There are combined feelings of love and hate in slow death fishing. I love the results I get from slow death fishing as everybody does. But I hate the crawlers because they create a mess and I don’t like them at all.
I know most of you are afraid of night crawlers like worms just like me but when it comes to your favorite profession and passion you have to compromise on various things. Nightcrawlers are one of them.
Most of the trollers used to fish with Lindy rigs in the past but after the arrival of the slow death fishing idea, they are shifting their fishing strategies.
Well, both the simple and advanced forms the slow death fishing do their work depending on your dedication. You can go with either to get the results.
The simple slow death rigging features a bottom bouncer and a pre-made slow death rig.
If you go with the advanced presentation then you have a variety of options. You can play with snap weights, slow death rigs, and various speeds to get the perfect combination.
Regardless of the slow death fishing presentation, you will return home with your favorite walleyes. Slow death fishing is one of the most practiced presentations for walleye trolling.
This method of fishing is getting popular day by day as you see plenty of content about this topic on the internet.
Contents
Slow Death Rigs
Making a slow death is not a difficult task if you have a crawler in your hand. You know how to tie your crawler if you had been doing this in the past.
Proper rigging of the crawler is the key here and you get to know if you haven’t done it properly. If you rig your crawler in the right way it will spin otherwise not.
If you are new to slow death rigging then here is a basic guide you can consider.
- I often suggest you use ⅔ to ¾ of a crawler.
- Now all you need is to insert the hook into the crawler. The hook must go into the anus properly and then thread down the middle.
- Here you will not come out below the collar of the night crawler. Every crawler has a different size you just remember the basic measurements.
The success of the slow death rig obviously depends on the size of your crawler. You can find both the chickens and giants.
You will get better luck with bigger crawlers typically.
Slow Death Hooks
If you research a little bit you will discover that the Mustad Brand started manufacturing slow death hooks in the start. After them, almost every brand started manufacturing these hooks.
Without being a fan of brands I prefer the wider gap style hooks. I prefer the wider gap style hooks because they tend to catch more walleyes in the long run.
However, if you ask me about my favorite slow death hook brand then I would say it’s the Matzuo Rip n’ Roll brand.
Here are two reasons why I like Matzuo Rip n’ Roll.
- When it’s about slow death hook presentation you are concerned about the wider roll to catch more walleyes. The Matzuo Rip n’ Roll gives exactly what you are looking for.
- Many of us don’t go slow death fishing due to line twists. When you have Matzuo Rip n’ Roll then don’t worry about the most annoying line twists. Its attached swivel lets you do this conveniently.
One more thing, the hooks are sharp enough out of the box that seems really cool.
Let’s be honest and share a downside reviewed by some guys. They claimed that their swivel got to break on the hook. But here is would like to mention one thing, it happened during snagging not fishing.
Some Rigging Tips
Swivel Is A Must
The main issue with the slow death rigs is their lines getting twisted. When your hook doesn’t have a swivel then your line is going to twist and you will be left with a short leader line. Everything will be messed up and you are left empty-handed.
That’s why your hook must have a swivel just like the Matzuo Rip n’ Roll.
In case your hook doesn’t have a swivel then you will have to attach a swivel on both ends manually.
If you are not using the Matzuo Rip n’ Roll then you will need to attach the swivel on both ends manually.
You may feel it is an additional step and time taking but getting a lot of walleyes will be worth your time.
Trolling Speed
When we are talking about slow death fishing it refers to really slow speed. I always suggest you go between 1 mph to 1.5 mph. you can decrease it up to 0.6 mph and increase it gradually. But when you are slow death fishing, get slower.
The slow-death fishing depends on the way it is fished. If you are fishing in the cold weather then get slow its simple.
During summers when the temperature of water rises you can adjust the speed accordingly.
The slow death rigging is preferred over fishing blade rigs because for blade fishing rigs you have to attain a specific speed to spin the blades.
When you troll at high speeds to spin the larger blades and the basic purpose of slow death fishing is killed here.
Weights To Use
For slow death fishing, I would recommend using bottom bouncers. It’s because of the simplicity and ease of use.
Moreover, when you use bottom bouncers your fishing line doesn’t twist because most of the bottom bouncers have a built-in swivel.
When you tie the bottom bouncer remember to keep your fish one foot away from the bottom.
When it’s about slow death fishing bottom bouncers just rock.
Rig Lengths
You can choose the leader length from 2 feet to 6 feet. I would suggest you choose the filament fishing line over fluorocarbon. I prefer a filament fishing line because it doesn’t sink and keeps floating. On the other hand fluorocarbon sinks.
The clarity of water decides the length of your leader. If it is clear then keep the hook away from the bottom bouncer. For this purpose, you are required to use a shorter leader.
This is because the leaders can snag on the bottom if you leave them longer. Due to this, your hook will come out dragging a lot of debris leaving you annoyed.
So if you want to avoid such situations then you must fish slow death with mono. Also, I would suggest keeping the leader 2-3 feet long.
Use Worm Blower
If you want to float your bait and don’t want your hook to touch the bottom then you should blow your crawler a little bit. For this, you can use a crawler blower to inflate the crawler.
Give Flashy Appearance To The Crawler
When the water is muddy you can give your crawler a flashy appearance. For that purpose, I suggest you use smile blades or butterfly blades available on the market.
These types of blades can easily turn at slow speeds that’s why you are allowed to fish slowly to match the requirements of slow-death fishing.
To make the slow death rigs with butterfly or smile blades you just need a couple of beads and a hook at the bottom.
Slow Death Rigs With Spoons
Guys these days are getting crazy about the advanced slow death combination including slow death hooks, long spoons, and blades. This combination works best in the water.
Final Thoughts
So finally you have my all-time favorite slow death fishing tips. Normally you can fish the crawlers in the mid to late summers when they are easily available.
If you are planning to fish with slow death rigs more than often then you must have a huge stock of crawlers. Again it’s a mess to find, catch and keep them. But when you get the results you get happy and you are no more annoyed.