Spinnerbait Makers, Please Help!

[Megastink]

I have been experimenting with piano wire as a spinnerbait arm lately. I've tried .030", .032" and .035" diameter. I think that's I'm falling for the .032", but I'm not sure that its durable enough. I use .044" wire for my 3/8-3/4oz spinnerbaits, and it handles #4-#7 blades well, but I want something from 1/4-3/8oz for use with #3-#4.5 blades. I want it to be a small frame, high vibration yet durable spinnerbait.

What size wire do you use for your "finesse" or small arm spinnerbaits?

[Will Wetline]

I've been assembling spinnerbaits for years with the painted bullet head from Barlow's.

 

A 1/4 oz. frame has .035 wire and the 3/8 and 1/2 have .040.

 

A number of 3lb. - 4lb. smallies will stress these frames but they can be bent back a few times.

 

There comes a point when I'll retire a spinnerbait and feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

 

Strip the components from the fatigued frame and build another bait.

[smalljaw67]

I've made spinnerbaits with .029 up to .041, any heavier and it belongs on a musky bait or a buzzbait. If you want a durable bait with vibration the .035 will be more durable than the .032 but will still give you vibration. Now, if you are buiding baits with 2 blades you're in luck as you can use the blade spacing to account for the heavier wire. For example I make a small arm 3/8oz bait that I call a finesse spinnerbait, I use the .035 wire and the frame size would normally be what you would see on a 1/4oz bait. The blades are #3.5 willow on the bottom and the swivel blade is a #4 willow, normally on that I would use a small metal sleeve and a 1/8" metal bead as the space between blades but I want it to vibrate like a smaller .032 so instead of spacing the blade with the sleeve and the bead I use 3 beads, it makes a difference of about 1/4" or so but it is a big deal. The reason is when the blades spin they create torque and that torque causes the wire to shake or vibrate, the blades are spaced far enough apart to even out the torque across the entire arm but when you use heavier wire you loose vibration and the only way to change it is to add bigger blades or change the spacing. Changing the spacing works because it puts the torque of both blades in a small area near the end of the wire so instead of having the torque spread out over the entire blade arm you are concentrating it at the top of the blade arm making it act like you are using a single large blade. With that set up you get the flash of 2 blades but the vibration of a single large blade allowing you to use a slightly heavier wire for more durability yet keeping all the vibration of the thinner wire. If you are using a single blade then just upsize the blade a single size like a #4 to a #5, simple.

[Mud River Matt]

I JUST watched a Hank Parker spinnerbait DVD, like really 5 minutes ago...lol.. Anyway, there was a segment on the video about making spinnerbaits. He said his favorite spinnerbait is a 3/4 oz head with .029 wire, with a #3 colorado up front and a #7 indiana blade on the rear. Just thought I would let ya know. Good Luck

[Megastink]

I JUST watched a Hank Parker spinnerbait DVD, like really 5 minutes ago...lol.. Anyway, there was a segment on the video about making spinnerbaits. He said his favorite spinnerbait is a 3/4 oz head with .029 wire, with a #3 colorado up front and a #7 indiana blade on the rear. Just thought I would let ya know. Good Luck

 

Wow! Thats a lot of blade for a little wire...

[Munkin]

Wow! Thats a lot of blade for a little wire...

 

 

I JUST watched a Hank Parker spinnerbait DVD, like really 5 minutes ago...lol.. Anyway, there was a segment on the video about making spinnerbaits. He said his favorite spinnerbait is a 3/4 oz head with .029 wire, with a #3 colorado up front and a #7 indiana blade on the rear. Just thought I would let ya know. Good Luck

 

You have to look at the other attributes of the bait besides the wire size to understand how it works. The two features of that bait that make it work with such light wire are; twisted loop line tie, short distance between the head and line tie (which also helps it from getting hung in brush).

 

Allen

[Megastink]

You have to look at the other attributes of the bait besides the wire size to understand how it works. The two features of that bait that make it work with such light wire are; twisted loop line tie, short distance between the head and line tie (which also helps it from getting hung in brush).

Allen

You learn something everyday! Thanks!

[smalljaw67]

Allen is correct, Manns makes that bait called the "classic" but the reaon you don't see a ton of baits like that is they lack versatility. That bait can only be fished slow rolled up a a modest speed, Hank Parker has to slow down with a 6.3:1 gear ratio to work the bait otherwise it lays over on its side, very unbalanced. I tried making them like that early on around 2000 or 2001 and since my bender isn't capable of twisted loop line ties I bought the wire forms with the twisted eye, some I left stock others I cut and rebent and tried making a similar bait that I use at higher speed, light wire, and held up. 5 straight years of tinkering with design and paying good money to have my molds machined to what I wanted resulted in 1 conclusion, the only way I can make the bait go a little faster was to either donwsize the blades which lowered vibration or leave move the head back using slightly heavier wire to balance out the bait making the twisted eye usless to me. It really is a game of balances, you need to balance head size with wire and blade sizes in order to get the bait to work the way you want. For me the pefect spinnerbait is a few different ones, I make one for burning that are horrible and anything else, ones for slow rolling deep and slow roll shallow and everywhere in between. Most want hard vibration and that kind of bait works but to get really hard vibration you need to give up durability, or balance, balance is what the Classic spinnerbait gives up, it makes up for durability by twisting the eye and keeping the distance from the line tie to the head extremely short. I like the Classic, it was always a great bait for me but I needed faster when I discovered smallmouths!!!

[Munkin]

I like the way this thread is going as there is a lot of good information reguarding spinnerbait dynamics.

 

Your original question; I like a 3/8oz hidden weight head on a 1/4oz .032 super stainless R bend frame. The heavier weight and smaller profile allows me to fish current and pressured waters more effectively.

 

Allen

[fishin fever]

Another tip i have found that helps give more vibration is to make a double "R" bend. That makes the knot further off of the extended arm wire and the line will not absorb the blade vibration as much especially on a short arm.I also use only beads without the spacer and deeper cupped clevises for a wider arc on tandem blades.