what size weight generaly do you guys use when dragging live bait around? ive only 3 wayed with cranks and would like to start 3 waying with the slow death hooks because ive been getting the fish on hook n split shot with air in the worm. so i figured itd make the worm rise up higher of the bottom?thanks for any tips!
waleyhuntr51
2 Oz in heavy current or in water deeper than 15′.
1.5 Oz. in “average” current 10′ – 15′.
1 Oz in 10′ or under. If I get in real skinny water I’ll drop to 1/2 – 3/4 oz as conditions warrant. Typically I’m fishing a 1.5 Oz or 1 Oz weight 99% of the time.
What James said for weight 
I have also found pulling live baits with the current is more productive than up stream. Not sure why because up stream with cranks tends to be more productive.
what is the preferred ratio of the leader to the dropper? ive been using about 1 foot of leader to 2 inches of dropper….but i think that might be too short a leader?
thanks
j
A general rule of thumb is 1 ounce for every 10 fow when pulling bottom bouncers. Like I said that is a rule of thumb, if you want to slow your presentation you can lighten up on the weight. Keep in mind that you want to keep your line at about a 45 degree angle.
You mentioned the slow death hooks. I always change out the brass barrel swivel snap to a good ball bearing swivel snap and check to make sure that the crawler is rolling properly often during the day.
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what is the preferred ratio of the leader to the dropper? ive been using about 1 foot of leader to 2 inches of dropper….but i think that might be too short a leader?
thanks
j
18″ dropper and a 3-6 ft. leader depending on depth,snaggy cover, or just adapting to what the fish want. Do not be affraid to try different things sometimes besides the ‘ usual’ 
Did the very thing this spring you are talking about: pulling slow death rigs on 3-ways. Worked best when focused on a current seam and the presentation was very slow, (.5mph) due to the current enhancing the spinning of the crawler. We kept our rigs vertical as possible, once again due to the crawler spinning, by using 3 oz of weight(15FOW). Dropper to the sinker varied, but more on the shorter side of 4 inches and leader no longer than 4 feet. We used a barrel swivel when attaching the leader to the 3 way swivel, this prevented-minimized the line twist due to the spinning crawler.
Essentially, the technique absolutely murdered them on an otherwise very slow day.
Good luck.
Jeremy
what type of rods do people prefer for pulling 3ways?
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3 way question????
Misleading topic title… 
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what type of rods do people prefer for pulling 3ways?
I use a 6 foot bait caster with enough back bone to pull a 4 oz weight but still forgiveing enough on the tip to see the vibration from a crank bait. The rod doubles for both presentations cuz I don’t have all of the room in the world in my boats.
As for the dropper length it depends on where the active fish are but seldom do I use more than 3-4 feet 12″ is the normal length and the length of the harness is usually 36″ – 42″ and may be up to 6 feet long.
Like I said earlier never do I use a barrel swivel because it is open on the both ends and can fowel very easily that is why I use a ball bearing swivel. You see a ball bearing swivel is closed on the leading end and a piece of algie or a grain of sand in the swivel can ruin the presentation.
I have the same views as Big E if you mark them and cant get them to hit with the 18 then shorten up the dropper and it sometines turns them on. Alot of people dont change enough and give up on this way of fishing when they cant get the fish to hit but another biat right next to you is catching them left and right little things can go a long way. Couple years ago I was up at the dam in redwing and had my weight only 6 inches from three way and the bait was 7 foot back, cant figure out why it worked but it did some major damage that weekend. good luck! 
What style of weights do most people use when 3-way rigging? Bell style weights???
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What style of weights do most people use when 3-way rigging? Bell style weights???
Bell, pencil… it doesn’t matter, really. I use both and it comes down to availability of weight selection more than anything. Some guys claim they get less water resistance on a pencil sinker than a bell or that one snags less than the other. I haven’t noticed much of an advantage either way. An ounce of lead weighs the same no matter how you shape it… and tree branches and rocks like to eat them all…
I love pulling 3-ways. I use 7 ft St. Croix Premier rods in both med and med light actions mostly. If my boat is running 4 rods [2 guys] I will run both med action rods in the front [ahead of the back rods] and run the med light action rods in the back when fishing shallow water. Depending where I’m fishing will decide what weight sinkers I will use. I use both bell sinkers and pencil weights. Both 2 oz and 3 oz are used alot and if I’m fishing a shallow flat I love using 1 1/2 oz weights. It seams like the 1 1/2 oz bell sinkers work perfect giving the rod tips a very nice readable movement and create the right action with phelps floaters and live bait. For pulling 3 ways and cranks then I use heavier [ 2 and 3 plus] weight sinkers as I’m usually fishing deeper water with that setup. I like a 6-8 inch dropper with live bait and 18 inches with cranks. Its a great way to catch fish.
Thanks, Bill
Great info here guys! One question I have is “What are the general areas you target with this presentation?” I would love to add this presentation to my “confidence” stuff but I just never really give it enough time. I fish pool 4 3-4 times per year…and would really love to do something else than just pull cranks on breaks in the lake… which obviously catches a lot of fish. Thanks for any info in advance!
Brian
What type of line does everyone prefer for the leader and dropper line and what lb. test? Is mono leader used mostly. And would it make sense to use a braid for the dropper line to help with snags?
Thanks.
14 lb leader mono and 6 lb. dropper for mono just your basic Berkley XT for leader. I use a yellow line for my dropper incase the tangle up it makes untagleing easier
Thanks Eric.
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