advice needed about crawlers as bait

[Cheers]

I have been a die-hard minnow guy for 5o years but am determined to give crawlers a go this week . I am familiar with S.D presentations but not sure about jigs or straight hook presentations or bottom bouncers . Any advise would be appreciated . I have grand kids that would love to fish with me but I need to keep it simple but effective

[headcheese]

Bouncers are easy and can catch a lot of fish. Use about 1.5 oz depending on depth, buy some pre tied spinners with 2 hooks, and troll about 1 mph with the electric. Don't let out a mile of line whatever it takes to keep in contact with bottom.

When I feel a light bite I like to swing the rod back and point it at the fish to give it some line before I set the hook. Other times they slam it right away.

[TravP]

While pulling blades with bouncers I always put my rod in the holder, no need to hold it as the fish hook themselves. 1oz of lead for every 10ft of water your fishing is a general rule. Try and keep your line at about 45 degrees.

[JollyRogerTackle]

Hi Cheers,

Bottom bouncers with spinners and crawlers are an excellent tactic to deploy all summer long. I primarily fish Mille Lacs and use 2 oz Bouncers most of the time. Just drop it to the bottom, get the boat moving at 1.0-1.2 MPH and keep the line just ticking the bottom at about a 45 degree angle. At Jolly Roger Tackle, we've got over 35 different patterns in size 3 ,4, and 5. All out spinners are tied on 14 lb flourocarbon and packaged on a snell holder for easy removal and storage on the water. Some of the best colors for me this year have been our Pro Series Firebelly, Sunrise Craw, Seyka Perch and Folisitic Gold and Silver.

Good Luck!

Shawn Flemming

Jolly Roger Tackle

[JohnMickish]

What questions do you have about crawlers in particular? They work on lindy rigs, spinners and jigs. Most people don't use the whole crawler but sometimes whole crawlers work better.

Get the biggest, fattest ones you can find, hook it head end (the darker end, closest to the collar) and pinch it off and inch or two past the hook and fish it like you had a minnow on there. Deadly for sure.

[Cheers]

So they work on a jig ? just gob them on the hook and leave a tag end ? When bottom bouncing the presentation should be a worm in the extended position not bunched up on a hook ?

[JohnMickish]

Do not gob them up, well, maybe if your sturgeon/catfishing fishing. For a jig, just insert the hook at the tip, run it thru the length of the hook and curl the hook out. You can just stab it thru the crawler at the end but it will fold over in the water, that might be a deal breaker for the walleye. When you hook a crawler thru the tip it stays on the hook surprizingly well.

When you are using a bottom bouncer/spinner rig, yes, you want the crawler streatched out straight.

A couple of years ago I started to really use crawlers and have had great results. I use way more crawlers in a year than I do both leeches and minnows combined.

[MN_Jay]

I like to use a stinger hook while using crawlers on spinners, way too many walleye bite the back half and pull it off. I've caught way more since using these, even jigging.

[JohnMickish]

You could just use a two or three hook crawler harness and skip the stinger hook. That or pinch off the crawler.

[JohnMickish]

Guys, this discussion on crawlers is very timely. Thorne Brothers will be having a seminar next Wednesday, July 27 at 7:00 on crawlers, bottom bouncing and spinners. The seminars are free.

[RiverFish]

When fishing jigs and crawlers I like to double hook the crawler in the middle. That gives me two ends coming off the hook.

Seems to work well for me.

[TroutYammer]

Swivel, bullet sinker and 3-4 feet of line beteen the bullet sinder and a #4 or #6 hook. Hook the crawler through the nose so that it trails straight back and the tail flips when trolling. Simple rig can be augmented with different size bullet sinkers for various trolling speeds/depths and you can add colored beads and/or spinners as desired. During summer you are probaly best off with a spinner but in cooler water try no-spinner and just colored beads or even no beads.

Troll with your reel bail open and your findeger on the line. When you feel any tappng at all let the line flow off the spool and count to 10...then slowly reel in the line until the line becomes taught and then set the hook.

[canman]

I had great luck with crawlers even on opener around central MN. Almost always use them vs. minnows.

TY's method is very effective. Keeps the tackle box very cheap and small.