Thread: Spider Rigging

In case there's some out there that are thinking about getting into spider rigging, after years of trial and error and throwing money away, I have finally came up with the combination that works most anywhere you fish. First, it doesn't take a fortune to get into spider rigging no matter what you have seen or read. I have seen spider rigs made from PVC pipe to steel plumbing pipe. The latest thing is the single mounted holders across the front of the boat. The claim is, when you set the hook, it don't disturb the other poles and spook fish. They are really pricy and you have to drill a bunch of holes in your boat. The spider rig itself is not the important tool but the rod holder design is. There are several good rod holders out there but finally settled with the Driftmaster Gunslingers. They are a fast rod holder and the rods come out of them with almost no resistance As far as the base itself, the driftmaster T250H is a solid place to start. You can get this complete set up with 4 gunslinger rod holders for 124.00.

On to the rods. I have tried about every rod on the market. Started with 10 footers back in the early days but use 12 footers today. Some people prefer 14 to 16 foot rods but in most Oklahoma lakes 12 foot works great. Always start with a shorter rod until you get comfortable because I guarantee if you start with long poles you will get really disgusted trying to keep them untangled and learning how to land fish. The perfect rod has a really soft tip but enough backbone to get a good hook set. The soft tip is critical for detecting the light bites. If the tip is to stiff and the fish feel any resistance, a lot of times they will turn the bait loose before you can set the hook. The rods I use today cost right at 30.00. Start out with 3 poles until you get the feel of it then add another as you get more comfortable. Any reel will work from spinning to small baitcasters whatever is preferred and as long as it has a good drag that works, it don't have to be an expensive one. You don't need the spools full of line about half works great. Spider rigging is a line watchers game. Always use a hi vis main line connected to the 3-way swivel. If you are concerned about fish seeing the hi vis line you can run fluorocarbon on your drops. 8 lb test has worked well over the years with 8 lb fluorocarbon on the drops. I use the fluorocarbon more for the abrasion resistance.


On the drops themselves I have better luck running a 1/0 wire hook. After I switched from 2/0 my hook ups became more consistent. When the bite gets more aggresive, you can switch from live bait to straight plastic. Found out it always pays to add an attractant to plastics so the fish will hang onto it a second longer giving you time to set the hook. Learn to sweep the pole straight up for more consistent hook sets. At times they will bury the rod in the water and other times you may just see your line jump or move sideways. Spider rigging is not for everyone but when fishing is tough it's hard to beat. You can catch them year round from 2 ft to 30 ft deep and it's addictive. Good Luck

Spider rigging is fun for kids to. In the spring you can push slip corks with a minnow on bottom and a jig above it. Lot of fun. What you need to remember about spider rigging is there is an opportunity to put a lot of fish in the boat. Take what you need and release the rest. I probably keep a few fish every 4 or 5 trips. Don't need a freezer full. Wouldn't keep what I do if there were not family members that can't fish anymore but love to eat it. 10 or 15 nice crappie makes a great picture to. Doesn't have to be 37.