Carolina rigged Rapalas and inline spinners

[dsiekman]

I grew up fishing farm ponds for bluegill and the like and just started learning about what I call "technique" fishing a few years ago. My apologies for stupid questions. I think the last question (wacky in the salt) got some people thinking, so here's the next one:

Does anyone run inline spinners or Rapalas Carolina style to get them down deep? I feel like I missed a lot of fish last year in part because I wasn't getting my lures deep enough. I was certainly marking fish but nothing was biting. My theory is that when the fish are hanging at the bottom and not overly active, they may be more inclined to take a smaller bait. I've had great luck when the water is right with very small lures, but that means the fish are near the top of the water column. Rather than upsize the lure, I'd like to just get the smaller lure down to them...kind of like our friends up North do with downriggers.

My absolute favorite "catch anything" lure is a 1/4 oz Worden's Vibric Sonic inline spinner in either red or white. I would love to get that thing down to 15-20', but it doesn't want to run there. My thought is that a 1/2 oz of lead about two feet ahead of the lure would get it down there and keep it there.

Same goes for my favorite XRap. I think it is an 8 or 10. Maybe 3" long or so.

Any thoughts?

[Memory Maker]

I use to do it with Rapalas .......... although I would use a bass sinker ahead of a small swivel about 3 feet from the rapala. THat way I could get it down to the bottom and get more action by letting out some line so it would float up and give it a sharp jerk to make it move rapidly toward the sinker .......... got alot of fish that way ..........

[dsiekman]

I use to do it with Rapalas .......... although I would use a bass sinker ahead of a small swivel about 3 feet from the rapala. THat way I could get it down to the bottom and get more action by letting out some line so it would float up and give it a sharp jerk to make it move rapidly toward the sinker .......... got alot of fish that way ..........

Okay, thanks! By bass sinker do you mean bullet sinker?

[reel-em-in]

I've used inline trolling sinkers before. The is an example (first link I found) http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fishing...rs/750455.aspx

[dsiekman]

I've used inline trolling sinkers before. The is an example (first link I found) http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/fishing...rs/750455.aspx

Interesting. Was it successful?

[DanMarino]

Look up some of my posts on this website about trolling bottom bouncers with jointed rapala minnows at Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge reservoirs. Has worked for largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, yellow perch, and walleye. I've also caught a bunch of other fish trolling suspending jerk baits or deep diving crank baits.

[dsiekman]

Look up some of my posts on this website about trolling bottom bouncers with jointed rapala minnows at Triadelphia and Rocky Gorge reservoirs. Has worked for largemouth bass, white perch, crappie, yellow perch, and walleye. I've also caught a bunch of other fish trolling suspending jerk baits or deep diving crank baits.

Hmm...I have a couple Lindy bottom bouncing rigs floating around my basement somewhere. Maybe I'll take those to Florida with me.

[Memory Maker]

Okay, thanks! By bass sinker do you mean bullet sinker?

no ........ they are the bank sinkers with the gold color wire eye .......... like you would use for ait fishing ........ heavier dropshot sinkers would work too .......... anything that wouls slide on the line and stop at the swivel. The bullet sinkers would work I guess but I want the least restance to allow the rapala to rise when I let some line out when the sinker is on the bottom.

[J.A. Veil]

What about running them off of a Dipsy Diver or some other compact planer device?

[dsiekman]

Why not? How about you test that on your next trip and let me know?

[jhoss]

I was also thinking those walleye bottom bouncing rigs would work

[dsiekman]

^^^that is what I have floating around my tackle collection but I have never tried them.