Paternoster Rig

The Paternoster rig rates very highly amongst anglers who are drifting over rough terrain, bottom bashing in deep water, or fishing off the beach and the rocks. It can be fished with one or multiple hooks (check your Fisheries Regulations) and is fairly snag resistant. It can be set up by either using knots or swivels where your dropper loops are connected to the main line.

You can use a variety of sinkers or other things as the main weight, looped on or attached to the bottom of the rig. I prefer to use either a snapper, grapple or star sinker, however I have been known to use different types of lures as the weight.

Technique 1

If drifting over sandy or muddy bottom you could try replacing the sinker with either a metal lure or large soft plastic presentation. While fishing off a beach for bream or whiting I know that there is a very good chance of salmon or tailor being around, so I will substitute a heavy metal lure for the sinker.

This will give you another option when retrieving the rig to re-bait, as you can start a fast retrieve off the bottom and start spinning the lure in towards you. If you think about it, what are you going to get snagged on?

On the other hand, you could try replacing the sinker with a large soft plastic and either slow roll or hop it back to you. Many a flathead or a mulloway have been caught using this technique.

Technique 2

When drifting offshore or in the estuary, over sand or mud for flathead and using a double paternoster rig as shown in the diagram, change the sinker from the bottom position to the next dropper loop and put a hook where the sinker was. The sinker will drag over the bottom creating puffs of sand or mud and attract the flathead, which will bite at the trailing bait.

Care does need to be taken that you don’t have the length of the droppers too long, ensuring that when you are dropping it to the bottom the hooks don’t link up to each other.

Technique 3

When targeting estuary leatherjacket, I will always use a paternoster rig with only a single hook. The sinker weight is heavy enough to put a slight curve in the rod tip.

Once I have baited up, I will fold over the bail arm and allow the sinker to hit the bottom. I then immediately close the bail arm and wind up the slack, allowing the sinker (which is now just off the bottom) to put a slight curve in the rod tip. It is then just a matter of waiting for the leatherjacket to bite and then strike upwards to hook the fish.

When you feel the weight of the leatherjacket you will need to keep the rod tip up, only lowering it when the leatherjacket tries to swim off. I use this technique while not having any drag on my reel.

Having fished from Broome in WA, right around the bottom of Australia and up to Weipa in FNQ, I have found the paternoster rig can be used to catch leatherjackets, morwong, red emperor, coral trout, snapper, mulloway, barramundi, gummy sharks, snook, whiting and many more fish species. It's not just a rig for bottom bashing. I use if off the beach chasing bream and whiting as well as snapper, trevally and groper off the rocks.

Suggested Rods and Reels

Okuma Rods

Barbarian Spin Rods - BN-S-702NT, X-Light, 7'0", 2-4kg, Nibble Tip for the boat in the estuary or off the shore.

Barbarian Spin Rods - BN-S-1162NT, Med/Light, 11'6", 2-6kg, Nibble Tip for either off the rock breakwall or beach.

LRF Gen2 Spin Rods - LRF2-S-742L, Light, 7'4", 2-5kg is great for when you are getting those very sensitive bites from whiting, bream and trevally.

Wave Power Spin Rods - WP-S-662H, 6'6", 5-12kg for offshore fishing or targeting mulloway and kingfish in bays and estuaries.

Okuma Reels

JAW Spin Reels - JAW-30 for the boat.

JAW Spin Reels - JAW-55 for the rock breakwall or beach.

Platypus Line & Leader

Pulse Mono Line and Hard Armour Leader