A paternoster earns its place when fish are feeding just off the bottom and you need your bait sitting clear of weed, sand crabs and small rubbish fish. Knowing how to rig a paternoster setup properly means fewer tangles on the cast, better bait presentation and a rig you can adjust for the beach, jetty, rock wall or boat.

It is a simple bottom-fishing rig, but the details matter. Hook spacing, leader stiffness, sinker weight and the way you attach your droppers all affect whether the rig fishes cleanly or comes back in a bird's nest.

What a paternoster setup does

A paternoster is a vertical rig with one or two hook droppers above a sinker. The sinker holds the bottom while the hooks sit away from it, putting baits in the path of whiting, bream, flathead, mullet, garfish, trevally and other species that move through the lower part of the water column.

It is especially useful when there is a bit of current, wash or drift. Rather than letting a bait roll around on the deck or bury into soft sand, the rig keeps it visible. That said, it is not the answer for every session. In very clear, calm water or when fish are cautious, a lighter running sinker rig can look more natural. Use the paternoster when holding bottom and avoiding snags matter more than a totally free presentation.

Gear you need to rig a paternoster setup

Start with a leader length of roughly 80 cm to 1.5 m. For estuary whiting and bream, 10-15 lb fluorocarbon or quality mono is usually plenty. Move to 20-30 lb around rough reef, pylons and rock walls, or if larger fish are a realistic chance. Mono has a little more stretch and is forgiving on sharp head shakes; fluorocarbon is abrasion resistant and less visible in clear water.

You will also need two hooks, two dropper points, a swivel at the top and a sinker connection at the bottom. A simple clip or snap swivel makes sinker changes quick, while a small loop is lighter and has less hardware. Choose hooks to suit the bait and target species, not just the fish you hope to catch. Long shank hooks make it easy to remove smaller baits from whiting and bream, while baitholders, circles and suicide patterns suit larger strips, pilchard pieces and squid.

For sinkers, use only enough weight to stay in contact with the bottom. A ball sinker is fine in gentle water. A star or grapnel-style surf sinker holds better in wash and current, but can be harder to retrieve from broken ground. Carrying a few sizes saves frustration when the tide starts pushing.

How to tie a two-hook paternoster rig

The easiest dependable version uses a single length of leader with two fixed droppers. It has fewer moving parts than a swivel-heavy rig and works well for general shore fishing.

1. Tie the top connection

Cut your leader to length and tie a small swivel to one end with a uni knot, improved clinch knot or your preferred secure knot. This swivel connects to your main line and helps reduce line twist. If you are fishing braid, the swivel also gives you a neat connection point between the main line and leader.

2. Form the lower dropper

Measure about 25-35 cm down from the top swivel. Make a dropper loop around 10-15 cm long, then pull it tight. Keep the loop modest. A long, floppy loop lets the hook spin around the main leader and tangle during the cast.

To attach a hook, push the entire loop through the eye from the point side, pass the loop over the hook, then pull snug. The hook should sit at roughly a right angle to the leader. If it hangs down alongside the rig, it is more likely to foul.

3. Add the upper dropper

Measure another 25-35 cm below the first dropper and tie a second dropper loop. This spacing keeps both baits separated without making the whole rig too long to cast. On a short estuary rod, shorten the distances so the rig is manageable around the rod tip and landing net.

Fit the second hook the same way. Point both hooks upward or outward from the leader where possible. This improves bait presentation and keeps the points away from the main trace.

4. Finish with the sinker connection

Leave 20-30 cm of leader below the bottom hook, then tie on a small clip, snap swivel or loop for your sinker. The gap is important: it keeps the bottom bait off the sand while leaving enough separation from the weight.

Before fishing, hold the rig up by the swivel. The droppers should stand away from the leader and the sinker should hang straight below. If hooks are wrapping around the trace before the first cast, shorten the droppers or use slightly stiffer leader material.

A swivel paternoster for rough water

In strong current, on deeper boat marks or when fishing big baits, a rig made with three-way swivels can be worth the extra hardware. Tie a short leader from your main swivel to the top eye of a three-way swivel. Use one side eye for a short hook snood and the bottom eye for another leader section leading to the next three-way swivel or sinker.

This style is more cumbersome than a loop rig but allows you to replace a damaged hook snood without rebuilding the whole trace. It also works well when the bottom is snaggy: make the sinker link lighter than the main rig so the sinker can break away before you lose everything.

Keep hook snoods shorter than the distance between swivels. If a 30 cm snood can reach the swivel below it, it will eventually tangle. Around 15-25 cm is a practical starting point for most general fishing.

Match the rig to where you are fishing

On Adelaide beaches and other open sandy stretches, a longer rig with two light baits can be effective for whiting, salmon, mullet and small flathead. Use a sinker that grips without turning every retrieve into a workout. When the surf is dirty or rolling, tougher baits such as squid strips, pilchard cubes or salted fish stay on better than soft bait.

From jetties and marina walls, shorten the overall leader and use enough weight to fish straight below or slightly out from the structure. A long paternoster swinging in the current can find every pylon on the way down. If leatherjackets or pickers are stripping bait quickly, increase hook gauge and check the rig often rather than leaving it unattended.

Around reef and rock, abrasion is the main issue. Step up leader strength, use a compact rig and avoid oversized sinkers that wedge in cracks. A slightly lighter sinker may move around more, but it can be cheaper than donating tackle to the bottom all session.

Baiting and casting without tangles

Thread bait neatly and keep hook points exposed. A wad of bait wrapped around the bend hides the point and turns a good rig into a missed-bite machine. For worms, thread enough of the bait up the shank to stop it flying off. For squid strips, use narrow tapered pieces that flutter rather than a thick lump that spins.

When casting, do not punch the rod forward as hard as possible. A smooth cast lets the sinker lead and keeps the droppers trailing behind it. Just before the rig lands, lightly feather the line with your finger to straighten the trace. This small habit prevents plenty of tangles, particularly with braid.

Once the sinker hits bottom, take up slack until you can feel its weight without dragging it. Keep the rod tip high enough to maintain contact and check bait regularly. A paternoster catches fish because it presents bait cleanly, so replace chewed, washed-out or spinning bait promptly.

Common paternoster mistakes

Most problems come down to a rig that is too long, too soft or too heavily weighted. Long droppers tangle. Excessively light leader curls and wraps. An oversized sinker anchors the rig so firmly that bites are hard to detect and retrieval becomes difficult.

Another common mistake is fishing two large baits simply because there are two hooks. If the target is finicky whiting, two small, neat baits will usually outperform oversized offerings. You can also cut down to one hook when casting distance is crucial, when undersize fish are a nuisance, or when you are fishing close to structure.

Keep a few pre-tied paternosters in a labelled rig wallet. It takes only a moment to clip on a fresh trace after a snag or a rough fish damages the leader, and it keeps your fishing time focused where it should be - with bait in the water.