Tuning Spinnerbaits

[OkobojiEagle]

I've "chucked" spinnerbaits for a good many years, mostly in foul weather conditions, seldom paying attention to details of the technique... throw, wind, repeat.  My success has been commensurate with my effort.  To those who consider themselves successful spinnerbaiting, how much do you obsess over the bait running perfectly vertical?  I've got a couple of baits I throw that seldom run perfectly vertical but do stay within 10 degrees left/right of vertical.  Would you consider this "close enough" or opt for a bait that runs true vertical?  Thanks for your opinions.

 

 

oe

[A-Jay]

In my world - spinnerbaits (just like cranks) MUST run Straight & True.  I feel quite a bit less confident in the baits ability to get bit if they do not.

 

 Supplemental Info:  I do a good bit of night time spinnerbait fishing.  I've had nights were the bite was very good and my spinnerbait was being crushed routinely.  After a 3 or 4 lb smallie the bait almost always needs at least some adjustment to run right.   In my hast to get out the next cast, sometimes I would make the adjustment without testing the bait in the water to see if it's running true.  When it's not running "straight" the fish rarely hit it - even at night.   I hate using my light if I can help it but now I'll bite the bullet and use the red lens head lamp in the water to check it. 

 

These results may not be typical and your results may vary.

 

A-Jay

[einscodek]

Spinnerbaits are one of my go-to lures

Ive learned over the years that its best to have the spinnerbait tuned to run true and return to true easily after hitting structue

If it needs adjustment after a hit, do it

It makes a difference to the fish..

[doyle8218]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2z4ZY9b1xw

[Jolly Green]

I cannot stand it when my spinnerbaits don't run straight and true, there's just no good reason for it.  It may bother me more than the fish, but that's a key bother.  

[Catch and Grease]

I like the running straight and vertical because they come through cover easier.

[ClackerBuzz]

all great advice.  if/when you need to buy new stock consider the burner blades. i'm becoming a big fan of strike king burners b/c the blades are much thinner. the thin blades mean they aren't as finicky about being in tune. they even stay vertical when you burn them fast as a rabbit. and they stay down when hunting in deep water for hogs bc the blades don't lift. in my book its a and all around win.  

war eagle has 'screaming eagles' too

http://www.***.com/Strike_King_Burner_Spinnerbait/descpage-SKBS.html

[smalljaw67]

I've been making my own since '98 because the ones off the shelf didn't work the way that I needed them to.  The you tube clip with Shaw Grigsby had a really good tip in there, and that was about the blade size being too big and it will make the bait roll over at faster speeds, this is very true. If you cast the bait out and reel it in at a 45 degree angle instead of directly at you, it will appear as if your bait is listing to the side when it really isn't, to find out make sure you reel it right to you straight on and you'll be able to tell if it is tilting to either side. Now, if your bait is leaning does it make a difference, the answer is yes, I made a bait list to one side purposely just to try it out but I did it on a day the fish were smacking spinnerbaits. The spinnerbait is my favorite bait and I tried a lot of experiments with them and here is my take on why it seems to make a difference if it is leaning. What I've noticed fishing in clear shallow water is that 95% of the strikes come from the side, the other 5% that come up from behind but when the bait is leaning a bit they don't seem to want to hit the body but instead they hit the blades or just roll on it without hitting it, whether this is due to the look of it or the way it is vibrating I don't know, but I do know it really limits the amount of strikes and hookups you get so make sure your baits run as true as possible.

[grizzly1654]

I guess i'm the odd ball here.  If my spinner bait isn't perfectly straight it doesn't bother me.  I don't think the bass care if it runs sideways or upside down (if that was possible).  I fish alot of sloughs that are full of bowfin and they will destroy a spinner bait and they don't usually run true after that.  I just bend them back close to true and keep on casting, the bass don't seem to mind.  The bowfin however love to eat the brand new ones.

[shanksmare]

I've been using spinnerbaits since the mid 1970's and I am anal about them running true. I realign them after each fish, hit or just periodically. I don't know if it matters to the bass but it matters to me. I guess its a confidence thing and that is huge.

[jaysen]

i also find that if the trailer you add to a spinnerbait isnt perfectly aligned, it will also not run true. i am very careful threading on a grubtail so that it stays even. the booyah brand is one i love using but they are very difficult to tune once they stop running true. it may be due to the thin wire they use.

[OkobojiEagle]

Opinions are pretty firmly in the "perfectly vertical" camp.  I prefer using lighter weight spinnerbaits, some of which roll back and forth slightly (less than 10 degrees as stated) when I pull them sharply to change the cadence.  My bite often comes when I stop the bait momentarily after one of these "sharp pulls".  So, thus my question.  Thanks for your opinions.

 

 

oe

[Daniel Lin]

I hooked a fish the other day on a spinnerbait through its LOWER lip, almost immediately after coming through cover. The strike was like someone had dropped a piano on the other end of my line too. I actually briefly thought I had gotten hella snagged at first, since I knew I was coming through some heavy cover, but I realized in time it was a fish and not a branch and set the hook.

 

Just a few minutes earlier, I had noticed it deflect into a sideways position off a fallen piece of timber, and instead of rolling back down, it slowly completed a full rollover, even running upside down briefly. Guess this motion must have elicited quite the reaction strike.

[J Francho]

I find that bending the wire at the weight, so the hook is closer to the blades starightens out most baits that won't run straight - assuming that everything lese is staright on the vertical axis.

[einscodek]

I hooked a fish the other day on a spinnerbait through its LOWER lip, almost immediately after coming through cover. The strike was like someone had dropped a piano on the other end of my line too. I actually briefly thought I had gotten hella snagged at first, since I knew I was coming through some heavy cover, but I realized in time it was a fish and not a branch and set the hook.

 

Just a few minutes earlier, I had noticed it deflect into a sideways position off a fallen piece of timber, and instead of rolling back down, it slowly completed a full rollover, even running upside down briefly. Guess this motion must have elicited quite the reaction strike.

Or the spinnerbait could have been straight running but got readjusted when in its mouth and when you set the hook it caught the lower lip

You never kno

[J Francho]

Hooks in the lower jaw USUALLY mean they are crashing the blades - especially if your bait looks fine, and you catch a few fish in the lower jaw.. It's also a leading cause of missed bites.  This is a good argument for trailer hook.  A color change, or some other aspect of the presentation may be in order.

[Daniel Lin]

Or the spinnerbait could have been straight running but got readjusted when in its mouth and when you set the hook it caught the lower lip

You never kno

I'll just keep telling myself that it did a barrel roll into a fish's mouth.