The presentaion I would like to visit in this section is "Three-way Rigging Stick Baits". This is a presentaion I have spent extensive time with and feel is a must know for anyone that spends much time on the river. Simply one of the most deadly ways to put numbers in the boat.
The method itself is effective in many situations but it really shines as the current flows increase and water temps are in the 38-55 degree range. It will work outside of these temps but typically would be out performed by other presentations. A general calendar time frame for this would be mid October through mid May on the upper part of the Mississippi River.
The tackle needed for this application is actually pretty simple. There are variations of this that will also work but I will steer you toward the tackle that works best for me. Starting with a decent graphite casting rod of at least 6'6", I use a 7 foot Med/Heavy. A casting reel with a flippin' switch is a must if you are to fish this technique like I do. Another must have in my opinion is some kind of hard line on this reel such as Fireline or Power Pro. I use 10/4 Berkley Fireline on all rods used for pulling sticks. Next in line is a good three-way swivel that actually will swivel if the need arises, if it doesn't this can lead to time consuming foul ups. This is tied directly to the Fireline coming from the rod. Off the second eye of the swivel is tied a 10 to 15 inch piece of 6 - 8 lb. mono. to which is attached a bell sinker of 1/2 to 5 ozs. depending on depth and current. The light mono is critical on the sinker leader, it is easily broken off when a snag occurs.
This allows only the 50 cent sinker to be lost rather than crankbaits and all. To the third eye of the swivel I attach a 36 to 40 inch piece of 12 lb. mono of some sort. I have been using Berkley Vanish as of late. The key is at least 12 lb. with good abrasion resistance. At the end of this first leader is a stick bait of some sort. Most often it is an Original Floating Rapala in size 7 or 9. Now this is where most people stop but I, about 90% of the time, will add a second Rapala. Tied on the back eye of the first Rap. is another piece of 12 lb. line. Not to the split ring but to the back eye. This lead needs to be 12 to 18 inches long and attached to the eye of another Rap., preferrably to a different color than the first.
Most people's first question is why the second bait. It is my experience that on many days, especially in colder water (38-45 deg.),the first bait catches alot of the fish. It may seem odd that this bait will catch fish at all after watching it's action along side the boat. It has virtually no action at all. The tension from the second bait pulling backward on the first takes almost all the wiggle out of the lead bait. There are many days that the actionless first bait will catch most if not all the fish. The bottom line is that it gives the fish a choice of 2 different actions at once.
One point I need to stress is the observation of the baits upon first putting them in the water. Knot placement on the baits is key in not having a bait that spins in circles and creates a mess. Drop your baits in the water and let them swim beside the boat at the same speed you will be moving upriver. If your baits run straight and do not spin you are ready to catch fish, but if your bait wants to spin when drawn upstream you need to examine your knot. If the knot is off to one side of the baits eye it needs to be pulled straight. This should take care of your problem.
The presentation can be applied in a few different situations. Wing dams with moderate to high flow, deep bars and stretches of river where current seems meet drop offs(my favorite). A good starting point is speed. Begin by moving upriver at a pace slower than a walk. If you think your going to slow, slow down some more. The majority of the fish I catch using this presentation are caught while the bait is hovering motionless in the current or even falling backwards. Frequent pauses with the boat or even sliding sideways while crawling very slowly upstream are deadly. This is why higher current situations make this so productive. Even with a boat just holding in the current, making no progress upstream your back bait will have good action. The biggest mistake people make in my eyes is going too fast. This is more of a finesse presention than it gets credit for, when fished light and slow as I believe it is most effective.
Sinker size is very, very important. I can remember many days where a 1/2 oz. change in sinker size was the difference in catching fish or not catching fish. When I lift my sinker off the bottom and drop it back, I want to have the feeling that I just barely have enough sinker to keep in touch with the bottom. I think this lets the bait swim with better action than a heavier sinker that gives you the feeling of a big thump when dropped back to the bottom. A line angle of 45 degrees is a starting point but in snag free areas you will see me with more angle(farther back)rather than less.
Experiment to see what works for you, but if you use these guidelines I am confident you will succeed. One of the biggest keys to this or anything new is try it when the fish are going. Don't make your first attempt at this when things are slow. Put the odds in your favor and I think you will find this not only effective but a truly fun way to catch fish.