January 8, 2010
Spider Rigging for Bass Fishermen
Many bass fishermen love to crappie fish even if they won't admit it. The primary reasons are to take the family fishing and/or to enjoy a more relaxed style of fishing. Catching numbers of a fish that can be thrown into the frying pan isn't bad either. 
There are a few problems for bass fishermen. First, catching crappie is not simply a matter of tossing a few baits in the water and pulling out big slabs. The key is to learn the fish movements for the season and to use electronics for finding the best structures at the proper depth. It can be difficult at times.
The second problem is pole holders. A bass fisherman doesn't want to drill holes and mount holders in his boat. It would interfere with bass fishing and can you imagine what the guys in the bass club would say if someone came to fish the club tournament with crappie pole holders on the boat? Permanent pole holders are not an option.
This problem has been solved by Driftmaster who has been a leader in the pole holder business for many years. They have designed a spider rigging rack and holder system called the Crow's Foot. It is held in place by lifting the front seat pedestal, placing the Crow's Foot and putting the pedestal back into the seat base. Nothing is permanently connected.
The new system includes two racks with up to eight holders. State law and your preference for pole numbers are the two limiting factors. Check them out at www.driftmaster.com.
What else do you need? Fishing multiple poles is called spider rigging in most parts of the country and requires using poles that are 12 to 16 feet long. The longer 16-foot poles are needed for clearer water to get baits away from spooky crappie. Shorter poles are easier to handle and good in stained or muddy waters. There are many good poles on the market with Bass Pro Shops 'Mr. Crappie' Wally Marshall poles being popular on the tournament trail. Another manufacturer, BnM Pole Company has the largest assortment of styles including a sensitive, long-time favorite, Buck's Graphite Jigging Pole. BnM also has a pole designed just for spider rigging called the Capps/Coleman.
You can use minnows, jigs or both. Try a 3-inch Yamamoto Tiny Ika jig tipped with a minnow. Your Ika can be easily shortened to match the fish size and conditions plus they are available in good crappie-catching colors.
Spider rigging for crappie is fun but can also put food on the table. To set up like the crappie pros requires an initial investment but your bass boat can be easily converted from one species to another in a couple of minutes. You won't even be embarrassed when you show up at your bass club.
Tip of the Month
Cold water crappies want a slow-moving bait with little action. Keep your presentations subtle and use low-action jigs. You can tip with a minnow because its action in cold water will be slow, too.