heavy spinnerbits

[jimmyjoe]

  I was talking this morning to a man who says he regularly uses 1 oz. (one ounce) spinnerbaits. He says they weigh a little over an ounce and a half, and over two ounces with trailer. I asked, "For musky?" and he said, "No. For bass."

  

  1) Does anyone here use these monsters for bass? (I use 5/8 max, myself)

 

   2) Do these show any better results than 1/2 and 5/8 spinnerbaits?  If so, where?

 

   3) What kind of rod is used for spinnerbaits this heavy, other than a musky rod? SB rod?

 

   I had seen this size spinnerbait, but always in the musky section of retail stores. I did a web search and found this size being sold as bass lures. Is this size something that's just a niche product, or has it been under my old-fogey radar?

 

   Thanx for your replies.   jj

[WRB]

Ledgebuster spinning baits have around a long time,

3/4 to 1 1/2 oz.

[Konajon]

That is bigger than any spinnerbait in my box and none of my normal freshwater rods would be up to the task of throwing a 2oz bait. I would have to use my 8’ St Croix Mojo Cat that I use for stripers in the salt.

[jimmyjoe]

24 minutes ago, WRB said:

Ledgebuster spinning baits have around a long time,

3/4 to 1 1/2 oz.

 

   I just found those on a search. One and a half ounces? Ouch! Looks like I've been leading a sheltered life!   

   Thanks, Tom!        jj

 

P.S. - I see they have another one that goes up to two and a half ounces!  ?

[HaydenS]

Steve Kennedy has used them for several top finished this year, on the bassmaster elite series.   He used the Strike King Bottom Dweller Spinnerbait (1 3/8 ounce) to get a fourth place finish at Pickwick.  He uses them in heavier current, and when he wants the lure to get down quicker.  

[king fisher]

I use 3/4 ounce spinnerbaits with small blades to get down to suspended bass in tree tops all the time.  I only use lighter spinnerbaits if I want to fish slowly near the surface.  If the bass want a smaller spinnerbait, but I need the weight, I either use a hidden weight style, or put a bullet sinker on the line in front of the spinnerbait.  I have seen pictures of guys using rubber core sinkers attached to the hook, and I am going to give that a try sometime.

[jimmyjoe]

  

5 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

He uses them in heavier current, and when he wants the lure to get down quicker.  

 

   So the way it SEEMS to me is that heavy bass spinnerbaits are for increased depth, whereas heavy musky spinnerbaits are large, but run more shallow.

   If I can find the guy I spoke with today again, I'm gonna ask him which spinnerbaits he's got. Just from the way he was talking, it didn't sound as if he was using them deep. I could be wrong, though.    jj

[Finessegenics]

I have some Bottom Dweller spinnerbaits which are 1 oz. I haven't used them much, but they are good in a lot of situations.

 

Firstly, just for fishing deep. Think 15+ fow where it would be a PITA to keep a 1/2 oz spinnerbait close to bottom. I don't really use them that way since I'm mostly bank-bound or fishing smaller waters that don't have that deep of water. 

 

A second method is in shallow water but truly burning them in. You'd want a bait that'll stay down easier but still stay in the strike zone (let's just say the middle of the water column in 10 fow). A 1oz spinnerbait with the right blade configuration is gonna stay in that zone a heck of a lot easier than 1/2 or 3/4, which would just end up at the surface. I've fished it like this but it can get pretty tiring flinging that bait all day. Maybe I'm just a wuss. And I also think I don't have the right equipment for it. I was using a H rod rated up to 1 3/8 oz. 

 

Thirdly, I've seen them used in heavy current. I remember watching the elite series event at pickwick and Steve Kennedy was throwing a 1 oz spinnerbait in some seriously fast water below Wilson dam (https://video.bassmaster.com/detail/videos/2021-pickwick-lake/video/6242726454001/kennedy-hooks-and-loses-big-one-in-rapids?autoStart=true). Doesn't look too safe but if you fish below a dam, even from shore, then it could be a technique to consider. 

 

Edit: Looks like @HaydenS beat me to it but you get the point lol!

[Dogface]

I use big spinner baits like those for pike and musky. They cause a lot of commotion and I suspect draw a lot of attention because of that commotion. BTW I have no trouble keeping the big ones on top.

 

I don't remember catching any bass on them but I probably have. I have caught a lot of small pike so catching bass is not a stretch. 

 

Next time I'm bass fishing I'll throw one. A change up like that might trigger some fish because it is something they do not usually see. 

[HaydenS]

13 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

Thirdly, I've seen them used in heavy current. I remember watching the elite series event at pickwick and Steve Kennedy was throwing a 1 oz spinnerbait in some seriously fast water below Wilson dam (https://video.bassmaster.com/detail/videos/2021-pickwick-lake/video/6242726454001/kennedy-hooks-and-loses-big-one-in-rapids?autoStart=true). Doesn't look too safe but if you fish below a dam, even from shore, then it could be a technique to consider. 

Why is kennedy so shaky?  It seems he is always shaky and has a hard time moving around his boat?  You know why?  I've seen other anglers tie knots and stuff, and there hands are super shaky. 

[Boomstick]

I do carry a 3/4oz and 1oz spinnerbait, but I rarely use anything over 1/2oz. They are good for getting your bait down into deeper areas.

[LrgmouthShad]

I’m pretty inexperienced here. When I get Fred’s Magic Stick now called Fred’s Frog Stick I believe, I’ll toss around some bigger spinners. I previously said on some thread that I know of someone secondhand who trophy fished for bass using only 1oz single Colorado spinnerbaits. That big ol head probably helped stabilize his lure and get it down deeper. There are some blade configurations that only a big ol head could stabilize. 

[Finessegenics]

3 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

Why is kennedy so shaky?  It seems he is always shaky and has a hard time moving around his boat?  You know why?  I've seen other anglers tie knots and stuff, and there hands are super shaky. 

No idea, he has tremors but hopefully something serious isn’t causing them. My grandma is the same way, but the the doctors ruled out Parkinson’s. 

[HaydenS]

Just now, Finessegenics said:

No idea, he has tremors but hopefully something serious isn’t causing them. My grandma is the same way, but the the doctors ruled out Parkinson’s. 

Hmm, I wonder if it just fishing fever lol.  I too hope nothing serious is causing them. 

[Deleted account]

8 minutes ago, Finessegenics said:

No idea, he has tremors but hopefully something serious isn’t causing them. My grandma is the same way, but the the doctors ruled out Parkinson’s. 

Too much caffeine, and holding my arm at a certain angle causes hand shakes for me sometimes. Docs have ruled out anything obvious, I think it may be sugar level related as well in my case. Sucks getting old.

[Bubba 460]

I use the 1 oz. Strike King Bottom Dweller Spinnerbait in the winter for deep bass with good success. Slow roll it along the bottom or fish in and around large schools of shad. A spinnerbait is just a mini Alabama rig.

 

[jimmyjoe]

33 minutes ago, BassWhole! said:

I think it may be sugar level related as well

 

   Bingo!        jj

 

 

   I'm getting the message, though. Heavy bass spinnerbaits are for depth.

   It's no wonder they never came up on my radar; the river isn't all that deep and most lakes around here aren't that deep.           jj

[gim]

I’ve got a few of those BIG spinnerbaits but they are definitely designed for muskie fishing. I don’t have bass gear big enough to even toss them on. It requires using my muskie setups.

 

Steve Kennedy has always been a little jittery. His balance is poor and coordination is mediocre at best. But that doesn’t stop him from bass fishing at the top professional level. In another activity like golf he would be a complete train wreck, especially on the putting green.

[Catt]

Well @jimmyjoe I'm gonna let a cat out the bag.

 

When bass are sitting on the bottom or suspended 2-3' off the bottom in 20' + throw a big spinnerbait & slow roll it like you would up shallow.

 

My buddies in East Texas gonna be ticked but like I told them y'all ain't gonna believe it anyway.

[jimmyjoe]

12 minutes ago, Catt said:

Well @jimmyjoe I'm gonna let a cat out the bag.

 

When bass are sitting on the bottom or suspended 2-3' off the bottom in 20' + throw a big spinnerbait & slow roll it like you would up shallow.

 

My buddies in East Texas gonna be ticked but like I told them y'all ain't gonna believe it anyway.

 

   @Catt , I believe everything you tell me!   ?        jj

[GreenPig]

I throw up to 2.5 ounce SB's on deep humps and points at night during the warmer months. My 1.5 ounce SB's have supplied a few big fish after I had a limit during daylight tournaments. I throw them on my 8'  Daiwa 1- 6 oz swimbait rod spooled with 20 lb CXX. 

[Munkin]

I rarely throw light weight spinnerbaits because of clear water or current. There is so much more to how a spinnerbait runs other than listed weight.  

 

Allen 

[Biglittle8]

5 hours ago, Bubba 460 said:

I use the 1 oz. Strike King Bottom Dweller Spinnerbait in the winter for deep bass with good success. Slow roll it along the bottom or fish in and around large schools of shad. A spinnerbait is just a mini Alabama rig.

 

☝️This.

[Bluebasser86]

I have a mold to pour my own 5/8, 3/4, and 1oz. I use the 3/4 a lot to make my own what I call "big ugly", spinnerbaits. The heavy head is required to counterbalance the huge Colorado blades I mount on them for maximum thump. A lot of them are tied with rubber skirts too.

 

[Bankbeater]

The heaviest spinnerbait I use is 1/2 ounce.  If I fished with anything heavier I'd have to cast it with my punch rig.