Heading up this Thursday and want to shorten the learning curve.
When you guys are pulling spinners, what is the proper way to do it? I’ve only pulled spinners twice and I’m not sure if I’m going about it the right way.
Do you typically drift, like lindy rigging?
Or do you troll, if so at what speed?
–If your trolling, do you try and keep the weight off the bottom or drag it like rigging?
What size weight do you use?
What length of snell?
Thanks in advance!
Here is a report from 2 weeks ago that answers many of your questions. We were backtrolling around 1 mph with 2-3 oz weights. Dragging and keeping the sinker off bottom both worked. Good luck! I hear this is still one of the best presentations.
I like to use a minimum of a 2 oz bottom bouncer in either the plain color or colored for attraction. If the lake is rockin you might have to go as heavy as a 3 oz just to keep contact of the bottom. Ideally keeping your line as vertical as possible has been best for me. I personally don’t like to drag the bottom bouncer unless I am fishing down in the gravel or sand therefore I lift the bottom bouncer off the bottom and hold it about a foot to 18″ off the bottom which also prevents stirring up the mud flat which can ruin the fishing spot in a hurry, so as you troll along at about .8-1.2 mph keep checking to see if your near the bottom by setting back the bouncer. This is key if your moving along the break from deep to shallow as well. Speed is key with spinners, to little speed and the spinner doesn’t spin, too much speed you have a problem keeping contact with bottom. Its a trial and error format, once you dial in a bite it can be deadly.
Jolly Roger has a great source of pre tied spinners with the hot colors for Mille Lacs, I would suggest ordering a few before your trip. Have fun.
Thanks Fife!
I assume when you keep the weight off the bottom, your not feeding the fish line when you feel the inital tap? When you are dragging and feel the fish hit, are you feeding it line like rigging?
Thanks —
Usually it is not just a “tap” more along the lines of them crushing it and almost ripping the rod out of your hand. Dropping the rod back to check if you are still in contact with bottom leads to many strikes I have noticed over the years.
Roger:
We were just out there this weekend on a pretty good spinner bite with the family. Rather than feeling for the bite and dropping the rod tip, which is a great technique with some practice, I’d recommend rod-holders. Put the rod in the holder and let the natural speed of the boat load up the rod and hook the fish for you. Especially with my kids in the boat, we lost far fewer fish that way, and sometimes it’s best-practice even if you have alot of experience with that technique.
Electric blue and firetiger were our best colors out there for most of the weekend, particularly when we had some sun.
That’s a great pattern out there right now. Good luck and let us know how it goes!
Joel
Roger K
Great advice from everyone.
I was pulling spinners with minnows yesterday and crushed the perch. Most guys use crawlers on a 2 – 3 hook worm harness. For walleyes, consider replacing the terminal hook (end hook in the harness) with a treble hook, especially if you have young ones. It works well for increasing hooking percentages. Go with a size 10 or 12 hook.
Thanks to all who replied!
With some direction, I do have a little more confidence now going into this. It’s definately going to take some trial and error…and a trip to Fleet to grab some needed tackle.
I use a three way rig with a 2 oz bell sinker dropper at 18 inches. Back trolling at 1.5 GPS. Colorado deep cup spinner blades in hammered gold or silver #5. 3 hook crawler harness 7 foot in length.
Roger:
Here’s a post I just put up from this weekend’s results. Good luck out there, the bite is good!
Joel
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I use a three way rig with a 2 oz bell sinker dropper at 18 inches. Back trolling at 1.5 GPS. Colorado deep cup spinner blades in hammered gold or silver #5. 3 hook crawler harness 7 foot in length.
Are you dragging the bottom with the sinker? My experience with stirring up the bottom is good and bad. I believe fish are curious and will come tocheck things about, but if they’re in a negative mood, stirring the bottom up may turn them away.
There will be another guy in the boat, so this is a good opportunity to try both.
Everyone runs spinners slightly different and once your confident in one method you’ll stick with it. I started using bouncers and was never consistant with them regarding my catch. One day I switched to 3-ways and have not looked back.
Rule of thumb for me is 1 ounce of weight per 10 feet of depth that I am fishing. For the flats I am usually running 3 ounces which covers me for the deep edge.
I usually run a 12-18 in dropper and is usually closer 15 inches. My snells are 7-8 feet in length. I usually troll around 1.3MHP. If windy always troll with the waves.
Here is my last report.
Let me know if you have any questions.
this year my money color has been a pounded electric blue colorado blade. They are somewhat tough to find, and after a few days of use the blue usually chips off.
With the exception of my last trip, hammered blue has worked well for me as well. Mine are the Northland brand.
I touch bottom when changing depths frequently. But not ever dragging bottom.
I use 3/4 oz and have no problems catching fish, why the 2 and 3 oz weights?
Lots of great info guys!!!
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I use 3/4 oz and have no problems catching fish, why the 2 and 3 oz weights?
It allows you to know exactly where your bait is located in relation to bottom versus just letting out a lot of line and guessing. With the heavier weight you can easily know that you are just above bottom by letting your rod tip fall back and feeling that that weight hits bottom. With a blade this can be tough without a heavier weight. If you can easily tell where bottom is with a 3/4 oz weight than you’re good to go.
A general rule of thumb for both spinners and rigs in deeper water is that your line angle should never exceed 45 degrees
How are you guys getting your boat speeds down to .8-1 mph when your trolling?
I have a 80hp yamaha, but I know I can’t get that slow. Do you guys throw out a drift sock to slow you down or possibly a 5 gallon bucket tied to eye hook at the transom?
Thanks —
drift socks
5 gal buckets
15hp kicker
electric
I use my bow mount.
Terrova gets me the speed I need. Can troll down to .2 and up to around 3 mph depending on weather conditions.
I was out the other weekend & my buddy’s bow mount trolling motor wasnt working properly, he has a 90 hp 4-stroke Johnson that we ended up trolling spinner blades with & in order to slow boat down he was popping it in & out of gear.
With this technique I wasn’t able to feel bottom with my 3/4 ounce slick stick…..& couldn’t buy a bite!
So with what you guys are saying I should of up sized my weight, so at least I’d know where I was in relation with bottom.
& for a rule stay 12″-18″ of bottom with bouncer?
If that’s the case isn’t your actual bait going to be 3′-4′ off bottom then?
Thanks 
If popping in and out of gear, throw everything out the window. This technique “can” work, typically for the person in the boat that’s doing the driving. Driver makes turns, keeps contact with the bottom at all times. Inside turn, you swing wide and bait flies away from bottom when in gear. Outside turn, he keeps it out of gear longer and you lay on the bottom motionless. Even if going perfectly straight at all times, the driver gets to position his bait precisely, while you’re guessing how much line to keep out or take in depending on the whims of his shifting.
Look to backtroll instead with a driftsock if needed to keep a more consistent speed. That should get more fish for everyone!
Joel
Back troll with a drift sock off the front works for me with a 115hp
Do any of you guys back troll with a steering console ?
I’m sure it’s pretty tough.
Certain console boats are better than others, but we used to do it alot in my Dad’s crestliner. We threw a sock or two out and backtrolled. With one sock it was always a little too fast for rigging, but perfect for spinners.
I do it (backtroll) all the time with my wheel boat. I have a couple of drift socks but prefer to use a 5 gallon bucket with some holes and a short rope off the bow eye.
This year they have been snapping enough there it is run & gun & with a Trolmaster I can keep my T9 slow enough to front troll just fine & being able or having to spin around over the top of a spot on a spot is not relevant.
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Do any of you guys back troll with a steering console ?
I’m sure it’s pretty tough.
I do with my Alumacraft Trophy all the time.
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