Spinnerbaits

[JWOA]

Out of all the rigs or lures I've been using this is the only one that I haven't used or caught fish on so what lures do I use and where do I start?

[Felix77]

This is my all time favorite power fishing technique.  It's always the 1st thing I throw in a tournament if the conditions dictate power fishing.  

 

If I were going to suggest a place to start with spinnerbaits I would suggest the following.

 

• Buy a 3/8 white/chartreuse spinnerbait.  Megastrike is a sponsor and sells a dang good spinnerbait but I have also use Strike King with great success.
• Throw it on 12 - 15 fluorocarbon or mono.  Whichever you prefer.

 

Practice 3 techniques

 

1 - Burn it just under the surface.  Cast it out and immediately start the retrieve.  Try and keep the lure high in the water column.

2 - Moderate.  Cast it out.  Let it sink for a few seconds.  Slowly retrieve back trying to keep it as in the middle part of the water column.  Varying the speed will let it rise/sink around the middle of the water column.

3 - Slow Roll.  Cast it out.  Let it sink all the way to the bottom.  Pop the rod tip up and begin your retrieve.  If you think you are reeling it slow then it's NOT slow enough.  You want to try and maintain bottom contact with this technique.

 

The retrieve:  Avoid solely a steady retrieve although they do want that sometime.  Add some twitches of the rod tip or stop the retrieve for a moment and quickly start it back up.  Both cause the blades to flare/collide.

 

 

With those 3 techniques you can cover all levels of the water from about 2 feet - 10 feet.  For starters I would keep it to that level (or shallower) until you get comfortable with the feel.

 

As this as your base you can go deeper with heavier weight and try other retrieves which exist out there.  This forum is filled with those other techniques (like yo-yo ing a spinnerbait)

 

As with everything it takes time and practice.  

 

My nemesis is the fluke.  I can't get a bite on it still!

[JWOA]

This is my all time favorite power fishing technique.  It's always the 1st thing I throw in a tournament if the conditions dictate power fishing.  

 

If I were going to suggest a place to start with spinnerbaits I would suggest the following.

 

• Buy a 3/8 white/chartreuse spinnerbait.  Megastrike is a sponsor and sells a dang good spinnerbait but I have also use Strike King with great success.
• Throw it on 12 - 15 fluorocarbon or mono.  Whichever you prefer.

 

Practice 3 techniques

 

1 - Burn it just under the surface.  Cast it out and immediately start the retrieve.  Try and keep the lure high in the water column.

2 - Moderate.  Cast it out.  Let it sink for a few seconds.  Slowly retrieve back trying to keep it as in the middle part of the water column.  Varying the speed will let it rise/sink around the middle of the water column.

3 - Slow Roll.  Cast it out.  Let it sink all the way to the bottom.  Pop the rod tip up and begin your retrieve.  If you think you are reeling it slow then it's NOT slow enough.  You want to try and maintain bottom contact with this technique.

 

The retrieve:  Avoid solely a steady retrieve although they do want that sometime.  Add some twitches of the rod tip or stop the retrieve for a moment and quickly start it back up.  Both cause the blades to flare/collide.

 

 

With those 3 techniques you can cover all levels of the water from about 2 feet - 10 feet.  For starters I would keep it to that level (or shallower) until you get comfortable with the feel.

 

As this as your base you can go deeper with heavier weight and try other retrieves which exist out there.  This forum is filled with those other techniques (like yo-yo ing a spinnerbait)

 

As with everything it takes time and practice.  

 

My nemesis is the fluke.  I can't get a bite on it still!

What gear ratio?

[Felix77]

What gear ratio?

 

I would use a 6.x:1 ratio reel to start with.  Works for me.

[shootermcbob]

Glenn did a video  that is also very informative. You can find it in the video section here on BassResource.

[bigbill]

Thanks to Glenn here he taught me to stay trying too. I found out my set up was not right. I take a 1/8oz silver blade spinnerbaits and replace the skirt with the larger skirt in blue glimmer first .  Then I add a mister twister split double tail 4" trailer with  trailer hook. You need to put the trailer on so the spinnerbaits doesn't spin as you crank it. It has to run straight up and perfect. Add a shot of shad scent and your good to go. You may need to trim the plastic trailer to fit the spinnerbaits hook too.

 

I also reel it slow enough so it's below the sight line too. It's we're we can see it but  the fish can see it.

[Hogsticker]

A spinner bait is a good bait to "rip" with as well. Another suggestion would be getting different weights to fish both deeper and shallow water with.

[smalljaw67]

This is my favorite bait, I really liked it to the point that 15 years ago I began making my own and I experimented a lot and by doing that I found some things out but to begin to catch fish the easiest way is to start with the shallow version. Pick a 3/8oz spinnerbait, that is great advise you got as this size is easy to cast, and it catches all kind of fish since it is small enough that it doesn't chase away smaller fish yet big enough to draw big strikes. I recommend a white or chartreuse and white model with either double willows or tandem which is a large willow and a small colorado blade, take that bait and cast it to areas that have some cover like lay downs or dead falls and retrieve it at a moderate pace. When you get bit you will either get hit it is usually violent but every now and again you will just feel the blades not spinning, if that happens set the hook but more importantly just keep using it until you start to catch fish because you need to have confidence in it for it to work for you and to get confidence you need to catch fish with it.

[JWOA]

I would use a 6.x:1 ratio reel to start with.  Works for me.

What about 7.1:1