Keeping your sucker in the hole?

[GK22]

I typically am strictly a decoy guy when I spear, but have been experimenting with suckers on a harness. I've had some fish come in to the sucker and he swims right out of the hole, and obviously the fish follows it. Missed a nice fish the other day because of this. So I put a couple weights above the harness and this slowed the sucker down but he was still able to swim out of the hole. What do you guys do to solve this? Do I just add more weight? Any advice is appreciated....

[MJ1657]

I use the pin style harnesses. They make them with different sized weights. I use the heavier pins on larger suckers. It seems like after awhile most suckers lose a little of their zip and will stay center a little more. I will add that my hole is 4 feet wide which helps with that problem.

You can clip a corner off of the rear fin to slow them down a little bit. I do this with tip ups and it works well to stop false flags.

It's interesting to me how certain suckers act so different. I had a sucker that lasted me almost two weeks and was perfect. It always was moving but in small circles or flipping upside down. The sucker I have now always seems to want to swim east. The fun part about the sucker I have now is it will often react to fish coming in which alot of them don't.

[glenn57]

i guess my first question would be, how big of a sucker minnow did you use?i typically dont use them bigger then 10". i like to stick with them about 8". the harnessesi buy have 2 weights on them and one on top the other on the bottom of said minnow.

[GK22]

I was using a pretty big sucker - 12 inches or even a little bigger. A buddy of mine seins all winter and gets me all the suckers I want. I'm sure using a smaller sucker would take care of my problem, but I did have some nice fish coming in to the bigger sucker.

[MJ1657]

I like the suckers in the 10 to 12 inch range. I wish was buddies with your buddy!

[GK22]

You can clip a corner off of the rear fin to slow them down a little bit. I do this with tip ups and it works well to stop false flags.quote]

This is a good idea and I never thought of that. Will have to give this a try. Thanks for the advice.

[MJ1657]

Let me know how it works. It gives the sucker a wounded look which i've had success with tip up fishing. I am curious if it will cause pike to come into the spear hole real agressive.

[GK22]

Will do. The fish have been very aggressive lateley. My sucker has been grabbed a couple times. Even battled one for a while the other day. I hang my decoy/sucker from a rattle reel. 5 lber came in and grabbed the sucker and took off. He wouldn't let go and I was able to "reel" him back into the whole and jabbed him. Saved my sucker too!

[MJ1657]

Thats exciting when that happens.

[Laska]

I make live harnesses for my suckers and quite a few people on here now know how big I go. I add quite a bit of weight to some of my I can take a pic if you want me to. Sometimes I use the live harness and the sucker still swims too much so I flip the sucker sideways and that works real well and it looks like its dying but its in perfect health

[glenn57]

and we all know how many fish you get........ if it wouldnt be for your wife.........you'd be at mcdonalds eatin there fish burger!!!!!!!!!!! sorry john... could not resist that one!!!!!!!!

[GK22]

I'd like to see a pic of your set up. Not sure what you mean by flipping the sucker sideways. Sounds interesting. Post a pic for me next time you get a chance.

[Laska]

ill take a pic of the harnesses I make and the set up with the sucker sideways, tomorrow I should get out n do some spearing so maybe monday I can get some pics up

[BehindtheHead]

i run pins too. if i have a big sucker like i do now. i will run a line from the fish house to the sucker and then to the bottom with some kind of weight on the bottom. i have a adjustable line made up with some heavy weights on it. it works really good.theres no way a sucker will drag a 3/4 wrench out of the hole!!!

[BigRoy]

Pull him out of the hole-give him a thump on the head and put him back down-repeat until he slows down

[Laska]

Ive tried the "thump" technique it works quite well too!!

[Gordie]

Glenn..you forgot about the deit pepsi and smoke

I run the pin styl on my suckers and have only had the swim out problem once or twice thats because I didnt pin the sucker close enough to the spine .

[merkman]

You all are using too big of suckers!!!

I never have this problem with the size of suckers I use.

Remember it is not the size of your sucker.......

[hawkeye43]

I clip the bottom of the tail off, that way they always swim down.

[merkman]

I clip the bottom of the tail off, that way they always swim down.

I have heard of people cliping several straight lines in the tailfin.

Not trimming it off in any way just cliping straight lines so they can't swim as strong.

[Laska]

PETA!!! hahahahaha I had to!

[Gordie]

You all are using too big of suckers!!!

I never have this problem with the size of suckers I use.

Remember it is not the size of your sucker.......

and it wasnt the can of potatoes it was the operator

[merkman]

and it wasnt the can of potatoes it was the operator

Imagine that.... me not able to open a can of potatoes, I bet if it was a can of worms, I woulda popped that thing right open.

[glenn57]

Glenn..you forgot about the deit pepsi and smoke

I run the pin styl on my suckers and have only had the swim out problem once or twice thats because I didnt pin the sucker close enough to the spine .

shoot yea..............almost forgot about them things!!!!!!1

[BOUNCED]

You all are using too big of suckers!!!

I never have this problem with the size of suckers I use.

Remember it is not the size of your sucker.......

Yup if I use one (when it's sloooow) it's a light pike sucker and why pin it when you can use a hook?

That way when they take off with it all you need to do is set the hook.

[Archerysniper]

ill take a pic of the harnesses I make and the set up with the sucker sideways, tomorrow I should get out n do some spearing so maybe monday I can get some pics up

We all know you really don't spear your wife get's all the fish and you get your picture taken with them. It was nice meeting you the last couple days and my daughter liked you guys so you cant be that bad . Thank you again for the harnesses and I will get some pic's up when I get some more snakes if I am not to busy yelling at them to stay away from my sucker or yelling at them to drop it and jigging my decoy into their head trying to defend my sucker.

[Laska]

you entertained heidi n I with your yells, it was alot of fun meeting you you and trying to get you to use live harnesses Or the pin style I made may work ok but live is the way to go! Your daughter was very cute and a enjoyable experience to see, especially when she was picking out the tip up holes!

Yet again my harness kept my sucker deak in the hole and had no issues but I guess thats what happens when you use my stuff hahaha

[efgh]

I tie a 1 lb. weight on the end of a line that is on a reel, about 3 or 4 ft. Up from the weight is a 3 way sw. Tie on about 2 feet of line to the sw, the other end of the line tie the sucker harness. Keep the line from the reel to the weight tight, the sucker can now swim up two ft or down two ft and in a two foot circle. You can leave a little slack in the line for more circle movement. You can drop the weight, sucker attached off too one side of the hole if you want to run a decoy too.