Let’s Talk Rigging!

Like many of you guys, I will be pulling my fair share of “Lindy Rigs” on opener. Just about every one I fish rigs with has their own strong opinion about what works best….especially on the Pond. And when we get to the nitty-gritty, it’s done different on the sand, mud and rocks. At least it is for me. But in general, the longer the better we are told.

So, let’s break it down. Leader length, hook size, hook color, bead/beads, no beads, walking singer/weight, floaters or ???

As I just finished tying up about 20 or so leaders for the opener, I’m running my leads about 7-9 feet. Size 6 or 8 hooks, some with one bead some no beads. P-Line CX in the 6# test. I prefer the somewhat shorter leads fishing the south end rocks. Actually, the past several years, the only time I go real long (10-12 ft leads) is when I’m fishing mud in the summer. I know a lot of you guys run super long leads early in season up on the sand. Curious if you have tried shorter leads? Or do you “Go Long” as a matter of rule up there?

Seems every year I’m fishing my leads shorter and shorter and getting fish all the same. But let’s face it. A 7-9 foot lead anywhere else is pretty long.

-J.

I’ll add that my favorite rigging rod is a 7 foot 6 inch med-lt St Croix rod. (PS 76 MLF) These rods do secondary duty as slip bobber rods and get a ton of use in my boat. Soft sensitive tip and enough backbone to handle any Milly eye. The price won’t kill ya either! I’m pretty tuff on my equipment, but these rods have held up to the abuse I dish out.

-J.

Thanks Jon. Good to hear, I just picked up the same rod and was not completely sold on it for rigging, but your post makes me feel better.

I also just got done tying about 35 snells 8-9 feet long. I used 6lb Fireline smoke and 8lb Vanish. I just read the other post about the Vanish, so these my be taking a back seat to the 6 lb Fire Line and getting replaced with something else. . I tied plain red and black hooks, Hooks with beads, floating jig heads, and have a few phelp’s floaters also. I usually rig the sand or the sand gravel transitions. Typically have gone with 7-9′ snells in the past early season sometimes longer in the mud (12-14′). 1/4 to 1/2 oz Slip sinker (depending on depth and wind),with the 7.5′ MLF St. Croix rod, Shimano Symetre 2500 RD Reel, spooled with 8lb Smoke Fireline. I’m usually back-trolling with my electric Vantage motor or Pro Kicker motor depending on waves. As always I always change things around until the fish tell me what they like! .

Great topic Jon, gets the blood flowing..

I guess I keep it pretty simple. 6-7 foot snell, 6# Stren Magna-Thin for leader. Egg sinkers, ball bearing swivel, #8 yellow, green or red hooks. 7’6 St.Croix Avid MLF, Abu spinning reel filled with 6/12 Fusion.

For rigging in the rocks I keep the rig the same but use a three-way or bottom bouncer.

I use a kind of modified 3-way if I’m getting a lot of snags in the rocks. Kinda hard to explain how it’s tied. I’ll have to post a pic later today.

Good to hear you are running pretty short leads. “Only” 6-7 feet. That’s short for what a lot of guys are running.

-J.

Does anyone use those sinkers from Lindy that look like a banana when you rig? I have always used an egg sinker, but those got me thinking they may come through rocks better.

As long as we are asking questions, do most guys use a lighter leader material then a regular line material to cut down on loosing everything on a breakoff, only on rocky areas, or do you use the same line weight and material all the time.

I like to use a lighter weight leader, but normally go from a 8 lb. fireline/Power pro to a 6 or 8 lb mono leader. I think this also gives me some extra stretch when the fish makes a last minute dive at the boat.

I also find that it helps to get a piece of pipe insulation from Home Depot or somewhere like that and use it to tie up a ton of spinners, snells, etc. in the off season. Keeps this nice and neat, and gives me something to do at nights (that whole ADHD thing).

I almost always use bell sinkers unless I’m in alot of snags, then I will use a bottom bouncer. I typically run a 7′ M or ML rod. I vary my snell length depending on where I am, and what the wind is doing. I usually use 6# vanish. I run shorter (4′-6′) in shallower or rocky bottom, or if the fish are tight. But in most cases on the mud I’ll run long snells. not exactly sure on the length, but I would say 12′-15′. If it’s rough I tend to shorten them up so I don’t have to stand on the edge of my boat to get the fish to the top.

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Does anyone use those sinkers from Lindy that look like a banana when you rig? I have always used an egg sinker, but those got me thinking they may come through rocks better.

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These things? Let’s just say they should back that claim up with a money back guarantee…..

-J.

I use a 7 foot loomis P8400 in GL3(mahogany) for most of my rigging up there. The 7 foot or 7’6 St. Croix’s in the ML action are outstanding for this use also – built some but didn’t build me one yet. Out on the mud I like a leader of about 7-10 feet with 1/4 or 3/8 lindy sinker. I prefer a similar hook to the rest of you – 6 or 8 in octopus hooks and 4 or 6 in circle hooks – prefer red and really like them alot – prefer to see the eyes swim away healthy if they aren’t coming home with me. I usually use mono on the works in 6 pound xt or 8 xl for the master line – prefer the hi-viz as long as my supply holds out. Sensation will be my next move… for now leaders are usually 6 pound xl or one of the seaguar leader style 6 # test. Works well for me – I do occasionally throw in a small red plastic faceted bead – but that and the biggest leeches I can come up with and I think I have maxed out my part of the equation – then it is up to the fish! Chuckles

I agree with every post here to some extent. I will let the fish tell me what they want.
I will start with 6lb. trilene line on my shimano reel and a 7 ft. legend elite rod.
4lb. test Seagear floro carbon leaders tied 2 arm lengths and trimmed to length when put on……12-10-8-6 ft. in length…….whatever works that day.
Red, black, orange, green, blue, pink, purple, chatruese, glow hooks, floaters, beads and all those colors too……again whatever works that day.
Red, green and blue have worked best in the early spring for me.
Live bait rigging leeches though, I tend to stay away from any unecessary additional weight on the bait so it can swim naturally.
Least amount of weight possible, again dictated by speed, wind and other elements present. As slow a presentation as possible to start.

I used those no-snag sinkers until I lost them snagged up in the gravel. LOL

I will use bell sinkers in the sand, bullets and lindy sinkers on the mud, and pencil weights in the rocks and gravel.

I may or may not drag bottom depending on what works that day. Same with long lining lighter weights too.

My buck two ninety eight for ya!!!
Good Luck to all on opener!

Good topic Jon!!

Here is what I do……I run 6-7 ft snell’s made up with 4 lb vanish with red, blk, green and few other colored hook’s. Bead’s….I’ll use them sometimes, On my reels I run 6lb XL Trilene green. I run 7 ft St.Croix Avid’s MLF rigging rod’s.
When rigging on the Mille Lacs sand’s I’ll use a 1/4 oz. bullet sinker ahead of a swivel at the end of my snell. On the rocks I’ll run bottom bouncer’s 1/2-1oz depending on conditions. As for the snell length….I’ll start out at 6-7 foot and go shorter as I get snaged!!
When I’m on the mud, I run pretty much the same way…only with a bell sinker!

I have good luck with a very simple 6 footer. I have a swivel tied to the end of my line, with snap. Then I can change snells in seconds. The best luck is with the bell sinker, put on the snap, with the snell also. Then a single spinner blade about 6-8″ from a floating jighead with a medium leech. Spinner and beads and jighead, chartruese. Pretty simple, and when they are hitting, alot of fun !

big g

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Typically have gone with 7-9′ snells in the past early season sometimes longer in the mud (12-14′).

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Just out of curiosity, how do you land a fish with a 12 foot long leader, unless you have a 10 r 12 foot long rod?

Rootski

I would guess the hand over hand the last 6 feet.

big g

Good post!!!

Here is a question for you all………

Anyone ever try long-lining a split shot and #8 hook with a leech on the north sand? Say running about 40 or 60 feet of line out while drifting in 20 fow? Doing this instead of your typical lindy sinker, swivel, snell.

Giving a more “natural” presentation, does it matter on negative/neutral eyes?

Gary,
We’ll do this on the rocks sometimes achored up in the wind. Cast it out and let it lay on the bottom until they pick it up and run away with it.
It has been productive!

Rootski, I’m 6’7 with a pretty good reach, and I don’t use a rod under 7′ and I have a hard time.

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I will let the fish tell me what they want.

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Well said Hooks!

That is probably the most important thing to remember and adjust to the fish/conditions and not get stuck on the “I gotta have a 10 foot lead or they won’t bite” mentality!

-J.

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Typically have gone with 7-9′ snells in the past early season sometimes longer in the mud (12-14′).

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Just out of curiosity, how do you land a fish with a 12 foot long leader, unless you have a 10 r 12 foot long rod?

Rootski

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It’s funny to watch the guy standing on the bow with his pole held over head and the guy at the end of the boat with the handle fully extended streaching to net the fish. Just seems like a little too much work for me. But hey – Fish On!

-J.

A slip bobber knot on your line works well with a long snell. Just dont tighten it too much.

Gary….Shhhhhh……Oodles of guys trolling boards all day fruitlessly the past couple cold openers on LBDN would give you their right arms for that….(my simple but very effective) early season finesse rig. Only I usually employ a 1/16 oz jig and 4# test to get the line down in the 30-35′ mud flats.

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Just out of curiosity, how do you land a fish with a 12 foot long leader, unless you have a 10 r 12 foot long rod?

Rootski

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Rootski, it can be done. I usually use a 7-7.5′ rod. Lift that up in the air and you have about 12 feet to the water. 12 footers is not something I try to do. The 7-9′ snells are usually mangeable, but sometimes on the mud it just doesn’t get bit for what ever dumb reason.

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I like to use a lighter weight leader, but normally go from a 8 lb. fireline/Power pro to a 6 or 8 lb mono leader. I think this also gives me some extra stretch when the fish makes a last minute dive at the boat.

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That is also where the longer (7 & 7.5′)rod with fast action comes in handy. It is also a shock absorber for those using superline.

I haven’t saw it mentioned, so I’ll add one quirk to my rigging. I run a clevis above my ball bearing snap/swivel on power pro line. This allows me to quickly change weights vs. cutting and tying on a new weight/rig. I typically only lose the hook/bead combo when snagged or the weight just pulls free from the clevis.

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I use a kind of modified 3-way if I’m getting a lot of snags in the rocks. Kinda hard to explain how it’s tied. I’ll have to post a pic later today.

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Ok, here is a drawing. The idea here is when the sinker snags up, you pull the rig free. The trick is not to pinch the split shot on the dropper too hard. You can use an egg sinker or several split shot, just depends on the conditions. This rig also allows you to drop your tip/line and let the line run when a fish hits.

View Full Size Drawing – Click Here

-J.

I fish much the same as everyone else on the pond. Like Kooty said, I also have gotten away from the egg sinker and started using a clevis to change weights. This year I am rigging my 7′ Shimano Crucial and 7’6″ St. Croix Avids with a braided line for rigging. Both lines have enough play and the mono leader I run should have enough stretch. I usually start the day with a 12-14′ leader and then let it get a couple feet shorter as I retie for different reasons. Many different hook options, but I always use number 8 gamis for rigging. They are so light that the bait just goes wherever it wants.

Jon mentioned that the no-snagg sinkers should have a money back guarantee. That is the truth. I have lost a couple myself on the pond. Last summer I had the opportunity to dive Mille Lacs. My friend’s dad found atleast a dozen of these suckers, so apparently others have the same problem.