Spinnerbait 101

[Guest]

I've caught some fish on spinnerbaits, but I dont really know what I'm doing. Can anyone give me a lesson on what size, color, presentations to use? Any help is appreciated!

-just_fishin

[EBass]

I guess it depends on the cover you're trying to fish.

I'm no pro by anymeans, but here's my .02 (and I love the spinner bait)

You're going to want to have a few different sizes, colors, and blades.

If you want to fish on submerged weedflats, you want to "tick" the tops of the weeds. A lighter spinner bait and colorado blade is a good choice.

If you want to fish fast use a little heavier spinner bait 1/2 or something and have the willow blades on it. Willow blades have less drag so you can "burn" them just under the surface.

You also want the spinner bait to run "true". If the spinner bait is rolling or running side ways see if you can bend the wire a bit to make it run true.

Another trick I like to do on lighter spinner baits is clap on a "mississippi" weight. The one with the rubber core. Take out the core and jimmy the weight on the hook and clamp her down.

Doing this you can use smaller baits with bigger blades and fish them deeper without worrying about it rolling. (I do this to my cheaper spinner bait)

1/2 to 3/8 are pretty good all around. It just depends on what you're trying to accomplish.

Also, ever heard of slow rolling a spinner bait? I like to use a 1/2 with colorado blades and let it sink and slowly reel in feeling the blade go thump, thump, thump.

1 blade or 2? If it's really weedy I like one blade otherwise I'll roll with two blades.

As for color, mix it up. White is a must for largemouth, pumpkinseed, black and blue, I caught a nice musky on a red spinner bait. A cheapo one at that.

Trailer hooks - some people like them some don't. If you're fishing logs and heavy cover I don't like them, otherwise open water and weed I put one on.

Retrieves, This one you gotta mix up to. Lift pause, stop and go, twitching, burning it, slow roll, or any combos above.

I hope this helps, and I'm sure there's always the exception out there. You never know what they want unless you mix it up.

Oh, I tie directly to the lure.

Good luck and welcome to the best fishing site this side of the mississippi. Ok the other side to

Later,
EBass

[Guest]

Thanks for the info Ebass! I've got a couple more questions if you don't mind.

Do you work the edges of the weedlines, or cast into the weeds and work it out?

Should I be using mono or one of those superlines?

Should I start the retreive as soon as the hook hits the water, let it sink for a second, or let it come to a rest on the bottom before I start reeling?

-j/f

[Guest]

I am also not a pro, but have hd alot of luck with spinnerbaits. Where to start? At night, try one that is black or as dark as possible. Also try to get one with a black blade. Bulge the surface(reeling fast just bellow the surface so that it just barely breaks the surface)try this along river banks especially ones with rocks or structure of some kind. This works especially well for smallmouths.

During the day, find a thick patch of weeds just under the surface and do the same thing.

As for color, I am also in the dark as to what is prefered for certain conditions. I suppose the correct color is whatever catches fish. I would recommend experimenting... alot.

One thing to try if you are getting short hits or not hooking up is to shorten the wire a little bit so that the wire arm isn't as in the way of the hook. In my experience, trailers sometimes work and sometimes don't. Try just a hook without a grub or anything, that way if they hit short, they are hitting the hook itself and not the tail of the grub.

That about exhausts my knowledge on spinnerbaits. I love to use them when they work. However, they suck to throw in the wind. Experimentation is the name of the game in my opinion.

Good Luck

[Guest]

Tenneseean, You mentioned not putting a grub on sometimes, should I normally be tipping the hook with a powergrub of some sort?

Thanks
-j/f

[EBass]

Nope, I don't mind.

Good question - about the weededge vs casting into the weeds. Try both. Sometimes they are on the edge, sometimes in the pockets of the weedflat and othertimes just off the weedline.

I like the superlines. I have fireline on it, but I will be using Power Pro (Galyans has good price on line otherwise I like Gander better)

If casting into the weeds start reeling right away. Sometimes even start to reel while it's about the it the water. (you don't want a bunch of weeds on it) If casting the weedline let is sink a tad then start reeling.

If you are fishing a wall that is deep free fall is good. A short arm one big colorado balde is a good choice. Just watch out for snags. Most of the time I don't contact the bottom, too much debris. But it depends on the cover. Like if it's rocky I would, but if the rock has slime all over it I don't.

I'll go with a tube, jig or something weedless.

[Granny]

Don't waste your time by buying the cheap ones with the open loop where you tie you line. I use a small snap swivel and if the loop is open the swivel will slide down your lure and your cast is worthless. White is a good choice for color. If your casting into shallow calm water try to keep the lure close to the surface as mentioned in previous posts. In rough deeper water I like to keep it right above the weeds. Casting into reeds can also be good if the weeds are not too thick. In thicker weeds I like to cast parallel to the weed line. The spinner bait is a great multi species lure.

[Guest]

Just_Fishin,
A grub or some kind of trailer is sometimes used to add to the enticement factor of the spinnerbait. Just like on a jig. I usually don't use them though. Too many short hits.

[EBass]

I have to disagree on the cheap ones. I caught my biggest musky 38" on a cheapo and 25 smallies all in one day on a cheapo to. For spinner baits I always tie directly to the line. Granted you have to adjust the cheap ones more because they bend, but still a worthy lure at a decent price.

But I do have and toss frequently terminator and strike king spinner baits to. (spendy)

Heck the terminator has the bend rather than the loop. Most manufactures have the bend. So if you want to limit yourself to certain brands that only have the loop and use a snap all the time...guess that's your call.

[Granny]

I shouldn't say the open loop lures are cheap. And yes they do work just as good if your not using a swivel snap. The girlfriend likes to change lures so its just easier to have a snap that she can change. If you are tying directly on, the open or closed loop won't matter.

[kt]

I always have a spinnerbait tied on to one rod and reel. I think its one of the most versatile and effective baits that you can use. You can use it to fish the bank, the flats, and deeper structure. A lot of good info has been given out, but i would like to add a couple more techniques that i find very effective.
Casting a spinnerbait into bulrush beds has been a really productive pattern for me in the past. You would be surprised how easily a spinnerbait can be worked through reeds and bulrush. One important thing to note is, once you hook a fish you have to get him up out of the thick stuff as soon as possible, otherwise he'll bury you and likely get off.
Another technique that i like to use is trying to find a shoreline with a steep drop that has a good deep and inside weedline. I hold the boat out off the edge of the weedline and cast up towards shore. This is a good method to use to pinpoint what part of the weedline the bass are using because you cover the inside weedline, the weeds, and the deep weedline. One thing to note about this is to always finish your cast, i've had many times where a bass has hit the spinnerbait right at the boat.
As fas as colors and brands. Ive had my best success on baitfish colored spinnerbaits. Shad and golden shiner colors have been my top producers. I fish a variety of different brands, but my favorites are probably the terminator and strike king titanium elite. I like the titanium because you don't have to tune them. However, they aren't indestructable. Also, i always put a trailer hook on. You catch a lot of bonus fish with that hook.

A spinnerbait, in my opinion, is one of the best baits to use for covering water fast and locating the active fish. Plus you can't really fish one wrong.

[Guest]

Re: the bend vs the twist eye. I think the spinnerbaits with the bend were originally designed to eliminate line wrapping. This is unfortunate for us here in the land of 10,000 toothy critters. I like to use some spendy spinnerbaits (more realistic skirts) and it is upsetting when I get bit and set the hook to nothing but air!!! WHen I fish these baits I use the micro steel leaders (12# & 18#) they are as invisible as my line and I haven't seen any indication that fish chasing a moving spinnerbait are leader shy...I keep the small snap on the eye by wrapping a tiny rubber O-ring over the eye...Works every time...When it doesn't work...MacGyver Time???

[Blackstarluver]

On the spinnerbaits with the bend. I carry a section of heat shrink tubing cut off a little piece, slide it over the bend and ever so gently heat it, attach my clip and voila! No clip slide!
God lyk!
JC

[EBass]

Hey Bronzeback

Where can I pick up this micro leader? Does it have a snap or is it just a piece of wire. I to hate it when a slimer takes off with my $6 spinner bait.

Hey, has anyone used that Quad Shad and had success? I'm scared to toss it since it was $11 or something. I know, what was the point in buying it if I ain't going to use it.

[Guest]

EBASS: I believe they are made by South Bend...You can pick them up at Gander, Fleet Farm, Walmart..They are awesome...$2.00 a pack and they last a while. I started using them after my buddy and I lost half a box of Raps one evening when we were catching Walleyes and Pike. I usually buy a bunch at the beginning of the season and they last me all the way through. They have a small snap to which you attach your lure. EBASS where are you going this weekend. I want to go to ML but the fishing has gotten hard up there. The water is up like 2 feet in the last several weeks...It has also gotten cloudy. Have you been to the Mississippi lately? Wouldn't mind getting out there. The Croix is still high. We might try little birch...some of my buds have caught some nice smallies there. Ever fished Little Birch?

[EBass]

I have no idea where I'm going to fish this weekend. I'm getting my boat back tonight. But she was making some squealing noise last week. I changed the lower unit lube and brought her in to be looked at. The mechanic ran it for a while and he didn't hear anything unusual. And if he was going to tear it all off he said it's like $375, so I'm going to roll with it, but I don't know how shabby she'll hold. Whew, that was a mouth full.

So I don't know, I was thinking of going for Cats with Mr Special. He's got some hot spot for channel kitties on the Crow. But I just lost a big bass on Medicine, like close to 6lb bass. HUGE!

I never heard of Little Birch. I still haven't gotten on the Sissippi this year. And last year when MilleLacs got a lot of rain and it clouded up is when I got that 20.5" on a white tube. However it was slow going after that. Where's litte Birch?

[Guest]

I believe Little Bich is near St. Cloud. My pals who went there went in June caught a bunch up to 20". Not bad...They said it doesn't get a lot of pressure. I may actually bag this weekend so I can get caught up on the honey-dos. I haven't been reading many posts that would indicate the fishing has been on fire. The weather has a lot of lakes/rivers in flux...I usually hit it really hard in August and Sept.

[EBass]

Brozeback, what county? I was thinking of hitting the river up there and if it sucks check that lake out.

[Guest]

Todd Co. North of Melrose. The heat to get the honey-do's done is burning the soles off my shoes!!! You said you were maybe going to the river...where? Is it getting down to fishable levels? Anyone know how the river looks around Elk River?

[EBass]

I would imagine the river is fishable. I think it has been for a while now. Depends on your boat and trolling motor though. I heard on the other forum that the river is dropping but it's still cloudy. Something about something in the GR area making it cloudy.

Let me see where Melrose is, I'll post back.

[EBass]

Bronzeback,

Melrose is a tad off the path I wanted to go. I was thinking north of Sartel or Little Falls area, or go opposite and check out the croix above taylor falls.

However, I really want to take it out on a local lake first before I make a haul anywhere and come to find out she is busted.

And I too have honey do's to. Painting the kitchen and it's turning into a big ol project.