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I fished Erie for the first time last May and will be back again this year. In hopes to be more prepared I wanted to tie a few harnesses up and get my stuff together before I leave. Last year we were running 2 blades all the time but most of what I can find looks like everyone is only running 1 blade. Is a single blade more effective? This warm weather has me wanting to get the boat out and get going, I think I might actually get out in the boat around here this week. Thanks
Michael
most of the casters use a single blade, I used mostly double willows last year trolling, then in august for some reason I started using single Colorado, they both work tie some of each.
I don't really know if 2 blades are better then 1. I fish the central basin and went out on a charter a couple of times before going on my own. he used all 2 blade harnesses on his boat. so I figured he knew more than I did so I have always used 2 blades on the central basin. but back when I fished the western basin I ran single blade harnesses off my riggers. and we did catch fish. if I were fishing the western basin now I would start with 2 blades.
I think it is more personal preference than anything else. but I catch fish with 2 blades but we fish more for bigger fish in the central basin. if your catching fish with 2 blades you can always tie up some single blades and run them on one side of the boat and see which does the best for you.
I think you will find that most will run a single blade unless they are running the willow leaf blades. In Colorado blades for trolling, sizes 5 & 6 work well and most will be running one of those sizes when using that style blade , in the hatchet or tomahawk blades size 6 seems to be the mainstay for those designed blades among Erie trollers with the size 7 occasionally. Drift and casters use smaller blades more often than not but that is all that I can add, even though I love to drift and cast and is my favorite way to fish, I do not fish that way anymore due to shoulder problems. Maybe someone will chime in as there are members here who are licensed Charter Captains that run exclusive drift and cast charter trips.
As for me when I run Colorados which is only about 5% of the time I run size 6 most often and use the size 5 only if the color that I want is not available or not on hand in size 6. I run the Hatchet blades 95% of the time and most often in size 6 with the size 7 added now and then just to mix it up a little. I use the Doc Shelton design hatchet blades and the even numbered blades spin in the opposite direction of the odd numbered blades. they are stamped with the curve in opposite directions which makes them spin in opposite directions.
I neglected to say that I only fish in the Western Basin and the information that I provided should be considered as such.Quote:
Originally Posted by sherman51
If you tie up singles vs doubles to compare, then it would be my opinion that you should use the same size and color blade on both the single an the double or at the very least the same color patterns if a smaller blade would be used on the double. I would run them on the same side of the boat because some days due to current, winds other unknown factors only one side of the boat will produce fish and the other side will not so you may get a false comparison between the 2.
You made a good point about running them on the same side of the boat for the reasons you stated.....I was thinking the same thing!Quote:
Originally Posted by wakina
I've yet to read a post from Wakina that did not make a good point. Hes the man!
Seconded! Keep up the good work, Wakina!Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterKraft
Attachment 2866 Here is my arsenal for this year.
Lots of good advice, thanks for the help. I'll keep on eye on things to see how it's going before I come out there this may. Daddyhawgs, did you paint them yourself? I haven't seen some of those combinations before. Looks like I need to get some of those tomahawk style blades also, at least I haven't placed my order yet.
Onestout sent u pm
I dug this picture out from 2003. This setup won a national walleye tourney in Wisc. that year. They are size 5 deep cup blades. Most of the willow blade rigs are double blade for trolling and I use single blade for drifting. Singles work fine with a slower drift as with the Smile E blade rigs I use also for drifting. All my casting rigs are single blade with size 3 and 4 blades. This picture came from a Walleye InSider magazine which a friend of mine for 25 yrAttachment 2873 placed well in.
As always Wakina makes great points. I started fishing harnesses in the West basin seriously a few years back, and decided to begin with #5 Colorados and only use bead chain 1&2oz in line weights. I used an easily repeatable program in order to "learn" for myself where my baits were running and how they performed. There is a Ton of info available on the web to get you in the right depth range for what you are pulling , but a good VHF radio can be just as valuable. :) What happened was my confidence in those blades went thru the roof and my willingness to expand the inventory grew. I use the Colorados when pulling .9-1.5 is mph. They tend to blow out (for me anyways) any faster than that. Then I'll switch to hatchet or tandem willows which can be pulled much faster. I rarely go faster than 1.8-2.0, but do pull willows on dipseys deeper later in the summer out east at those speeds. I use Tommy Harris blades (just a personal preference), 6-7' 20# floro leaders, enough 6mm beads to be sure the blade clears the 1st hook( and beads between blades when running tandem) and a quality quick change clevis. You will lose blades with the quick clevis if you swap a bunch, but it is much easier when searching for the right blade color, just be aware. Everyone has a "Goto recipe" but purples,greens and pinks work well for me trolling, and golds/orange reds work well for me casting. Tip of the iceberg here, and I would suggest sharing a seat with guys on here to get a better feel when the harness bite picks up.
Lots of good info, thanks. Last year I was trying to keep it in the 1.2-1.4 speed range and it worked out well for us. With my boat though I have to go with the wind, does me no good to try and fight, that just seems to make more work of it and risk tangling lines (my boat is like a kite on the water, large profile and light). We averaged 4-8 fish per hour last year and with your tips I hope to be able to fine tune things to try and pick a few up during the slow times, man is it tough when the water is flat out there. I'm going to try some willows and some hatchet blades as well. I also saw someone that instead of beads used colored pipe cleaners wrapped around a cocktail straw for a colored spacer, I need to get to the craft store and try to make a few. Thanks again, a lot of good info.
Michael
I want to say that the following post is only my opinion and is based upon my experience and experimentation with worm harnesses!
If you are having trouble with size 5 and 6 Colorado Blades blowing out at less than 2 mph(SOG/GPS) move up at least one size in the clevis department. Apply the same theory to the hatchet blades if problems occur at higher speeds. The blade must be able to clear the line if using a metal clevis or the body that goes over the line if using a plastic quick change clevis. If the tip of the blade closest to the line/clevis comes in contact with the line or plastic clevis when lifting the blade into a horizontal position(right angle) from the hole in the blade to the line or plastic clevis it will interfere with the rotation of the blade and that creates about 75% of the twisted leaders caused by the ensuing blowout.
Always check the plastic clevis to blade mating point when re-baiting and especially after landing a fish. Your landing net is the worst enemy of your blade quick change clevis setup.
Once the season has moved into the mid June time frame and the temps have moderated to warmer you should speed up your presentation some to 1.6 to 2.0. If you want or need to troll at a faster speed then it is time to switch to all Hatchet/Tomahawk blades, willow leaf blades or spoons. You can run both the Colorado and the Hatchet/Tomahawks at the same time with no tackle issues so long as you stay away from speeds greater than 2.0 mph with Colorados. I have ran hatchets as fast as 2.4 with out issues but the clevis must be large enough to facilitate unrestricted spin.
Depending on the day of course, I most often run both Hatchet Blade Harnesses and spoons in the same spread with about equal results from both type lures.
I always have my wife pick the beads for me when I make up casting harnesses. If nothing else at least the fish gets to see something pretty cruise on by holding a big juicy night crawler. So 9 out of 10 harnesses I tie contain pink and purple beads. Lol
Not sure if everyone knows this but go to the Hobby Lobby and they have hundreds of different shapes and sizes and colors of beads for making jewelry. You get about 100 for .99-1.99. There is a whole aisle that is just beads. You can make some very unique harnesses up needless to say.
My wife, father and I sat down at the table in the motor home last 4th of July weekend to tie up some harnesses. I just put all the stuff I had on the table and told them to pick a pattern and I'd tie them. The next day Dad and I hit the water. We caught a 2 man limit of eyes in about 2-3 hours, 9 of those fish coming on my wife's color scheme. It would've been even quicker if I hadn't spent all my time getting the barnyard animals off of all the baits that he and I tied!Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterKraft
When I was looking at blades in Field and Stream and she said "Those are pretty", every pack they had was in the cart!
I have been tying my own harnesses for many years. I found 45 lb plastic coated braided wire line at a store that has since closed and this line is far superior to anything you can find. Spinning clevises will not cut thru it keeping lure loss to a minimum. I prefer double willow blades, two No. 4 red Eagle Claw Lazer Sharp single hooks on the main body and the hook that catches most of my fish, a red 3X Eagle Claw No. 6 treble stinger evenly spaced behind the other two. Most of the walleye taken on my boat are hooked with the stinger. I use reflective tape and eyes and florescent paint on many of my lures so you won't find them at your favorite bait and tackle shop.
For me, I will state that over the years making short wire and coated twisted wire harnesses. When catching larger fish, they end up bending the wire/twisted cable during the heavy head shakes. I have not able to get the harness to ever run straight again and have to remake the harness. This is why after years of trying the wire/cable, I make my harnesses using #17 mono. I know others on here prefer the wire or cable. But for me it turns into a PIA and for me is much easier to re-make a mono harness than a wire or cable harness.
Well quit catching those big fish! I tried mono and fluorocarbon and while I do agree they're easier to make, I get tired of having to change then after every damn fish. White bass trash them more than the eyes do and I catch a lot more of those little suckers than I do huge eyes. The cable is my preference, but I do agree it's a pain when it gets mangled.Quote:
Originally Posted by ebijack
I have tried all of the different combo's for leader material, mono, fluro and coated stranded wire. I gave up on the coated wire for the very reasons that you described and the mono/fluro for the reasons that Hoytman86 described.Quote:
Originally Posted by ebijack
I now make all of my spinners/harnesses on solid wire and add a short snell(just long enough to hold the 2 hooks and snap) that I tie using the coated wire. The snell can be changed out as quick as changing blades. The main body of the harness(Blade, beads and wire) are almost indestructible by any fish that you would encounter while fishing for walleyes on Erie. They will bend but they can be straightened by hand and still work and catch fish if the blade can spin freely. It also makes storing them easier without having all of those pool noodles and hooks exposed while waiting their turn to get wet. If I need/want to change blades I just change the whole harness which take even less time than changing the blade on a quick change clevis. I run them on a 60" leader, the same leader that I run spoons on, I can just unpin the harness and add a spoon if I so desire. I then place the harness in its storage compartment and done. No more wrapping leaders or pool noodles for me, no more bulky storage containers for them either.
I'd be interested to see your harnesses, Wakina. I enjoy trying harnesses, just don't enjoy doing it when I MUST because all of mine are shot. I'm all for trying to improve my arsenal and making things quicker on the fly.
This is one of my old versions using #30 test cable. Could not find other photos. I also use arms length leaders. Even my spoon harnesses, got tired of the wires/cable getting bent. So I switched back to using mono.
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...661/Zh8UA4.jpg
http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/640...onharness2.jpg
for casting try white beads with white blade with just a couple gold beads mixed in single hook works well for me most days
I will get some pics up as soon as I am back on my feet, recovering from pneumonia.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoytman86
Well get that sorted first, no rush! Plenty of time between now and the harness bite.Quote:
Originally Posted by wakina
I hope you feel better soon wakita!!!
Attachment 2891
Here are some new designs for 2015
Laugh if you want but the walleyes like them!
I like the concept of the harness being seperate from the spinner rig. Been anxiously waiting to see them.Quote:
Originally Posted by wakina
Thank you sir.
This getting old stuff isn't for whimps! Didn't know I could feel so bad and still be alive!Quote:
Originally Posted by skipper9
I'm feelin' ya Wakina!Quote:
Originally Posted by wakina