crawler on a lindy rig & spinner

last year in the spring, when we were lindy-riggin, we were using crawlers and getting bit off all the time…i was using a single hook, like when using a leech…I tried going to a rig with a harness and then never got a bite…went back to a single hook and then the crawler got bit off again…do you guys think that perch was nibbling it off or what can you do in this situation?…

also when we were using spinners last summer we were using a 3 hook harness with a triple hook at the end…are there any opinions on whether a 2 or 3 hook harness works better, or if it’s safe to use one or the other all the time…also if you use a 3 hook harness do you see if it goes better using a single hook or a triple hook at the end?…thanks in advance!!!!

1 more week!!!!

Opener and those first 2-3 weeks you are probably better off using leeches. They hold up better to short bites. When you are pulling spinners, you want the fish to be aggressive enough to hit the blade/first hook on the strike. That usually starts happening once the water warms into the upper 50’s and low 60’s.

Just can’t beat a leech early season on Milly. We call them “Eye Candy” in my boat – lol!.

-J.

Hi Jon…I like using leeches eraly all the time as well…last year if the bite slowed down a little early season we tried crawlers and that’s what was happening to us…

once the water warms up we start moving out as well…I was trying to compare set-ups once that time comes…Thanks!!!!

Pete,

When I have tried Crawlers (the few times) in the first few weeks, I really had to dish out a TON of line before setting the hook and I mean a TON. I was still only barely hooking them. I’m talking about 30-60 seconds. I had very similar results to you until I watched another guy almost empty his bail before setting the hook in St. Albans bay on the sand one day. What I would do if I got “short bit”. I would start increasing my time by 5-10 seconds until I found a good hook up. The old saying give the fish what they want.

With that said I agree with JJ, hard to beat a leech 95% of the time early season on the pond, but I know what you mean, those days crawler fishing the fish did not want my leech also.

Now you guys are talking my language! I am soooooo ready for opener! I didn’t chime in on the big debate, even though I think it sucks! I would rather talk about fishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hear ya! The Bobber cam may be down, but the countdown clock is still ticking.

8 days, 11 hours, 21 minutes and 50 seconds….49…48….47

-J.

Coming over for the fry JJ?

also when we were using spinners last summer we were using a 3 hook harness with a triple hook at the end…are there any opinions on whether a 2 or 3 hook harness works better, or if it’s safe to use one or the other all the time…also if you use a 3 hook harness do you see if it goes better using a single hook or a triple hook at the end?…thanks in advance!!!!

1 more week!!!!

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We did a study a few years back on the need for two hooks or three….or one on a spinner crawler rig being trolled at .8- 1.0 mph.

3000 walleyes hooked on 2 hook harnesses? 93.4 percent were on the FRONT hook only. So….if you do things right…with the right rig…you really only need ONE hook most of the time but to be safe 2 is all you ever need. That said….I hate trebles because of the net issues but IF you were to use one on a harnness…I would put it where it counts….in the front end of the rig…not the tailing hook. That tailing hooking is hanging OUT of the fishes mouth ready to get caught in the net anyway…treble means three times the tangle!