Slip rig
Also called sliding sinker rig, Carolina-style bottom rig
A bottom rig where the main line runs through the sinker instead of being tied to it, so a fish can move off with the bait without feeling the weight.
Thread the main line through a sliding sinker, then tie on a barrel swivel to stop the weight going any further. To the other side of the swivel add a short leader and the hook. The weight now sits on the bottom while line pulls freely through it.
That freedom is the entire point. A catfish that picks up a bait and moves away feels only the drag of the line through the sinker rather than the full weight of it, so it keeps going instead of dropping the bait. Combined with a circle hook and a rod in a holder, it more or less fishes itself.
Leader length is the variable people get wrong. Two to six inches is the normal range for catfish in current, with about a foot being reasonable in still water. Longer leaders tangle and let the bait drift out of the zone.
The same rig, with a longer leader and a bullet weight, is what bass anglers call a Carolina rig.
Add a bead between the sinker and the swivel. It protects the knot from being hammered by the weight and it stops the sinker jamming on the swivel.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use slip rig and show it on real gear.
Slip rig is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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