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John N. Felsher's Crappie Fishing Adventures
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Looking like someone strapped to a porcupine, the angler scrutinized his
electronics from the command chair in the bow of his rig bristling with rods.
The eight 14-foot rods arrayed in holders off the bow covered a 30-foot
swath of water as the professional scanned for any baitfish or changes in
bottom contour. We slowly pushed through about eight feet of water with lines
vertically testing the 5- to 7-foot range.
“With eight rods up front, it looks like a spider web,” said Phil Rambo, a
crappie pro from Bloomington, Ind. “It’s a really slow type of fishing, almost
vertical. The line is at about a 40-degree angle with the bait dangling in a
crappie’s face until it can’t resist.”
Also called “tight-lining,” spider rigging involves slow trolling with lines
dangling off the boat bow instead of the stern at angles to form a fan-shaped
pattern. On the end of each line, hang a 1/2- to 1-ounce sinker about 10 to
18 inches beneath a three-way swivel. On the swivel, tie two 6- to 12-inch
leaders. On each leader, attach a tube jig or other bait. Below the sinker, drop
another 10- to 18-inch leader with a third bait.
With eight rods out, each sweetened with three baits, an angler can
simultaneously fish various depths with 24 different color combinations or lure
configurations. Many people tip the jigs with minnows for added enticement. In
general, use smaller minnows in early spring as hatchlings grow and switch to
larger minnows as the season progresses.
“Spider rigging is a technique that catches big crappie all year long
because it’s such a slow, vertical presentation,” said Whitey Outlaw, a crappie
pro from St. Matthews, S.C. “With spider rigging, I can control the bait much
better than when fishing with other methods. We put 14-foot B-n-M Poles in
rod holders because they are the best on the market and have been in
business for more than 60 years. We rig the poles with 10-pound-test Vicious
fishing line, because it has a small diameter, but it’s really strong. I tip the
hooks with Show Down jigs because they are hand-made and durable.”
Anglers gently push the rig forward with just enough electric power to give
the lures a bit of action, typically less than one mile per hour. At times, simply
drift with the wind across a good area. In a hot spot, keep circling to leave
baits in the water longer.
“Finding one fish is the tough part,” said Don Collins, a professional
crappie angler from Largo, Fla. “Once we find good fish, we go over the same
area several times. When I’m searching for fish, I look for rises, ledges or
creek channels, anything different on the bottom contour. A creek or river
channel coming into a lake is just like a highway to fish. We use several
different bait colors until we determine what the fish want. If we start catching
more fish on one color, we change most of the baits to that color. That allows
us to continue to catch fish while still looking for other colors that fish might
like better.”
With a spider rig, anglers generally target suspended fish. Crappie
usually hover, looking up to spot baitfish silhouetted against the surface.
Anglers can zero in on the proper depth by turning the boat. As the boat
turns, baits on the outside rise slightly while the ones on the inside turn dive a
bit deeper. Pay attention to which baits work best and when. Then make
depths and selections adjustments.
“People think it’s a bottom-fishing technique, but it’s really a slow, vertical
troll,” Outlaw emphasized. “Sometimes, we put the lead on the bottom, but
more often, we drop it down to the depth where the fish suspend. Suspended
crappie are easy to catch if you can find out the depth they want. With a
spider rig, we can catch a mess of fish in a short time in the right spot. I’ve
seen where seven or eight rods all have fish on at one time. That gets right
hectic!”
At times, anglers want to drag the bottom. After a cold front or a high-
pressure system passes through an area, fish might rest semi-dormant near
the bottom. The sinker dragging bottom could disturb them. Once they move,
the fish might spot a tempting morsel hanging just over their heads and attack.
Looking at the dizzying rod arrays pros use might intimidate some
anglers, but just about everyone can fish with similar rigs. It just takes hold
holders, poles, baits and a good trolling motor. If a smaller boat can only
manage a 4-rod holder, that still works better than nothing.
For more information about B-n-M Poles see www.bnmpoles.com. For
Vicious line, see www.vicious-fishing.com. For Show Down jigs, see
www.showdowntackle.com.
electronics from the command chair in the bow of his rig bristling with rods.
The eight 14-foot rods arrayed in holders off the bow covered a 30-foot
swath of water as the professional scanned for any baitfish or changes in
bottom contour. We slowly pushed through about eight feet of water with lines
vertically testing the 5- to 7-foot range.
“With eight rods up front, it looks like a spider web,” said Phil Rambo, a
crappie pro from Bloomington, Ind. “It’s a really slow type of fishing, almost
vertical. The line is at about a 40-degree angle with the bait dangling in a
crappie’s face until it can’t resist.”
Also called “tight-lining,” spider rigging involves slow trolling with lines
dangling off the boat bow instead of the stern at angles to form a fan-shaped
pattern. On the end of each line, hang a 1/2- to 1-ounce sinker about 10 to
18 inches beneath a three-way swivel. On the swivel, tie two 6- to 12-inch
leaders. On each leader, attach a tube jig or other bait. Below the sinker, drop
another 10- to 18-inch leader with a third bait.
With eight rods out, each sweetened with three baits, an angler can
simultaneously fish various depths with 24 different color combinations or lure
configurations. Many people tip the jigs with minnows for added enticement. In
general, use smaller minnows in early spring as hatchlings grow and switch to
larger minnows as the season progresses.
“Spider rigging is a technique that catches big crappie all year long
because it’s such a slow, vertical presentation,” said Whitey Outlaw, a crappie
pro from St. Matthews, S.C. “With spider rigging, I can control the bait much
better than when fishing with other methods. We put 14-foot B-n-M Poles in
rod holders because they are the best on the market and have been in
business for more than 60 years. We rig the poles with 10-pound-test Vicious
fishing line, because it has a small diameter, but it’s really strong. I tip the
hooks with Show Down jigs because they are hand-made and durable.”
Anglers gently push the rig forward with just enough electric power to give
the lures a bit of action, typically less than one mile per hour. At times, simply
drift with the wind across a good area. In a hot spot, keep circling to leave
baits in the water longer.
“Finding one fish is the tough part,” said Don Collins, a professional
crappie angler from Largo, Fla. “Once we find good fish, we go over the same
area several times. When I’m searching for fish, I look for rises, ledges or
creek channels, anything different on the bottom contour. A creek or river
channel coming into a lake is just like a highway to fish. We use several
different bait colors until we determine what the fish want. If we start catching
more fish on one color, we change most of the baits to that color. That allows
us to continue to catch fish while still looking for other colors that fish might
like better.”
With a spider rig, anglers generally target suspended fish. Crappie
usually hover, looking up to spot baitfish silhouetted against the surface.
Anglers can zero in on the proper depth by turning the boat. As the boat
turns, baits on the outside rise slightly while the ones on the inside turn dive a
bit deeper. Pay attention to which baits work best and when. Then make
depths and selections adjustments.
“People think it’s a bottom-fishing technique, but it’s really a slow, vertical
troll,” Outlaw emphasized. “Sometimes, we put the lead on the bottom, but
more often, we drop it down to the depth where the fish suspend. Suspended
crappie are easy to catch if you can find out the depth they want. With a
spider rig, we can catch a mess of fish in a short time in the right spot. I’ve
seen where seven or eight rods all have fish on at one time. That gets right
hectic!”
At times, anglers want to drag the bottom. After a cold front or a high-
pressure system passes through an area, fish might rest semi-dormant near
the bottom. The sinker dragging bottom could disturb them. Once they move,
the fish might spot a tempting morsel hanging just over their heads and attack.
Looking at the dizzying rod arrays pros use might intimidate some
anglers, but just about everyone can fish with similar rigs. It just takes hold
holders, poles, baits and a good trolling motor. If a smaller boat can only
manage a 4-rod holder, that still works better than nothing.
For more information about B-n-M Poles see www.bnmpoles.com. For
Vicious line, see www.vicious-fishing.com. For Show Down jigs, see
www.showdowntackle.com.
Spider rigging helps snare more
crappie by offering fish many choices
crappie by offering fish many choices
TOP: Phil and Eva Rambo, a professional crappie team from
Bloomington, Ind., congratulate each other on catching another big
one while fishing with a spider rig on Lake Monroe near Sanford, Fla.
BOTTOM: Whitey Outlaw, a professional crappie angler from St.
Matthews, S.C., shows off a crappie he caught while fishing on Lake
Dora near Mount Dora, Fla.
Bloomington, Ind., congratulate each other on catching another big
one while fishing with a spider rig on Lake Monroe near Sanford, Fla.
BOTTOM: Whitey Outlaw, a professional crappie angler from St.
Matthews, S.C., shows off a crappie he caught while fishing on Lake
Dora near Mount Dora, Fla.
