embarassing question

[mainbutter]

So I thought I knew just about all fishing terminology, but after being on this site for a while, I've run into a term on a daily basis that I'd never heard before I came to MN.

What the heck is a "lindy rig"???

I almost feel like I'm asking a question with an answer so well known that I may as well be asking "what's a hook?"

[Coach1310]

It is a rig made popular by the Linder Brothers. Al being the most widely known.

It consists of a slip sinker above a swivel. Tied to the swivel is a leader of line anywhere from 3 feet to even 12 feet(on Mille Lacs). On that snell is a bead and/or a float and shortly behind that a hook(now colored is pretty popular). It is designed to keep your bait near the bottom. Usually fished with a leech, crawler or minnow.

[eyewarrior]

Slip sinker with a snell. Originally marketed by Al & Ron Linder thusly a lindy rig. Same thing as a carolina rig in bass fishing.

[Cooter]

A good question and one that doesn't even rival some of my 'embarassing' questions. The key part of the lindy rig is using a slip sinker so that when a fish hits you can freely feed it line. I'll bet a quick online search would get you some great illustrations that will help.

[Sandmannd]

One of the best ways to fish for eyes IMO. Once you learn it and learn how to feel the fish, feed it line and then set the hook, it can be leathal out on the water.

[Flaco651]

[Loos15]

The feeding the line part is the hardest to learn in my opinion, just gota kill that instinct to set the hook right away.

[HuskerBen]

Lindy rig, Carolina rig, slip-sinker rig... all pretty much the same, with some subtle variations. The main difference is the species you're after. If you're fishing for walleyes, it's a Lindy rig (often uses a walking sinker and a float or floating jig, sometimes a spinner blade). If you're fishing for bass, it's a Carolina rig (with a bullet sinker and a plastic bait). If you're after cats, it's a slip-sinker rig (with a no-roll or egg sinker). If you use it on another species of fish, you can give it a new name, market it, and write a bunch of articles.

It confused the heck out of me when I moved to MN, until I realized it was just another name for a rig I've been using for years.

[mainbutter]

So on the whole "feeding line" part.. You feel a fish, and give it a bit of line to take out before setting the hook?

Why is this important on a lindy rig?

[Sandmannd]

What I "try" to do is leave my bail open holding the line with my finger. Again, this is concept takes a lot of getting used to. When I feel a tap or two I let the line go and drop the rod a bit. It works well to count to five or ten till you get a feel for this type of fishing. After the count I close the bail, if I still feel the tap I set the hook. Now keep in mind you aren't shark fishing so don't jerk it out of their mouths.

I don't know what it is about give them the time, I assume it gives them the time to munch and get it in their mouths. Since doing this my production is up a lot.

Other thing I do if I can't just watch my rod or hold it is when I get a bite I will grab the rod and drop the tip and swing it toward the fish giving them some slack.

[slipperybob]

The feeding the line become quite important when you use larger baits, like sucker minnows, shiners, or bullheads for them walleye's. Often times they bite down on the bait and don't engulf it into their mouth. Then they swim a distance, get ready to reorientate the bait head into the esophogus, so then it's easier to swallow down into stomache. Some fish only swim a few feet/inches, some a few yards.

A line that slips through a sinker (lindy rig) helps to prevent the fish from dragging sinker on bottom, which often causes them to spit bait out.

[bgreen82]

just in case you havent looked it up yet

[mainbutter]

"Now keep in mind you aren't shark fishing so don't jerk it out of their mouths."

Yup, I sometimes shark fish and I've had to learn how hook-setting on different fish works.

2 more questions:

Concerning the picture in the post above. What's the bead for, just a spacer between the swivel and weight?

How do you usually fish this kind of rig? I assume find your spot, cast out, and wait for a bite or until you want to check your bait/try a new spot? Doesn't look like anything where the retrieve is part of how you fish it.

[Borch]

Helps protect the knot from the sinker pounding on it all the time. The bead isn't necessary and many don't add it to the rig. Many also add a bead tot eh snell as a small attractor.

As far as fihsing it most will slowly troll or drift the rig around structural elements. Normal speed vary but .3-1.0 mph are in the ball park.

[Sandmannd]

I actually don't put the bead on. I'll have some with beads by the hook if I add them. As Borch said, to fish it, slow trolling or drfting is the ticket. Before I had a boat, I did use it from shore and it worked as well. From shore though, I don't remember feeding line, but that was a number of years ago and I've learned a lot since then.

[blueroof]

I don't feed line many days. Usually I start the day setting the hook after a small rod drawback, only resorting to feeding line if I start missing too many or I can feel the fish mouthing the bait. A good lindy technique is to cast, then bounce it back on the reel-in. This technique works well across a current seam, into shore or over a hump.

I've been having luck lindy rigging with spin n glo floats this year. They are nice for keeping snag #'s down and spin at slow speeds too.