Rattle reel technique??

[Icerookie]

I've noticed some posts where people are giving they're reports and many say that they had bites on their rattle reels but missed em! I too have had bad experience with them. Just wondering what the heck i'm doing wrong. Tried waiting then feeling for them...tried setting the hook right away...missed 5 bites last week while staying at the red door...any suggestions would be appreciated!

[Harmonica Bear]

Make sure your hooks are razor sharp. That can make a difference. As far as when to set the hook, I'm sure everyone has there own ideas and methods on that. If they are biting light, you're going to miss some fish. That's just part of the game. Good Luck up on the Big Pond.

[ackotz]

Here's a couple caught on a rattle reels minutes apart at Mille Lacs (SW side/Anderson's Reef area)...

[Ole1855]

In my house I have the rattle reels mounted 2 ft. off the floor, I put 2 brass screw in hooks in the ceiling, not the eye kind but the 1/2 eye kind, I take the line from the reel and loop it over one of the hooks and make a big U then I loop the line over the other hook and then put the line down the hole. By doing this there is no drag for the fish to feel as it takes the bait. Once the fish has the bobber down, I let it take out 5-10 ft. of line, the fish will usually stop for a second and the it will take off again, this is when I wait until I feel the fish take up the slack and then I set the hook, it works very well for me.

Ole

[Finlander]

Use the smallest bobber possible!
The walleyes can feel the resistance of the bobber and let the bait go. Most people use too large of a bobber and that is a mistake!
Or use a slip line method where no bobber is used where you take a small piece of tape to hold the minnow off the bottom. Attatch the tape to the spool of the rattle reel on the inside edge just enough to hold the line up off the bottom. And not to tough as to not let the line free after the walleye takes your minnow. And use as small weight as possible also.
Good Luck!!

[Capt'nJosh]

Ole, I don't understand how you are riggin those rattle reals. Sounds like you are making a big loop of line so there isn't any friction, but that kind of defeats the rattle in the real. Am I not understanding you correctly?

Capt'n

[Ole1855]

Capt'n Josh
I run the rattle reels like that anytime I'm awake, when I go to bed so they work the way they are intended to be used. It's just during the day and evening when I'm sitting around and I can watch them.

Ole