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NEW TO SPIDER RIGGING:
I have been watching video after video. Reading Forum after Forum. I TRUST YOU guys.
I was thinking of ordering these Drift Master Slab Knocker Rod Holders. Anyone else have them?
B & M Poles or Mr. Crappie poles? 12 ft good for beginners?
Marine 31 Battery?
Any websites offering a good 24v Trolling Motor?
Things I have been researching.
Thanks!
Those drift masters will work. Lots of others out there that are better at adjusting both height and rod movement. Theres a member on the Board that sells great holders. check out EZ and his rod holders. What ever you get it needs to be rock solid.
12ft would be easier to start out with, but it will not be long if you fish shallow water. Until your upgrading to longer rods. I was one of those that started with 16ft rods and went back down to 14ft rods..
Group 31 battery's was what I used to use. But found out even with my heavy Lund, I never ran out of battery with my Terrova 24 volt TM. And I use one harder then most when I'm fishing the Tn River. It may be on #6 or higher for hours. I now use group 27's for the weight savings..
Best bet find someone close to you that you can fish with a few times. That way your putting the rods in your hands while fishing. Even if you have to pay a guide for a day. It may well be worth it to learn all you can. Then spend the cash one time. But then again none of us are ever happy with what fishing tackle we have.. I want one more Helix 10, new set of 16ft B&M's, set of 8 and 12's.. New Auto deploy and stow TM.. AS you can see it never ends.. Welcome to the dark side of fishing.
Pete
The Mr. Crappie poles 12', 4 for 90 from Grizzly Jig co. 27 or 29 battery will be fine. EZ-pole for pole holders.
I would definantly get with EZ on the pole holders the spyderlocs are great! The 12' rods will also work, thats what I started out with. I actually started out with westpoint crappie rods. I would suggest to make sure and purchase graphite rods instead of fiberglass. the sensitivity of the graphite is way above that of the cheaper fiberglass rods.
Thank you all so much for the helpful input!!
Hey from one novice to another. I have recently bought some of those little bells that you see on people's clothes and hats. Some are silver and some are gold. I tied one to each tip of my pole and fished it last time out. Those things really help on hearing bites. If you happen to do the same thing, just make sure to tie it loose and not tight. You can find them at Walmarts in the craft section. I also have the 12' rods. They seem to work fine. I don't catch the limit, but enough for supper.
I started with 10' rods ... fishing out the back of a buddy's boat. When I decided to add this method to MY fishing, I bought a 14' BnM PST rod (and still used the two 10' rods) and a couple of the 4 rod Hi-Tek holders (& 4 base plates). I've since added two 14' BnM Capps/Colman rods (which have a softer tip than a PST). Now ... I don't "spider rig", per se, but usually push jigs & cranks. I do well to keep up with the 3-4 rods, so I've never seen the need to purchase more long rods or use both rod holders up front.
While I do prefer to cast ... having this minimal setup does offer me more choices in the ways I can fish. And it has produced fish when casting wasn't productive.
I have a 42# thrust 5spd 12v TM that I ran on one series 27 deep cycle marine battery ... and it worked well for moving around & casting and such, but would only give me 4hrs of pushing jigs at any appreciable speed. I've since gone to a series 29 battery and it seems to hold up much better. If I wired two of them in parallel, I wouldn't expect any problems with pushing jigs @ 0.8mph for the whole day ... let alone spider rigging @ 0.2-0.5mph.
There are a host of different styles of rod holder, and most owners will tell you "theirs" is the best. Take a look at Hi-Tek, Driftmaster, Bee Ready, Cumberland Crappie 360, Spyderlock, or even the single rod rod holders (if you don't mind drilling a lot of holes in your boat) ... and decide which one looks to have all the features YOU would need. And if you suffer sticker shock when you look at their prices ... keep your eyes on the Personal Classifieds Forum (that's where I bought mine), as there are deals to be had, not only on rod holders, but long rods as well. :twocents
Thanks guys!
@ CrappiePappy, you sound like me! I have never been a spider rigger myself either. We went last night and it was cold. I had my 7 ft Ugly Stick in one hand and my 6'5 Ultra Light in my other double minnows on both lines...not one bit. Showing fish at 24 fow. But anywho.
I was leaning towards Mr. Crappie poles Mr. CrappieŽ Fishing Rods
Just not sure which one to go with. My fishing buddy uses 12 footers and he does pretty good, so I was looking to get 2 14 footers. I got spinning reels on mine with 6 lb Clear Vicious Line.
Lately, I've been tight-lining, but I am so used to just trolling. I've always hated tight lining because it's so dang hard to tell when to stick em! Lol.
But could you point me to the BnM poles you have? :highfive
My opinion is that the crappie could care less about what is above the water line - poles, reels, etc. Only below the water line when it comes to line, terminal tackle, bait, etc. Fish with a rod and reel that you are comfortable with.
If you're asking me ... I have three 14' rods : a Prostaff Trolling rod (PST) and two Capps & Coleman rods. I usually use 1/2oz barrel weights on the main line ... and the PST rod has a slightly stiffer tip. All three rods bend down about the same distance with the same weights on, but the C/C rods do so from farther back up the rod.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mamba334
My buddy Chucky (also a member) uses the C/C rods because he says lite bites can be detected easier with them, due to their more limber tip. I have to take his word for it, since I don't really "spider rig" with them. I push jigs & at a higher rate of speed than spider rigging calls for, and all the "bites" I've experienced with the rods have been the rod tips instantly burying in the water. He fishes slower and tips his jig/plastics with a minnow, so he's subject to more subtle bites.
The PST and the Capps & Coleman rods are both BnM products. I do believe, however, that Grizzly Jigs sells them at a lower price than BnM's website. I didn't buy any of my three from either place, but the retail price at Grizzly Jigs is usually $10-$20 lower ... and the shipping should be pretty much the same between the two. Grizzly Jigs also offers an even lower price when you purchase 3 rods at a time.
Thank you so much! I'll go check them out at Grizzly. Have a blessed weekend, Sir.
This ^^^^^Quote:
Originally Posted by Tracker123
looked for this deal on 4 12ft Mr crappie rods. looked like it was $115. $90 sounds much better can anyone link this deal for me?
thanks
Sounds like you are referring to Grizzly Jig's 3 rod discount (three $32 12ft Mr C Slab Shaker rods runs almost $87 ... plus around $10-$11 shipping)Quote:
Originally Posted by tru3vol
https://grizzlyjig.com/p-191-slab-sh...appie-rod.aspx
I was referring to this, but what you referenced is what I found when I looked.Quote:
Originally Posted by trypman1
I went with the 12' limit rods 4 for 75 from Grizzly to start with I thought I might let my wife use them later on and get me some better ones but so far I really like them.
I JUST WANT TO GET ON THE WATER!!
I just got a 4-rod rig set up on the front of my pontoon boat, along with a bow mounted chair, bow mounted trolling motor, and Humminbird DI. I have two 9 foot rods and two 2's. this is how I've been setting up:
Two 9's on the outsides, pointed about 30 degrees away from the bow on each side.
Two 12' down the middle, out in front of the boat.
I tried it for the first time on Tuesday and only got tapped a couple times, no landed fish.
Two questions: In a wide open bay, is it sometimes enough to just let the wind carry you? And secondly, is it okay to just have 1/8th oz jigs on the end of the line and not have any other type of weight?
Depends on the speed of your boat, usually (for both questions). Spider Rigging is generally done at < 0.4mph ... so added weights of 1/2 - 3/4oz above the jig are generally used to keep the lines as near vertical as possible at those speeds. (so as to keep the jig out in front of the boat/trolling motor)Quote:
Originally Posted by ekim22
Another thing to remember is .... if your lines are at/near a 45deg angle when boat is moving, then the depth of your jig is only 0.6 times as deep as the length of line below the water. So, if you have 20ft of line out from the rod tip, and the rod tip is 2ft above the water, then you have 18ft of line below the water ... and if your boat speed is such that your lines are at a 45deg angle, then your jigs are running at 18x0.6 or about 11ft deep. I "push" jigs at 0.6mph avg speed, with 1/2oz weight on the main line & my jig on the end of a 2ft leader ... and this is how I determine the depth my jigs are running. I'm running three 14' rods out the front.
My "spider rigging" buddy usually runs six to eight rods (16' rods) out the front, and uses 3/4oz trolling weights to keep his lines near vertical (at 0.2-0.4mph). He has a variable speed trolling motor (24V), so he can maintain a constant speed.
Thank you CrappiePappy! That's something I hadn't even considered (that if the lines are perfectly vertical then they aren't as deep as I'd thought they were). That makes all the sense in the world to me as to why to use weights. I'll give it try #2 tomorrow! (with the trolling battery juiced up this time so I don't have to depend on the wind to push me lol!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by ekim22
I'll assume you meant to type : (that if the lines AREN'T perfectly vertical then they aren't as deep as I'd thought they were)
And if that was what you meant to type .... you'd be perfectly correct.
And you don't count the length of line from rod tip to the surface of the water, when calculating. That's another reason why you see most jig "pushers" with their rod tips just a few inches above the water's surface. Spider Riggers do that too, but I think they're mostly doing it to see the rod tip go underwater (indicating a bite), since they're more or less fishing vertically ... so they already know how deep their bait is, by the length of line they have out.
Spider Riggers measure the length of line they have out -- from water's surface to the bait.
Jig Pushers measure the length of line they have out -- from water's surface to the weight. (since they're going at a faster speed, the jig will be trailing the weight - not hanging below it.)
Another thing having that weight on the main line is good for, is when you run into the brush or snag the bottom ... you just back up and drop the weight below the bait, and that will "usually" knock the jig (or hook) off whatever it's snagged on.
I pre-tie a bunch of leaders with jighead on one end & loop knot on the other. On my main line I have a barrel sinker, then a plastic bead, and a duo-lock snap (or you can use a swivel). Then if I should get snagged too bad & have to break off ... I just throw on another leader, put a plastic body on the jighead, and I'm back in business. I have my jig/leaders wrapped around a 4" section of a "pool noodle", and keep three of those noodle sections in my tackle bag. My main line is always a way heavier pound test than my 6lb test mono leaders, so the leader is the weak link. That way I only lose the jig, & not the barrel sinker. I can replace a broken leader & be back fishing with that rod in less than 1min.
Luck2ya if you get to go !!
I live in Louisana and I use regular cane poles 13ft -16ft. After years using them I got fiberglass cane poles. I troll on a party barge with 20 poles out at one time , 2 hooks on each pole. I troll at 1.5 to 2 mph with a yamaha 115hp with a troll plate on it. Poles have string as long as pole with a 2 oz weight , crappie rig with a beetle spin and a spinner with a minnow. Troll in july- sept, 18-28 ft of water.
Not new to fishing, but new to spider rigging. I have a 18.5" Ranger I had set up to bass fish out of. Nice Lowrance HDS units front and back, stucturescan ... the whole nine yards. Got tired of bass fishing, decided to slow down and simplify things a bit and start targeting crappie. Boy was I wrong. I started all this last summer. Here is hat I have learned: 1. This is not simpler, or easy. 2. start slow. 4 rods is a lot to keep up with at first. 3. locating fish and staying on them is key.
These are a few things, in order, that I have found to be important.
1. use high-vis line on your main line. you need to be able to see you line to detect light/subtle bites
2. get good electronics. sidescan, downscan, gps etc. several good mid priced units that work really good. these wont guarantee you will catch fish, but you will be fishing where there are fish.
3. variable speed TM. Boat control is at least as important as the 2 items listed above. It is the one thing I struggled with the most at first, and still do. Im looking now at a MG Xi5.
4. rod holders. I use Bee Ready. they work great. but if I were to start over, I would probably get either Spyderlocs or Millennium, but that's a personal preference.
5. lastly ... what rods you get really is the least important decision at first. I started with West Point 12', still using them. probably not as sensitive, but they are 1/2 the cost. And what reel you use is even less important. I use the MR. Crappie mini baitcasters.
The most important thing is getting on the water and spending time behind the rods. Trust me, at first you will wonder what you have gotten yourself into. but eventually you will start getting in tune with everything that is happening around you.
What this technique has taught me more than anything else is .... PATIENCE and SELF CONTROL.
Good luck
first time spider rigging will be tomorrow. I have a 21 ft Center console bay boat. put spyderloks on the bow yesterday.
couple of questions....
I have not yet put a fish finder on the bow (waiting on Helix 9 to go on sale) I have a SI unit on console. I know this is not ideal but I should be able to get in the general area and be ok?
I have 4 14ft southern crappie rods but will have 2 buddies with me. I think between them they have 2 12ft rods and several 7ft rods. I'm thinking put the 14 ft in front middle and shorter rods out to side? shorter rods in back of boat..
anything I am missing or should consider with what I have to work with tomorrow?
self tied capps and coleman rigs with gnats and minnows / bobby garlands.
this thread has been very informative thanks all for contributing.
Use console unit to locate fish ( area, depth, how they are relating to structure, etc), set out some marker bouys. This is for reference. Have someone watch console unit to monitor speed. It can definitely do done. Have fun
All things considered, I think your plan should work. Just try and position everyone's rods so that they aren't directly in line with rods/lines of the guy in front of them. Even a foot difference is better than having the line be running through the same exact area of water as the rods in front of them. You want all the rods/lines to be going thru new water, and not water a bait has already passed thru ... unless they are running at different depths. Once you find the right depth and speed, and start catching fish, is when you want to make sure everyone's rods are running in "new water" ... because then everyone should be at the same depth. You don't want the guys behind you to feel like they're fishing in "used" water.Quote:
Originally Posted by tru3vol
great info I know this is a little late so I may not get a response but what is the typical speed for this type of fishing. Have an Ulterra so I can get specific. I'm guessing like .2 to .4?
1/2 Oz weights will be in less than 10ft of water if that helps...
Yeah .... 0 - 0.4mph is about right. When I push jigs I am normally running at 0.6 - 0.8mph and my 1/2oz weights pull the line back to around a 45deg angle. That's what I want, so I can calculate how deep the jig is by multiplying the length of line under the water by 0.6 .... that means that if I have a 14ft rod that the rod tip is 1ft over the water's surface, and I let the line out to where the weight was at the butt of the handle (~14ft overall length), then I have 13ft of line below the water. 13 x 0.6 = 7.8 ... so I figure my jig is between 7-8ft deep. It's not dead accurate, but it's close enough. I figure it's better to be dragging the jig "over" the fish, than "under" them, so I err on the side of being too shallow, rather than too deep. My speed variations & boat turns will cause depth fluctuations of my jig, also, which is why I say it's not "dead accurate".Quote:
Originally Posted by tru3vol
At "Spider Rigging" speeds (up to 0.4mph) you won't lose near as much depth, but you will still have to consider your depth as being where your bottom bait is, if using a C/C rig ... especially when going under 0.4mph.
I usually start at .2, but have caught fish from almost a standstill up to about .6 in the areas that I fish. Usually not deeper than 15 fow with a 1/2 oz weight. I started off always trying to stay at .2/.3 mph. Found by accident, wind drifting me back, one time that the faster I moved the more bites I was getting. Fishing by yourself in the wind will really test your skills controlling your boat!! My usual rig in about 10 fow is a 3/8 oz weight with a 3/16 or a 1/4 oz jig on bottom and a plain hook w/ minnow on top. Deeper than that I would go to a heavier weight in an attempt to keep my mainline nearly vertical.
Again, I am relatively new to this style of fishing,but am really trying to learn how to do it successfully.
so I hear a lot about pushing jigs. I know it's a bit faster. what is the set up? still using cc rig? 1/8th or 1/16th on bottom with a BG / PA?
"Pushing" jigs, as I understand it, is basically spider rigging a jig with added weight and higher speeds. It's "pushing", as opposed to "pulling" or "longline trolling", because the rods are pointed towards or running out the front of the boat.Quote:
Originally Posted by tru3vol
Personally, I'm running a 1/2oz barrel sinker above the leader line with one jig tied on. The leader is about 1.5-2ft in length. The jigheads are generally 1/16oz, but I have used heavier ones.
Starting with the main line, I slip the barrel sinker on, then a plastic bead (with a hole big enough to slip over the knot), then I tie on a duo-lock snap. I keep an assortment of leaders/jigheads wrapped around a section of "pool noodle" so I can change out jigs fairly easily & rapidly, should I want to change size or color or in the event I break off. The leader is simply a section of 6# test line, with a loop knot on one end & the jighead tied on the other end.
I only have three 14' rods, currently ... and in some of the places I fish, that's about all I can control. I'm still in the beginning stages of learning this technique, but it has proved itself to be quite a good option in certain circumstances.
I use a variety of brands/styles of plastics on my jigs ... but mostly I use the stinger shad style. But, yeah, I have had success using tubes, boot tail grubs, "carrot" shaped bodies, "Shadpoles", and even "Jokers".
Well needless to say I am sold on this method.. fishing was slow today but caught 45-50 crappie, 20 keepers, lost 4 keepers trying to haul in with 14ft rods (I'll be looking for a telescopic dip net to fix this issue) also picked up a 18" and 20" walleye, what a nice surprise should have seen that 14ft southern crappie flex!
We boated a ton more fish than the other boats in the area and I credit that to the fact that we had exponentially more baits in the strike zone due to this technique.
Learned a lot today and still have a great deal to learn but my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our day on the water and that's what it's all about.
Thanks again all for the tips and tricks in this thread.
Tight lines!
Very good thread,so I hope I'm not high jacking.I fish from a kayak,my trolling motor is not a variable speed,so I'm handicapped on speed control.I troll or longline with two rods,mounted on a dashboard in front of my seat.ive tried placing my rods in various set ups ( one high,one low,both on same side,one on each side,but always long lining.)
My question is,if I spider rig with two rods one on each side of the bow,knowing my speed will be a bit faster,making my rigs hang at at least 45° angle,can I use small cranks,and jigs? ,and will I be able to turn without the typical cross over I deal with now when long lining.I know this is a lot of questions,but I'm looking for others experiences,thanks.
Excellent thread, folks- keep it going!
If you put some weight on the main line you should be OK with pushing jigs or cranks. Depending on what your rods can handle, you could start out with 1/2oz and work your way up to 2oz to see what weights & speeds work best to keep your lines at a 45deg angle. Just understand that a 45deg angle is mainly used for calculating the depth your bait is running, by multiplying the length of line out (below the surface) by 0.6 (approximate depth of your weight)Quote:
Originally Posted by Yaker
But, you just have to remember that when you're using weights above your baits, that you have to be constantly moving forward (esp w/cranks) ... even when hung up or landing a fish ... otherwise the weight on the other rod(s) is going to pull your bait towards the bottom. Not too bad a deal if the depth of water you're in is greater than the length of line out, and you're in open water or over a fairly clear bottom.
Now, in your case, since you're only running two rods ... one gets hung, then open the reel and put it back in the holder & reel the other one up ... then go back and try to free the hung bait. Get on the other side of where you are hung and drop the weight down ... that'll usually free a hung jig. Not so sure about a hung crank, though ... but they do make "lure knockers" that will do the trick (sometimes).
As far as turning & not crossing lines ... you should be OK, as long as you don't make a "Bat Turn" :Rofl
And I know how you feel ... I run a 12v 42lb thrust 5speed trolling motor on my 16' ProCraft ... and can't keep a constant speed. I can't get 1.8mph crank pushing speed out of it, or maintain those speeds for more than a few hours. Now, pushing jigs at 0.6 - 0.8mph I'm good to go. That was on a series 27 battery, which died after 4yrs ... so I went to a series 29. Haven't tested it "pushing" yet, but the times I have used it ... it seems like it will extend my pushing time by several hours or more. I hope, anyway. Otherwise I'll have to spend a few grand on trolling motor, rewiring for 24v, contour line map card, etc. :Doh:
Good info,I'm stoked to experiment with different techniques of spider rigging.Longlining seems to be the favorite way for folks around here,and I have been successful doing it except for the dang cross overs in the turns on our narrow lakes.