How to tie a paternoster rig and tips to avoid snags.

Learning how to tie a paternoster rig (dropper or snapper rig) is great for rock walls or areas you get snagged often. 

Getting snagged is a big time waster as you have to retie your knots. It’s very frustrating and you also leave line and debris in the envirnonment to catch birds and other critters. A dropper rig is the answer.

Because fish love structure, they love hanging around rocks walls, jettys and breakwalls. This is great for shore based anglers but it also means you lose lots of gear.

For more tips on how to catch barra like the one below, check out our Barra Basics online course.

There are several tricks to avoid losing gear.

Keep hooks away from snags and rocks by using a paternoster rig – also called a dropper rig or snapper rig.

• A paternoster rig (dropper rig or snapper rig) should be used in conjunction with a wind on leader system.
• When using a dropper or paternoster rig, fishing closer to the water or using a longer rod provides a steeper angle to your line (from rod tip to water). This helps keep your hooks off the bottom and away from snags. (Be careful moving closer to the water’s edge in croc country though or when there are waves around).

• Use the correct weight sinker. In areas of current, if your line is washing back into the rocks you’ll need to use heavier lead.
• An elongated sinker can be helpful to avoid getting jammed in rocks. The best bet is to tie a granny knot under the sinker so it will pop off when jammed in the rocks (the knot will pull through the centre of the sinker). Yes it does leave behind some lead in the environment but it is better than lead plus a whole heap of fishing line.

These and other snag reducing tips including how to tie a paternoster rig are demonstrated in the video below.

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