spinner rigs

[musky_tail05]

I just bought some spinner rigs/crawler harnesses last week to try out this summer. I have never used spinners before and a have a few questions about them...

1. Do you need to use a bottom bouncer with spinners? I was thinking of just using a walking sinker. If I use a walking sinker, will it just drag on the bottom? (the rigs don't have floats on them)

2. At what speed to you normally troll spinners?

3.Any other tips or suggestions for fishing these?

I appreciate any help. Thanks, musky_tail05

[Chris Haley]

You don't have to use walkers with spinners. With a crawler harness I use slip sinkers and just drop my rod tip back before setting the hook. With a single hook and minnow I will use a slip sinker and feed line. In rocks I will use a walker for both. This year I am going to try "Todays Tackle" Foam Walker, it is the best of all the sinker systems tied into one. They work like a walker, but still have a slip capability. They break free if you do get snagged up bad, and have inter-changable weights.

[PerchJerker]

You can use just about any type of weight you want - bottom bouncers work great, but also slip sinkers (walking style or bullet), 3-way rigs, in-line weights, and snap weights. You DO NOT want the weight to drag on or lay on the bottom.

The key with a spinner rig is that you have to be moving fast enough for the blade to spin, which is faster than you'd typically go with a plain live bait rig. You can go even faster if you want. Test it beside the boat to see how fast you have to go to get it to spin. With a good rod you should be able to feel the blade spinning while you're fishing.

As the other poster mentioned, just drop your rod tip back when you feel a bite, then set the hook.

You need to hook the crawler straight, so it doesn't spin. Don't space your hooks too far apart -- your 2 or 3 hooks may all be in the top half of the crawler, with no hooks in the bottom half. That's OK. Crawlers usually stretch out after you drag them around for a while.

You can get a worm blower and give the crawler a puff of air - that will help keep it off the bottom. You can also add styrofoam floats, different colored beads, different color/style/size spinner blades, etc. A lot of us tie our own harnesses after a while and dress them up however we want.

Spinners and crawlers might work early in the season, but typically they're more of an early summer and later bait, for after the fish become more aggresive.

Hope this helps - good luck.

[Mike Walerak]

Muskytail
The main thing with spinners is to keep them within a foot or two of the bottom. When fishing these, you don't want to drag them on the bottom.
Remain in contact with the bottom by initially letting the weight hit bottom. Lift it up a foot, drift or troll a 30 seconds or so and drop the rod tip down until you feel bottom, you may have to let a bit more line out to remain in contact to compensate for the angle of the line. You should develop a rythym after short while. Keep doing this until you feel comfortable that your spinner is in the strike zone all the time.
One other trick is to keep your line fairly verticle. You should use enough weight to keep a 45 degree angle from the rod tip to your lure.
Hope this helps, have at em
mw

[This message has been edited by Mike Walerak (edited 04-15-2004).]

[This message has been edited by Mike Walerak (edited 04-15-2004).]

[MT Net]

Build your own spinner rigs, it's a cost savings in the long run. Fun to do. I bought the Walleye Infiltrator Spinner Rigs from this very site. They are in-line spinner blades and will spin on the slowest drift.

I usually drift troll with the wind, so I'm unsure of my speed. I usually use the slip bottom bouncer, Reef Runner or something from Northland tackle. Usually, I build them around 3 or 4 feet long. I've heard some people make them as long as 8 to 10 feet.

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LOTW General Member; IBOT #130

[fiskyknut]

Hey MT, what up with that LOTW general member stuff at the end of your post's? I know of the ibot bit but what's up with the LOTW bit?

fiskyknut

[MT Net]

fiskyknut,
Well, it all happened back on Saturday the 27th of March on our LOTW sleep-over ice outing at Gibbins. (On the BWCA Forum, Dr. Bob put on a LOW ice fishing post, now 29 pages long). Bryant and Jason, proprietors of Gibbins Ice Fishing on LOTW, were the first ot be initiated into the Brotherhood.

Dr. Bob, Leaky, Bryce, Condor, Jigglestick, and myself were enjoying an after fish-fry refreshment. (well many of them, thus the bravery on my part). Leaky crashed, and it was said we should clamp him. I spoke in his defense, it was agreed that I should go first, but, I needed some refreshment relief...I had to go. I was clamped, and that count to 10 seemed like an eternity. Leaky awoke, before he could sip some swill, he got clamped. My IBOT card signifys me as a General Member. Initiation on LOTW.

Thus the LOTW chapter was formed. Although, I believe Dr. Bob is calling himself a BWCA clamper. Apparently, the IBOT Brotherhood is branching out, and as Condor put it, soon to be tax deductible.

Time for you to clamp?

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LOTW General Member; IBOT #130

[lindyman]

I only use foam spinner rigs. They are very light and will still spin at very low speeds as well as higher speeds. Also, they stay much more level with your weight so you know what your depth is. Plus if the fish are skittish, they will hold on to it longer as opposed to a rig with a heavier metal spinner.
give 'em a try,
good luck,
lindy

[Finlander]

For drifting and slow trolling structure with the trolling motor, I use 5/8-3/4 ounce bead chain weights and use a 3 foot leader.
Put on half a crawler on a little joe spinner (gold blade), preferably the tail end and slide tail end on the hook up past the eye of the hook to help hold the crawler from sliding back.
Drop the rig down to the bottom the raise it up about a foot so your not dragging the weight on the bottom.
Close the bail as this meathod of rigging does'nt require free-spooling.
When you feel you get hit on, bring the tip of the rod back towards the fish so the walleye does'nt feel any resistance, until you can't follow the fish any more then set the hook.
With half a crawler, you don't need to feed line because the hook is most likely in it's mouth.
Just give it a few seconds and set the hook!
Good Luck!

[LocalGuide]

OK A rule of thumb is for every 10' you use 1 oz bottom bouncer. So at 20' a 2 oz is ideal.
When trolling make sure to keep your line at a 45º Angle. That way when the fish take your bait you can "drop back" to them and set the hook w/out hitting bottom. Also it also insures that your blade is spinning.

I tie my own rigs, and on my crawler harnesses I only tie on two hooks. Then I add my beads, then my blade and then it helps to have one last bead above the clevis(blade). My longest spinner is about 7', my shortest is about 3' and the most common size I have is about 5'-6'.

Now when you hook the worm, don't leave too much of a gap in-between the hooks. Otherwise the worm will have a loop in it and start to spin and then eventually causing a mess. (I think someone else stated that one)

I only use bottom bouncers with my spinners. That way my bait will be up off the bottom for the walleyes to shoot out and grab.
To set your line, just let the line out until you hit bottom, then check it by dropping your rod tip back. If you feel bottom (a tick) just when your rod tip reached all the way back (down) your set just right, or even reel up one crank to be extra safe.

When the walleyes are aggressive they will attack a spinner with ease. They often go plenty far off the bottom to chase a spinner and have no problem hitting it hard. Its a lot of fun to fish this way and it also covers lots of water. But when you find them active fish your arm better be ready b/c it will get a work out.

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And keep those hooks sharp!

[idratherbefishing]

when i fish spinner rigs i usually drag the weight along the bottom and have good luck. is this odd?

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"Fishing is a condition of the mind in which one cannot possibly have a bad time."
idratherbefishing

[deeky]

I don't think it's odd at all. I grew up fishing walleyes on Oahe and Thompson in South Dakota. We fished spinners 99% of the time and the bouncer was ALWAYS on the bottom. It took a little while to learn, but we could always tell what was on the bottom. We've caught too many fish for it not to work.

[Guest]

i have found that dragging sinkers is quiet productive especially in sandy bottom areas or lakes. if you are fishing in clear water shallow conditions it may not be good to keep your bait under the boat.

[gundy89]

I have the best luck with the Holographic blades. I don't even carry anything else anymore.
Local Guide - I don't even use close to that amount of weight. I might have to give it a try next time. Thanks for the tip.

[LocalGuide]

I used a 1.5 oz BB on opener with a plain hook snell line.
I was going about a mile an hour and catching more fish than any one else. I would pass people fishing next to me. Some of them must think I'm nuts to go that fast. But thats what the fish wanted, something fast enough to react on.
I very rarely use a "lindy rig" set-up, or a in-line weight. Only if the fish are really lethargic after a cold front or something.
If I find concentrations of fish I will stop and bobber fish or jig. If that doesnt work then back to trolling. Its just a learing experience everyday.
Test out the new and try out the old, kind of deal.

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And keep those hooks sharp!

[musky_tail05]

WOW!! Thanks for all of the excellent replies! This has to be the greatest site on the internet that has to do with fishing. I have learned a ton since I signed up. Thanks again to all! musky_tail05