They will eat a bare harness if they are really active. I ran out of worms once and tried it. You won’t get the same results though.

 

 

The harness tracks through the water in a more or less straight line, some up and down movement with wave action. Spoons are constantly in motion with an erratic action that acts as a trigger. With the crawler, in addition to the scent, you will notice there generally is a little waving action in the tail. One trick is to put a spoon (without hooks) inline ahead of the harness to give the harness some action. Much like a dodger or flasher ahead of salmon baits.

On numerous occasions over the years, I have experienced really hard hits on harnesses behind a dipsy only to bring up a tripped dispy and an unscathed crawler on the harness. Suspect it is steelies hitting the blades on the harness.

Another observation is on baits behind the downrgger ball. I have the downriggers on my boat set forward on the gunwales so I can see the ball and the baits on my electronics. I see a thick line for the ball and a thinner line just below which is the bait. If by chance a smaller fish strikes the bait and I do not see it, and the line does not release, the return echo on the lower line becomes thicker from the fish being there. So, whenever I bring an empty rigger line in, I always release it, let out some line and then sweep the rod tip forward. A lot of times this will induce a strike. I suspect the fish is simply following the bait and that erratic action triggers the fish. Friends of mine used to try and tell me the fish was always there and the line never released, but I know that is not the case as I can see the bait with my electronics. With the use of underwater cameras now, you can view videos shot showing fish following a bait for 5 minutes or more before striking.

Just my thoughts, nothing scientific.

 

I don't want to hijack the thread, but i would like to add cranks to this spoons vs harnesses discussion.

I know the charters run 40 or 50 trutrips and scorpions. They run them short and stack 5 or 6 lines on each side. It is a great fish harvesting system. Probably the best way to get to a quick limit. Been then done that!

But they are fishing for little fish. I know they pull a few big ones but this program intentionally or accidently is perfect for smaller fish.

I've seen it often enough to firmly believe that if you want to catch larger fish you should be pulling cranks. Sure cranks require tuning, and my preferred Reefs are the trickiest to tune, but I've seen it time and again that the cranks produce larger fish. Often a pound per fish heavier.

If you're a harness guy, I'm well aware that there is a 3 or 4 week period when the harnesses rule, and it's coming up fairly soon now, but with all this smaller fish I hope you have a bulging worm budget, cause you will need it.

I'm not trying to say you've got to pull cranks. A lot of the fun of Lake Erie walleye fishing comes from the fact that they can be caught so many different ways. But if you'd like to a bit better grade of fish in your box, your best bet is to try cranks.

Not trolling for a fight, saving my trolling time for cranks, but ready to deal with whatever comes.

Good luck and good fishing.

 

I don't want to hijack the thread.

Yet you hijacked it anyway.

 

Thank you for all of the replies. Very interesting!!!!

 

Pretty much alll the 30 inch plus walleye ive caught were on creek chubs. I agree worms produce small fish, but good eaters.

 

There is no merit to one is better then the other just opinions. You can keep all the large fish you want, I toss them back, caught many, many.. I want the eaters. Spoons for small fish...sheesh..

 

Jim,We run harnesses fairly often and have been very productive for us.Was not aware about a 3-4wk duration when harnesses are more productive.Can you elaborate on that statement and why that is true and when does it usually occur.

 

Jim,We run harnesses fairly often and have been very productive for us.Was not aware about a 3-4wk duration when harnesses are more productive.Can you elaborate on that statement and why that is true and when does it usually occur.[/QUOTE

It usually happens mid June to mid July but this year is such a strange and nontypical year that the timing may be off. The cold April's effects were still felt well into May, and the fish may not be caught up yet.

 

I have been running harness with plastic worms for years .works as good or better than live worms.and you don't have to rebait all the time.and a lot cheaper

 

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned worm-burners....which are spoons designed with 2 trailer hooks for running a worm behind the spoon.

As others have said, sometimes they have their place in our varied fishing arsenal.

 

Year in and year out some of the largest fish I see brought to the net come from spoons behind Slide Divers and/or Dipsey divers as well as downriggers. We threw back hundreds upon hundreds of shorts last year that were caught on Bandits, DDJH's, and Flicker Minnows.

I agree with the poster above in regard to why a naked harness doesn't work. It's all about that action...

 

Maybe try the Gulp crawlers. Most are very realistic looking, give off scent, and best of all, NO mess or replacing after every fish. I like the 4" sizes the best. They cover two hooks and will "rotate"(death roll) tantalizingly if you leave a small loop in the worm between hooks. Beats the heck out of trolling "bare" harnesses since it gives fish a "target". Also liking the sykle hooks on harnesses. The 45 drgree bend seems to hook n hold trolled walleyes better. ps-Keep rod tips up when cranking in harness(single hooked) fish, any slack=unbuttoned! JMO(s)

 

That fish has never seen or ate a worm in it's life, it's all about scent and sight.. they eat spoons because they look like what they eat every day.. fish. I also believe (without merit) a scented worm or any kind of scented body should work on a harness. I remember finishing up with salami, ham, and bologna out of the lunches and spanking them.. so what about the fancy baits now??