Crawler/Minnow/Leech Harnes Making

[lumpy]

Thinking of making some for next year. Any suggestions on what kind of line works best, hooks, blades, etc... These would be used mostly for walleye.

[Grabs]

I have been using Fireline this year,...really holds up well through just about everything!

Be creative,...try different sizes, colors and bead combinations. Some of my best rigs had a single metal bead about the blade so that the metal on metal made some added noise.

Glow beads have worked well in the past to, especially for night time trips.

[Tully]

I tied up mine using Vanish, I think it was 10 lb.? I made up a few at the end of the year with some rattle beads I found at Cabellas and had great luck with them.
Tully

[Guest]

Oh, man - I love making rigs. Pick up some glass and stone beads at Joann Fabrics, or a bead store. Two glass beads makes a great rattle, and it's lighter than metal. The stone beads make sounds like a sucker makes rootin' amongst the rocks. I haven't messed with too many different lines.

For Northerns I use JB Weld or a similiar epoxy to make tandem hooks out of single hooks.

When I'm threading a crawler onto a snelled hook, I use a super-fine guage crochet or cross-stitch needle. I shove the needle through the nose of the crawler, poke it out where I want the hook to be, then grab the snell-loop with the hook of the crochet needle. Pull gently, snap loop onto swivel, and presto - crawler with a hook near the tail.
These crochet hooks are usually aluminum, so you can easily grind them to make 'em skinnier.

I use 2" black pipe insulation to organize my leaders and harness. Put the loop into the slit and wrap the leader around, hook into foam. I have one for walleye leaders, one for panfish leaders, one for spinner leaders and one for pike wires. Takes up as much or little space in your box as you want, and keeps 'em tangle -free.

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RobertC