The Best Way to Hook Crawfish for Catfish

Channel catfish are bottom-feeding fish that will hit a wide variety of lures and baits. Live baits fished on the end of a bottom-fishing rig are especially productive for catching channel catfish in lakes and rivers alike. Crawfish are one of the many live baits that work for catching channel cats. Since anglers often cast their live-bait rigs when channel cat fishing, it is vital to hook the crawfish properly. If they do not, anglers risk unnecessarily losing their bait.

Things You'll Need

  • Sinker
  • Swivel
  • Fishing line
  • Hook
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Instructions

    • 1

      Create a bottom-fishing rig. Cut a 24-inch piece of line from the main fishing line, which is the rig's leader. Slide an egg-shaped sinker onto the end of the main line. The sinker must be sufficiently heavy to keep the rig on the bottom. Use a Palomar knot to connect the main line to one end of a barrel swivel, the leader to the other end. Tie a size 1/0 hook to the end of the leader line.

    • 2

      Hold the crawfish so its tail points upward.

    • 3

      Push the hook point into the bottom of the crawfish's tail, a half-inch from the end of the tail.

    • 4

      Push the hook upward so it protrudes from the top of the tail. Continue pushing until the crawfish rests where the hook bends.