What Makes For An Ideal Spinnerbait ?

[jbsoonerfan]

37 minutes ago, Born 2 fish said:

One that will last longer than a full season of catching fish. It seems to me that I find myself bending the wire back after a fish and after a while the wire will just break. But I usually throw Strike King. And Stan Sloan. I haven’t Had a Sloan break on me yet.

That is one reason I chose the Greenfish Ballistic HD, it has a heavier wire and a closed eye instead of an open bend. I think it holds up much better being like that.

[Columbia Craw]

Quality wire that allows maximum blade vibration but durable.

The R bend design.

A head design that prevent the skirt from rolling over the wire.

A tied skirt that’s not overly bulky and pulses.

A trailer keeper that actually keeps.

Stainless steel blades with some thickness and non tarnish finish.

A quality BB swivel with strong split rings AND the loop at end of the arm is welded closed. 
Less than ten bucks.

[Born 2 fish]

46 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

That is one reason I chose the Greenfish Ballistic HD, it has a heavier wire and a closed eye instead of an open bend. I think it holds up much better being like that.

I’ll check them out thanks but I did just buy 5 new ones hopefully they last the year.

[Deephaven]

12 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

While I do not 'make' my own spinnerbaits from scratch,

I will always tweak a bait where & when I can to remove bogus components

and replace them with quality parts.

So I agree with most everything @Bluebasser86 noted above. 

 

One of my biggest gripes centers on the split rings that hold the swivel & the blades.

 Often times big brown bass will smash the blades and take them right off;

especially at night.  Totally bums me out bringing back a bladeless bait. 

So that's one of the first things I check & change.

It's a fine line between stout and too much ring on this deal. 

 

 

Either way, I am betting this one could be pretty good ~ 

@Munkin

A-Jay

I want some of those spinner baits.  Gorgeous

[Hammer 4]

1 trait I look for in a spinnerbait is that the blades, in this case willow blades that don't extend to far rearward of the hook. The reason is, lots of times bass will key on the last blade if it has 2, if that blade is to far in back of the hook, the bass will completely miss the hook, hence, No fish. I discovered this a long time ago, so there are very few brands that I buy. 

[ChrisD46]

8 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

Quality wire that allows maximum blade vibration but durable.

The R bend design.

A head design that prevent the skirt from rolling over the wire.

A tied skirt that’s not overly bulky and pulses.

A trailer keeper that actually keeps.

Stainless steel blades with some thickness and non tarnish finish.

A quality BB swivel with strong split rings AND the loop at end of the arm is welded closed. 
Less than ten bucks.

*I forgot quality components  - such as ball bearings ! ... I find R-Bend spinnerbaits produce greater vibration versus closed , twisted top of wire where you tie your line .

[MassYak85]

My biggest dissapointment amount spinnerbaits is the trailer keepers. Very few even have them and the ones that do are rarely good. The Jackal Doon has a good wire keeper but my issue with that bait is the hook is very thin wire. Not really great for fishing around cover.

[PotatoLake]

On 3/23/2021 at 7:48 AM, galyonj said:

 

I think I'm broken, cause I can't catch a cold with a spinnerbait or a chatterbait.

I used to be that way, and then for some reason this spring that’s the only two lures I can catch a fish on.  It’s been windy and muddy so that would make sense though.

[galyonj]

Just now, PotatoLake said:

I used to be that way, and then for some reason this spring that’s the only two lures I can catch a fish on.  It’s been windy and muddy so that would make sense though.

 

Maaaaan.

 

The last time I went out was like 24 hours after we'd had a couple days of heavy rain, and the water was like looking in a Yoo-Hoo bottle. And it was windy. I bet I spent 45 minutes throwing a chatterbait before I gave up on it. Eventually I caught a fish...on a swim jig with a white and chartreuse skirt. ? 

[DitchPanda]

For me I like a compact bait with good components and good durability. So in that regard my "ideal" bait...at least for now...is a 3/8 Nichols pulsator double willow with metal flake blades.

[Bubba 460]

Here's what I DON'T like about spinnerbaits

 

A spinnerbait that breaks at the tie joint after catching three bass on it. Reeling in a piece if wire with  a couple of blades on it after losing a nice bass is the pits.

 

I spinnerbait that looses its blade shine and rust in the box.

 

A Spinnerbait that doesn't have a trailer keeper.

 

I spinnerbait that has a bulimic skirt on it so skimpy that the hook is embarrassed.

 

A spinnerbait that runs lop-sided

 

A spinnerbait that looks like a pretzel after a bass manhandles it.

 

A spinnerbait skirt held on with a rubber band that rots and breaks in a month.

 

Other than that I like spinnerbaits.

[Mbirdsley]

What I  look for in a good spinner bait?  1st and foremost that it catches fish.  I don’t really care how much they cost .  2nd run right out of the package I've only had 2 spinner baits just absolutely refuse to work.  Both were booyah vibra wire 3/8 white spinner baits.  No matter what I did I couldn’t stop getting line wrapped around the wire or  rolling their  sides constantly 

3rd take a licking from northern pike and big smallies and keep on ticking.  IMHO a spinner bait only has so many fish in it before it’s just junk and time to move onto the next one. Some may not agree and that’s ok but, my Times precious. I don’t have time to be re-engineering a spinner bait after a couple pike have given it the business.

4th like anybody else I’m a sucker for a good paint job 

5th so far I really like my war eagles they seem to catch fish, not horribly expensive if I shop around, and can laugh  after getting knocked around at a decent sized northern.

6th my second favorite spinner bait is the photo.  I know strike king makes spinner baits with this blade but, I think booyah does too. Could be a couple differnt mfg’s.  However, behind the war eagles this blade with an eye and scale color has worked very well.  Color dosent matter 

[Munkin]

On 3/23/2021 at 8:11 PM, Columbia Craw said:

Quality wire that allows maximum blade vibration but durable.

The R bend design.

A head design that prevent the skirt from rolling over the wire.

A tied skirt that’s not overly bulky and pulses.

A trailer keeper that actually keeps.

Stainless steel blades with some thickness and non tarnish finish.

A quality BB swivel with strong split rings AND the loop at end of the arm is welded closed. 
Less than ten bucks.

 

4 of 7 boxes checked on the list just need my buddy to bring back my spinnerbait blade box.

 

Allen

[ChrisD46]

10 hours ago, Munkin said:

 

4 of 7 boxes checked on the list just need my buddy to bring back my spinnerbait blade box.

 

Allen

*Nice ... What trailer is that ? 

[E-rude dude]

Whatever you do never remove the skirt and thread a swim bait on a spinner bait.

Never ever do that and I mean never. It just doesn’t work. You’ll never catch another fish again. It’s a jinx. It’s like a banana in the boat. You were warned!

[Munkin]

6 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

*Nice ... What trailer is that ? 

I made it, its a smaller version of the blade minnow. 

 

Allen 

[Columbia Craw]

31 minutes ago, Munkin said:

I made it, its a smaller version of the blade minnow. 

 

Allen 

You are so sneaky. No wonder that trailer color is nada.

[Munkin]

23 minutes ago, Columbia Craw said:

You are so sneaky. No wonder that trailer color is nada.

 

Here is the bait next to a 3.8 swim bait. 

 

Allen 

[blckshirt98]

If you're looking for a beefier spinnerbait I'm going to throw Reebs' Bolt Thrower to the list.  They're designed for saltwater so it's a heavy-duty wire with a closed line-tie and zip-tie to keep the skirt in place - https://www.reebslures.com/shop-all-lures/bolt-thrower