crawler harnesses quick changes

[wakina]

Sounds like an interesting system. Can you post a couple pictures? I'd like to see how your hooks are tied and attached? Is it a real short snell so its close to the blades? Single hook or double? The wire/blades sound like they would store easier than a standard harness.

Here is a link to the pictures that I had post earlier this year. The harnesses are on top of one of the boxes that I use to store my harnesses. There are about 40 harnesses in that box.

http://community.walleye.com/attachm...9&d=1402098270

As you can see the hooks are attached with a crimp. I no longer use this method to attach the hooks but instead use a small snap which is crimped to the snell then snapped onto the Blade/Bead assembly. I keep an adequate supply of assembled snells on board to change out bad snells if needed and to outfit a different harness if changing the whole set up to a different Blade/Bead assembly. This makes changing the hook assembly fast and simple. At the end of the day I simply remove the snells and store them on one end of the harness box.

The snells are tied on 20lb nylon coated 7 strand wire in both black and red. The clevis is a Number 4 stirrup clevis and is large enough to allow the blade to be at a 90 degree angle and not touch the center wire. Touching the center wire or leader while fishing is one of the main reasons the leaders twist. Always use a clevis that is large enough, to big is 1000 times better than to small.

I never use beads smaller than 8MM on the main body below the blade, but do from time to time use a single 6MM bead above the blade. I learned this from Al Linder along time ago on one of his TV shows. It makes a larger profile and he claimed that is better for walleyes. I can't complain so I have made them like this for years long before switching to wire.

I have found that for me, there are several advantages to this system, there are no exposed hooks on pool noodles to get caught in your fingers, they store in a much smaller area, they are almost indestructible by the fish or the movement of the clevis on the wire (no wear) while trolling, easy to switch to spoons or change harnesses by using the same leader for both, no wrapping the leaders around pool noodles while fishing and most of all no lost blades unless your leader fails.

These things are just my personal preference and how I make my harnesses. Everyone has to do what they think is right for their situation and fishing programs. I posted this as an informative post as another alternative to harness making. I am not trying to tell anyone what they should or should not do.

[Firetiger]

I really like these and they handle big blades and don't hinder the spin action of big blades .

[kybob]

Planning a trip back up to Erie soon. I saw/read what you have done and I like it. Makes since to me. But, I have a question. So, when using weights, you or i'm using a snap swivel on my main line. I just attach the weight to my snap then attach the -blade assemby --that is the wire w/beads, clevis, blade,snap --to my weight and then attach my harness. Is this correct?? Thanks ahead for your help

[wakina]

Planning a trip back up to Erie soon. I saw/read what you have done and I like it. Makes since to me. But, I have a question. So, when using weights, you or i'm using a snap swivel on my main line. I just attach the weight to my snap then attach the -blade assemby --that is the wire w/beads, clevis, blade,snap --to my weight and then attach my harness. Is this correct?? Thanks ahead for your help

Here is how I attach the assembly in the order that they go.
Main line from reel with a quality snap swivel attached, either a diver or inline wt. your personal preference of either one, a 60 inch leader or leader length of your choice with quality snap swivel at each end, then the blade/bead/hook assembly.

The total length of the blade/bead/hook assembly is only about 8 inches long and the hooks are removable/replaceable.

In reality you are only replacing the traditional long harness assembly with 3 components! First component is a quality leader then the second component is the blade/bead assembly on wire then the last component is the short 4 to 6 inch removable hook Snell. At the end of the day all 3 components can be broken down and each component can be stored in a different and safer location eliminating the pool noodles and exposed hooks while requiring less space for storage.

Any questions please ask and I will try to answer.