Video Gallery

Joe Henry demonstrates how to create a crawler harness storage system with an everyday container and swimming noodles.

The key is to purchase a container that fits the boat compartment or other area you plan on keeping your harnesses.

Once a container is purchased, use a knife to cut the noodles in lengths to fit the container.

Then use a filet knife to make one inch grooves about one inch apart across the noodle. Harnesses can be safely and easily wrapped into these grooves.

The noodles are inexpensive, have a wide diameter for fast wrapping and float if they fall into the water.

Whether you purchase your harnesses or tie your own (check out the video on How to tie Crawler Harnesses), this is an efficient yet inexpensive way to create your crawler harness storage system.

Joe Henry shows how to properly tie a crawler harness, otherwise known as a snelled spinner. In this video, Joe ties a two hook harness typically used with a nightcrawler. It is just as easy to tie a one hook harness for minnows or leeches as well.

Joe prefers to use fluorocarbon line as it disappears in water. Because of these properties, he feels he can get away with heavier line and in the video, suggests 15 lb fluorocarbon.

The hooks are octopus style hooks. He normally uses size 2, 4 or 6 hooks for harnesses, with size 4 being the most popular.

As far as length of harness, longer harnesses typically do better in clear water conditions. As you can always trim down the length of a harness, he starts out by using 6 feet of line. The finished product ends up being around 5 feet long.

Crawler harnesses are extremely effective in catching walleyes but will basically catch most any fish in the body of water you are fishing. It is suggested to use a two ounce bottom bouncer and as a rule, drift or troll at about 1.25 mph and try to maintain a 45 degree angle with your line. This gives maximum control.

A very effective strategy while ice fishing is the one - two punch of jigging one line and deadsticking (a live minnow just off of the bottom) the other.



Using an aggressive lure, such as a Rapala Rippin Rap, or other flashy/noisy lure has advantages.



-It attracts fish to the area. Even if they are in more of a neutral mood and would prefer not chasing down a lure, but the easy meal of a live minnow on a hook (deadstick), it attracts them to your baits.


-It causes reaction strikes. Some fish, even if they aren't intending to eat, will strike at an aggressive lure out of instinct.


-It can be fished quickly with no bait. Whether you just caught a walleye and see another mark on your electronics, or you see a suspended fish on your electronics or you want to hole hop or ice troll looking for fish, this technique doesn't require bait and fishes fast.

Using the one - two punch of a jigging line and deadstick (a live minnow just off of the bottom) is a very effective strategy. In this video, Joe Henry will share a deadsticking technique to catch more walleyes and saugers while ice fishing.



There are nuances anglers can take with a deadstick that will put more fish on the ice. One nuance is to use a flexible tip rod vs a bobber to detect the very light biters. There are times a walleye bite can be so subtle, it would be hard to detect with a bobber. Noticing very small changes such as the tip of the rod bouncing from the minnow swimming to nothing or simply an ever so slight pull down on the rod tip can be tell tale signs of a nice walleye.


To find out more about fishing Lake of the Woods, check out our website at www.LakeoftheWoodsMN.com

As the saying goes, "you never know what you will catch on Lake of the Woods." This time on the water, this angler caught a walleye of a lifetime!

Joe Henry fishes Lake of the Woods in a Hobie Kayak.

https://lakeofthewoodsmn.com/2019-world-ploughing/

Joe Henry of Lake of the Woods Tourism takes you to Mergan's Point (Million Dollar Rock) at the Northwest Angle in Lake of the Woods, MN

Check out how we use crawler harnesses on Lake of the Woods

The Walleye Capital of the World