spinner rig details

[lassh]

I have a question before tying up some spinner rigs for walleye in the Canadian Shield. Some of the commercial floating crawler harnesses have a loop around the bead closest to the 1st hook. The bead can be positioned to hold the float and spinner and other beads up the line from the hook. There are enough beads between between the hook and spinner to prevent the crawler from interfering with the spinner even if the looped bead was up against the eye of the hook. I would think that this would weaken the line. When would you want the spinner separated from the hook and by how far? Also do you use one, two or no floats when bottom bouncing? How long do you typically make your rigs? Thanks in advance for sharing information.

[NWO Fishing Bum]

Looping the line around a bead is not required. You're right, the important thing is there's enough beads to prevent the spinner from getting tangled with the hook and bait. The bigger the blade, the more beads needed at a minimum, unless you have some other form of stopper on there, to prevent the blade from being immediately adjacent to the hook. Some guys like more or less beads based on past experience or presumed success, beyond the spacing consideration. Most of the time, I don't use floats. Floats affect your bait's depth from bottom, raising it slightly higher than without the float, all other things being equal (e.g., bottom roughness, boat speed, etc.). You'll get snagged less with floats, again all other things being equal, which could help if you're fishing highly deviating structure (i.e., over large cobble or boulders). I have found no consistent trend as to whether having a float vs. no float is more beneficial. The most relevant theory would of course be that if walleyes are locked right on the bottom and are very non-aggressive, you might not want a float, vs. the opposite. If you're tying up a bunch, I would make a few with floats and others without. You should also vary colour and blade size, if you're trying to figure out what works better.

Are these spinners for a specific fishing venture. If so, provide details, then I and others could share information on blade size, colour, etc., depending on the fishery and season.

NWO Fishing Bum

[lassh]

I'm tying some up right now for a Western Ontario fly-in in to Hammerhead Lake. I haven't been there in a couple years but have fished it numerous times. I have used rigs there before, depending on the time of year and conditions. Most of the time we jig or troll. I have used small spinners there with a slow presentation with 5/8 oz. bouncers. They seem to work better post cold front to find biters or when the fish are located on flats. We are going in early June. I plan to try some more aggressive techniques - bigger spinners, bigger weights and faster movement to cover more area to target fish that might not come up for a crank but will strike a flashing spinner rig pulled in front of her. I might try pulling some for suspended fish if I think conditions are right. I'm using some the clevises that you can change the blades on. I usually tie them 3 to 4 feet long. Thanks for the response. I appreciate your posts.

[Oldschool]

I certainly agree that there is little good, and possibly some harm, to come from wrapping the line around the bead. We generally use from 3 - 5 beads to keep the hook free from the spinner.

The line length was an issue for us early on, ie, trying to determine the correct length. The commercial spinners were always around 36 in. so we used that length exclusively the first year.

The next we decided to have some fun and tied our own. We made some shorter. They are easier to handle, both on the rod and in the tackle box. We went to about 18 in and really found no difference in success. Part of that may be because we rarely use the floats. We try them every now and then, but it just seems to never be an advantage.

Many times we do not use the bottom bouncer. If we can troll very slow, we take off the bouncer and go au naturel. I like this as we very good feel for what is happening at the hook. The nature of the walleyes bite is difficult for many of the newcomers, and even to me until I get acclimated. I think that this method may mimic the nature of the bait with floats, as we often times are not exactly on the bottom. But again, we want to go slow sometimes and the floats just aren't needed here.

When we can't find the fish we do use the bouncers so that we can generate some speed to cover some distance.

We also use a double hook setup most times with crawlers. It nice to let the crawler hang some distance and it seems we get better hookup wiwth that extra hook trailing along. We have used some commercial three hook rigs, but I can't really say that they are any better than using two. We make ours with two.

I like the quick change clevis idea and we have some. But it is almost as easy to change out the entire rig, so we don't fixate on the quick change idea.

Good luck,

Roy

[new guy]

What line do you prefer to use for your rigs?

[ILScott]

I use fireline on my spinners so I can rip through weeds without breaking my line off. Also the northerns won't bite it off. I use about a 36" leader with a bottom bouncer.

Scott

[Roger Benoit]

>I use fireline on my spinners so I can rip through weeds
>without breaking my line off. Also the northerns won't bite
>it off. I use about a 36" leader with a bottom bouncer.
>
>Scott

WOW!.. i guess you are not used to the same gators as I am.

I tradionally use 14lb Fireline... and Big gators, will eat thru it no problem.

Roger

[Whit]

i think northerns cut fireline easier than mono. jmo.

[new guy]

So 2 votes for fireline and 1 vote for mono. Anyone else?

[new guy]

So 2 votes for fireline and 1 vote for mono. Anyone else?

[Tin Cann]

I use braided wire 20lb. 36" no float. Pain in the but to tie up but lose very few fish. Pike can still ruin rigs but don't get off. We tie plenty ahead. Have used mono and fire line but always go back to wire. Wire seems to keep bait on bottom. Also use Aberdeen hooks with minnows stays pretty weedless also can straighten hooks out on snags without loosing rigs. Usually drag behind 3/4 to 1 oz. bottom bouncer till we locate then jig em up.

[Tin Cann]

I use braided wire 20lb. 36" no float. Pain in the but to tie up but lose very few fish. Pike can still ruin rigs but don't get off. We tie plenty ahead. Have used mono and fire line but always go back to wire. Wire seems to keep bait on bottom. Also use Aberdeen hooks with minnows stays pretty weedless also can straighten hooks out on snags without loosing rigs. Usually drag behind 3/4 to 1 oz. bottom bouncer till we locate then jig em up.

[lassh]

I use 15 or 20# line or leader material. I used to use 6 or 8# line in an attempt to be more delicate, but I don’t think it really matters that much with all the spinners a-spinnin and beads a-bouncin. The lighter line wears quickly and can be bitten off even by walleyes. I’ve caught some walleyes with my colored hook in their throats with a piece of the light line still attached.

[lassh]

I use 15 or 20# line or leader material. I used to use 6 or 8# line in an attempt to be more delicate, but I don’t think it really matters that much with all the spinners a-spinnin and beads a-bouncin. The lighter line wears quickly and can be bitten off even by walleyes. I’ve caught some walleyes with my colored hook in their throats with a piece of the light line still attached.

[north_ala_unlogged]

I use either fluoro line (not leader, Vanish or CarbonPro).

I have also tied some out of 49 strand knottable steel wire, either 13 or 20 lb. Works pretty well. The pike will eventually eat through the 13 pound, but it's good for a half dozen if they're not too big. I fish stained water and the walleyes don't seem to mind.

Also made some "Mega" spinner rigs for pike, blue-and-white, 40 lb 49 strand wire and big blades, single hook ~ 2/0 with a 4" Gulp! minnow. Got my three biggest walleyes on that rig. The pike didn't care too much for it. Go figure. I was imitating a silver/blue Mepps spinner I had heard was hot for pike on the lake.

[north_ala_unlogged]

I use either fluoro line (not leader, Vanish or CarbonPro).

I have also tied some out of 49 strand knottable steel wire, either 13 or 20 lb. Works pretty well. The pike will eventually eat through the 13 pound, but it's good for a half dozen if they're not too big. I fish stained water and the walleyes don't seem to mind.

Also made some "Mega" spinner rigs for pike, blue-and-white, 40 lb 49 strand wire and big blades, single hook ~ 2/0 with a 4" Gulp! minnow. Got my three biggest walleyes on that rig. The pike didn't care too much for it. Go figure. I was imitating a silver/blue Mepps spinner I had heard was hot for pike on the lake.

[IAHawkeye]

I have another question? whats the best size and type of hook for minnow rig/leech.......and for crawler rig?

[jigman 2003]

I've got a vote against Fireline. Pike cut the stuff easily. 15-17 lb. mono is what I use. Pike cut it too, but nowhere as easily as Fireline. It rips thru weeds quite well.

[new guy]

I've heard several people suggest Cajun Red line before. I don't understand the concept behind the red line. The advertisements say it desappears underwater because red is invisable under the water. If that is the case, why do they always put red on lures to look like blood. Is this line a gimmic?

What about using something like spiderwire or another braid. That stuff seems really tough to cut. I want something that I won't lose the occasional northern on, but I don't want to sacrafice the number of walleye hits in the process. I've always used mono, but I'm wondering if I shouldn't change to something else.

[jigman 2003]

Every year I tie up a half dozen or so rigs on 12 lb. sevenstrand leader material. I've caught numerous big fish on these without losing one. Never had a bite off using it. Problem is, one big fish will trash the rig. Once the wire gets a good kink in it, the strength is compromised. I'd avoid the braids, they have less abrasion resistance than mono IMHO. You could try fluorocarbon leader material (not the stuff you'd run on your reels).

[Steve of Madison]

I tie up at least 100 for our trips to LS.
My recipe is
line: 17# trilene XT have tried others but this works best for me. I have tried a light braided but that twists and tangles up when that toothy fish is done floppin around in the net.
easy change cleves: but only because I put on the blade at the same time I am going to use it, it also saves on space on the tubes.
# of beads determines size of blade.
I have found a 2/0 red TruTurn hook outstanding for minnow rigs, when they dull up or loose the red color you know it has been a good day. or I will use 2/0 Gamagotsu Octopus red, 1 for leech, 2 or 3 for worms, gotta love those red hooks.
I also tie a small barrel swivel on the lead end for easier changing, and a final thing of my own.....a larger bead of color choice above the blade cleavis, it seems to add just enough friction to slow the blade spin creating a more eratic flash. Oh and holographic spinner blades in color seem to work best as well.
Have fun experimenting, remember it's called fishing, not catching, different colors work differently every year, the fun is in figuring out what will work best for you.....today.

[new guy]

What size blades?

[Steve of Madison]

Any size you may want to try, just remember, the larger the blade the more beads you need to stack to keep the blade off the hook.

[jigman 2003]

Most commercial rigs use size 2 or 3 Indiana and Colorado blades. The Dakota blades are pretty cool too. I use lots of size 4 blades and even some 5's.