How to find success on spinnerbaits

[Catt]

I fish a lot of deep offshore structure, my weapons of choice.

 

Texas Rig

Jig-n-Craw 

Spinnerbait

[LrgmouthShad]

13 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

I mostly use 7s because I don't have a problem with reeling slow

I am just saying, my sweet spot with spinnerbaits on my reel (5:4:1, 22 IPT) tends to range from speeds I would vaguely describe as ranging from super slow to moderate. On a 7 speed reel, it makes sense that the sweet spot for you is very  slow, then. 

[Deebo]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

As much as I love Stanley I would never over look a Hildebrand bladed spinnerbait. Booyah Covert is a prime example.

 

Talk about getting stuck in a rut, how many of y'all throw a spinnerbait in 15-25' of water, slow rolling it on the bottom?

 

Just had some of these made through Nichols custom shop. 1oz heads with a large chartreuse Colorado for slow rolling deep.

[LrgmouthShad]

53 minutes ago, Deebo said:

Just had some of these made through Nichols custom shop. 1oz heads with a large chartreuse Colorado for slow rolling deep.

Wait what. How?! I thought they closed their custom shop for spinnerbaits. Please I must know

[Munkin]

On 5/31/2022 at 7:06 PM, Catt said:

Stanley's Wedge Blades give off more flash & vibration than any blade made. The front of the blade has a thickness of .015 & increases to .030 to the back of the blade. 

 

Patented Tapered Wire, the Vibra-Shaft is unmatched in water displacement. Moving more water with less effort makes a great spinnerbait. Tapered wire transfers all the vibration to the tip of the wire, where the blades are. 

 

Stanley spinnerbaits & jigs were first to use silicone shirt & multi colored shirts. Lonnie Stanley worked with Mustad to come up with a true needle point hook.

 

I like Catt truly appreciate baits that Stanley designed.  In my own bait designs I come up with what are great engineering ideas only to find out Stanley was making them 10 yeats ago. He was not given the level of credit I believe he deserved. 

 

Allen 

[Munkin]

14 hours ago, DaubsNU1 said:

 

I stand corrected!

 

Would love to find a few more...but this price : ( 

 

 

 

 

 

I looked around for you and these are the only thing I can find. Best guess is these are Big Mouth baits based on the design. 

 

Allen 

[Deebo]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Wait what. How?! I thought they closed their custom shop for spinnerbaits. Please I must know

Just requested through email and they sent an invoice. Great place to deal with imo.

[Catt]

22 minutes ago, Munkin said:

He was not given the level of credit I believe he deserved

 

Lonnie was the first to use skirt collars, multi colored shirts, silicone skirts, glitter in shirts, tapered shafts, tapered blades, & struck a deal with Mustad to create the first needle point hook. Was instrumental in bringing tungsten weights to the forefront.

 

[Munkin]

2 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Lonnie was the first to use skirt collars, multi colored shirts, silicone skirts, glitter in shirts, tapered shafts, tapered blades, & struck a deal with Mustad to create the first needle point hook. Was instrumental in bringing tungsten weights to the forefront.

 

I remember the late 80's and early 90's where everyone was using Stanley jigs.

 

Going  back in time I made my first spinnerbait in 1987 at 12 yeats old out of some parts. Thirty five years later the tapered wire Stanley can up with is the best design period.  I  know people will argue this but from my experience as a  lure maker and a n engineer nothing beats this design unless we discover a new metal for spinnerbait wires.

 

Allen 

[Catt]

@Munkin

When I started bass fishing spinnerbaits were my first love.

 

CATT orginally stood for Cajun Anglers Tournament Tackle, I built spinnerbaits & crankbaits for a few tournament anglers.

 

With spinnerbaits I bent my own wires, built my own shirts, poured my own lead, & used round bend hooks.

 

I played around with wire diameters, short arms, long arms, double arms, R-Bend, & twisted eye.

 

I stopped making spinnerbaits when I meet Lonnie Stanley.

 

We ain't even mentioned Ribbits or double take frog hooks. 

 

John Hale worked for Lonnie Stanley & was the inventor of the Hale Craw Worm. The Hale brothers now own Stanley Jigs.

 

Mark Stevenson caught Ethel of Bass Pro Shop fame (ShareLunker 001) on a Stanley jig with a Hale Craw worm. 

 

There's a 10 fish stringer that's right at 100# caught by John at the Sportsman Cafe on Toledo Bend. 

[Takemetothebank]

9 minutes ago, Catt said:

@Munkin

When I started bass fishing spinnerbaits were my first love.

 

CATT orginally stood for Cajun Anglers Tournament Tackle, I built spinnerbaits & crankbaits for a few tournament anglers.

 

With spinnerbaits I bent my own wires, built my own shirts, poured my own lead, & used round bend hooks.

 

I played around with wire diameters, short arms, long arms, double arms, R-Bend, & twisted eye.

 

I stopped making spinnerbaits when I meet Lonnie Stanley.

 

We ain't even mentioned Ribbits or double take frog hooks. 

 

John Hale worked for Lonnie Stanley & was the inventor of the Hale Craw Worm. The Hale brothers now own Stanley Jigs.

 

Mark Stevenson caught Ethel of Bass Pro Shop fame (ShareLunker 001) on a Stanley jig with a Hale Craw worm. 

 

There's a 10 fish stringer that's right at 100# caught by John at the Sportsman Cafe on Toledo Bend. 

Super cool fishing history glad you were able to share 

[TnRiver46]

So the guys I’m camping with throw bush hog spinnerbaits and always bring nice bass back to camp. They aren’t produced anymore but they found some disabled vets that make them and got several dozen. I got 4 of them a few years back. So this evening I decided I’m going to chuck one until I catch something. Well 3 hours in, no fish, I hooked my buddy’s line on back cast and got horrible backlash . So I picked up my black jig and caught a fish immediately………….

 

then I get back to camp after dark and everybody’s got big bass, the king of the bush hog has 3 fish about 4 lbs a piece. I said “I guess you got them with bush hog?” He says “ no, purple finesse worm” which happens to be my favorite lure ?‍♂️ 
 

I wish spinnerbaits were never invented hahaha

[OkobojiEagle]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

glitter in shirts

 

I believe that was Liberace...

 

oe

[ironbjorn]

10 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I am just saying, my sweet spot with spinnerbaits on my reel (5:4:1, 22 IPT) tends to range from speeds I would vaguely describe as ranging from super slow to moderate. On a 7 speed reel, it makes sense that the sweet spot for you is very  slow, then. 

Just fast enough to feel the blades turning

[Cgolf]

I just realized for a week long fishing trip I will have 2 full blade krate boxes with a mix of mostly 1/4, 3/16, and 5/16 oz spins and a plano edge jig box with my homemade baits for over 100 spins in the boat! The non homemade are mostly war eagles some hummdingers, Nichols 33 minis, Strike Kings, and two from Allen.

 

I am still versitile on the water throwing other baits a lot as well, but will always have a 2 rods rigged for spins, one a lighter bait and the other one a heavier bait (1/2 ounceish). I even catch keeper walleye as well when out fishing with spins. 

 

This thread is rough though as the bait monkey will now have gotten me as I need to try the Stanley spinnerbaits next year. I don't believe the wife will let me order anymore fishing gear for this season.

[gunsinger]

This thread inspired me to give spinnerbaits a try again.  Found a bit of success slow rolling this chart/white spinnerbait along the bottom at 10'.  Stuck and lost another bigger one later along the shoreline brush.  I'll have to keep one on the deck more often.

 

[Takemetothebank]

3 hours ago, Cgolf said:

I just realized for a week long fishing trip I will have 2 full blade krate boxes with a mix of mostly 1/4, 3/16, and 5/16 oz spins and a plano edge jig box with my homemade baits for over 100 spins in the boat! The non homemade are mostly war eagles some hummdingers, Nichols 33 minis, Strike Kings, and two from Allen.

 

I am still versitile on the water throwing other baits a lot as well, but will always have a 2 rods rigged for spins, one a lighter bait and the other one a heavier bait (1/2 ounceish). I even catch keeper walleye as well when out fishing with spins. 

 

This thread is rough though as the bait monkey will now have gotten me as I need to try the Stanley spinnerbaits next year. I don't believe the wife will let me order anymore fishing gear for this season.

 

sounds like my soft plastic addiction 

[bowhunter63]

Mix up colors sizes and different blades. Mo wrong way to throw one . Keep castin and they will come 

[BrianMDTX]

I started reading this thread a few days ago. Didn’t know why, as me and spinnerbaits are not on the friendliest of terms lol. But if there’s one thing I love about BR, it’s not just the “ask a question, get answers”; it’s the impetus it gives me to try new baits or keep plugging away at ones that frustrate me at times. 
 

I got home today with the single thought of stripping off old mono off a Black Max on a MH/F Aird-X and respooling with 12 lb. Big Game. I did that. And when I put the rig back in the rack, I spied my Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with a 4/0 EWG and a 3/16” oz. bullet weight and decided to tie on a…spinnerbait. I put a green pumpkin Rage Menace as a trailer and hit the pond for 30 minutes. 
 

The first few casts were snagging algae every 2nd or 3rd cast, but I stuck with it. About 11-12 casts later, I felt it snag on algae again. Except the algae starting fighting back! Holy crap. I caught a decent bass on a spinnerbait! 
 

 

Not a giant, but boy, I was happy with it!

[TnRiver46]

55 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I started reading this thread a few days ago. Didn’t know why, as me and spinnerbaits are not on the friendliest of terms lol. But if there’s one thing I love about BR, it’s not just the “ask a question, get answers”; it’s the impetus it gives me to try new baits or keep plugging away at ones that frustrate me at times. 
 

I got home today with the single thought of stripping off old mono off a Black Max on a MH/F Aird-X and respooling with 12 lb. Big Game. I did that. And when I put the rig back in the rack, I spied my Falcon Lowrider All ‘Round Fast MH/F with a 4/0 EWG and a 3/16” oz. bullet weight and decided to tie on a…spinnerbait. I put a green pumpkin Rage Menace as a trailer and hit the pond for 30 minutes. 
 

The first few casts were snagging algae every 2nd or 3rd cast, but I stuck with it. About 11-12 casts later, I felt it snag on algae again. Except the algae starting fighting back! Holy crap. I caught a decent bass on a spinnerbait! 
 

 

Not a giant, but boy, I was happy with it!

Not fair………

[BrianMDTX]

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Not fair………

LMAO. I sympathize with you. It’s only my third ever bass on a spinnerbait, and the first one hit it as soon as it hit the water, and the second was less than 10” from the bank as I was lifting it out of the water. So I consider this my first “true” spinnerbait bass. 

[TnRiver46]

1 minute ago, BrianMDTX said:

LMAO. I sympathize with you. It’s only my third ever bass on a spinnerbait, and the first one hit it as soon as it hit the water, and the second was less than 10” from the bank as I was lifting it out of the water. So I consider this my first “true” spinnerbait bass. 

Heck yeah man 

[scaleface]

I guess the past two years I have caught in the neighborhood a thousand bass on a spinnerbait . Caught a five bass 20 lb stringer a month ago on one . They just work where I fish .

[DaubsNU1]

8 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

LMAO. I sympathize with you. It’s only my third ever bass on a spinnerbait, and the first one hit it as soon as it hit the water, and the second was less than 10” from the bank as I was lifting it out of the water. So I consider this my first “true” spinnerbait bass. 

 

Outstanding!  Keep hammering them! 

 

 

[BrianMDTX]

Ok. I’m starting to hear Mickey Dolenz in my head singing “I’m a Believer”! 
 

I was getting my gear ready for tomorrow morning’s trip to the pond and I saw that spinnerbait tied on the Falcon and thought “what the heck, let’s go for an hour”. So I did. First few casts were snagging on mossy algae while slow rolling so I started to pick up the pace. Didn’t matter, as a few casts later the bait got inhaled about 0.5 seconds after it hit the water. Not as big as yesterday’s, but it fought a lot more. 
 

 

Casted a few more times and while working it back to shore, it got crushed. But it did not feel “bassy” to me. It wasn’t. I caught my first catfish on a crankbait a few weeks ago. Now I can add spinnerbaits to that!