Introduction Spinnerbaits are one of the most versatile and useful baits in a bass fisherman's tacklebox. I know many tournament anglers who use a spinnerbait at least 75% of the time. This article will cover the basics of spinnerbait fishing and hopefully give the novice angler a good start on becoming proficient with this bait. More seasoned anglers who do not use a spinnerbiait regularly or are "stuck" on one certain combination can also pick up some tips and maybe put a few extra fish in the boat.
While pre-fishing for a tournament or just out trying to find a few fish, the spinnerbait is an excellent choice. You can cover a great deal of water in a hurry and if you find a concentration of fish, you can then switch over to a worm, jig, or other bait of choice to coax the less active fish. Spinnerbaits should be in everyone's tacklebox and with only a little practice, anyone can become confident in their ability to catch fish on spinnerbaits.
Terminology
Colorado Blades: Round blades that produce the most vibration. Good choice for murky water and night fishing.
Indiana Blades: Oblong shaped blades, similar to a Colorado blade. Considered a good compromise between Colorado and Willowleaf blades.
Willowleaf Blades: A narrower, leaf shaped blade. This blade produces more flash and is a good choice in clear water and when fishing vegetation.
Tandem: Two blades on the spinnerbait. These can both be the same type of blade or a combination of two different types of blade. The smaller blade is in front. The larger blade in the back helps add "lift" to the bait and make it usefulfor shallow water and in heavy cover.
Single-spin: One blade only. These are not as weedless as a tandem and run deeper. Single-spins are useful for slow rolling and they fall faster.
Slow-rolling: This refers to very slowly reeling in the spinnerbait. Reel just fast enough to feel the blades turning and keeping the bait upright. This is a good technique to fish spinnerbaits deep and keep in contact with the bottom or when fishing conditions are really tough.
Short-armed baits: Refers to the arm from the head to the blade. Using shorter armed baits is useful in deep water and where there is little or no vegetation.
Flexible-armed baits: The arm bends easily and is much more weedless when fishing vegetation and some people think that it also improves the hookset.
Nickel Blades: "Silver"-colored blades. These are best used in clear water and produce more flash. To get the best of both worlds, many use tandem spinnerbaits with one Nickel blade and one Copper blade.
Copper Blades: Darker blade, similar to brass color. Use in murky or stained water.
Size Spinnerbaits range in size from small 1/8 oz to 1 oz heads. The smaller (1/8 oz) baits are very good in creeks and on the Ohio River. The larger (1 oz) baits are for deep spinnerbait running and fishing in heavy current or wind.
Blade sizes run from 00 to size 8 for the larger baits. It is very simple to change the blade type or size and keeping an assortment of different size, type, and color of blades gives you an infinite number of variations without filling your tacklebox with dozens of different baits. A little practice with a pair of split-ring pliers and you can completely change your bait in a matter of seconds. Some baits also come with snap swivels which make changing the blades even easier.
Remember that larger blades sink more slowly and stay close to the surface while smaller blades run deeper and faster.
Color As noted above, Nickel plated blades produce more flash, while Copper colored blades are better for stained or murky water. The last few years have seen the popularity of painted blades increase. These blades range from white, chartruese and red to tiger striped. "Dip-it" paints can color a blade quickly and can be used to color an entire blade or just the tips of them. Some fishermen like to paint "eyes" on the blades to better imitate a baitfish. Skirts can also be changed quickly and come in a variety of colors and materials. White, chartruese, or a combination of the two still rank as the overwhelming favorites. Below is a guide to colors:
White: clear water - sunny days.
Chartruese/White: dirty water - sunny days
Blue and/or Chartruese: clear water - overcast days
Chartruese:overcast days
Bright colors: muddy water
Fishing Techniques for Spinnerbaits In the early spring when the water temperature is nearing 50 degrees, the fish are looking for bait fish and are still scattered. Look for the warmest temperatures you can find and fish your spinnerbait slowly. Use a small bait (1/4 oz or 3/8 oz) as the baitfish are smaller this time of year.
As the water warms up closer to the 60 degree mark, the fish begin moving more shallow, so go to the larger coves that have deep water nearby. The bass are a little more active and although you still should fish your bait slowly, you can start to speed up your retrieve a little.
When the water temp gets between 60 and 65 degrees, the bass will be around shallow cover and definitely more active. You can now really speed up your retrieve. Sometimes using an erractic retrieve will trigger the larger bass into striking.
In late spring, when the water temp hits near 70 degrees, the bass are very active and hungry. The sun is a lot higher in the sky and looking for shaded areas now comes into play more than the water temperature. Weedbeds are a good place to look for bass. Try "buzzing" your spinnerbait over the weeds or casting parallel to the outside of the weedbed.
During the summer, when water temperatures are in the 70's and 80's, the fish are deeper, except in the early am and at dusk. This is when slow-rolling a larger spinnerbait in deeper water can work well.
Special Conditions
Cold Fronts: Cold front conditions always make it tough and slowing down your presentation will help. Switch to a 1/2 to 5/8 oz. bait and fish slowly. If the fish still won't bite, try using your spinnerbait like a jigging spoon and fish it vertically and "pump" the bait up and down.
Wind: When fishing in the wind, spinnerbaits are a good choice. If I have been catching fish with a worm or other soft bait and the wind comes up and makes it difficult to fish worms, I switch over to a spinnerbait, which is easier to control and cast.
Short-strikes: If the fish are short-striking your bait, try using a trailer hook. Also try trimming the skirt down so that it just covers the hook. Sometimes changing the blade color will help the bass catch up to the bait better.
Misc. Tips Early in the year, it seems to help to use less vibration and more flash and keep the bait size on the small side.
If your line goes limp, it normally means that a bass has your bait in his mouth and is swimming toward the boat.
If a bass comes up and swirls on your bait or short strikes at it, try stopping your retrieve and letting the bait flutter down.
Watch your bait as you are retrieving it, to make sure that it is staying upright and running true. The most common cause of "wayward" running spinnerbaits is either the blades are the wrong size for the head or the wire is bent. The wire should be in alignment with the hook and not off to one side.
To slow the fall and help keepthe baits afloat, try using a trailer. Either pork frog or a curly or twin-tailed grub works well.
Always keep in contact with your bait. You should always be able to feel the blades turning. Sometimes the only indication that you have a strike is that you no longer feel the blades turning as you retrieve.
Hopefully, these tips will make fishing a spinnerbait a little less confusing and give you more confidence to try out different combinations and techniques. Spinnerbaits are a great year round bait in almost any conditions, if you know how to fish them.
Good fishing!
M.J.
| ARTICLES/TIPS | TOURNAMENT INFO | LAKE INFORMATION | PERSONAL PAGE | FISHING LINKS | WEBPAGE AWARDS | NEWSLETTER | BASSRINGS | BASS BOOKSTORE |
