Advice on tying spinners?

[anchor man]

So are there any tricks to tying my own spinners and having them not twist when trolling? Even when using a barrel swivel, I sometimes notice a fair amount of twist. Is it my knot, line diameter, spinner/bead combination? I usually use a regular gamakatsu hook, 8-10lb mono, 4-5 beads and a spinner.

Thanks

[fishwater]

If you use a thicker/stiffer line, you'll get less twist. I usually use 12-15lb for spinners.

[Fish Head]

I would use flourocarbon. Not only is it invisible under the water, but it's stiffer. Also, I wonder if your putting the 2nd hook too far down on the crawler?

[KyleM.]

If you use a thicker/stiffer line, you'll get less twist. I usually use 12-15lb for spinners.

+1

I use either Berkley xt or Cajun line in 12-14lb due to the stiffness.

Another important thing is the knot used. I had an old timer up north show me how to tie and here is an exact example online...not sure if they will edit or not:

[Note: Please read forum police before posting again, thank you]

You can use a nail on the board to tighten hook fyi..

How to Tie Crawler Harnesses

by Mike Giamportones

Find some space on a table or workbench where you can be comfortable. Sit if you like. As far as tools all that is really needed is nail clippers or scissors to cut the line. Turn on the radio or your favorite walleye fishing show since total concentration will not be required. Set out within your reach the components listed above. Cut about a 5-foot piece of line. You will not be able to tie a hook the way explained here with one end of the line still connected to a spool.

TYING YOUR FIRST CRAWLER HARNESS

Hold the hook in one hand with the eyelet towards your other hand. Without letting go of the hook, thread one to two inches of line up through the eye and pinch the line firmly against the hook's shank. Remain holding the line and hook this way (closer to the hook point than eyelet).

With your free hand grab the loose line close the eye. Start wrapping the line around the shank as close as you can with each successive wrap going away from the eye towards the hook point. Wrap the line six to eight times while keeping tension on the previous wrap. Then with a free finger from the hand holding the hook, press on the knot just enough so it does not come unraveled.

Thread the line through the eye opposite the way it came from, i.e.: If you began your knot by threading the line UP through the eye, finish by threading the line DOWN through the eye. Pull the line tight while not allowing the knot to loosen. If needed, slide the knot towards the eye. That's it, you have a perfectly tied hook!

Depending on the eyelet of the hook used, you may have difficulty getting the line to wrap around the shank at first. Don't worry that's normal until you do it a few times. Then it becomes second nature. Here are a few different methods you might try if the line won't wrap. Pull the line a little tighter while wrapping. Try exaggerating the first wrap by pulling it halfway down the shank and fairly taut for the first wrap. Another technique is to press a free finger on the end of the eye while tying the first wrap.

If your hook's knot does not look proper or to your liking, take it apart and practice as many times as you like. Cut the line about 1/2" above the hook and reuse the untwisted line over and over until you are satisfied. The knot is untied by pulling the line back through the eye and unwinding until free.

Slip 5 beads down the line towards the hook. Place the clevis through the hole in the spinner blade with both clevis holes on the cupped (concave) side of the blade. Thread the line up through both clevis holes. The cupped side of the blade must be towards line and hole in blade should be at the top away from hook. Always fasten a blade with a clevis. Without a clevis the spinning blade will cut your line.

Add the last bead above the spinner blade for some additional sound attraction. Double over the last 2 inches of your line and tie it with an overhand knot to create a loop. Try to make a loop about 1/2" to 1" in diameter and pull knot tight. Trim the excess line from the loop and hook. Leave approximately 1/4" of line past the knots so they can tighten as needed without failing.

CRAWLER HARNESS MODIFICATIONS

Multiple Hooks:

So fisherman can use a whole worm, many crawler harnesses use multiple hooks. You probably think that making harnesses with multiple hooks must be a whole lot harder. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Adding additional hooks is just as easy as the first. Tie the first hook as usual. Slide the second hook down and space it exactly where you want it. Be sure the hook is orientated the same way as the first hook. Pinch the line and shank of the additional hook just as you did with the first. Wrap the free line around the shank near the eye. This time thread the line through the eye the same way it came from (should be the bottom). Viola' a harness with a second hook.

Additional hooks could be added in the same way. Second and third hooks are very popular with shorter shank hooks like "walleye" or "octopus" hooks but more than one hook is not recommended for long shank hooks like Aberdeen.

[Dusty]

The real key to not have your line twist is to use a quaility ball bearing swivel. I use 8# line only and never have line twist. A barrel swivel just won't work.

[FishLocker]

I agree with Dusty, the best ball bearing swivel you can find is one key. Fish Head has the second key in making sure the crawler is not hooked too far back causing a cork screw that the swivel cannot accommodate. I always make sure my clevis is sized with plenty of room so my flasher is not adding to the problem (I use a quick change type for altering presentation without putting on a different harness). I would only add, make sure your hooks are aligned so you are not creating an amplified cork screw with the worm in that way. Some is ok when they are aggressive but not so the swivel cannot keep up.

I like to use 8 lb fluorocarbon and never have twist problems.

I prefer my knot to run both lines under the wrap so I don't rely on the drag of the worm to keep my hooks tight. There are tools to help you.

I use the Creek Company Nip-N-Knot tool that has the knot tool making the knots very quick and easy, and a line nipper (you can see at the company HSOforum or Big C has it with a vest pin and recoil line that makes it handy to keep with you in the boat) I see Big C has a new one with better D-ring position called the Tie Fast Combo tool...very similar but no recoil vest pin.

[Northlander]

Use thicker line in the 12-20# range, best swivel possible, make sure the clevis and spinner spin smoothly and check regularly and change these components out if needed. Every once in a while I get a swivel out of the bunch that is bad. I also have had clevis's that dont spin freely. Some blades also dont spin well on certain size clevis's so check that out in the water at boatside 1st few times you run different blade / clevis types together.

I got a ton of Bass Pro Shops Blades and man they look awesome but they just dont spin very well on certain quick exchange clevis's.