tying nightcrawler harnesses

[tiemyown]

i'm tying my own nightcrawler spinner harnesses for walleye, and usually use 2 of the same size hook. i'm thinking of using 1 #4 and 1 #6 hook. do i tie the large hook at the end of the harness, or the small one at the end? (and, has anyone ever noticed a difference if the same size hooks are used rather than two different sizes?) thanks a bunch for your help!!

[Gordoats26]

I use the same size hooks and different sized hooks all the time dont notice much of a differance to be honest im not sure the proper way to do it but i put the large size to the back.

[Chris K]

Originally Posted by tiemyown

i'm tying my own nightcrawler spinner harnesses for walleye, and usually use 2 of the same size hook. i'm thinking of using 1 #4 and 1 #6 hook. do i tie the large hook at the end of the harness, or the small one at the end? (and, has anyone ever noticed a difference if the same size hooks are used rather than two different sizes?) thanks a bunch for your help!!

I would go with # 2's for both hooks. No sense on playing around with small hooks, as this isn't really a finesse presentation. You are looking for reaction strikes, or agressive active fish. The hooks in your bait won't do anything to deter a walleye from slamming it as it spins, and you have more open hook gap to bite the fish back with bigger hooks. If anything I would lengthen the spacing between your front and back hooks about an inch farther apart than the store bought models and it helps with more hookups with shorter biters. Hope this helps, Chris K

[Drewski Canuck]

I use Spinner Rigs with worms, leeches, belly strip, and have for years. Last year we had back to back 8 pound walleye at Calling with one of these rigs.

give up on the regular bait holder hooks. Get yourself a pack of 4/0 CIRCLE HOOKS. Use BIG crawlers with big double blades on your spinner rig. THEN use Florocarbon leader material, 15 pd test.

You will lip hook the fish and you won't lose a fish, and you will be amazed how big a fish you will get with this rig. Trust me.

NOW DON'T TELL ANYONE!!!!!!!!

Drewski

[Cowtown guy]

Hey Chris, I know you do a ton a Walleye fishing. What size line do you run for your crawler harnesses and live bait rigs?
I have been going smaller and I am wondering if I need to. The reaction bite probably doesn't need light line I'm thinking.

[ABwhitetail]

Originally Posted by Chris K

I would go with # 2's for both hooks. No sense on playing around with small hooks, as this isn't really a finesse presentation. You are looking for reaction strikes, or agressive active fish. The hooks in your bait won't do anything to deter a walleye from slamming it as it spins, and you have more open hook gap to bite the fish back with bigger hooks. If anything I would lengthen the spacing between your front and back hooks about an inch farther apart than the store bought models and it helps with more hookups with shorter biters. Hope this helps, Chris K

That is excellent advice....As Chris has said, this is not a finesse presentation, #2's are what I use...Most important thing is to insure your knots are tied well...use a good snell knot...and double check it...

What size line do you run for your crawler harnesses and live bait rigs?
I have been going smaller and I am wondering if I need to. The reaction bite probably doesn't need light line I'm thinking.

I use 14lb test...again,this is not a finesse rig, therefore light line isn't the key...in fact the heavier line will help in keeping the rig from tangling and knotting up on you....there can be a lot of stress on these rigs, with blades, multiple knots, and beads all bouncing along the bottom....use a tough line...don't cheap out here....

[Chris K]

I usually go with Trilene XT in 12 or 14 pound for spinner harnesses. Rocks, snags, and abrasion are hard on these rigs. Even lifting in smaller fish from the water can rough up your line, and always check it for abrasion. A lot of anglers loose spinners while fishing and automatically say it was a pike, but often it's a walleye and the line could no longer stand the shock of a hard strike and it broke. I tie all of them about six feet long, but I don't usually use them at that length...usually I go from 30 to 48 inches. I am not a big fan of spending hours tying rigs or making snells, and I dont tie hundreds in the wintertime. I make what I will use for a few days, usually a couple dozen so they are fresh and new, the night before a trip or tournament. When I rig, I usually use pretied snells and have had some really good success with them. They are from Owner and it's ther Walleye Plus Snell in size six that I use. The line is eight pound test, and incredibly abrasion resistant. They have a bit of a different hook shape, the hooks are red and very sharp, and there is a glowing "bead" around the front of the hook where an eyelet would otherwise be. They come in packages of six, and they are around six feet long. From talking with alot of successful anglers in Canada and the US at walleye tournaments and from the time I spend on the water, I don't really see a need to go lighter than eight pound line when I fish rigs, as I feel that six pound line does not have the abrasion resistance or shock resistance that that presentation needs when handling big fish. I never go longer than six feet either on my snell length, and a lot of people have their own theories on this, but I know a lot of people who have made some really good money fishing and they don't go longer either. Now onto the topic of circle hooks, and there is nothing wrong with them at all. I do not use them as I have tried them in the past, and I feel more confidance with regular bait hooks. I have also used flourocarbon, and I don't think it gets any more strikes than mono, but I also tie fireline direct to my jigs, and catch a pile of fish, and I don't think they are all that line shy as people think. That walleye is a lot more concerned about eating the bait than the two ounce chunk of lead and the piece of line it's being pulled by. Experiment and see what works best for you, and if you find things you have confidence in, keep doing it! Chris K

[tiemyown]

Hey, thanks you guys for all the replies, plus all the extra info! This is GREAT! I appreciate all your suggestions!! (And, I promise, I won't tell a soul...!!!)
Now, let's get out there & FISH! (OK, so we have to ICE fish - nothing wrong with THAT!!)
Thanks again!