How to Find the Best Snell Length For Your Spinner Harnesses

When using bottom bouncers and spinners, the biggest mistake people make is using too long of a snell or not going fast enough.

A lot of times, your standard spinner harness will come with a 6′ snell. However, if you start getting slime on the bottom of your hooks, there are typically two things happening:

1. Your snell is too long
2. You’re not going fast enough

Trolling speed will generally dictate snell length. In some fisheries with clearer water, it seems like longer snells catch more fish. However if you get too long of a snell the spinner doesn’t lift off the bottom enough to attract fish. Instead, try to shorten the snell up to 3-4 feet, especially around structure. In weeds, don’t be afraid to go even shorter yet.

If you’re going to use a longer snell, bump your speed up to more than 2 mph, even 2.5 mph. If you’re going to be trolling 1.2 – 1.6 mph, especially in deep water below the boat, shorten up that snell to get your spinner blade up off the bottom and in front of those fish.