Do's and Dont's of spider rigging and general tips requested.

[bobothewizard]

Morning all. I about to take a step in spider rigging. Being from pennsylvania I do not see it done much up here. I currently have a brand spankin new crestliner storm 16 with a 75# thrust variable trolling motor. Just had the boat back at the dealer to replace the 5 speed trolling motor with this variable just for spider rigging.

My request to you all is to provide some tips/tricks and just general helpful advice for someone starting to spider rig.

I currently have 4 pinnacle 12 foot rods with a driftmaster 250-H T bar system, not currently mounted until I can find the exact spot where I would like it mounted.Also have a HDS7 touch at the console and a HDS5 at the bow so electronics should be good enough.

Any tips of tricks that you all have learned that would be helpful for a new person would be greatly appreciated. Hopefully I can avoid some of the pitfalls you all had in my new adventure of spider rigging.

["G"]

When you think you are going too slow......slow down some more.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I897 using Tapatalk 2

[Powertroll]

Buy a good drift sock and learn how to use it. Practice,Practice,Practice

[DRPEPPER]

I have my boat set up for trolling and spider rigging using the same rod holders since it is a pan fisher (stick steer). Like "G" sez, I tend to go too fast.
I rig my poles up with a 1/2 onz egg sinker above a barrell swivel and attach a leader to the bottom of that. If I am using minners (hook em through the lips), I only have about 1' of leader. If I am using jigs, I like to use 2' to 3' of leader and 1/32 onz or 1/64 onz jigs. I like to bump and run the trolling motor to allow the baits to rise and fall. Install a foot operated button on the ground side of your trolling motor. That will free your hands up (if you are using a tiller type of TM).
DP

[skeetbum]

Someone recently posted putting a good size bead between the tip and first guide so that you will hear the hit if you don't see it. Curl tails on some, straight tails on others til the fish tell you what they like. I start with just jigs, then tip with a minnow if they don't get active enough.

[yankee doodler]

2X on the sock(s). I didn't know about them up here until my southern friends clued me in down on Sardis. They are a must to keep the speed down. My experience over here w/ clear waters is that pushing jigs (spider rigging) works fine when the fish are deep, but not so good when they start to move shallow. I'm starting to do more longlining like my good friend Ready2fish does. He seems to outfish me most of the time, but then maybe he's just a better fisherman...naw.

[rnvinc]

I spider rig contour lines...

Early in the year ... Before the water reaches 55 degrees...I'll be following creek channel ledge contour lines...
When the water reaches 55 degrees.. I'll experiment with contour lines parallel with the bank...

I'll pick a depth I think the fish will be in and stay on that contour line for several hundred yards....
If I don't pick up any fish... I'll move the boat over 2ft deeper or shallower... And either backtrack my previous pass or continue on down the new contour line...

Once I find what depth the fish seem to be targeting... I'll stay on that contour line until the fish quit biting or until I want to move to a different area and start all over...

Spider riggin contour lines gives the benefit of setting the baits on the shallow side of the boat to a certain depth... And setting the baits on the deeper side of the boat to a certain depth and covering several hundred yards of water without constantly adjusting bait depths...

Rickie

[waterboy1]

I like the screen for my sonar to be as high as possible, so mine is mounted on a pedestal between my T bars so I can easily keep track of bottom depth and fish. Makes it easier to scan between rod tips and sonar. I also made a holder for my ego reach net that puts the net standing up vertically right behind my seat for those poorly hooked or very large fish. Also have my cooler for fish right behind my seat in front of the net so I don't have to get up to put fish in a live well, but go straight on ice.

[Bottom_Bouncer]

Do get out the spider rids and get going now. In the winter, you don't have to be around brush to catch them. I look for a solid line about a foot off the bottom on my graph. That is a tell tell sign of winter crappie.

Do practice boat control. It is key to being successful.

Don't troll during summer on a heavily trafficked lake in Texas. The washtub effect makes it a real pain plus one rod usually does the trick.

[Donald@CrappieLogic]

as with any type of crappie fishing its all about time on the water