Spinnerbaits

[CrustyMono]

I'm sure this lure is a popular topic on here, but...

 

I ordered a 7'0" MH Quantum Escalade (rated: 0.25 - 1.5) today. I plan on pairing it with my Quantum Smoke PT 7.3:1 or Daiwa Tatula CT 7.3:1. I am going to get 20 pound braid to use as a mainline. I will have a 15 leader. I may also get 12 pound CXX. My idea of spinnerbait fishing is casting to pieces of cover like docks and trees and reeling back in. I know I should use a double willow sexy shad in clear water.

 

• What spinnerbaits are good around 5$?
• Is 5$ too cheap?
• Do I need a trailer hook or trailer or both?
• What are good trailers like?
• I have 20$ gift card to cabbelas and 50$ to Bass Pro. I am willing to spend a chunk of it on new spinnerbaits.
• What is the best way to store them
• Are there any tips you have
• Im pretty new to spinnerbaits, unlike most people i started bass fishing with a senko and live bait
• Thanks!

[burrows]

Booyah spinnerbaits are cheap and effective I also like the war eagle and the terminator spinnerbaits and pepper custom baits these are the only ones I use I throw them on a 7 mhmf rod on 15 pound floro.

   If your new to spinnerbaits start of with small spinnerbaits like pond magics they work!

[JigMaster4]

Sieberts spinnerbaits are $5. Id look into those.

[MassYak85]

Whichever spinnerbaits you get make sure they come with a ball bearing swivel, most do but make sure. My favorite spinnerbaits are war eagles which are a little more than what you want to spend, but there are many great options in the 5 dollar range. Personally I never use a trailer hook and might add a small paddle tail as a trailer but not that often. As far as storage I put each one in a little baggy and throw them all in a Plano 3707. I like it because the arms don't get bent and they never tangle and I can fit a lot of them, the only downside is if you have a lot you might have to shuffle them around to find the one you want.

 

If I could only use one lure it would probably be a spinnerbait, they are very versatile and can be crawled on the bottom or burned as shallow as a bass could possibly live. If you are fishing them shallow I would recommend two things. Bump the spinnerbait into the piece of cover you are fishing, this can trigger a reaction bite. Another thing you can do is when it reaches the edge of the cover is kill it and let it fall on slack line. Like for example if you are fishing right along the edge of a dock and you get top the last piling or the very edge of the shadow the dock is casting. You can also try killing it immediately after a spinnerbait bumps into cover, almost like it's disorientated. Also try "pumping" the spinnerbait if a straight retrieve is not working. This throws off a little more flash from the blades and makes your presentation look more erratic. Don't forget to pick up at least one that has those black nickel colorado blade for night fishing or dirty water, they throw off a LOT of thump and can be retrieved very slowly. 

[rangerjockey]

I throw nothing but War Eagle. Usually purple herring or mouse. I like the gold/nickel willows or painted blades with a cole slaw skirt if its dingy.

 I really like the screamin eagle model , which is a 1/2oz. bait on a 1/4 oz. frame.

 I personally never throw braid on a bait caster.  I can't see a advantage to a leader for a spinnerbait. seems like a point of failure you don't need.

 I like a little wind and clouds for the blade.

[Catt]

9 hours ago, CrustyMono said:

• What spinnerbaits are good around 5$?
• Is 5$ too cheap?
• Do I need a trailer hook or trailer or both?
• What are good trailers like?
• What is the best way to store them
• Are there any tips you have

 

1. First there is no reason to waste time using a leader, even slow rolling bass aint gonna see your line.

2. Siebert Outdoors

3. I personal use Stanley

4. Yes, no, & maybe so; sometimes a trailer makes a difference, sometimes a trailer hook is necessary.

5.Walmart cheap curltail grub

6. See pic below

7. Control depth with your rod tip, guide it through cover with your rod tip

[Bluebasser86]

I wouldn'tthrow them on braid. Mono or copolymer is what I use. Almost all my spinnerbaits are War Eagle. Colors vary a lot but I like mouse, spot remover, purple shad, firecracker, and Cole slaw on clear water.

[the reel ess]

Booyah, Strike King, War Eagle should cover all the bases. My favorites are old Uncle Bucks from BPS that I bought for maybe $1.50 more than a decade ago. They discontinued them I guess to sell more expensive options, but they flat caught fish. I caught my PB on one last fall. Something else they had that you don't see as much these days is hammered blades. They put off more vibration and look like fish scales. I still have several that I keep replacing skirts on.

 

The last two fish I caught on spinnerbaits were on the trailer hook, including the aforementioned PB. Even some tourney pros will tell you forget the trailer hook. I simply can't understand this. They will say they don't miss many short strikes, but they can't possibly know how many they're missing. And a trailer hook can keep a bass hooked if it comes off the main hook. I use trailer hooks on all buzzbaits as well.

 

I never use a trailer per se. But I will use a fluke or even a grub that I think matches the forage well. Fish will bite it. You can even buy some now with a swimbait body. I have one for redfish I'm going to give a try. I look for gold blades because there are gold shiners where I fish most of the time. But the PB came on tandem nickel with white skirt. Go figure.

 

You can do most of what you need to do with chartreuse and/or white spinnerbaits in 1/2 oz. I'd start there in willow leaf blades unless you want to use in cold or dirty water. Indiana blades are a good compromise, but harder to find for me. Or if you're fishing at night or really dirty or cold water, black/Colorado blades is the ticket. So just a few models for starters then branch out for specific purposes and conditions. Search videos by Jimmy Houston and Hank Parker. They've made careers on spinnerbaits.

 

I haven't come up with a good way to fit spinnerbaits in a flat package so I'll take the ones I think will work with me on the kayak. I use them on 15 lb Big Game mono. Bump into cover you can see. That triggers strikes.

["hamma"]

Ok,..This isnt what you asked for,.. but more along the lines of need and direction.

 Somethings to consider:

 My "mainstays",.. a single bladed colorado, a double bladed willowleaf, (get the stanley vibrashaft with wedge blades if you can), and most of all, my favorite,  the "original" Manns Classic,... gold plated, Indiana (main blade) and colorado secondary. This bait works so well because not many anglers use them. But a great all around bait.

 

   These three baits will cover just about any scenario you may encounter, techniques you can employ, and the different water colors, and clarities you may possibly fish.

   

  Weights? start off with what your comfortable throwing,..most anglers will start with anywhere from 3/8 oz. to 3/4 0z. with 1/2 oz. being the usual

 

   Colors? start with white, its basic but works well under sunny skies, and a chart/blue can be a great cloudy day bait, or perch patterned, or bluegill will do the same,.It comes down to "your" preference and what you fish.,.if you night fish? a black single colorado spinnerbait is killer.

 

  Trailers? I use manns classic split tails, or a grub. I dont use trailer hooks unless I'm fishing a tournament.

 

  Retrieves,... there are many, and some are specific to a certain blade types, But before we get that far, be sure to cast "beyond" your target and work the bait up to it, maybe even hit the target. Just, dont cast right on the target for you may just spook a giant to the saftey of the depths, unless you quietly pitch to a dock etc., etc.

  With that said? A steady retrieve is common and still works, but you may want to add a pump in the rod tip every once in a while to vary that steadiness, it will add some extra flash as the blades will slow then speed up again, also that stutter acts like a wounded bait.

  Bulging,.. is when you run the bait "just" under the surface, by keeping your rod tip relatively high, and works under calm conditions. You will actually see the waters surface "bulge" from the wake of the blades. deadly technique around submerged wood or weeds, or shallow muddy water.

 Slow rolling, this is used in deeper waters, typically a single colorado baits technique, but works well with others as well. This is done by tossing out and "slowly" reeling just to keep the blade, or blades spinning as the bait decends into the depths. Great for targeting dropoffs, and deep rockpiles, brushpiles etc.

 Helicpotering, again a single colorado technique in which you cast past a target and reel up to it, then kill the retrieve, the bait will drop and that single colorado blade will spin like a copters blade. You can also quietly pitch to a piece of cover and helicpoter, like a cypress tree stump, or dock etc.

 These should be enough to get you started, spinnerbaits rule in wind, in my mind, but I also use them in just about any condition and always have a Manns classic tied on my spinnerbait rod. Just be sure to use a snap, as the classic is a great bait. BUT, it has a twisted eye to tie to, if you tie directly to this bait, and the bait flops on the cast you may wrap the line around the eye, and pinch your line in the "twist" of the wire, so use a "quality" snap or clip with the manns classic to avoid snapping your line. I use berkley crosslock snaps, best ones I've found yet.

 

 That sudden stop, when a fish hits a spinnerbait can be as exiherating as a topwater bite. the line moves off to the side and you know theres a fish on, the tell tale swinging of their heads to shake the hook can also tell one how big that fish is without even seeing it. These things can be the "hook" that buries many bass anglers into becoming a spinnerbait fanatic, It can be said spinnerbaits are a lazy mans bait to use, as its "main" use is to search a area out looking for a active fish by just a steady retrieve, But when you get into all the different techniques, baits, and uses, Its far from "lazy",  they can do alot more than many think.  

   I take about 30 when I fish, but own a few hundred from 1/8 oz. to 1 1/2 oz. they all have their place.

 

   I hope this helps you some,...keep ya line wet!

 

 

[JustinJ]

i been using picasso spinnerbaits the last two years and i highly recommend them.

[lo n slo]

1/2 oz war eagle on big game mono, no braid for me please

[kickerfish1]

I like the titanium terminators, hidden weight northstars, and war ealgles. 

[S. Sass]

• Most of mine are Pepper Custom but I know a guy that catches tons of bass on the $1.00 Walmart ones. Mini zip ties are awesome to secure the skirts on the Walmart ones.
• No as I said a guy that fished with me uses almost nothing but $1 ones and catches fish just like anyone else.
• Don't "need" a trailer hook. I don't but some do. Trailer maybe sometimes.

• Keitech although I rarely use a trailer on spinner baits.

• I would suggest sticking to 3 main colors White, Black, Chartreuse 

• I would opt for 1/2oz and 3/8oz sizes starting out. These are my most popular and will cover most any situation.

• Plano makes a 3700 series box that I use for storage. 1/2 oz is the biggest I suggest to use in it. Any size smaller like 3/8 oz it would work awesome.

• Get rid of the leader no matter what line you select. Your just creating another chance for error. I use straight Big Game mono because it works for me and inexpensive. 20lb on average and don't have issues. 

Some think a trailer hook is a must. But honestly if you're bass fishing and you keep hooking on that trailer you need to change you presentation. The fish caught like that are telling you SLOW DOWN. Obviously they aren't that aggressive to be attacking it as fast as your presentation is. Think how many didn't even bother to try and swipe at your lure because you were smoking it past.

I think this happens a lot all these high speed reels now days pull a lot of line per revolution. Keep that in mind depending on what your using. 

 

[Fishes in trees]

To echo most of what has been written previously;  skinny zip ties work good to keep skirts positioned.    Braid is overkill - me I go with 17 or 20 lb mono.     The point of throwing PAST your target and bringing the bait up to/near/ hitting the target can't be overemphasized.   For me, that is the first principle of spinner bait fishing.  Next, is vary your retrieve, every cast, vary your retrieve until you find one that is working, then do that.  For me, most of the time the retrieve that works the best for me is "slow rolling".   Throw at whatever, if, on the retrieve, you never hit anything you are retrieving too fast.   If, on the retrieve, you're hitting stuff on the bottom all the time, you're pulling in too slow.   Find the speed in there between the two extremes.

[A-Jay]

This recent thread outlines fishing a spinnerbait & using "speed" as a trigger.

Check it out.

A-Jay

 

 

[A-Jay]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

 

1. First there is no reason to waste time using a leader, even slow rolling bass aint gonna see your line.

2. Siebert Outdoors

3. I personal use Stanley

4. Yes, no, & maybe so; sometimes a trailer makes a difference, sometimes a trailer hook is necessary.

5.Walmart cheap curltail grub

6. See pic below

7. Control depth with your rod tip, guide it through cover with your rod tip

 

You know - It's funny.

 You can't find this old, time tested & effective Plano spinnerbait box for sale anywhere these days.

and yet they are routinely popping up on the BR forums.

Here's mine.

A-Jay

[MassYak85]

Personally I fish spinnerbaits on 30# braid and have never had issues with hooking fish or keeping fish hooked. I've used a leader before but probably won't next season, it didn't seem to make much of a difference. Only exception is maybe slow rolling in clear water. As far as trailer hooks, in my opinion if you are constantly hooking fish on the trailer hook, you need to change something. The fish are short striking for a reason. 

[Catt]

27 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

 

You know - It's funny.

 You can't find this old, time tested & effective Plano spinnerbait box for sale anywhere these days.

and yet they are routinely popping up on the BR forums.

Here's mine.

A-Jay

 

Best spinnerbait box ever!

Don't know how old mine is; bought it when they first came out!

[A-Jay]

Just now, Catt said:

 

Best spinnerbait box ever!

Don't know how old mine is; bought it when they first came out!

Sure is - Me too.

We're old.

A-Jay

[Catt]

Just now, A-Jay said:

Sure is - Me too.

We're old.

A-Jay

 

No!!! My equipment is!

[CrustyMono]

Thank you ll for the help! Along with this thread, several articles on here, and Glenn's in-depth video on spinnerbaits, I am now feeling more confident. I plan to take notes and write down stuff so that I am more effective on the water. I will come up with a list of various spinnerbaits to test out. This spring, I will spend a day in my lake in MA that is loaded with bass. It is gin clear and has a diverse environment of cover and structures. I will try bumping a white willow indiana against laydowns, slow rolling a 1 ounce black colorado in deep water and other ways to build more confidence.

[Logan S]

Trailer hook 100% of the time for me.  Soft plastic trailer rarely, if I do it will be a swimbait tail to add more bulk in dirty water.  Retrieve style varies greatly, but a quick steady retrieve over or around visible cover and/or grass is a good, easy place to start.  Pick any brand in your price point, these days they are all decent enough...I prefer the compact styles for my waters and style.  I use double willows most often for my waters and they are the most versatile IMO.  Deeper and/or slower I'll use double Colorado blades.  I don't use tandem blades (one willow, one Colorado) very often, but they are good for when you want be fast but run slightly deeper as they have less lift than double willow.  For colors, it's mostly shad patterns for me but I do like a green pumpkin or bluegill color now and then too.   MH power rod and most often 15lb flourocarbon.  

 

Regarding trailer hooks, it's not just about short strikes...Sometimes it's the speed that's triggering the strikes in the first place.  A spinnerbait is an awkwardly shaped bait and many times the bass are actually striking the blades and not the body/hook.  Trailer hook is a good way to increase your odds in all scenarios.  The right sized trailer hook isn't really any more snag-prone than fishing without one, so to me there's no reason not use one.  The 'right' size varies, but it's usually a size or 2 smaller than the main hook...I try to keep the end of the trailer hook about even with the tip of the blade.  

[Jim72]

23 hours ago, CrustyMono said:

I'm sure this lure is a popular topic on here, but...

 

I ordered a 7'0" MH Quantum Escalade (rated: 0.25 - 1.5) today. I plan on pairing it with my Quantum Smoke PT 7.3:1 or Daiwa Tatula CT 7.3:1. I am going to get 20 pound braid to use as a mainline. I will have a 15 leader. I may also get 12 pound CXX. My idea of spinnerbait fishing is casting to pieces of cover like docks and trees and reeling back in. I know I should use a double willow sexy shad in clear water.

 

• What spinnerbaits are good around 5$?
• Is 5$ too cheap?
• Do I need a trailer hook or trailer or both?
• What are good trailers like?
• I have 20$ gift card to cabbelas and 50$ to Bass Pro. I am willing to spend a chunk of it on new spinnerbaits.
• What is the best way to store them
• Are there any tips you have
• Im pretty new to spinnerbaits, unlike most people i started bass fishing with a senko and live bait
• Thanks!

Check out *** they have what's called a spin jig.you can swap out different colored jigs that attach to the wire and blades its a great concept,and you can take the wire off and use just the jig it's like two different baits in one.i bought some last summer to try out. And I will be buying some more.

[CrustyMono]

Is this a good list of quality spinnerbaits to build my arsenal which is currently very small (10 baits at most)? I also plan on buying a storage container and extra blades, do I need anything else? What size extra blades should I get? Would five of the three main types, with the 2-4 varying sizes and 2 colors so like 90 extra blades

 

Spinnerbaits

 

 

Booyah Moon Talker Spinnerbait 

    -Single Colorado

    -Black/Red (3/4)

 

Buddah Baits Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Bluegill (3/8, 1/2)

 

Pepper Custom Baits Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Hawk’ Secret (1/2)

 

Strike King Burner Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Super Chartreuse (3/8, 1/2)

 

Terminator Super Stainless Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Pumpkinseed (3/8, 1/2)

    -Silver Shad (3/8)

 

War Eagle Gold Spinnerbaits

    -Colorado Willow

    -Pro’s Choice (3/8)

    -Gold Shiner (3/4)

 

Strike King Premier Plus Spinnerbait

    -Double Colorado

    -Chartreuse Sexy Shad (3/8)

 

Flambeu Big Mouth Spinnerbait Storage

    -Zerust

    -60 bait Max capacity

[CrustyMono]

Is this a good list of quality spinnerbaits to build my arsenal which is currently very small (10 baits at most)? I also plan on buying a storage container and extra blades, do I need anything else? What size extra blades should I get? Would five of the three main types, with the 2-4 varying sizes and 2 colors so like 90 extra blades

 

Spinnerbaits

 

 

Booyah Moon Talker Spinnerbait 

    -Single Colorado

    -Black/Red (3/4)

 

Buddah Baits Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Bluegill (3/8, 1/2)

 

Pepper Custom Baits Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Hawk’ Secret (1/2)

 

Strike King Burner Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Super Chartreuse (3/8, 1/2)

 

Terminator Super Stainless Spinnerbait

    -Double Willow

    -Pumpkinseed (3/8, 1/2)

    -Silver Shad (3/8)

 

War Eagle Gold Spinnerbaits

    -Colorado Willow

    -Pro’s Choice (3/8)

    -Gold Shiner (3/4)

 

Strike King Premier Plus Spinnerbait

    -Double Colorado

    -Chartreuse Sexy Shad (3/8)

 

Flambeu Big Mouth Spinnerbait Storage

    -Zerust

    -60 bait Max capacity