One technique requiring a trolling system to hold the rods in place is spider rigging. Spider rigging allows a crappie angler the ability to utilize multiple rods with different colored lures or live bait placed at several depths.
Fishing with different colored lures on double rigs allows crappie anglers the ability to discover quickly what color lure is catching crappie that day. Once a color preference is discovered, a crappie angler can change out lures on several fishing rods to the one that the crappie are biting that day or time period. If the bite slows down, but the crappie are still being marked on the sonar unit, an angler should try changing colors since that will often incite a nonaggressive crappie to strike before moving to another location.
The best time to catch big crappie when spider rigging is during the prespawn. Depending on where you live that can be from March and run through April. Professional crappie pros and guides noted the drop-offs next to spawning grounds as the best area to fish during the prespawn.
Presentation is extremely important when spider rigging. Going too fast will result in fewer bites if any. Most professional crappie anglers prefer trolling using an electric trolling motor at .3- to .4-mph according to the ground-over-speed read out on the sonar unit. As the water cools you should start slowing up moving only .1- to .2-mph.
It’s important to pay special attention to rod spacing when spider rigging. Obviously with that many rods out lures will get tangled, but to minimize that from happening crappie anglers should do a couple of things. Always make sure to have all the fishing rods evenly spaced apart; in addition to paying close attention to the rods all the time. If a rod gets hung up or a crappie bites get it in fast. You really don’t want a crappie swimming around getting tangled with the other rods.
Pushing or pulling crankbaits are two other techniques where using a trolling system allow an angler to have out multiple rods without having them hold the fishing rods. Basically, pushing or pulling crankbaits is similar, but when pushing anglers will have the fishing rods out in front of the boat and pulling anglers will have the lures back behind trolling them.
Over the years, Driftmaster (www.driftmaster.com) has designed several trolling systems for crappie anglers. “Our trolling systems can be used for several species of gamefish, but crappie anglers in particular like our trolling systems,” said David Baynard, owner of Driftmaster
“A T-5100 Troll Master was designed to mount on the rear or the side of the boat. The rod holders can be adjusted to any angle and attached anywhere along the bar,” said Baynard.
One special feature of the T-5100 is the offset bracket. “The offset bracket allows the crappie angler to move it 3-inches towards the bow or 3-inches towards them making it easy to set the hook or from bumping into the seat. You won’t think 3-inches would make a difference, but it does in a boat,” said Baynard.
Baynard noted that the T-5100 Troll Master was commonly used by crappie anglers longlining or trolling crankbaits, but really any technique where the rod is held in a rod holder. “It’s easy to troll 1- to 2-mph with light weight jigs or push and pull crankbaits with multiple rods with them in rod holders,” said Baynard. The trick of course is keeping them separated, but that is easier to do when the rods are in holders located correctly on a trolling system.
T-5100 Troll Master features:
*1-inch 16 gauge stainless steel bar where rod holders are mounted to.
*Offset clamps that can be positioned inward or outward.
*12-inch tall by 1 ½-inch aluminum tube to extend the bar off the deck.
*3-inch square stainless base that mounts to the deck with four ¼-inch stainless screws.
T-5100 Troll Master (www.blackrivertools.com) bases mount permanently to the boat and rack can be attached or removed in seconds. It’s available in 2- to 8-feet long. Anglers can use 205-B Pro 1-inch round rail clamp bases and Pro rod holders or 215-B Li’l Pro 1-inch round rail clamp bases and Li’l Pro rod holders that are sold separately.
Crappie anglers often use several techniques throughout the year to catch crappie that require a trolling system able to hold and keep the rod positioned correctly. The best trolling systems allow anglers the ability to adjust where and what rod position for that specific technique.
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