Spider Rig Crappie Fishing
Dr. John Woods 03.25.20
Outdoorsmen are always devising new ways to use ingenuity to harvest more fish. This has never been truer than with the advent of the spider rig method of catching crappie (or speckled perch, or white perch depending on where you live). In many ways it has changed the framework of angling for crappie, but it is not without its challenges.
So what exactly is a spider rig? A spider rigging system is a series of adjustable rod holders mounted on a suitable fishing boat. The format can be set up using one angler seat up front or two if there is room enough to maneuver the poles and space for working all the poles.
Most spider rig set ups will utilize eight poles or sometimes six, depending on the space up front to mount everything. A single seat can work all eight poles, half spread to the left of the seat and four more angled out to the right. If two seats are used, then each angler has to manage four poles at a time. With the adjustable posts, poles can be spread apart, raised up or down or configured in a number of ways.
With all eight poles deployed at once, the rig looks like spider legs all spread out in front of the boat. Crappie poles can vary in length or stiffness according to the angler’s preferences. Most poles are in the 16 to 20 foot length. The crappie hook rigs can include a single hook set up or double hooks. Doubling the hooks can mean as many as 16 hooks have to be set with minnows or jigs, or both.
Tending to as many as 16 baited hooks on 8 poles at any given time can be quite a chore. It can quickly turn into a lot of work and feverish monitoring if the fish bite is good. Even with two anglers working the rig the pace can get pretty fast, retrieving hooked fish, rebaiting, resetting the poles, and keeping watch on the whole system.
Spider rigging is favored by many simply because a lot of fish can be caught using the system. To say that this is sporting fun is in the eyes of the beholder. Many crappie fishermen simply prefer working one crappie pole over good fishing structure landing one slab at a time. That method is much more leisurely and for many, just more fun.
It takes quite an investment in gear and tackle to spider rig, so consider it carefully before you take the plunge. Measure for yourself which method is more recreational fun.
