Any of you guys fish straight down in deeper water.
Have not done much rod and reel fishing for larger blues and flatheads but intend to start.
I live between two rivers and when the water is down there are lots of holes 15 to 30� deep. Most have a good bit of structure in the bottom so casting will mostly end up with a bunch of hang ups and broken lines. Have tried it and it�s can be bad.
Anyway what kind of rigs would you guys suggest for fishing straight down?

Thanks

WELCOME.

Check this link. There are a lot of underwater roots In my creek. It works.

https://texasfishingforum.com/forum...rop-shot-rig-for-catfishing#Post12959982

Find them on sonar, then use depth counter reel to drop the bait to them.

Welcome to the form.

I have had good luck in the summer fishing humps straight down a few cranks off the bottom..

On the Tennessee River, I anchor over the hole. I'm not sure what the rig is called, but I tie a heavy (3oz) weight to the end of a 3' leader. Then I add a large slip cork. Next up is a swivel with a 1' leader and hook. I tie the 3' leader to another swivel on my main line. The idea is the weight rests just on or slightly above the bottom. The slip float raises the swivel with the baited hook until it reaches the swivel tied onto the main line.

Fishin Nut, since you are fishing vertically, holdong your rod on or slightly above bottom, why not forget the cork and simply tie a leader with the hook onto your main line, like a drop shot rig? I�m trying to see the advance of the leader being held up by the slip cork.

It's just the way I've been doing it and it works.

As the old saying goes, if it works don�t fix it. Tight lines.

Thanks for the reply�s
Need some warmer weather now

I catch catfish sometimes when I'm fishing for hybrids with shad. I just use a carolina rig usually with about a 3/4-1 ounce egg sinker weight with about two feet of leader line. Another option (that I would recommend over a carolina rig) that I'm starting to switch over to because of the diversity of fishing and fish species I target, would be to use a snap barrel swivel between mainline and leader line so that you can change out the weights based on wind conditions or exactly what you are doing. The reason I like this, is that I can vertical fish and add more weight than 3/4 ounce if needed or if I wanted to catfish and cast rods out with a santee rig, I can just attach a float on my leader line and KNOW for a fact that my line is still on the bottom of the lake unlike when you use a carolina rig the float on your leader line will lift up the slack and suspend your bait higher in the water column than you think and sometimes even show up on the surface. Just my two cents but the snap barrel swivel is probably the best all around set up because of the diversity and ease of change it allows. Doesn't matter if you are hybrid/striper fishing or catfishing.

Using a stopper on the main line allows simple changing the bait distance from the bottom.

Or mark the line with a felt tip pen, assuming you are using braid. Going to try the stopper idea, thanks Bobbycat.

Simple Carolina rig. Make sure you snell your circle hooks so they hang correctly. Put out several rods and try different numbers of cranks so you target a few different depths. Good luck.