New to crawler harnesses

[Husker525]

Originally Posted by muskyed

Sorry to be a pest, but one more question. When keeping night crawlers, what would be a good temperature to store them at. I have a spare refrigerator in my shed that I use to keep a bunch of frozen half gallon jugs for my coolers, and don't use the frig part for anything, so could set the temp anywhere on that for the worms.

35 Degrees F to 65 deg F is recommended. My garage fridge is set at 35 which can sometimes freeze them, so go higher rather than lower, JMO

[Bobby Winds]

I keep them at 40-42 degrees at home and on ice in my boat cooler. I found keeping them in small plastic containers that most bait shops sell them in works best in the boat.

I usually have 2-4 containers with 2 dozen fat juicy crawlers in each container. The bottom of my Yeti cooler has 2 large blocks of ice (frozen water in large square Claussen pickle containers) that the plastic containers sit on when not in use. I take out one container to work with while fishing and monitoring them from time to time to make sure they don't get too warm while they sit in a SHADY spot in the boat. Once they seem to be getting a bit warm I switch that container out and put it on the ice block to re-chill while I take out a fresh batch of worms from the cooler.

This has worked so well that all my fishing buddies have gone to this method. When I get home and finish cleaning up everything the worms come out of the cooler and back into the fridge. The pickle containers go back into the garage freezer for the next time out.

https://www.amazon.com/Claussen-Deli...a-872617220398

[Bobby Winds]

Homemade crawler harness is my go to way of catching walleyes on Erie for most of the season. However, I have perfected a lazy, highly effective way to present the harness to Erie walleyes.

Since I'm fishing a HUGE lake with very large productive areas I don't need to worry about following a weed line or whatever. I do fish a LOT of rock piles that walleyes stack up on at certain times.

Here's what I do.........I use a Lindy 5/8 oz slip sinker (bullet sinker will work to but I don't have that mold to make my own) and slip it on the main line (20# Power Pro) then tie on a high quality ball bearing Berkeley Cross Lock snap swivel to prevent any line twist. Then I clip on one of my 2.5-3' homemade crawler harnesses (make with # 20 Fluorocarbon) and add a Fat Juicy crawler to it.

Then I let out a LOT of line and I mean a LOT of line........I actually cast this out to the side of the boat to get more line out faster........then I keep letting line out as I go. I would think I'm out around 100 YARDS by the time I done letting line out. This long line method works so well because of the super clear water Erie has.

Then I put the pole in the rod holder and enjoy my morning coffee and sometimes a pop tart or a stogie while I enjoy fresh air. However, many times those pesty walleyes disturb me from that.......LOL

EASY PEASY IT SO BREEZY.......

[gbin]

Originally Posted by Bobby Winds

Homemade crawler harness is my go to way of catching walleyes on Erie for most of the season. However, I have perfected a lazy, highly effective way to present the harness to Erie walleyes.

Since I'm fishing a HUGE lake with very large productive areas I don't need to worry about following a weed line or whatever. I do fish a LOT of rock piles that walleyes stack up on at certain times.

Here's what I do.........I use a Lindy 5/8 oz slip sinker (bullet sinker will work to but I don't have that mold to make my own) and slip it on the main line (20# Power Pro) then tie on a high quality ball bearing Berkeley Cross Lock snap swivel to prevent any line twist. Then I clip on one of my 2.5-3' homemade crawler harnesses (make with # 20 Fluorocarbon) and add a Fat Juicy crawler to it.

Then I let out a LOT of line and I mean a LOT of line........I actually cast this out to the side of the boat to get more line out faster........then I keep letting line out as I go. I would think I'm out around 100 YARDS by the time I done letting line out. This long line method works so well because of the super clear water Erie has.

Then I put the pole in the rod holder and enjoy my morning coffee and sometimes a pop tart or a stogie while I enjoy fresh air. However, many times those pesty walleyes disturb me from that.......LOL

EASY PEASY IT SO BREEZY.......

Sounds like good intel! I'll be frank with you, though, Bobby: You post so much nonsense on these message boards, even about fishing, boats, etc., that I'm having a harder and harder time believing anything you say. Just a word to the wise - in case that does include you.

Gerry

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by gbin

Sounds like good intel! I'll be frank with you, though, Bobby: You post so much nonsense on these message boards, even about fishing, boats, etc., that I'm having a harder and harder time believing anything you say. Just a word to the wise - in case that does include you.

Gerry

Actually Gbin, I was just discussing with another member about how he thought you were a nonsense poster with HUNDREDS of posts about YOUR boat. But if that's what you prefer to do then fish, who am I to say differently.

Maybe you should post some FISH PICTURES with your boat to prove us all wrong.

[gbin]

Originally Posted by Bobby Winds

Actually Gbin, I was just discussing with another member about how he thought you were a nonsense poster with HUNDREDS of posts about YOUR boat. But if that's what you prefer to do then fish, who am I to say differently.

Maybe you should post some FISH PICTURES with your boat to prove us all wrong.

I suspect you've heard me quote Jon Stewart before, but I guess it bears repeating:

"I'm not going to be your monkey."

By the way, Bobby, I sign each and every post I write with my real name, in part to make it easier for people to recognize that I'm a genuine person posting about things that I sincerely know, want to know or believe, not just another nameless, faceless person posting a bunch of BS for his personal amusement. Do you prefer addressing me by my username as a way to depersonalize me, making it easier for you to gossip about and dishonestly attack me?

Don't bother answering, or do, as you prefer; I don't really care. In any event, I'm sorry if all you saw in my last post was some kind of attack on you. I honestly thought you might want to know that the "jokes" you've been posting so frequently on these message boards make it increasingly difficult to tell when you've actually got something meaningful to say. I know you try to be funny at others' expense so I poked a bit of fun at you at the end, but that was unnecessarily unkind of me and I do apologize if it hurt you.

Gerry

[RichA$1970]

Try a slow death rig also as I prefer them at times over the crawler harness. One of my top 5 baits is a crawler or slow death rig.

[muskyed]

Just a follow up for everyone that gave me some good advice. Wife and I got a chance to get out yesterday for a couple of hrs to pull some crawlers. Even though I had quite a few store bought crawler harness rigs, ended up setting up 2 rods with a slow death setup. We ended up working between 20' and 38' of water, but mostly the 28'-34' range in the waters of the bay of Green Bay, near Sturgeon bay. The bottom structure is very rocky, and full of mussels/clams in that area, and really hard on your line. Put a 2 oz needle weight on my wifes line, and a 1 1/2oz weight on mine. 15 lb power pro mainline, and 10 lb leader apx 4-5' long, and worked the crawlers between.7-1.2 mph. Was at the faster end when shallow, and slower end when deep. Was a little tough to feel bottom with 1 1/2 oz once we got much over 33', unless I slowed down. Eventually quit worrying about it as I figured crawler was down there anyway. Wife lost a big one within the first 5 min, I ended up getting a total of three sheepshead, and one white bass, and also lost one that I never got up, no walleye, but hopefully next time. Never herd of a white bass being caught around there, but I got one. First impressions are that we had fun and I am going to run a slightly stronger leader of 12 or 15 lb next time. My 10# leader was getting shredded near the hook by the rocks. Seemed to get better when I retied the leaders shorter to about 3 to 3 1/2'. Was hopeing to stay out to the evening, but as we were leaving to go fishing, a neighbor stopped buy to invite us over for a get together, for her husbands birthday, so we didn't get much fishing in. Can't wait to try again.

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by muskyed

Just a follow up for everyone that gave me some good advice. Wife and I got a chance to get out yesterday for a couple of hrs to pull some crawlers. Even though I had quite a few store bought crawler harness rigs, ended up setting up 2 rods with a slow death setup. We ended up working between 20' and 38' of water, but mostly the 28'-34' range in the waters of the bay of Green Bay, near Sturgeon bay. The bottom structure is very rocky, and full of mussels/clams in that area, and really hard on your line. Put a 2 oz needle weight on my wifes line, and a 1 1/2oz weight on mine. 15 lb power pro mainline, and 10 lb leader apx 4-5' long, and worked the crawlers between.7-1.2 mph. Was at the faster end when shallow, and slower end when deep. Was a little tough to feel bottom with 1 1/2 oz once we got much over 33', unless I slowed down. Eventually quit worrying about it as I figured crawler was down there anyway. Wife lost a big one within the first 5 min, I ended up getting a total of three sheepshead, and one white bass, and also lost one that I never got up, no walleye, but hopefully next time. Never herd of a white bass being caught around there, but I got one. First impressions are that we had fun and I am going to run a slightly stronger leader of 12 or 15 lb next time. My 10# leader was getting shredded near the hook by the rocks. Seemed to get better when I retied the leaders shorter to about 3 to 3 1/2'. Was hopeing to stay out to the evening, but as we were leaving to go fishing, a neighbor stopped buy to invite us over for a get together, for her husbands birthday, so we didn't get much fishing in. Can't wait to try again.

Years ago I made my harnesses with 12 # mono but moved up to #20 Fluorocarbon because the the zebra mussels cut/shredded the mono. You will find Fluorocarbon holds up a lot better.

I stopped worrying about feeling the bottom YEARS ago because when those Great Lakes walleyes are on the feed they are not hugging the bottom anyways, thus my LONG LINE method that has caught me tons of walleyes over the years.

[Eyecatcher23]

I like pencil weights on clevises instead of the traditional bouncer. Simply for organizing as they snap on and off easily when traveling.