Afternoon Delight

[Swamp Girl]

I fished my pond for two hours this afternoon. Less than ideal conditions, as it was sunny and mid-day, but I managed to catch nine bass and because I only caught nine, I'll show them all. The first was 18", caught on a Molix titanium spinnerbait. It looks great in the water, BUT it only caught five bass before breaking, which is worse than my less expensive stainless steel spinnerbaits. I own another four of the Molix spinnerbaits and I sure hope they outlast my first one. Speaking of first, here's that first bass, caught on my second cast. A chunky girl:

 

 

The second Molix spinnerbait bass also came about five feet from the shoreline. Not as long as the first at 17 inches, but also thick:

 

 

Then I caught three smaller bass, all on the Molix.

 

 

Timeout for a pretty pic!

 

 

I then caught a dink. YIKES!

 

 

The next one was an upgrade.

 

 

This bass was short, but thick and powerful. Again and again, she tried to reach the woody bushes on the shoreline.

 

 

I finished strong.

 

 

I wish they'd just hang when I lip and grip them, but they're nearly always twisting and flopping. They fight in the water, in the net, and in my hands.

 

I caught three of the final four on an underspin with a chartreuse Crush City Mayor. By the final fish, I had bit off the head of the the Mayor and lost the spinner blade. I also caught one bass on a wacky worm.

 

I lost a nice lmb who jumped and a rare (for my pond) smallie on its third jump. I wish I'd landed that smallie because all the uncommon smallies from my pond are fat. 

 

I'm fishing the fog tomorrow morning and I am super excited about that! Fingers crossed for a big girl. 

 

[NorcalBassin]

Congrats on a beautiful day and pond it looks like you had all to yourself!

[pdxfisher]

Looks like those bass are never safe from you! I bet they usually enjoy their afternoons but now they will be scared all the time

 

What is breaking on the spinnerbaits? I think the only time I broke a spinnerbait was when I caught a huge channel cat on one at night. That catfish wadded it up like a piece of paper

[Swamp Girl]

11 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

 

What is breaking on the spinnerbaits?

 

The metal snaps where I tie my knot. I think it's because of all the bending. The bass bend the spinnerbaits in the fights and I bend them back so they'll run upright.

[Jig Man]

I assume that you are using the R wire type of spinner baits.  I have had that same problem.  I have come up with a solution that works for me.  I wrap the bend with braided line or floral wire then cover it with heat shrink tubing.  That keeps the bend in place and the wire doesn’t get deformed and break.  It hasn’t had any effect on the way the bait runs.

 

[Swamp Girl]

47 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

I assume that you are using the R wire type of spinner baits.  I have had that same problem.  I have come up with a solution that works for me.  I wrap the bend with braided line or floral wire then cover it with heat shrink tubing.  That keeps the bend in place and the wire doesn’t get deformed and break.  It hasn’t had any effect on the way the bait runs.

 

 

Do you have a photo of the wrapped bend before it's covered with shrink tubing?

[TnRiver46]

As yall may have already guessed, I have never had a fish break my spinnerbait. Broke one on the trolling motor once 

[Jig Man]

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Do you have a photo of the wrapped bend before it's covered with shrink tubing?

No but I will take and post one.

[Swamp Girl]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

As yall may have already guessed, I have never had a fish break my spinnerbait. Broke one on the trolling motor once 

 

They break after you've caught between five and twenty bass. At the rate you catch them on spinnerbaits, I expect your first spinnerbait will break in 2094. 

[Jig Man]

I use the shrink tubing from Harbor freight in the $1.00 pack.  It just cleans everything up and makes no way especially for the wire to hang.

 

[Swamp Girl]

Thanks, @Jig Man! That is such a clever solution. 

[Rockhopper]

Dobyns Beast will solve that problem.  I have spinnerbaits that have caught a couple hundred fish each.  Literally.  Outside of repainting the heads over time and a touch up every year or so on the hook sharpness, have never had one break.

[Swamp Girl]

16 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

Dobyns Beast will solve that problem.  I have spinnerbaits that have caught a couple hundred fish each.  Literally.  Outside of repainting the heads over time and a touch up every year or so on the hook sharpness, have never had one break.

 

I just ordered seven of them. Fingers crossed you're right. My baits do take a beating. I catch a lot of fish, often in heavy cover. They're not long like Florida bass, but they're also not skinny like many Florida bass I see posted at BR. They're packed with muscle and they know how to use it. 

[Rockhopper]

11 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I just ordered seven of them. Fingers crossed you're right. My baits do take a beating. I catch a lot of fish, often in heavy cover. They're not long like Florida bass, but they're also not skinny like many Florida bass I see posted at BR. They're packed with muscle and they know how to use it. 

Obviously I am a sample of one, but as I have stated in other threads, I use spinnerbaits more than any other lure.  It is my favorite way to fish, and I own and have used more spinnerbaits than any one person should.  I am at the point that all I buy anymore is Dobyn's Beast.  I own probably 40+ of just that style in various colors and blade configurations.  But what is funny is I end up using the exact same bait pretty much the entire year, or until I do something silly like lose it in a tree.  The paint will chip over time with use from banging on docks and trees, etc.  It is high quality paint but there is no avoiding that with any brand.  They are very heavy wire and a very stout hook, but are normal in size and shape.  Don't let the name Beast fool you into thinking they are giant size spinnerbaits.  I have had a couple really big girls bend them out slightly reeling back into the boat, but we are talking like 6+ pound fish.  With any spinnerbait though, you can't just tighten drag and horse the fish into the boat.  That will bend even the heaviest wire baits you can get.  Let me know what you think after you get them.  I do not see them talked about much.

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

With any spinnerbait though, you can't just tighten drag and horse the fish into the boat.  That will bend even the heaviest wire baits you can get.

 

I did not know this. You're a font of helpful info today, so thanks!

 

I'm glad that you've tried so many spinnerbaits and settled on the Beast. This gives me confidence.

[Rockhopper]

2 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

I did not know this. You're a font of helpful info today, so thanks!

 

I'm glad that you've tried so many spinnerbaits and settled on the Beast. This gives me confidence.

I first found out about them from watching a YouTube video years ago of one of the lakes down in Mexico where they are constantly catching double digit bass.  I couldn't tell you now who was in the video, but I remember the guide saying specifically that is all he uses in the winter down there for catching donkeys.  After seeing the video I ordered a couple from TW to try out.  Haven't looked back since.  I have pretty much given away all my other brands at this point.  Mostly to my 14 yo son who seems to loose one every trip out. 😆

[Swamp Girl]

Okay, Mr. Hopper, you're giving more and more confidence. I'm so excited to try them! 

 

What's the color you like best?

[Rockhopper]

15 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

What's the color you like best?

In my waters I use the 1/2oz nickel/nickel double willow Shimmer Shad probably 90% of the time.  Followed with shad/clear/chart nickel/nickel double willow, then again by Chart/shad double willow nickel/gold.

 

They obviously catch donkeys. Below is the 3/8oz size.

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

As @AlabamaSpothunter has observed many times, if lmb grew a bit bigger, they'd try to swallow Ranger bass boats. Thanks for the color suggestions. Our water is tannin-stained, so I'll have to muddle what works best here. The bass will tell me. 

[Rockhopper]

3 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

As @AlabamaSpothunter has observed many times, if lmb grew a bit bigger, they'd try to swallow Ranger bass boats. Thanks for the color suggestions. Our water is tannin-stained, so I'll have to muddle what works best here. The bass will tell me. 

That is no joke. Living garbage disposals.

 

Stained water I would try both nickel blades shimmer shad color and also heavy chartreuse with gold blades. I prefer double willows for flash.  My waters tend to be more clear.  Stained waters you might want to try willow/colorado combo blades for thump and vibration.

[Swamp Girl]

I bought several with gold blades because golden shiners are the primary forage here and I've had good luck with gold everything in the past, but I bought some nickel ones too.

[Rockhopper]

Also, baits with double willow blades will sink faster than with colorado blades because science.  Looks like from your photos I have seen you are not fishing a lot of depth.  Colorados also give off more thump and vibration.  But don't be afraid to fish a heavier weight with a faster retrieve.  They will smash a spinnerbait being burned across the top of grass.  I will typically throw a 1/2 or 3/4oz bait with a really fast retrieve across the top of grass 6" below the water surface opposed to a lighter lure with a slower retrieve at the same depth.  Very much reaction bites.  I have had them hit the bait more times than not almost immediately when the bait hits the water when fishing shallow.

[Swamp Girl]

15 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

I have had them hit the bait more times than not almost immediately when the bait hits the water when fishing shallow.

 

I've only been fishing spinnerbaits a few weeks, but I've already had this happen several times. It's as if I'd cast the bait right into their open mouths.

 

Good tip about burning heavy spinnerbaits in shallow water. I do think that most of the bass I catch are reaction biting...and I think this because I'm a fast angler, casting as many times as possible to cover water and find the most reactive bass. 

[Rockhopper]

Spinnerbaits are an amazing tool.  Can be fished slow to fast, shallow to very deep, open water or heavy cover, steady retrieve to a chopped up retrieve.  Extremely versatile and they just flat out catch fish.  Great tool for those of us who don't use electronics and have to search for fish the old fashioned way.

[Swamp Girl]

19 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

Extremely versatile and they just flat out catch fish

 

Heck, yeah!

 

19 minutes ago, Rockhopper said:

Great tool for those of us who don't use electronics and have to search for fish the old fashioned way.

 

Indeed.