Crawler Harness Tying 101

Spinner tying day here! The attached video is a re-make of one I did in 2003. (Man, time flies!!!) Pretty much the same. One take and un-edited. Just a little better picture.

This video is real basic. Just a pattern I will use a lot on Mille Lscs Lake. A lot of the stuff I tie for Milly similar in size, just different color combos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrxJPMKmzuU

After viewing the video, feel free to post any questions!

Tying and fishing with stuff you made is a reward in itself. It gets addicting collecting blades and beads. Two things I always keep an eye out for. A good sale and hand tied spinner patterns from other regions. The local stuff can often be applied back home with great success.

For instance, check out the harmess with 2 blades. Will be giving this a try!

Here is a shot of the shoe box size container and pool noodles I use when I move the spinners from individual bags. This is what I take with me in the boat. That same size container will hold upwards of 150 packaged spinners. Enough for a typical summer fishing on Mille Lacs.

Always use quality Gamigatsu or VMC hooks. A small investment that will pay off on the water. Once you tie your own spinners, you will never go back to store bought stuff. And in the end, the cost per unit is less than typical retail!

quick question Jon. You have any tips on how you get your spinners wrapped so nice for storage in the bag? When I tried that it turned into a birds nest with every single one!

I cover that quickly in the video. Here is a tip. When you are ready to use the spinner, open up the baggie and clip off the tag end. (The end with the knot holding the beads.) Then just pull the spinner out and let it unravel. With one clean end on the line, it normally just falls open.

-J.

Borderline romantic with the fire in the background there JJ. Do you find Barry White or Al Green on the record player makes for better harness tying as well?

Still diggin’ James Hetfield!!

-J.

Good video John — I wish it had been available when I 1st started tying my own a few years ago.

Some other options to experiment with: 1) use a quick change clevis so that you can change blades on the fly, b) use a swivel on the front end, c) don’t be shy to use bigger blades.

I run my harnesses behind inline sinkers, keel weights or snap weights.

Great post John,
I was a harness puller for many years on Lake Michigan and Bays de Noc…Unfortunately fisheries change and the nature/clientelle of my Guiding moved heavily to Bass. You moved me to get out the boxes of spinner stuff and tie a few new ones.
Of course that means the old harness gear will have to back fishing again!

That was some cool stuff Jon. Thanks for the video

I know what I am doing as soon as the ice starts to go out

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Some other options to experiment with: a) use a quick change clevis so that you can change blades on the fly, b) use a swivel on the front end, c) don’t be shy to use bigger blades.

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Yes, yes and yes! I’ll use the quick change clevis on rigs with bigger blades and beads. I like the small folded clevises for the small blades I typically use on Mille Lacs. But with that said, those big silver dollar size blades get pulled out later in the year generally around the same time the open water deep crank/board bite takes off.

-J.

So I stopped and picked me up some goodies tonight, beads, blades and clevises. Looking at the hooks I am wondering for pulling these rigs on the river do I still want a treble for my back hook? How much more junk will the treble pick up verses a single hook for my trailer?

Bret,

For rigs I tie up for the river, I’ll use a single hook. Generally an aberdeen style. I’ll post up some pics tonight.

-J.

Cool beans, I’d appreciate that

Here ya go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jEuEwa1a2lw

-J.

Nice video Jon, i started tying crawler harnesses last year but i didnt know how to tie a snell knot. I was tying a palomar knot and tying a the trailer hook off that tail. I’ll be watching your vid and perfecting that snell knot as the tail sits much straighter off that knot. A quick question, is there a benefit to using the small treble or that aberdeen hook versus just using say a #6 octopus gamagatzu? And do you notice that bead color makes a huge difference at times and if so is there a rhyme or reason to what colors you start with? I’ve always just used different color combos with red and chartruese. And a final question, is there a reason for putting the single bead in front of the blade clevis? I’ve never done that.

Let me start off by saying this. There are probably 100 guys who watch this video and sit back thinking “He’s doing it all wrong!” Also keep in mind I pull spinners mostly on Lake Mille Lacs. So I tie up most of my stuff with that in mind. I also feel 90% of the store bought rigs are junk and are overpriced. I think they use poor quality hooks that in most cases are too small for my liking. I was losing way too many fish.

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is there a benefit to using the small treble or that aberdeen hook versus just using say a #6 octopus gamagatzu?

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I think I lose less fish after a hook up. Simple as that! The Aberdeen is a better hook to use with minnows. I never tie a trailer when using an Aberdeen. . If you fish snaggy, weedy waters or waters that have a lot of stuff like leaves and grass floating around, you may not want a treble on the back.

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do you notice that bead color makes a huge difference at times and if so is there a rhyme or reason to what colors you start with? I’ve always just used different color combos with red and chartruese.

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Color is definitely important and does make a huge difference at times. For instance, a silver blade/chartreuse bead pattern may outfish a gold blade/red bead pattern 10-1 some days. Others, just the opposite. I choose my patterns based mostly off past success. If you are only using red and chartreuse now, I’d add in green, blue and white to your collection.

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is there a reason for putting the single bead in front of the blade clevis? I’ve never done that.

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I don’t do that for every rig I tie. It does add a little color up front. Just a personal preference. Remember, there are no “Rules”. Experiment and find what works for you and the way you fish. If you find success, run with it.

If you ever fish a lake with an early season algae bloom (Like Big Stone Lake has every spring) you can stack a dozen or so beads up in front of the blade. This will extend the time you can run the rig before it fouls up with algae. That little bit of extra run time can make a huge difference in the number of fish you boat that day!

-J.

Thanks for the info again. Im at home laid up with a bad shoulder so i spent all afternoon tying up spinners. Im glad i learned that snell knot, that is slick.

I have also found this snell tying video to be kinda helpful
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuYeFIPtHlk

Looks like its a great day to tie up spinners!

-J.