3-way question / Pool 4

I’m slowly trying to figure out 3-way rigging/Dubuque rigging. Figured I’d ask the group what you typically use on Pool 4 for this set up.

I have been using:
6 foot, medium action rod
8 lb braid (Fireline) for main line
8 lb mono for leaders

Generally been 12 to 20 foot, sorta depends on current etc.

Dropper weight / jig is 1 oz, though I’m told to instead try 1/2 oz and target shallower. Trailer is just a plain hook with plastic.

Plastics vary, but usually B Fish N Tackle.

This seems to generally work but just figured I’d continue to learn/tweak. Curious what others try in terms of set up.

Seems like you kinda got it. Shallower/deeper just depends on conditions imho.

I try and go as light as possible on the dropper….I’m usually trying to get a 45 degree angle when I’m dragging. Adjust the dropper weight accordingly depending on bottom contact. Usually an aberdeen hook with a ringworm or moxi on the trailer. Paddle tail on the dropper.

I use St Croix bounce and troll rods with a baitcaster that has the flipping switch. Mine are 7′ medium but they load up nice….when I switched to these rods for both trolling and 3-ways or bottom bouncing my hook up percentage went up. The flipping switch is convenient.

That sounds like a good set-up.

I use a 7′ baitcaster for my rig just because it’s easier to change depths with. I almost always have a 3/4oz or 1oz on and zig zag over different depths until a pattern develops.

Thanks for the insight. I may try shifting to a baitcaster set up. Been using a spinning reel mostly.

Have you found any good sources for heavier jigs? One ounce are a bit hard to find sometimes. I bet a 1 1/2 ounce would also be nice to try. Or something similar.

shockers wrote:

Thanks for the insight. I may try shifting to a baitcaster set up. Been using a spinning reel mostly.

Have you found any good sources for heavier jigs? One ounce are a bit hard to find sometimes. I bet a 1 1/2 ounce would also be nice to try. Or something similar.

Those heavier cannonball jigs, they are tough to find. my go to was up at the tackle shops on the Rainy river each fall and now i am running really low. I wish I could find a dealer that has those heavier jigs down here on the Sippi. they were some awesome quality up there and any color combo imaginable.

Try Marine General maybe? I have some larger lake trout jigs from them that would work. The hook gap is reasonable given the weight. I’ve never used them for a 3 way but getting up to a couple ounces shouldn’t be a problem.

VMC used to also carry a larger jig….maybe give their site a try?

Thanks for the info, Matt. I’ll have to do some more searching. I know I could always just use a 2-ounce weight etc. as the dropper. But I figure if I’m gonna drop a weight down there, might as well have a hook on it.

shockers wrote:

I’m slowly trying to figure out 3-way rigging/Dubuque rigging. Figured I’d ask the group what you typically use on Pool 4 for this set up.

I have been using:
6 foot, medium action rod
8 lb braid (Fireline) for main line
8 lb mono for leaders

Generally been 12 to 20 foot, sorta depends on current etc.

Dropper weight / jig is 1 oz, though I’m told to instead try 1/2 oz and target shallower. Trailer is just a plain hook with plastic.

Plastics vary, but usually B Fish N Tackle.

This seems to generally work but just figured I’d continue to learn/tweak. Curious what others try in terms of set up.

shockers wrote:

I’m slowly trying to figure out 3-way rigging/Dubuque rigging. Figured I’d ask the group what you typically use on Pool 4 for this set up.

I have been using:
6 foot, medium action rod
8 lb braid (Fireline) for main line
8 lb mono for leaders

Generally been 12 to 20 foot, sorta depends on current etc.

Dropper weight / jig is 1 oz, though I’m told to instead try 1/2 oz and target shallower. Trailer is just a plain hook with plastic.

Plastics vary, but usually B Fish N Tackle.

This seems to generally work but just figured I’d continue to learn/tweak. Curious what others try in terms of set up.

I’m curious about your leader length. I have never gone over three feet on the river. Curious if others run a long leader? The short works for me. Dropper is. usually one to two feet.

Something like this could be interesting if you wanted to experiment. It’s 1.5 oz lake trout jig. You might have to cut the trailer off to be legal?

It’s a big hook but that woudn’t be a problem for a big fish sitting in heavy current. Could even snip the hair off and throw a big swim bait on it.

I’d bump up your mono leader to 10lb. You could even go higher in snaggy stuff. I like a baitcaster with a flipp’n switch.

Here is a good source for some heavier weight jigs…

http://www.riverwalleyes.com/Tackle/PaintedJigs.aspx

Personally on Pool 4 though I rarely fish heavier than 3/4 last week 5/8 worked great. If those weights arent holding bottom, slide in out of the current seam until they fish well.
Just a suggestion…

Thanks, Dean. I watched the old IDO video of you and James on the River as part of my research.

One trick I learned from a river fishing buddy is to run your dropper with braid, and your trailer with mono/fluro. However, I would only do that with a true three-way rig where your dropper is a bell/stick sinker. The idea is that if your dropper line and your trailer/bait line tangle, it’s way easier to see and untangle quickly. It also provides a little more resistance for that dropper that is running along the bottom and potentially snagging up. I would run mono-fluro on both though with a Dubuque.

14# flouro is what i use.
On the 100th fish this week, the line finally broke.

I cast my own jigs, because they’re reasonably unavailable in those sizes.
1/16 up to 1-1/2oz all with 4/0 hooks, and a bend so they hook into the roof of the walleye mouth. There’s a post about them, called jigging tip – increase catch rate. The other post where i talk about 3-ways is called 3-way hovering for walleyes.

The better i have gotten at identifying fish species on my SI, the less ground i tend to cover. All i did this weekend was hover over a 50′ circle of fish. The biggest school in the area. Slipping side to size, and not pulling forward or backward.
This is the same as i described last time you put up a report Shockers, though i was entirely in a different location than the previous two weeks.

I use 14# Invisix (or maybe it’s 15lb) for spinner rigs/bottom bouncing. So maybe I’ll try some of that for the leader lines. Have been using mono, but debating whether to try beefier mono. Or beefier fluro. Maybe fluro given it’s worked fine for me on spinner rigs in that strength/weight.

Scott, interesting tip. Not sure I feel brave enough to do that, but interesting idea.

Try a minnow on the trailer. You will catch more small fish but sometimes it is the only thing that works.