crawler rigs

[George]

o.k. I need some help. Went fishing with a buddy last night and we got on the subject of lindy rigs and spinners. He swears that if you have a 2 hooked lindy rig (crawler harness) that does not have a spinner blade on it ,it is illegal to use. Don't think that he is right ,but that is why I'm asking for help. Oh bye the way fishing was good, picked up seven eyes. Biggest about 20.5 ". The night before we got 2 about 26".

Thanks for the help!

[PerchJerker]

You can not use 2 or more hooks unless they're a part of a lure. A 2-hook rig with a crawler and nothing else is illegal. A treble hook is considered 3 hooks so you also can't fish with just live bait on a treble hook.

I think that adding 1 bead on the rig with 2 hooks and a crawler is enough to make it a lure, although there are some guys on this board that think you need a spinner blade to make it a lure. This topic comes up a lot with guys that ice fish with quick-strike rigs or even big minnows on a treble hook. For ice fishing a lot of guys put on the little plastic flipper blade that comes with swedish pimples. Good luck.

[hanson]

PerchJerker nailed it.

I'm one of those guys that think you need a spinner blade to make it a lure. You can put on a REAL small one if you wish.

2 hooks alone on a crawler harness is definitely illegal.

[Chris Haley]

nope, you don't need the blade. A bead makes it into a lure.

[metrojoe]

It seems there is a lot of gray area when it comes to this topic, but I think it's safe to say we all agree something has to be in line with the hooks.

The hooks alone are a no..no..

[George]

Thanks for the posts! I guess I owe him breakfast. I would rather owe that then a fine.

[Big Daddy 14]

We used to be in the resort business on Mille Lacs Lake and started manufacturing tackle. We made and sold a snelled treble hook with a red bead on it for ice fishing. According to Federal law, that bead made it an artificial lure and we were liable for Federal Excise Tax as a manufacturer. However the local Warden threatened to tag our customers since he said it was not an artificial lure and illegal since it was classified as 3 hooks. The area supervisor, Ray Sanbeck took us to St. Paul and the director of enforcement, after discussing what we thought would be fair, issued a commissioner's order which has the power of law, stating a snelled hook rig with more than 1 hook or a treble hook must have a spinner blade attached within 3 inches of the hook to be legal in Minnesota. The blade can be any type or size. I do not know how local officers enforce this law today, but the law still stands.

[gunflint]

I talked to the C.O. up here last night. He said a bead makes it a lure in his eyes.

[TUMBLEWEED]

I use the hi-vis rattle beads on my rigs. These act as a visual and an audible "lure" to a live bait rig. They do

seem to draw in the fish better than a plain rig.