The smiley slow death rig is a winning way to put a whirring blade and a spinning bait together for summertime trolling success when it comes to walleyes. Simonson Photo.
By Nick Simonson
Many walleye rigs add the complexity of a snell knot to the mix when hooks, line, beads and blades are all assembled. While that rolling of fishing line over the hook shank can become second nature with enough spinners and crawler harnesses assembled, there is one hot option that requires far less twisting to get an offering that still spins spectacularly in the water. By combining a specialized hook, an easy spinning specialty blade, and a few simple beads, one can craft up a dozen or so smiley slow death rigs in about as many minutes.
By now the slow death rig has become a go-to for many walleye anglers in the summer, simply because the rotating motion of the bent Aberdeen hook which forms its business end keeps a threaded nightcrawler cranking in an endless entrancing spiral for walleyes to key in on. Further, the rig can be trolled at the slowest of speeds behind a bottom bouncer, allowing the offering to hang in the area of a fish for longer, enticing even the most negative walleye to take a bite via the lure’s continuing curly course. With the addition of a thread-on smile blade – which also turns easier at slower speeds when compared to its stamped metal Colorado and Indiana contemporaries – and a few beads in a selection of confidence colors, the smiley slow death rig is a force to be reckoned with for summertime walleyes. Tying some up now well ahead of their prime usage period will ensure enough of these tackle options are on hand when the bite, and the weather, gets hot.
To start the rig, connect a slow death hook in size four or six to the preferred form of fishing line, utilizing monofilament or fluorocarbon up to ten-pound test to create a leader length of approximately 36 inches. This length can be adjusted to fishing preference, and going longer is safer as it can certainly be trimmed down based on the situation in the boat on a given day. A snell is not necessary, and a Palomar knot is perhaps the best option, as that connection yields the most strength retaining wraps of any knot which connects terminal tackle to line.
(Step 1) Once in place, add three beads ahead of the knot with the first being four millimeters in diameter, the second being slightly larger at five millimeters, and the third being four millimeters again. While not absolutely necessary, the bead colors should compliment the hue of the blade selected to cap off the lure.
(Step 2) Then thread the chosen smile blade onto the line via the hole in its center so that it rides with the concave portion covering the beads and the connection with the hook.
(Step 3) To finish the rig off, connect a small size six rolling barrel swivel to the far end of the leader with another Palomar knot to ensure that endless spinning action of both the blade and the bait on its specialized hook shank when it’s attached to a bottom bouncer for trolling.
(Step 4) This final step can be saved until in the boat, to minimize the number of swivels needed while the rigs are in storage.
While catching walleyes can be a complex task, the lures made to land them don’t have to be. With one of angling’s easiest knots and just four straightforward steps, even the most novice tackle crafter can make a simple and effective tackle option for the region’s most pursued species and fill a spinner roll with a summer’s worth of smiley slow death rigs in no time.
Simonson is the lead writer and editor of Dakota Edge Outdoors