rig.type · bottom rigs
Three-Way Rig
A three-way swivel with the mainline on one eye, a short dropper to a sinker on the second and a longer leader to the hook on the third. We ran it through the compatibility engine for 6 fish it is tied for: 5 of 6 clear every check. For Walleye in Weedy Lake the cheapest clean build is a #1 circle hook on 6 lb mono, 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, on a 6.6 ft M spinning rod. About $127.
tie it when
Current. The sinker holds bottom on its own dropper while the bait swings in the flow above it, off the rocks. River walleye, catfish, salmon and steelhead.
skip it when
Still water and casting distance. It tangles on a long cast and gives no advantage where nothing is moving the bait.
How to tie a three-way rig
- Tie the mainline to one eye of the three-way swivel.
- Tie a 6 to 18 inch dropper of lighter line to the second eye and a bank sinker to the end of it. If the sinker snags, the dropper breaks and the rest comes back.
- Tie a 2 to 4 foot leader to the third eye and the hook to the end of it.
- Lower it or cast up-current and keep the line tight enough to feel the sinker tick bottom.
Solved for each fish
For every fish below, the solver searched the catalog at each water that fish is targeted in, under the rules in the next section, and kept the water where the three-way rig scores best: fewest engine errors, then fewest warnings, then cheapest. Open any row in the studio to see the same verdict.
| Fish | Water | Hook | Line | Terminal | Rod | Approx. | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walleye | Weedy Lake | #1 circle | 6 lb mono | 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 6.6 ft M spinning | ~$127 | clears every checkstudio |
| Channel Catfish | Farm Pond | 3/0 circle | 17 lb copolymer → 20 lb fluoro | 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 6.6 ft M spinning | ~$142 | clears every checkstudio |
| Blue Catfish | Big River Channel | 7/0 circle | 30 lb copolymer → 50 lb fluoro | 1 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 10 ft MH surf | ~$372 | clears every checkstudio |
| Steelhead | River Run | 1/0 circle | 8 lb mono | 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 6.6 ft M spinning | ~$127 | 1 warningstudio |
| Salmon (Coho / King) | River Run | 4/0 circle | 15 lb fluoro → 20 lb fluoro | 1 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 10 ft MH surf | ~$238 | clears every checkstudio |
| Striped Bass | Clear Reservoir | 5/0 circle | 20 lb copolymer → 30 lb fluoro | 1/2 oz bank + three-way swivel, natural bait | 6.6 ft M spinning | ~$217 | clears every checkstudio |
Every water each fish was tried in
- WalleyeWeedy Lake (clears every check), Clear Reservoir (clears every check), River Run (1 warning), Big River Channel (1 warning), Hardwater / Ice (clears every check)
- Channel CatfishFarm Pond (clears every check), Clear Reservoir (clears every check), River Run (clears every check), Big River Channel (clears every check)
- Blue CatfishClear Reservoir (clears every check), Big River Channel (clears every check)
- SteelheadRiver Run (1 warning), Big River Channel (1 warning)
- Salmon (Coho / King)River Run (clears every check), Big River Channel (clears every check)
- Striped BassClear Reservoir (clears every check), Big River Channel (clears every check), Open Surf Beach (1 warning), Inshore Flat (1 warning), Jetty & Pier (1 warning)
The water links go to the unconstrained rig for that pair, where the solver is free to pick any rig at all.
What makes it a three-way rig
A named rig is a rule set, not a parts list. These are the rules we hand the solver. Every stage not listed (line test, hook size, rod, reel) is the solver's call, checked by the engine.
- swivel.terminalrequired: three-way
- weight.terminalrequired: bank or pyramid, 0.5–8 oz
- float.terminalnone
- lure.platformnatural bait only, no lure
The checks that decide it
The engine runs every check on every build. These are the ones that make or break a three-way rig, with how many of the 6 solved builds each one still flags.
Weight vs currentflags Steelhead
From a current rating of 0.5 the engine works out about 3 oz per unit of current to hold bottom, and warns under half of that. Float rigs skip it: they are not trying to hold.
Weight in still water0/6 flagged
At a current of 0.1 or less, 1 oz or more of sinker only crashes the bait down. The engine warns.
Swivel rating vs mainline0/6 flagged
A swivel rated under the mainline test is the weakest part of the rig, and a hookset that breaks it takes everything below. The engine errors.
Cast weight vs rod maximum0/6 flagged
Past the top of the rod’s casting rating the engine warns, and errors 15% beyond it, where blanks break on a hard cast.
Rod vs fish size0/6 flagged
The fish’s top weight against the rod’s top line rating: warn past 1.75x, error past 2.5x.
Every check on the Walleye build
11 checks, each with what the build measures and what it is measured against. Lines for this rig's deciding checks are marked.
| Check | This build | Against | |
|---|---|---|---|
| pass | species.water | Weedy Lake: fresh | Walleye: fresh |
| pass | rod.reel.seat | spinning reel | spinning rod |
| pass | mainline.species | 6 lb | 6–15 lb window (warns over 22.5) |
| pass | mainline.rod | 0.23 mm ≈ 6 lb mono | rod rated 8–20 lb (under 4.8 warns) |
| pass | rod.power | M rod, rated to 20 lb | 10 lb fish (warns over 35 lb, fails over 50 lb) |
| pass | reel.capacity | ~272 yd of 6 lb mono | 120 yd for a 10 lb fish |
| pass | reel.drag | 13 lb max drag | 4 lb floor |
| pass | hook.size | #1 | #6 to 1/0 |
| pass | hook.strength | 70 lb before it opens | 12 lb (1.2 × 10 lb fish) |
| pass | cast.weight | 0.5 oz on the line | rod rated 0.25–0.625 oz |
| pass | weight.still | 0.5 oz | under 1 oz in still water |
Parts for the Walleye build
Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp Circle Sea
The cheapest way to fish circle hooks correctly. Corner-of-the-mouth hookups, minimal gut-hooking, and priced so you re-tie without flinching.
Eagle Claw Three-Way Swivel
Three eyes: mainline, dropper to the weight, leader to the hook. The backbone of a walleye bottom-bouncing rig and a river catfish setup.
No exact product destination has been verified for this item.
Eagle Claw Bank Sinkers
Teardrop weight with a molded eye. Slides over river rock instead of wedging into it, which is exactly what you want in heavy current.
No exact product destination has been verified for this item.
Berkley Trilene XL Monofilament
Smooth, limp, cheap mono. For a beginner filling a first spinning reel this is genuinely the right answer, and it forgives a lot of mistakes.
Verified destination: 8 lb / 330 yd / Clear (2026-10-20). Other sizes or packs are not verified by this link.
Okuma Ceymar Spinning Reel
The floor for a reel that is actually worth owning. Smooth enough, a real drag, and light enough not to fatigue you on a full day.
Verified destination: Ceymar C-30 (2026-10-21). Other sizes or packs are not verified by this link.
Ugly Stik GX2 Spinning Rod
Effectively indestructible. A graphite-fiberglass blend that shrugs off car doors, tailgates, and everything a beginner will do to it.
Verified destination: GX2 6'6" Medium 2 pc (2026-10-21). Other sizes or packs are not verified by this link.
About $127 at street-price estimates from our catalog, not live Amazon prices. 0.5 oz on the line in total. Other fish need other parts: use the table above.
frequently asked
06What size hook for a three-way rig?
It depends on the fish, not the rig. Across the 6 fish the engine solved, the hook runs #1–7/0: #1 for Walleye, 3/0 for Channel Catfish, 7/0 for Blue Catfish, 1/0 for Steelhead, 4/0 for Salmon (Coho / King), 5/0 for Striped Bass. Each size sits inside that fish's window on our hook size chart.
How much weight on a three-way rig?
0.5–1.5 oz in the builds we solved, set by the water: 0.5 oz for Walleye in Weedy Lake, 0.5 oz for Channel Catfish in Farm Pond, 1.5 oz for Blue Catfish in Big River Channel, 0.5 oz for Steelhead in River Run, 1.5 oz for Salmon (Coho / King) in River Run, 0.5 oz for Striped Bass in Clear Reservoir. The engine sizes it against current (it asks for weight to hold bottom from a current rating of 0.5) and against the rod's casting window.
What line for a three-way rig?
6–30 lb mainline across the solved builds, with a leader on 4 of them. Braid ratings are compared to the rod by diameter, not printed test, because rod line ratings are written for mono.
What fish is a three-way rig for?
We solve it for Walleye, Channel Catfish, Blue Catfish, Steelhead, Salmon (Coho / King) and Striped Bass. Steelhead (1 warning) still carries engine flags, listed on this page.
What knot do I tie a three-way rig with?
the Improved Clinch Knot (85% retained strength), the Palomar Knot (95% retained strength) and the Uni Knot (90% retained strength). Where a leader meets braid, use a line-to-line knot such as the double uni or the FG.
When should I not fish a three-way rig?
Still water and casting distance. It tangles on a long cast and gives no advantage where nothing is moving the bait.