"If I simply want to catch fish in summer, I'm pulling my little spinner rigs," says veteran guide Tony Roach. Growing up with a family of mega-talented anglers, Roach learned early that if he wanted to catch more than sloppy seconds, he'd have to get sneaky with his own set of tricks. Chief among them was a small spinner rig tipped with live bait. More often than not, Roach's approach delivers the goods-a fact to which I can readily attest.
"In summer, I like to tie my own multi-species rigs," Roach states. "Start with a three to six-foot leader of 6-pound test mono. Snell on a single #6 Super-Glo Attractor Hook. Slide on three or four 4mm beads, a clevis and a #2 Baitfish-Image Colorado blade. In dirty water, I like Northland's Golden Shiner pattern. For clear lakes, the Yellow Perch pattern is a winner."
In weeds, Roach runs a bullet sinker. Over clean bottom he prefers a Northland Slip-Bouncer, which lets him troll faster without losing the ability to feed line to biting fish. He tips the rig with a medium leech and simply starts cruising along the structure using his bow-mount electric motor. When the leech needs replacing, a Frabill Leech Tote is always at hand, and quickly coughs up a volunteer.
Roach's multi-species spinners account for a dazzling array of catches. The #2 blade weeds out little panfish, and selects for the biggest bluegills in the lake. If the spot holds crappies, walleyes, perch, or bass, the rig takes them as well. "It's what I call my vacuum rig," Roach quips. "If you pull this thing through fish, it's going to get bit."
Indeed, in want of a summertime fish fry, or just plain action at the end of your line, it would be hard to imagine a more potent lineup than the triple threat of tricks above. Some baits overlooked, others destined for greatness-regardless, I won't be betting against those old guide secrets anytime soon.
