New To Spinner Baits

[butch19]

i have fished with plastics for a few yrs now and have caught a good many bass but wanting to start purchasing some spinners.i fish the potomac between dam 4 and dam 5.what should i be looking for?size,color,blade etc....also i have a few buzz baits that i have done well with!thanx for any help

[lynyrdsky1]

I'm not familiar with the area you are fishing but I think I can help you with spinnerbaits. As a beginner I would just start off with a 3/8 tandem with big willow small colorado and a chartruese/white skirt. Probably be best for the willow to be gold and the colorado to be silver. This combination is a perfect all around set-up for a spinnerbait cause your getting pretty much everything you need. That skirt color is good in most types of water clarity and the blade combination should give you a good amount of flash and vibration.

[Garry2Rs]

Spinnerbaits are very easy to use. Cast them out and crank them back in.

In clear water I like to match the forage, but I read that a combination of chartreuse and white is the most popular skirt colour nation wide.

Willow leaf blades technically run deeper and Colorado blades run shallower with more thump...In truth, in most cases I don't think there is really that much to choose here. I go with what I have available. With docks and other targets where you have a variety of depths, you might choose to cast to the deep edge and let the bait free-fall toward the bottom. This is one time where I might choose a single Colorado blade over the more common multiple willow-leaf set-up.

In general, if you spot a likely area like a dock, rock, tree or stump, cast passed the prime target and wind the bait back through the strike zone. Wind them fast or slow or some where in the middle...They work at all speeds but sometimes the fish will like it better at particular speeds on different days.

With fallen or sunken trees etc. where there are multiple potential holding spots, start at the outside and work in. You want to bring the bait along, over and through as many branches as you can. Many people, including KVD, recommend bumping off of branches etc. to cause the bait to deflect sideways. This can trigger strikes.

Don't worry about shallow water or thick cover, with the hook turned up, spinnerbaits are quite snag resistant. Don't be afraid to throw them at any "Bassy" looking spots you see.

One trick I use in shallow or snaggy spots is to stop the spool of my bait caster with my thumb as the spinnerbait lands, and raise the rod tip to tighten the line. If the bait touches something, this helps the bait to sit upright instead of falling over. By keeping the line tight and drawing back on the rod, as I am getting the reel in gear, I very seldom get snagged.

Most people recommend using a trailer hook. This is good advice, but in really heavy cover I might go without the extra hook.

Everybody makes spinnerbaits, and they are very simple to assemble yourself. One of my favourite brands is Strike King. They make several grades of spinnerbaits but I use their best baits because they have a special one piece skirt that is more durable than the loose strands held together by a rubber-band. There is also a trailer hook included in the package.

Good luck

Garry2R's

[Dallon White]

If you suspect any monsters in your area you fish, you need to use big baits to catch them, try a musky bucktail, 8 inches or bigger. guaranteed the big ones never seen such a lure and they will be very willing to eat it. i have video's and posted a topic on using musky lures for bass and i believe its the new thing to do.

[basser89]

i have fished with plastics for a few yrs now and have caught a good many bass but wanting to start purchasing some spinners.i fish the potomac between dam 4 and dam 5.what should i be looking for?size,color,blade etc....also i have a few buzz baits that i have done well with!thanx for any help

Most of my Potomac fishing is done below dam 4 down but can tell you I've had success with spinnerbaits ranging from 1/8oz all the way up to 3/4oz. Careful with those spinnerbaits though, toothy critters enjoy them too and will take them from ya in a heartbeat! Color wise, baitfish colors, chart, chart/white would be good starters. I'd start with some in the 3/8oz range and add from there with what you have success with.

[butch19]

Most of my Potomac fishing is done below dam 4 down but can tell you I've had success with spinnerbaits ranging from 1/8oz all the way up to 3/4oz. Careful with those spinnerbaits though, toothy critters enjoy them too and will take them from ya in a heartbeat! Color wise, baitfish colors, chart, chart/white would be good starters. I'd start with some in the 3/8oz range and add from there with what you have success with.

are you fishing this by boat?

[butch19]

Most of my Potomac fishing is done below dam 4 down but can tell you I've had success with spinnerbaits ranging from 1/8oz all the way up to 3/4oz. Careful with those spinnerbaits though, toothy critters enjoy them too and will take them from ya in a heartbeat! Color wise, baitfish colors, chart, chart/white would be good starters. I'd start with some in the 3/8oz range and add from there with what you have success with.

are you fishing this by boat?