Tippin your plugs with crawler.

[slipbob]

Does anybody ever tip the front or back treble of cranks with a piece of crawler when you troll?  My brother and I were discussing what can trigger the eyes on some days when it's slow and we have in the past found from experience that sometimes all the difference can be had by that trick.  Some of the PWT guys I hear have done that as well when the bite is a bit off.

[MarcusJ]

I'm gonna start doing that this year because I saw an article about it in an In-Fisherman a-while back.

[JigAwhopper]

I might do that next time I go out trolling.  Up to this point though I've been dunking back trebbles in Smelly Jelly  shad formula.  Usually I outfish my buddy's rod 2:1,  I also use it ice fishing and with soft plastics when the bite slows down.  It's a confidence thing for me,  when I stink up my fingers with that stuff  .   Anyone ever tried this new powder made out of amino acids that swells up on the hook once wet?  That's something else i got to try!                                                J.

[TroutFishingBear]

sometimes people troll those worm spinners (inline I believe) with worms tipped on them. But according to some people, what do I know?

[oakorchardfishking]

sometimes, depending where and when... for example conesus lake... in early season until the water warms up, the bite may be slow. in that case, try a worm harness rigged with crawler or leech! we were at conesus a week ago just mainly fishing rapalas. we spotted eyes everywhere with the light but no takers. the water temp was 53 that night.... the next 2 nights after, a friend of ours was going out, same surface temp within a few degrees, and he was hitting them pretty decent on the harnesses!
they can be used all season long as well, i know a few people that never touch a plug, strictly a harness or jiggin'!

[Jigwiggler]

Yes, I do tip my plugs with a piece of crawler if the bite is slow.  If it's hot then I don't bother as it is usually not needed.  You're right though, that little bit of crawler has saved the day for me more than once.  The plugs I usually tip are the deep diving crankbait type not so much for the minnow/stick bait.  I find that I catch more walleyes on the bottom bouncing technique than on raps and similar in my area, tipped or not.

[jf5]

I tip my 1/5 ouncr Thomas spinners with a half crawler and it works very well.

[techyfisher]

What are your favorite crankbaits for those finicky eyes, Thanks for any info.

[techyfisher]

My Dad and brother and myself have fished for eye's for quite a while but never tried that method. It will be on the agenda next outing however. Always fished the worm harnesses and stick baits. A little jigging but not much of thta. Dad really likes to get around so if the wind is not cooperating for a drift it is trolling, just never tried the deep diver. Thanks for the info and will post results after the next time out.

[TJ]

Reefrunner, Lil rippers, 5-20 feet.
Manns Strech 10
Rapela Shad Rap #7,8,9
I found when tipping cranks with worms or bait
using the centre hook gets me more hook ups.
Instead of nipping at the rear hook they slam the centre.

[eyedoktr]

Alot of lures will not run true with the extra weight of a crawler. Be sure to check the action before you let your line out. The best lure I've found for this method is the Renosky Crystallina floating Minnow. We use a full crawler and tip it on the front hook. This lure/crawler combo has produced many walleye over 8# from the eastern end of Lake Erie.

[cnyfishing]

Is it legal to tip a plug with live bait? For some reason I have always thought it was illegal to do that.

[Pasquatch]

Yeah, its legal, and sometimes needed, here in New York.

[reubenpa]

what could be illegal about it?  Live bait is legal and plugs are so why not combine them?  I might try that for csting

[Pasquatch]

The way I read it, Mac was saying that it was not illegal in New York, but maybe not.
If he is saying that its illegal, I'd like to see that webpage very much, cause I've never seen it.

That's how I see it at least.