There are a TON of different techniques all piled in under the name "spider rigging". There is a poll running right now that is esentially worthless when it comes to asking about "spider rigging' as a favorite technique.

The term originated, as far as I know, years ago and back then meant wind drifting minnows with multiple poles out. In some cases 20 or more.

But now it has morphed into a meaningless catch-all term supposedly covering any boat fishing more than 1 rod over the side, even covering what we are doing... pushing jigs.

We use 20 foot carbon fiber poles. We found getting the lures away from the boat as far as possible helped the catch rate. When we first started we used 16 and 18 footers. We sit in the front of the boat side by side and fish 8 to 10 (usually 8) poles out the front of the boat.

Our rigs, going from lure to reel are:

Jig (no minnows any more, not necessary)
3 foot fluorocarbon leader 4 pound test.
Smallest duolock snap clip made
SPro tiny swivel
Slide 3/4 to 1 1/2 ounce (depending on depth fished) onto our main line which is either 6 or 8 pound Power Pro braid.

These rigs are spread across the front of the boat from dead ahead to 90 degrees off either side. We are essentially straining a 40 foot wide swath across our path. We push these from 1 to 1.5mph and cover a lot of ground.

That is about as far as you can get from wind drifting 20 poles with minnows, yet people still call it "Spider rigging". Oh well.

Tom