" rig then i guess.....:crazy:

 

I use the texas rig.Seems to work good.But the Three way rig is something I need to remember how to tie.Is the 3 way rig in the library?
I can remember my Buddie Todd using the 3 way rig.He caught 4 fish an when he caught them he lost his sinker everytime.An I had runs .But was snaged.Now I know WHY!Thanks for the Info guys.

 

Bread tie..hmmm...that could be called the "Wonder" rig then i guess.....:crazy:

Garrett, I've not had enough coffee yet to handle this... lol

 

rollo fishing around here you have rock-sand and mudd fer bottom .I dont use any one rig such as a carolinia..... depending on where I am at will determine if I want to sink it or susspend itoooh::wink:..

 

I normally use a carolina rig but in lakes i like to use a 3 way.....RAT

 

rollo, if i understand your post correctly then on your three way rig, being composed of two barrels, the sinker can still slide up and down the line because its attached by a lighter piece of line like 8-10lb mono to a barrel swivel that is still free to slide up and down the line. this sounds like a great rig to me i'll have to give it a try. i started out fishing the 3-way swivel rig, but switched to carolina b/c i didn't like the fact that the fish could feel the weight of the fixed sinker as it was swimming away. my hook-up percentage increased when i went to the carolina and the line could slide through the sinker as the fish took the bait. your "3-way" rig sounds like the best of both worlds (no weight on the main line but still free sliding). when i was still using a standard 3-way swivel i did tie the sinker on with 8lb. mono and the hook with 30lb. and the idea that if the sinker gets snagged you can break it off and still land the fish did work for me. m.

 

I use both of the rig you mentioned a lot of the time. I also use a home made pool noodle slip float rig a lot. It seams to be a very productive rig for me especially in rocky areas. It keeps you busy in fast current like below locks/dams but it produces fish. If I had to pick just one rig, I guess it would be the slip-float rig, because it seams to produce when other rig fail for me.

 

I've always faithfully use the carolina rig because I don't like the fish to have to pick up the weight of the 3 way swivel. And I didn't like the idea of a barrel swivel sliding on my mainline with a heavy weight on it. Well, that was before braid. Now with 65 pound braid I'm having problems getting hung up and breaking it off. This year I bought a few bigger reels and spooling up with 100 lb. power pro. I'll be pulling the bow under trying to break this stuff. Sinker slides have changed the way I think about the 3 way for suspended baits. I'm going to try a 3 way in a little different fashion. Using a sinker slide above the swivel tie a shorter leader for your mainline and use a longer dropper for the sinker, made of thin mono. this way you can bottom bounce keeping the bait suspended a little and still have the mainline slide. I also thought that in calm waters using live bait this may pose a problem with the gills wrapping around the dropper for the weight. I'll simply go back to the carolina rig using a sinker slide and just a short piece of mono for the sinker. using this method I even thought about getting a pyramid mold. The little brass ring will help cut the line to free it from a snag. And those suckers really hold in current. the flat tops really dig in and stay put. the more current, the more they dig in. But, I would'nt use them on my mainline in a carolina rig.

 

rollo, if i understand your post correctly then on your three way rig, being composed of two barrels, the sinker can still slide up and down the line because its attached by a lighter piece of line like 8-10lb mono to a barrel swivel that is still free to slide up and down the line. this sounds like a great rig to me i'll have to give it a try. i started out fishing the 3-way swivel rig, but switched to carolina b/c i didn't like the fact that the fish could feel the weight of the fixed sinker as it was swimming away. my hook-up percentage increased when i went to the carolina and the line could slide through the sinker as the fish took the bait. your "3-way" rig sounds like the best of both worlds (no weight on the main line but still free sliding). when i was still using a standard 3-way swivel i did tie the sinker on with 8lb. mono and the hook with 30lb. and the idea that if the sinker gets snagged you can break it off and still land the fish did work for me. m.

Yes sir, this modified three way rig has been alot better than the 3-way swivel so far.. Run the line through the eyelets of the rod... Place the line through the first barrel swivel, add a bead, or a piece of rubber tubing:wink:Another bead or tube, then tie another barrel to the mainline. The mainline goes to the hook of course.. I like to make the first swivel( sinker line) longer than the leader line just a bit. Use smaller diameter line on the sinker line.. If fishing heavy structure, I try to keep both fairly short..rollo

 

I would only use the 3-way rig when I now I'm 100% gonna get snagged up. I like the Carolina Rig better because it allows the fish to run and give ample time to fit the bait down it's throat. I always fear that when using the 3-way rig, the fish feels the weight and spits it out.

 

I would only use the 3-way rig when I now I'm 100% gonna get snagged up. I like the Carolina Rig better because it allows the fish to run and give ample time to fit the bait down it's throat. I always fear that when using the 3-way rig, the fish feels the weight and spits it out.

Not with the modified three way Tan, it allows the bait to be pulled through freely like the carolina, but I like it better because you don't have the weight above the hook which often is the one to snag, and actually offers less tension from off of the mainline .. The sinker slides have added a better way to fish the carolina, but the double barrel rig seems to work better I think. I also don't think flatheads feel weight then drop, flatheads seem to not mind tension as long as its constant tention or a slow added tension. If that were the case trotliners, juggers, and limbliners would be outta business lol....rollo

 

hmmm i have never tried that but it sounds like a good idea,what do you think about using it on the ohio?the GMR?........RAT

 

This is the rig that I use although I have stopped using a wire leader. I lost a great shovelhead because of a snap breaking. Now I only use pre tied snelled leaders.:wink:
http://www.catfish1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=11717

 

Couldnt you do the same thing with a sinker slider, just tie line to either the clasp or to the eye of that to make a modified 3 way?

 

When fishing live bait for Flatheads, I prefer the 3-way swivel rig. I run a 3' 12# mono leader to my sinker and an 8" hook leader of 30# mono. This allows my bait to stay up off the bottom and keeps it livelier to attract more attention. I use a 20# mono main line. The lighter sinker line is a big plus when fishing snaggy bottoms.

However, when fishing cut baits, I prefer the carolina rigs for Blues and channels. I have found that I lose more rigs fishing the carolina rig.oooh:

 

Couldnt you do the same thing with a sinker slider, just tie line to either the clasp or to the eye of that to make a modified 3 way?

Yes, that would work Gary, it would be the same concept of a three-way, however, you would need to rig it like a carolina rig. You need atleast one barrel swivel to stop the slide, or it would slide clear down on the hook, with no free line available for the bait to be able to swim around, and keep upright.. rollo

 

Couldnt you do the same thing with a sinker slider, just tie line to either the clasp or to the eye of that to make a modified 3 way?

You sure could Gary. I only use the barrel swivels because of cost. I just get the smaller ones, they don't need a ton of strength and in bulk they are only around $.15 a piece.

 

I normally use a carolina with a 2oz. bank sinker, or a 3-way rig. i like the 3-way when there's a lot of snaggs in the area. when there's not, i use the carolina.