Tuning Cut Bait rigs

[Line Dancin]

My Dad went to a seminar last month and the speaker was a lake O captain speaking on cut bait rigs. He was explaining that they are running cut bait up to 3.5 mph that you have to tune your bait head for the correct roll at that speed. I haven't used cut bait all that much and was considering using it a little more this coming season. Does anyone know how to adjust the bait heads? and if so how do you tune them for faster speeds?

[Hockey390]

Someone else might chime in with more detail, but I drop the rig in the water next to the boat at trolling speed and watch it. I prefer a roll, similar to a spin doctor spin vs a fast spinning action. You just bend what I would call the tail end of the bait head. More bend, more spin, less bend, less spin.

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[Salmon_slammin]

I believe big weenie has instructions and tips at various speeds for tuning on their website. I'm no expert... All I know is meat catches fish!

[jmohunts]

Someone else might chime in with more detail, but I drop the rig in the water next to the boat at trolling speed and watch it. I prefer a roll, similar to a spin doctor spin vs a fast spinning action. You just bend what I would call the tail end of the bait head. More bend, more spin, less bend, less spin.

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Exactly what Hockey said, speed of roll is all preference, watch it along side the boat , when you are happy, drop it back.. Good luck

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[Lobi]

1 hour ago, jmohunts said:

Exactly what Hockey said, speed of roll is all preference, watch it along side the boat , when you are happy, drop it back.. Good luck

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My knee-jerk reaction to this "preference" was to think, ya, the fishes preference. If we don't fool them we don't grin and eat. I thought I remembered something like 1-2 revolutions per second. Remember we are trying to mimic a wounded/disoriented bait-fish that a salmon has just went slashing through and will come back for the easy pickings. The Pacific north west guys have been using cut bait for a very long time. Lake Ontario, here in our Great Lakes chain was using it way before us on Lake Michigan. Both of those areas have things we can learn from. I tried googling for cut bait spin speed and found lots of great information and quickly burned up 45 minutes that I don't have right now. Here is a little piece I liked from Captain Dennis Hull of Bite Me Guide Service..  

" My saying on this is that their is no perfect roll since no two baitfish die in the same way. Many fisherman believe that perfect roll - often referred to as "that slow roll salmon love" is of utmost importance to the point of being obsessed with it. I believe if its fresh, spinning and shinny its good to go and you will always catch more fish with your bait in the water than in the boat with you while you screw around with it looking for that perfect roll. " 

I started using herring on Lake Michigan before most because of my reading on the Lake Ontario forums. I often found our biggest kings came on meat and that dipsey/meat rigs seemed hot. When tuning your meat rig at boat side don't forget about the currents down deep. Bend that head so that you have a roll that you like but pull it into a current and it's spinning like mad. Conversely, troll with a deep current and your meat is dragging along lifeless. 

I'm not sure either if there is a perfect spin speed. I am sure however that a dying fluttering spinning hunk of herring will catch more fish than one that is imitating some type of turbo helicopter.