These rigs are great for drifting baits through river cat hideouts, or targeting suspended catfish. The simplest consist of nothing more than a fixed bobber above a hook and perhaps a split shot or two. A more versatile version employs a slip-bobber (above). Tie a bobber stop on the line, then add a bead and a slip-bobber. Attach a hook and add two or three split shot to sink the bait and stand up the slip-bobber. Adjust the stop knot so the slip-bobber suspends the bait at the desired depth. With this rig, the bobber slips down to the split shot to allow casting, then slips up to the bobber stop to hold the bait at the correct depth.
A variation of this rig performs well when fishing large live baitfish for flatheads, or big pieces of cut-bait for blue and channel cats. Affix the bobber stop, then run a bead, slip-bobber and an egg sinker up the line. You’ll need a big float to hold up this rig (above). The size of the sinker is determined by the size of the bait. Big baits require heavy sinkers, often up to 4 or 5 ounces for a sizable bluegill or sucker.
Tie a barrel swivel beneath the sinker, at the end of the main line. Then, to the bottom eye of the swivel, affix a 10- to 20-inch leader and a large hook. For flat-heads, impale a large baitfish just behind the dorsal fin. For large blues and channels, use a large chunk of cut-bait, such as shad or skipjack herring.