Sentence:  In plain terms, the <WSD>paternoster</WSD> is a rig with the weight at the bottom and hook traces (sometimes called snoods by sea anglers) attached above in fixed positions. Besides a tidy presentation, this arrangement allows the sea angler to try more than one bait and you'll often find <WSD>paternosters</WSD> with two hooks (or even three or four). Effectively this allows us to hedge our bets and try more baits (which could be the same or different types), thereby increasing the scent and attraction. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  A tackle rig with a heavy sinker at the end of the line, and one or more hooks on traces at right angles spaced above the sinker.