Wanted to start getting ready for May!! Now that we have a boat, I need to really learn how to fish the lake. How long are most of you using on your snells for rigging? 8 ft., 10ft.,etc?
I have used everything from 3 ft, to 12 ft. Not much help huh. I adjust all the time until I find that magic length. Typically I go around the 6-7 ft range. Boat speed will influence that also if I am in drift. Nothing beats pulling rigs in my book. Love the taps and whacks.
For drift fishing in the sands of Malmo Bay and Agate Bay we have used longer snells for the past few seasons. I perfer a snell / lindy type rig where the snell is 4-6 feet long. Personal fav is about 5 feet for best production.
I have had best results with 4-5 ft snells - but sometimes a spinner snell is the better or hot rig and other days it is a floater snell. As Doug stated the drift speed is critical. You need to move and present the bait well but not so fast that they seem to ignore it.
Drift fishing is my favorite as long as we have a moderate walleye chop. You get great feel on moderen gasrphite and HMG rods. Go for it.
So the drift sock, walleye chop and snell length of $+ feet are all part fo the equation in the sandy bays for early bite.
The snell length is key as other posts on here have mentioned. Especially during opener when all those fish see are sinkers buzzing past them on the sand/transition areas. I have been most successful with longer snells, in the 8-9 feet range. As Doug said, I am consantly changing lengths based on the speed of the drift/backtroll.
One other piece of advice-keep it simple on the business end of the snell. Depending on the bite, pressure, and weather, I use a #6 or even a #8 hook on #6 or #8 Florocarbon line with one or two beads as an attractant. I have used all colors of the rainbow, and it seems some days it makes a difference and on others it doesn't matter what the color is.
Good to hear you have a REAL fishing boat now. As everyone has said, leader lengths vary with conditions but I would say 7-9 feet is a good starting place.
__________________
Humana Insurance Representative-Brainerd and Mille Lacs Area
I always use a small enough snell (and slip sinker) to keep the bait on the bottom, yet not in the sand, mud or gravel. The longer your snell is, (depending on the speed of your drift or trolling) the less the chances that the eagle-eyed walleye is going to be spooked by your weight. But you don't want it 6-7 feet off the bottom, either.
It depends on the conditions and the bite. My rule of thumb is that the warier the bite (or the clearer the water) the longer the snell.
I ALWAYS use at least 10'+ snells w/green Trilene XL 6# line whether in the sand or mud. If you fish the rocks you'll wanna shorten up but I've rarely ever have a need to go to the rocks.
The other huge key for me is speed. You run that length to give the leech/crawler a more natural presentation IF you are moving slow enough....almost without exception when I'm rigging, I'm the slowest moving boat in the crowd if there is a crowd. Always use a 1oz walking sinker and never drag it unless I'm long lining in the sand (then with much less weight).
As everyone has said, leader lengths vary with conditions but I would say 7-9 feet is a good starting place. 
