Written By - Jason Mitchell - 05/12/2007
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When the going gets tough, monofilament, weight and plain hook with good lively bait will always catch fish. Lindy Rigs were catching fish thirty years ago and will continue to catch fish another thirty years from now. With all of the gimmicks to catch fishermen, a plain hook with bait will always catch fish. This is why the Lindy Rig has been effective for so many years. I can't think of too many presentations that have caught more walleye on natural lakes than the original Lindy Rig. Over the years, these livebait rigs have gone through a few changes namely because of technology. Hooks for example have gotten better. Weights have also come a long ways from just a molded piece of lead. The No-Snagg Slip Sinker (also made by Lindy) is much more efficient and snag resistant than the traditional walking sinkers if you are fishing rock or heavy cover. So in a sense, the snell with the plain hook and lively bait is nothing new but there are just enough new twists to keep live bait rigging interesting. We are much more efficient today because of premium laser sharpened hooks and high tech snag resistant weights that really work, no gimmick. The jury is still out on fluorocarbon and anglers continue to experiment with super lines for increased sensitivity for distinguishing bottom makeup and not to mention fish. Snell lengths have been discussed in depth as well over the years and many anglers experiment by putting floats or beads on the snell. Over the years of guiding for a living on North Dakota's largest natural lake (Devils Lake), I have picked up a few ideas and theories on adapting the classic Lindy Rig as well. Dragging Versus Swimming I am not sold on the magic of the single bead some anglers put in front of the hook. The thought is a single bead in an easy to see color helps walleye find the bait and hit the front of the meal where the hook is located. Now I have put beads on the snells and caught plenty of fish but just couldn't see where I caught more fish just because of the bead. A deal where you forget the beads and still catch plenty of fish, take that experience for whatever it is worth. I have, however had extremely good luck at times by putting a single split shot near the hook to make the bait drag along the bottom right in the mud. There are times when dragging works much better than letting the bait swim up off the bottom. There are also plenty of times when the opposite is true and we need to get both our bait and sinker out of the mud. Experiment with dragging versus swimming. Whatever Floats Your Boat There is definitely a time and place for floats on the line. Weeds, high fish, whatever the reason, floats definitely work better than anything at times. I have had far better luck however by using a floating jig head on the snell versus using a small float on the line. Floating jig heads seem to wobble a bit as they get pulled through the water, giving the leech or night crawler much more action if you crawl along at a slow steady speed. Also, regardless of whether or not you use floats, beads, etc., don't get carried away with the sewing thread line mentality unless you have to. Use as heavy of Berkley XL as possible for your snell. Ten or eight pound is perfect for most of the Lindy Rigging I do. Heavier line doesn't twist as much as you move through the water. Watch your bait in the water and hook your bait so that the bait doesn't spin. If you do have to use lighter line, you are going to have to fish much, much slower and this limits how many fish you are going to come across each day. Stop and Go I like to keep the rod I am holding right below the boat in the cone angle of my electronics. I also like to scoot along fairly fast if I am not marking fish or showing a break in the bottom that could easily hide fish. Speed across the flat areas; coast when your bottom raises, drops or if you see fish. Once a sweet spot is found, you can do a lot more sitting in one spot but the key is finding that sweet spot each day. Good electronics are crucial and nothing has more of a stronger cult following amongst serious live bait riggers than the Vexilar Edge LC-507. This beauty of this particular unit is that the graph runs off of two transducers that have two frequencies. You can actually tell when fish are right below or spooking from the boat. There have been times for example when we could see fish spooking from the boat so we let out more line and started to hook the boat to catch those fish. Also, if you know a fish is directly below you and your bait is right in front of the fish, you can sit until the fish picks up the bait. I am not the only person who is in love with the Vexilar Edge, either; just ask Tony Dean or Al Lindner. Snell Length and Hook Sets Snell length is something nobody can seem to agree on. Many anglers believe that longer snells get your bait higher off the bottom. Actually, speed seems to be more of a factor. I also can't tell that my bait actually has more action on a longer snell. Long snells seem to be fashionable and maybe necessary at times but I cling to as short of snell as possible. You see, good bait is good bait and with short snells, the bait can't swim away and you hook many more fish. No sense in making this fishing too complicated. Many anglers have this holy attitude of using as long of snell as possible but I have had much more success by doing the exact opposite, I use as short of snell as possible with an average snell being about six feet when using crawlers or leeches while often using just a foot or two when using minnows or chubs. I have also had better luck by shortening up the leash when fishing rivers or current. Also, much, much easier to hook the fish with short snells. In fact, don't even get carried away with the hook set. After feeding the fish line, close the bail and start reeling fast, reel fast enough to make the rod bend nice and the fish is basically on. Angle of the Line I don't know why but the angle of the line can mean the difference between catching fish and catching nothing. There are times when you need to have the rig right below the boat and there are times where you have to be way out away from the boat. There are also times when you just have to have the right combination of sinker weight, angle of line and boat speed to detect light bites especially around sand grass and sticky bottoms. If somebody is cleaning your clock, pay close attention to the angle in which his or her line enters the water. The angle in which your line enters the water not only determines what you feel but how you feel it. If you are in doubt, fish below the boat and use the weight to periodically find bottom, relying on your electronics. More information concerning Lindy Legendary Tackle can be found at www.lindylittlejoe.com. Anglers wishing to learn more about Vexilar's Edge LC-507 can contact Vexilar Regional Sales Ambassador Jason Mitchell by calling 701-351-1890. Editors Note: The author, Jason Mitchell leads Devils Lake's most prominent open water guide service.