Spider Rigging Helps Snare More Crappies

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. (Make sure you check your local regulations for how many lines are allowed.)

"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."

A Slow-Trolling Bow Technique

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 1 mph. 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."

Target Suspended Fish

With a spider rig, anglers generally target suspended fish. Crappies usually, however, are 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 depth and selection 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 temping 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 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.