Spider Rigging - Getting Hung Up?

I am fairly new to the concept of spider rigging and have not actually attempted it yet. I am modding my 15' flat bottom and plan to put a couple of spider rig rod holders. Not sure about trolling and spider rigging, but I like the idea to use the rod holders even when anchored and casting out to a honey hole.

My question: when you are spider rigging while trolling or drifting over cover, do you get your hook hung up a lot? If so, any tips or suggestions on how to avoid this or unhook quickly to avoid a mess with 6-8 poles?

I can just see me slowly drifting over some wood and one pole gets hung up, the next thing I know I'm trying to make my trolling motor zig and its zagging, poles are wrapping around other poles, and the fish are just laughing at me...

Those are the things that happen- that teach you how to do the things you need to learn to do to be successful. BEWARE! Once the spider bites you - its over! Good luck.

I'm just getting into "true" spider rigging, myself. Got a 14' & a couple of borrowed 13' rods that I'm going to rig up and try, just to see if I'll like it .... over using 7'-10' rods @ a 45-90deg angle & just drifting/easing around a spot, like I've been doing.

Even on my shorter rods, I usually rig them with 1/2oz barrel sinkers above a clip (or swivel) and then tie a leader line to that clip/swivel and a jig or hook to the end of the leader line. Should the jig/hook get snagged ... I back away from it and drop the rod tip down (or extra line) so that the 1/2oz sinker acts as a "lure knocker", and pops the hook off the snag. I can also use a lighter pound test leader line, than my main line, and simply break off the jig or hook & still keep the 1/2oz sinker/clip on the main line ... then just add another pre-rigged leader line.

I'm also going to experiment with using a weedless jighead with this rigging system ... just to see if that will deter getting snagged & still have the fish hold on long enough for me to set the hook on them. Weedless jigheads are about all I use when casting jigs/plastics, and I have no problems getting bites, seeing bites, and getting a good hookset ... but then I have the rod in my hand & my eyes on the one line, so my reaction time is almost instantaneous. I'm not so sure about using them when spider rigging, but from what I've seen while sharing a boat with other spider riggers, that use the long/limber rods ... even with a jighead/plastic body/minnow on the end of their line, they get bites where the fish pull the rod down & hold it long enough for them to see the bite & set the hook. I'm just thinking that the weedless jigheads would be more prone to bounce over the cover more often than a open hook jig or a plain hook would.

I'm starting with just 3 rods, simply because I've already experienced the cluster mess of having several rods hung at the same time, while fighting the wind & boat drift, and/or having one or more fish on & trying to keep them apart from one another & the other lines. Not a pretty site :Rofl even with only 3rods, so I can't imagine what horrors would occur with 2-3 times that many rods out :banghead :bash :biggrin

... cp :kewl

I have found that if you have a good sonar you can scan the area you want to fish and then once you make note of all the structure that you could possibly get hung on and that holds fish and then you can set your rod depths to the desired depth and then troll back through the area you scanned. If you need to lower your lines then do so and if you come to an area with structure you scanned then you can simply slow down, raise your lines, move over the pile or around it and then lower them back down.
It is inevitable that you will get hung up and like said it is easier if you have rigs already set up ready to tie to your line if you lose a rig or two. I simply tie two jigs, one above the other by about 18" with the one on top with a loop knot and the bottom Palmer knot. I can rig a new rig pretty fast now.
Start out with three or four rods and work your way up to eight if needed.
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Best advise is to get in the boat with someone who does it. Fished with a good friend 4 years ago, only my second time to spider rig, I and paid attention to everything he did. If he got hung he would take that rod out if the holder and pulls it back some, if that didnt work he would shuck the pole under the others and head to the back of the boat most of the time getting it free. Well we fished a tourney a couple of weeks ago together, first time since that outing we had fished together, I got hung a good bit but did just as I had learned when I fished with him. At the end of the day Friday, prefishing, he told me "You pretty good at getting unhung Budro." Told him thanks, you taught me what I know.
There is no substitute for getting in the boat with someone that does the technique you are wanting to learn.

Some use light wire hooks and heavy enough line to pull most free . Then just bend hooks back rebait and your in business again.

Best advise I can offer is start with no more than 3 poles and go slow,slow,slow. Drift socks or chains

I fish with four poles most of the time when I'm alone, if I had a partner with experience I would use more, fish alone most of the time. I slide on a jig, sometimes two and then tie on a 1/2 oz. bass casting sinker. Slide the jig up about 16" and the other 16" above that one and tie them with loop knots. Most of the time when I run into a snag I can back up with the trolling motor and I'm ok, if not jig the pole up and down and the weight helps free the jig. Most days I will troll 4-5 hours and not loose but a couple of jigs. Also, when I transport the rods I hook the bottom jig in the reel seat and wrap the line with the weight around the handle just below the reel, then pull the line out a couple of feet above the reel and twist the rod to wrap the line around it. I don't have a nice rod holder so my rods are all bunched up together and they usually don't tangle to bad.

Remember some states and lakes limit the number of poles or hooks allowed per fisherman.

Yeah Indiana has 3 pole limit per person. Still seems a bit over hemline to me if one will get hung up. Oh well! Still gonna try itß

Next time I go spider rigging, I'll try to go-pro a good hangup. It's almost as fun as catching fish.

I fish 12 poles out of the front and have a sharp knife in a sheath that is zip tied to the center rod holder. I learned that hooks are cheaper than new rods, if we have multiple rods hung up I just cut them and re tie

I bought me 4 new reel and rods this year. Tried them out the other week and learned very quickly that this can become costly with getting hung up and breaking off. It isn't as easy as they make it look on youtube. Trying to watch rods, sonar, trolling motor, and everything else at one time. But I do love fishing and I like to try different ways. But I will still keep the old poles and minnows handy just in case some of my old buddies are out catching me. Remember were "legal" drop some fish habitat(so I can get hung up in it) Be safe and good luck fishing:fish