Andrew Martinsen's Walleye Fishing Secrets

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Andrew Martinsen's Walleye Fishing Update


Crawler Harness Creations

How to Build Your Own Harness

A crawler harness is not hard to assemble, but it will take some practice to perfect it. To make the basic harness, you will need: monofilament line ranging anywhere from 12 to 30 lb, long shank or live bait hook, six 6mm beads, a spinner blade, and a #2 or #4 folded clevis for the spinner blade. These basic supplies can be found in most stores that sell tackle or online.

To assemble the rig, start with a 5-foot piece of line cut from the reel. Hold the hook in one hand while keeping the eyelet toward the other hand. Thread one to two inches of line through the eyelet and pinch it firmly to the shank, keeping your hand closer to the hook.

Take the remaining line and begin wrapping it down the shank, going toward the hook. Keep it tight as possible as you wrap going around six to eight times before pressing the knot with a finger on the hand holding the hook. Thread the line again through the eyelet, but go the opposite way you started with. If you threaded the hook from right to left, you will need to go left to right in order to secure the knot. Pull the line to tighten the knot. This part takes practice and you may need to try several times before you have a satisfactory knot.

Once you have a knot you're happy with, you can add five beads to the line. Beads add vibration to the harness and there are many choices to consider. Most anglers use #6 plastic beads, but you can opt for glass beads. They are more expensive, but are heavier and louder. Some beads have facet sides, which reflect more light in the water. Orange and red are the most common colors, but there are other colors that may work better depending on the waters you are fishing.

The next item to add to the line is the spinner blade. Before putting the blade on the line, place the clevis through the hole in the spinner with both holes on the conclave side of the blade. The clevis will keep the blade from cutting through the line. Thread the line up through both of the clevis holes, keeping the cupped side of the blade toward the line.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to choosing a spinning blade. In general, bigger blades spin slower and vibrate louder while smaller ones spin easier and produce a higher frequency. A #4 Colorado blade is a good one to start with. Don't be afraid to experiment with other combinations. Adaptability is what makes this rig great.

Add one last bead before adding the final knot. Double over the last two inches of your line and tie it with an overhand knot, leaving a ? to 1-inch diameter loop. Trim off the remaining line, but leave about ? inch extra past the knot for future tightening.

Once you have mastered the basics of building a crawler harness, the customization can begin. There are many ways to change the rig to fit your needs. Learning to rig up your own walleye crawler harness will open a whole new world of possibilities.

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