Tutelage: How to fish a spinner bait?

[carlcmc]

So far my only real success catching bass has been on texas rigged senkos. I have thrown tons of spinner baits on the small little lakes around rochester, but have never caught a bass on one. Is it fine to just crank it the same speed and expect to catch something? Or do you have to put finesse into the retrieve to even hope at catching anything? Do you do any special counting while you crank or let it settle before begining?

If you can share some tips with me so i can hopefully hook up with some I would appreciate it.

[delmuts]

oh boy ! i'll start the first page! you can catch fish some times by just cranking it in,but they need to be agressive . you will do better to try different depths( use the count down method); different speeds when retrieving; a steady retrieve with little jerks and twitches as you reel( sometimes changing directions with yur rod tip). you can use a lift and fall; bumping along the bottom. burning the bait just under the surface. varying types of blades, and weights; plus they will behave differently with different lb lines. page one ! i'll let some one else write page two . del

[Spinner1]

I am hardly a pro, but the spinner is my confidence bait. I am certain I have caught at least 90% of my LM bass, pike and muskie on a spinner. Usually just a 3/8 oz Northland with a rubber trailer. I am just a northern MN tourist these past 20 years, so usually I am fishing clear water, over 60 degrees and beat the bullrush edges. IMO, it's a bait for moderate to very aggressive fish. I am partial to yellow, hot orange and chartreuse, but that can vary on different water. Don't give up on it too quick Carl. My wife also nails the bass and pike with a spinner. Trust me, she has no special technique with her closed face reel. Don't take that wrong, just making the point that no special skill is required when you are fishing a spinner in the right conditions.

And perhaps if you post some more details on size, color, and an accurate description of the conditions you are fishing. The experts here can get you in the game. I would suggest you find a lake just loaded with moderate sized bass or pike to experiment. It's the right time of year. Good luck!

[dan sexton]

I used to fish nothing but a spinnerbait, and I won alot of money with just this bait!
Here is what I would do if just starting out.

Start off with the tackle I like for "the Blade":

1)smooth 6.3:1 reel with as many ball bearings as possible (5 minimum). You absolutely have to use a baitcaster! Spin reels will not work for this bait. So practice, practice, practice your casting.

2)5'6" to 6' max length sensitive, medium-heavy (I can't penetrate the bass's mouth with a medium action) rod. The short rod will help with accuracy. And the sensitive rod will help to feel if the blades are turning at slow retreives.

3) 14 pound or stronger line minimum (you will catch a big fish on this rig!). I would just throw 50# (12 pound diameter)Power Pro with all the pike and muskie in your waters!

Location:

Presentation, presentation, presentation is the way I fish this bait. Your cast must be to specific targets. Look for troughs or holes in the weeds (which could mean wood or rocky bottom) and cast to those targets. I also target docks and wood structures.
A complex target would be weed, dock and wood which should almost always hold a fish. Key on points with complex structure as well. A point can be the end of a weed line.

Deep water close by is also a very important factor! If you just have weeds I would find the deepest area and fish the outside edge of the weeds. Normal rule of thumb, the deeper the water the bigger the fish. The same goes with trees, the bigger more complex the lay down tree, the bigger the fish.

The retrieve: Make the quietest, most accurate cast you can make to a target. If I can cast past the target that is always best, like on the bank, then I just reel in as though it were natural. On outside weed lines I stil try to hit just on the edge of were the weed meets the clear patch of water.

*The Key:
when casting you must always have the spinnerbait coming back to you before it hits the water (you can't do this very well with a spinning reel). I always reel as fast as the fish want. I make multiple casts and vary my retrieve. I start with a fast (just under the water) to slow (were the blades just barely turn) retreive.

Baits I prefer:
It's hard to beat the double willow Hildebrant spinnerbaits. Double willow is the best that I have found to come through the weeds without alot of grass (but you will still be cleaning the junk of the bait). I would start with White w/ gold willows, then chartruese, then red. Basically time on the water with only a spinnerbait and your favorite colors will answer all you further questions.

Good luck, and have as much or more fun as I when fishing the "blade"!!
Dan

[Yaeger Guide]

So much to divulge on this question.

Two things:

1. Hit something, a rock, weeds, grass, timber, etc.

2. Burn it close to the surface and create a wake.

------------------
God bless,
Judd Yaeger
Yaeger Guides
(Twin Cities Guides)
www.yaegerweb.com/guide

[deeky]

I admit I'm fairly inexperienced in bass fishing, but thanks to some friends, have gotten into it. My question is the size of the spinner bait. The skirt side is ok, but in my mind adding in the wire and the spinners, the whole thing seems way to big for the bass that we catch (maybe I just suck at catching the big ones). Am I approaching this wrong? What size should I be looking for? Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

[Dan Wood]

Dan,
Can you provide a little more info... sort of vague on your answer Just kidding of course, great info!

You coming to fish MN this year?

I echo the comment on bumping structure. You must fish this bait like any other and fish the most promising structure. If your pitching a jig or worm, you will be pitching to specific structure. Same for a spinnerbait, search for structure and make precise casts (docks, timber, weedlines, etc). The speed of the retrieve is something you need to play around with and see what they want. Sometimes you'll need a slow roll to get down to the structure in deeper water. Mix up your retrieve too, a constant retrieve is something the fish see a lot. Mix it up!

[delmuts]

deeky the size varies for me. if i want to fish it slow and deep i will use up to a 1 oz. bait.it is kind of a guessing game , but some what depends on how you plan to fish it and the conditions. the little lake i fish a lot is a very heavily pressured lake. i use 1/8 to a 1/4 most of the time, but when working around brush and for burning the surface , then i will use a 3/8 to 1/2 oz.also remeber that a colorado blade will provide more lift to the lure than a willow will. the willow it better through weeds and provides more flash. the clo. gives you more vibration and is good for dirtier water,night time, and when fishing deep.it would be a good idea to get to some clearer water and try the different lures you have to see how they behave at different speeds and with different actions.the weight of your line will make a differnce on lure action and depth . i do fish most of my spinnerbaits on heavy line. even a 1/8 oz lure can catch a good bass. del

[BigMike]

This is a great topic and I appreciate all of the advice whether I knew it already or not... but here is my $.02

If you are just starting out. Go to Gander and look at the clearance bins they have right now, you can pick up a bunch of different kinds of spinnerbaits & brands for cheap! $1-3 for a good spinnerbait. For styles and colors, there are a lot out there, but I mainly stick to 1/4oz & 3/8oz sizes in white, white&chart, & black with tandem willow blades. As mentioned above Colorado blades are great for murky water & night fishing because they give off a really good vibration.

For fishing a spinnerbait, I've caught a handful of fish with a straight retreave with nothing special, but you will really begin to excel as a fisherman when you start to be purposeful with each cast. Be sure to cast to an area that is "complex" as Dan mentioned. Multiple structural elements is the best water for any lure! Work that lure as close & tight to the cover as possible. Once you learn to feel the structure you are fishing you will catch a lot more AND BIGGER bass.

You'll probably catch bass chucking a spinnerbait but you'll catch more when work specific structure.

Some examples of this purposeful fishing are: run a spinnerbait over a log and let it fall after it comes over the log - or tap the lure along the rocks on bottom (in the river). Variations like this will trigger bass instintively.

Good luck.

[Chris Haley]

I love spinner baits when its overcast and/or a little choppy. Now, I like to take my spinners and use a colorado blade on top and a willow on the bottom. This way you get the lift of the colorado and the flash of the willow. I got laughed at by some friends ONCE when I was changing blades around before a tournament. ONCE!

[dan sexton]

You got me deep there Dan

Just trying to pass on some experience. If you talk about it, it seems to help in remembering it, and fishing is one of the best of memories!!!

I was trying to plan a trip this August to fish a Bass tournament with a freind of my dad's, but that fell through. My mom just bought a place in St.Louis Park. I would really like to spend time (like 2 weeks) on 'Tonka one of these years. I am a life-time member of BFL (back when it was Red Man) and would like to fish an event when they come back to Tonka. Do you know if they will return? They mostly fish LaCrosse.

To answer your question Dan, this year is still in a holding pattern as far as Minnesota goes.

I am, however, going to Lake Erie for 4 days in July. Looking for a 7 pound (or bigger) smallie!!