Tutorial (How To) Contest: Spider Rigging

We can use our forum "search" function for “rigging, or spider rigging”, but we may get 50 pages of threads with 50 replies each! I’d like to get any of you with lots of experience to write an article that consolidates the info into something that can quickly help someone get started on the fishing style of his/her choice. This will be the first in a series of contests, and once created, a sticky will be made and replies will be moderated so the tutorial doesn't get to be more than a page or two at most. The goal is to get the best ideas and techniques for rigging and get them onto a sticky that will stay at the top of the page for those who need the info. Help me create an article that will remain small, and only be updated as the method evolves.

Come one, come all and share your knowledge of SPIDER RIGGING with others and have the chance to win fabulous prizes! Okay, I was NOT able to get a car as the grand prize, but I was able to get these instead:http://www.crappie.com/crappie/attac...-adscf2327-jpg



Guidelines:

• We need a brief, but thorough tutorial that anyone can read and understand.
• Pics and/or diagrams would be very helpful, but not a requirement.
• Be specific with speeds, weights, baits, and even equipment so that a newbie or a member who wants to try something new can know exactly what to buy and then tell him how to use it.
• Contest is open to any Crappie.com member.
• There will be one winner selected, but the end tutorial may have portions of multiple entries incorporated into it.
• Anyone who wishes to be considered for the position of judge, please p.m. me, also.
• Rules and prizes may change without notice

This contest will run at least four weeks, and I will announce a closing date a week before.
Your entries will not be visible until the end of the contest!! They will be collected and judged and a final article put together. Then the sticky will be created and all entries will be shown in a seperate thread.

Spider rigging 101 from a Florida guy here: This mite be different than some other areas of the country but this is how I do it. I hope this will help some one just starting out, I got started about a year and half ago when I decided to start fishing crappie tournaments. Went on line and found crappie.com and went to youtube and watched a bunch of video's. My boat was a 16 foot Landau and a 25 hp motor, depth finder and a set of drift masters. Never had done it before, got to the tournament payed my money and off I went. Had a hand control riptide . I put twenty fish in the boat. Oh and a Lowrance Elite 5. I was a happy camper. I have learned a lot since then and still learning every time I go out. I figured I would share what I know so far. I Fish against Pro''s so I figure It will make me a better fisher man. I don't expect to win, but the way I see it. It should make me better and they do share info a little bit at a time, my day will come.


1. Lay out up front for pushing: I use Tite Locks rod holders ,pair of four rod holds on 24" bar. Depending on single seat or double seat will determine where you install your holders. I like them with in arms reach. I have a 8" rail and 18" rail on each side of the bow so depending on one person or two up front I can slide the holders around to match the scenario. With this set up I can move the rod holders quit a bit to fit me or two people.

2. Rods : I use 14' and 16' rods, Reason is I like to mix it up. Start with what you like or can afford.

3. Trolling motor: You can use what ever you like, I have used foot control and a hand control they will work. I currently use an I pilot, if you are serious about spider rigging you will get one of them trust me it will make life easier.:biggrin

4. Speed: I start at 0.5 mph and I will hold that unless the fish tell me other wise. The fish, yes the fish. What I am saying is if I am moving along a get a hit and I turn on that bite and I get another hit on the inside of the turn or the out side of the turn. This tells me what they like. Inside would be slower and out side would be faster. I have ran as fast as 1.0 mph. Don't be afraid to try other things.

5. Set up on poles: I mostly run a single drop 1/2-3/4 sinker +swivel and 18"- 24" leader. Set them at different depths to find out were there at.

I hope this will help some one that is wanting to give this method a try. I am in know way an expert. Just sharing what I know rite now. My advise is to go for it and catch some fish. Don't be afraid if you don't catch any thing just keep trying.

Where do we submit our replays for this contest?

Spider Rigging 101

For those of you interested in starting to Spider Rig, there are several ways to go. My best advise is to buy the RIGHT equipment first. Don't go cheap and move up. That will cost you twice the money in the long run. Buy the best your budget will allow.

I'll try to give you some options on starting, as there is no right or wrong way to do it. What's good for one guy, may not be for others.

We'll start off buy looking at the basic equipment needed to start.

ROD RACK

You will need a rack of some sort to hold your trolling poles while fishing. There are lots of choices out there. Pick the ones that YOU like best. They all work very well. Tite Lok, Spider Lok, Hi Tech, Cumberland, Perotti, and Driftmaster are some of the most common and popular brands. Lots of guys even make their own racks if they have that capacity. Just remember to buy or use the one YOU like best. Your buddy may have different needs than you do. Attachment 208033

RODS
You next will need some Rods or as most spider riggers say, Poles. Again there are lots of choices. Length, price range, and style are something to consider. I suggest something that you can use for other types of fishing, or what I call an all around rod. A rod you could Spider Rig, Pull Cranks, Power Troll, and Long Line with if you choose to without buying another set of rods. You can get a more specialized rod for each style of fishing AFTER you y whether or not Spider Rigging is for you. BnM, Southern Crappie Rods, Pinnacle, Ozark, Crappiemaxx, and several others should have what you need. Each company makes a good all around model. The BnM PST, the Ozark Trolling pole are both good choices as are the Southern Crappie trolling poles. Buy the rod that gives you the most bang for your budget.

Most spider riggers use 12 to 16' rods. I think the 14' is by far the most popular. As with all of your equipment choices, choose the one that fits YOU best.


REELS
The next choice you will make is the type of reel you want. You can choose either spinning or bait casting reels, and your choice should take into consideration what else you will do with your poles besides spider rig. Both style reels work well, and buy the best you can afford of whichever one you choose. A quality, but inexpensive spinning reel is all you really need to hold your line unless you plan on expanding your trolling into Crankbaits, or Long Lining. If this is the case, buy a reel that will allow you to expand your fishing techniques when you get ready to do that.

LINE
This will be your next decision to make, and even tho there are different brand choices, I suggest a Hi Viz mono in 8-12lb test. You'll SEE the light biters moving the line better with a Hi Viz line, and will help you with less line tangles (which are normal). You'll learn to overcome most of the tangles after a few trips on the water. Use less poles to start until you get comfortable with your equipment and you'll have a more positive experience and catch more fish.

RIGS
This is an easy one, but very confusing for some. You can buy a nice pre tied rig from BnM (The Capps and Coleman rig), or you can get a really nice pre made rig at Grizzly Jig. You will want to buy a rig with a 3/8 to 1oz. weight on it. I use a 1/2oz rig in winter, and a 1oz rig when it gets warmer. Use smaller weight for colder seasons when the key word is SLOW (.1 to .4 mph), and a little larger weight during warmer seasons when you can speed up (.4 to .8 mph) to create a reaction bite. Some guys choose to use one size year round however. After you master the spider rigging technique, or should I say get comfortable with it, you then may want to start tying your own rigs the way you choose.

TROLLING MOTORS and ELECTRONICS
You are going to need a trolling motor and a fish/depth finder. You DO NOT need the best you can h to start, what you have now will work just fine. As you progress in your trolling, you can upgrade your equipment as you see fit. GPS, Side and Down Imaging, Remote Control Trolling Motors and the like are nice, and a lot of guys use them, but we are talking about getting started here. Don't go sell the farm before you know this style of fishing is for YOU!!!

In closing let me say that on Crappie.Com, you will find lots of Good People willing to help you out. If you have not tried spider rigging before, I'm sure you can find someone here that will be more than happy to take you out and let you see how things work. It will definitely help you make some of your decisions about what gear you prefer, and it will help you "Get A Feel" for for it.

Thank You,
BRM

This is a re submit with a few extra paragraphs.

Spider Rigging 101

For those of you interested in starting to Spider Rig, there are several ways to go. My best advise is to buy the RIGHT equipment first. Don't go cheap and move up. That will cost you twice the money in the long run. Buy the best your budget will allow.

I'll try to give you some options on starting, as there is no right or wrong way to do it. What's good for one guy, may not be for others.

We'll start off buy looking at the basic equipment needed to start.

ROD RACK
You will need a rack of some sort to hold your trolling poles while fishing. There are lots of choices out there. Pick the ones that YOU like best. They all work very well. Tite Lok, Spider Lok, Hi Tech, Cumberland, Perotti, and Driftmaster are some of the most common and popular brands. Lots of guys even make their own racks if they have that capacity. Just remember to buy or use the one YOU like best. Your buddy may have different needs than you do.


RODS
You next will need some Rods or as most spider riggers say, Poles. Again there are lots of choices. Length, price range, and style are something to consider. I suggest something that you can use for other types of fishing, or what I call an all around rod. A rod you could Spider Rig, Pull Cranks, Power Troll, and Long Line with if you choose to without buying another set of rods. You can get a more specialized rod for each style of fishing AFTER you decide whether or not Spider Rigging is for you. BnM, Southern Crappie Rods, Pinnacle, Ozark, Crappiemaxx, and several others should have what you need. Each company makes a good all around model. The BnM PST, the Ozark Trolling pole are both good choices as are the Southern Crappie trolling poles. Buy the rod that gives you the most bang for your budget.

Most spider riggers use 12 to 16' rods. I think the 14' is by far the most popular. As with all of your equipment choices, choose the one that fits YOU best.


REELS
The next choice you will make is the type of reel you want. You can choose either spinning or bait casting reels, and your choice should take into consideration what else you will do with your poles besides spider rig. Both style reels work well, and buy the best you can afford of whichever one you choose. A quality, but inexpensive spinning reel is all you really need to hold your line unless you plan on expanding your trolling into Crankbaits, or Long Lining. If this is the case, buy a reel that will allow you to expand your fishing techniques when you get ready to do that.

LINE
This will be your next decision to make, and even tho there are different brand choices, I suggest a Hi Viz mono in 8-12lb test. You'll SEE the light biters moving the line better with a Hi Viz line, and will help you with less line tangles (which are normal). You'll learn to overcome most of the tangles after a few trips on the water. Use less poles to start until you get comfortable with your equipment and you'll have a more positive experience and catch more fish.

RIGS
This is an easy one, but very confusing for some. You can buy a nice pre tied rig from BnM (The Capps and Coleman rig), or you can get a really nice pre made rig at Grizzly Jig. You will want to buy a rig with a 3/8 to 1oz. weight on it. I use a 1/2oz rig in winter, and a 1oz rig when it gets warmer. Use smaller weight for colder seasons when the key word is SLOW (.1 to .4 mph), and a little larger weight during warmer seasons when you can speed up (.4 to .8 mph) to create a reaction bite. Some guys choose to use one size year round however. After you master the spider rigging technique, or should I say get comfortable with it, you then may want to start tying your own rigs the way you choose.

TROLLING MOTORS and ELECTRONICS
You are going to need a trolling motor and a fish/depth finder. You DO NOT need the best you can buy to start, what you have now will work just fine. As you progress in your trolling, you can upgrade your equipment as you see fit. GPS, Side and Down Imaging, Remote Control Trolling Motors and the like are nice, and a lot of guys use them, but we are talking about getting started here. Don't go sell the farm before you know this style of fishing is for YOU!!!

TECHNIQUE
In the colder months as Fall starts to take over before Winter, as mentioned above, usually the key word is SLOW. Fish are cold blooded creatures and their metabolism slows way down as the water cools. I did say usually because even in the cooler months of the year, a warm front may trigger a bit faster presentation to get a reaction bite from the fish.

In the spring, as the water begins to warm, a little faster presentation may be more productive because of the fishes, and more importantly the Bait Fishes metabolism is becoming faster and speeding up your presentation just a few 10th's will be look more natural for the crappie. Again, a reaction bite may be the key to success.

POWER TROLLING and PUSHING CRANKS
These two methods are both forms of spider rigging, and the only difference is speed, weight size, and bait selection.

(A) Power Trolling (Fast Spider Rigging)
About the time the crappie begin to leave the bank after the spawn, the best technique is to speed it on up to around 1mph with big jigs and/or minnows. The fish are stressed from the spawn and with the water temps moving up to the 75-80 degree mark, the fish will move out to the secondary points and ledges off the bank. At this time of the year, the bait fish are scattered and so are the crappie. By speeding up your presentation you cover more water while the crappie are in that scattered pattern.

I use the same spider rigging technique as I've done all year, but I use a 2-3oz weight to keep the baits down at that 1 mph speed. Nothing else changes except the weight size and the speed of my presentation. That's why I mentioned an all around pole in the pole section. You will need a pole with a spine that can handle up to a 4oz weight, but still be sensitive enough at the tip when going slower so you can see the lite bites with less weight.

(B) Pushing Cranks (Faster Spider Rigging)
As the fish move to open water and the water temps start staying above 80 degrees, most guys start their summer pattern of pushing and pulling crank baits. Pushing cranks is also a form of spider rigging, and as with Power Trolling, the only difference is the speed, and the weight, but this time we'll be using a different style bait as well.

When spider rigging crank baits, the key is Speed. You will now be pushing the cranks at 1.5-2 mph as a rule, even though a slower presentation around the 1 mph range does work at times also. I use a 3 or 4oz weight for this form of spider rigging depending on how deep the fish are, and I use a 3 to 4' leader off the end of my weight to attach the crank. At these speeds, a little math will help with figuring how deep the weight and bait are actually running, but trial and error work just about as well. Hey, just let out line till ya catch em. DO NOT OVER THINK THIS TECHNIQUE. Lots of guys get confused here and try to make it more difficult than it is. Just put a bigger weight on and a crank bait and go fish. You'll teach yourself what to do in a trip to the lake or two. Just remember that you are now fishing a little deeper and going faster so be careful to not let your front lines get in the trolling. Yeah, yeah, I've done it to many times. Just be aware of that issue and you'll be fine.


In closing let me say that on Crappie.Com, you will find lots of Good People willing to help you out. If you have not tried spider rigging before, I'm sure you can find someone here that will be more than happy to take you out and let you see how things work. It will definitely help you make some of your decisions about what gear you prefer, and it will help you "Get A Feel" for for it.

Thank You,
BRM

I'll get this forum started since spider rigging is my thing. This method is not really complicated. The first thing you need are rod holder's. There are many different types available just Google it or do as I did and make your own. Pm me for details on how to make them. Second you need some rods. Again there are many different types available but I prefer B and M 12 to 14 foot jig poles. Any style reels are ok but again I prefer diawa sweepfire 2000 series spooled with 6 lb high visibility line. I prefer monofilament line. Next you will need hooks and weights. I use number 2 Aberdeen hooks because they are a little smaller and less likely to hang in heavy brush. As for weights I use 1\2 ounce casting weights as a rule but I will use up to 1 ounce depending on current wind and other conditions. Heavier weight keeps your bait down in the strike zone in the current. To tie the rigging. Start by pulling about 3 feet of line thru your fingers. Run the end thru the eye on the hook and pull it about 3 feet. Now hold the hook and pinch the line together and pull about 12 inches of line making a loop thru the hook. Now wrap the line around two fingers about 3 times and push the hook back thru the loops and cinch tight with about 8 inches of line between the hook and the knot. You can use more than 1 hook if you like. Just slip down about 12 inches below the 1st tied hook and repeat the the steps above. This is called a loop knot. Then about 18 inches below the hook use a polymer knot to tie the weight on the bottom. You can substitute jigs in place of the hooks if you prefer. I prefer minnows as bait. Next you need a fish finder. Something with gps and a good map card is the best. I use Humminbird 597ci hd. Use the fish finder to locate brush or other structure along the channels. I like channels with sharp drops. As for depth start at about 12 feet and watch the sonar to locate where the fish are holding. You may need to get out to 20 feet deep especially in hot weather. Follow the channel with your electronics and watch for structure holding fish. When you come across fish wham your in business. In closing follow these steps and experiment and I'm sure you'll be successful in no time. Please feel free to contact me if you need any help. Good luck and better fishing. Thanks superfly.

I use a 3/4 sinker mounted on the bottom and put a #4 hook about 1 foot above the weight. I put another hook about 1 foot above the other hook. It looks like crappie rig but works great for spider rigging.