# worm harness problems



## moondog5814 (Apr 8, 2007)

Started making up some worm harnesses, using Hetfield's guidelines in another worm harness posting. I have lost 3 harnesses now and they all are breaking in the same place....about 5 or 6 inches under the barrel swivel. I don't even seem to getting a hit on the rod. I just reel the harness in to change colors and all I have left is the swivel and about a 5 or 6 inch piece of line. I am using #4 Colorado blades, number 4 wire clevis, number 6 beads and 20#seaguar flourocarbon. I am wondering if it might just be a bad batch of clevises that are cutting the line, or if the whole harness is twisting somehow. Maybe I am not using the right swivels on my leader. I have a ball bearing swivel going to the Dipsey and a Duo-Lock Snap going to the harness. Got any ideas?


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## silver shad (Jun 18, 2006)

Are you using a folded clevis ? . We run the quick change ones .We also use 30# fireline with dipsys.


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## goolies (Jun 28, 2007)

How fast are you trolling? I believe Colorado blades are usually trolled under 2 MPH. Willow leaf blades are typically used at speeds greater than 2MPH. You should get better responses to your worm harness problem if you posted it in the Lake Erie forum.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

yep, the clevis is your problem. i had the same thing going on. i got the clevises off ebay, they are the solid wire ones with the holes punched in them. cut every harness i ran. got a knife and could feel a bur on the side where the punch came thru after it cut the holes. they are now in the landfill and i have went with the white plastic quick change and havent had any cut offs. the only problem is you lose blades with these type clevisis. kgone posted in the erie forum some twisted wire clevises from R&R tackle and i got 10 dz on the way. they look pretty good.


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

I use the stirrup type clevises. They wear the line a lot less than the folded ones, from my experience. I tried the quick change clevises, and kept losing blades.

If you run a harness often, check where the clevises spin on the line every once in a while. I've ran some for days in a row without any wear, and others are ready to be re-tied after only a few hours. Check them often.

I recently purchased some of the R&R quick change clevises and have been using them on my colorado harnesses and really like them, but I'm going to stick to the stirrups for my willow harnesses.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

steve, why are you staying with the folded on willows and not colorados? thanks


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## moondog5814 (Apr 8, 2007)

I figured that it was the clevises. Going to have to try some of the other varieties that you guys are talking about. Has anyone tried those new brass ones from Bass Pro Shops?


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## Hetfieldinn (May 17, 2004)

ezbite said:


> steve, why are you staying with the folded on willows and not colorados? thanks


I use the stirrups, not the folded clevises (I never liked the folded ones).

I've found in my short time using harnesses, both willows and colorados, that the fish seem more picky about the blade color when running the colorados as opposed to the willows. Maybe it's the slower speeds that they are run that gives them more time to check them out. I really don't know the answer, but that's what I'm thinking. When I run the willows, I can usually find a color pattern pretty quickly that they'll hit. When running the colorados, you usually need to switch the blade color often until you find the right one. Therefore, I like the quick change clevises on the colorado snells.

That and the fact that I already have a bazillion willows tied up, and I'm not re-tying them now.


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## ezbite (May 25, 2006)

Hetfieldinn said:


> I use the stirrups, not the folded clevises (I never liked the folded ones).
> 
> I've found in my short time using harnesses, both willows and colorados, that the fish seem more picky about the blade color when running the colorados as opposed to the willows. Maybe it's the slower speeds that they are run that gives them more time to check them out. I really don't know the answer, but that's what I'm thinking. When I run the willows, I can usually find a color pattern pretty quickly that they'll hit. When running the colorados, you usually need to switch the blade color often until you find the right one. Therefore, I like the quick change clevises on the colorado snells.
> 
> That and the fact that I already have a bazillion willows tied up, and I'm not re-tying them now.


thanks, ive go a few tied up to and im slowly cutting and replacing the clevises with the quick change plastic ones.


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