Spinnerbaits For Smallies

[Brick]

What is your favorite brand of spinner bait for smallies?

Not interested in in-line spinners.

Also, are there spinnerbaits available there are more compact than typical spinnerbaits in 3/8 and1/2 oz sizes? And, are some available that have a hook size smaller than typical?

There are some hidden weight spinnerbaits that have a smaller profile by hiding a lot of the weight under the skirt. You can order them from this website, and make your own, or you can look for prepackaged baits shaped like this.

http://lurepartsonline.com/Online-Store/Bass-Spinnerbait-Heads/Hidden-Weight-Spinnerbaits.html

[ClackerBuzz]

I love catching river smallies on a spinnerbait, nothing like burning a 1/2oz spinnerbait just below the surface enough that you can see the bait and then out of nowhere the bait makes an abrupt move to the side and the rod bends so hard and it feels as the fish is trying to pull the rod from your hands! spinnerbaits for smallies actually got me making my own since I couldn't find one that worked like I wanted it too. I make one specifically for the river so I can reel it fast in current without it rolling over, most of the spinnerbaits I bought in the 90's would roll over if you reeled them faster than a moderate pace and trying to get smallies that are in gin clear shallow water to hit a spinnerbait required a high speed approach and so here we are over a decade later and my spinnerbaits are still catching smallies!

nice blades smalljaw. i've been looking for a threat on making them. what gauge wire do you use?

[smalljaw67]

nice blades smalljaw. i've been looking for a threat on making them. what gauge wire do you use?

ClackerBuzz, the wire diameter I use depends on what kind of bait and what size I'm making, a normal 1/4 or 3/8oz spinnerbait I'm using .035 wire, occasionally I'll use .032 piano wire, for a 1/2oz bait and larger I like .040, that is the biggest I use.

[Pete-K]

1/2 oz short arm baits and up to 1 oz. Even used these when we were wade fishing the creeks around here. And we caught them from 1/2 lb to 5+ lbs in these feeder creeks. Bigger bait caught just as man small fish as big fish.

[ClackerBuzz]

tks smalljaw. i've read alot of people like throwing chartreuse blades in muddy water. i have lots of nickle blades i'd like to sand with fine grit paper and paint. do you ever paint ur blades or do u buy them already colored? if you paint, any paint brand recommendations? tks

[ClackerBuzz]

Chartreuse & white, painted blades and a trailer hook if there isn't too much junk in the water. When I started rolling my own I bought a couple walleye blade assortments with painted and metallic blades. After I ran out of metallic blades I threw a few together with painted blades. I won't go back, 75% of what I do now is with painted blades. Most of what I use is 3/4 anymore but I think I still have some lighter ones floating around. Dinks will still eat a big spinnerbait. I started putting a small ziptie around the skirt collar a couple years ago, they last longer that way.

i use a straight shank trailer hook for my spinnerbaits and buzzbaits but occasionally feel short strikes or bumps. i guy recommended a #1 or #2 treble hook w/ the bottom hook snipped off to make it weedless. did anyone ever experiment with it?

[A-Jay]

i use a straight shank trailer hook for my spinnerbaits and buzzbaits but occasionally feel short strikes or bumps. i guy recommended a #1 or #2 treble hook w/ the bottom hook snipped off to make it weedless. did anyone ever experiment with it?

I tried the treble hook trailer a few times attempting to get smb that were slashing at the bait but not really eating it. This did not improve the hook ups much if at all. Also fishing mostly open water or sparse cover, there was no need to snip off a hook point.

I did see a tip where guys reverse the direction of the single trailer hook to acclimate the point down in an attempt to improve hook ups from fish striking the bait from below. (which is mostly my case). I have yet to try it but will implement it this year and see what happens. Definitely not a weedless method however.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[smalljaw67]

tks smalljaw. i've read alot of people like throwing chartreuse blades in muddy water. i have lots of nickle blades i'd like to sand with fine grit paper and paint. do you ever paint ur blades or do u buy them already colored? if you paint, any paint brand recommendations? tks

I do occasionally paint blades but I do it for others, I haven't noticed a difference with more or less fish using painted blades but in certain circumstances I believe it helps. I power paint my baits and the blades, the only thing I do is strip the lacquer off ot the ones with it on and after they are painted I'll put a thin coat of epoxy over the blade to help keep it from chipping. I use both solid and metallic colors and here are some samples.

[Stingray23]

Revenge 1/2 oz. various colors and Peppers 1/2 double willow in green glimmer shad. If they are on a blade bite these two will do it 99% of the time.

Revenge are my favorite

[Jeff H]

Assassinator makes a sweet, high quality, hidden weight Compact model that is worth a look!

[angler3]

My favorite spinnerbaits are a toss up between strike king and terminator with war eagle being a runner up. All 3 have different purposes for different situations. War eagle makes a screaming eagle that is an awesome compact spinnerbait.

[A-Rob]

1/2 oz

booyah

bass pro

strike king

they've all worked good

won a tourney on the bass pro white spinnerbait on smallies

[flyeaglesfly5186]

Call me cheap, call me stingy, call me not a "real" fisherman. But my favorite brand has no name. It's the cheap $1 each ones at Wal-Mart. I've bought about 20 of them in different colors and sizes and fish whatever feels right that day for spinners. No need to drop $$$ on a spinner bait. With a little inginuity, pliers, and some spare parts I can modify these cheapies to do what I want, when I want them to. One trick I do love is putting a second hook off the main hook with a piece of rubber tubing. Works awesome for catching the late hits.

[CHRGD]

Painted blades as well for me. Clear water to muddy water, 1/2oz. Been using Terminators, War Eagles, Boo Yahs. I see there are alot of guys who build their own. I was wondering if anyone knows where I could get some of the willlow leaf blade that are beveled, like they use on the Terms. I am looking for a 4.5 and 3's or 3.5's? I've been painting my own with some rust-ol-em, and seems to work ok, but I do see some chipping. I may also look into a powder paint sprayer, thanks.

[mikebone]

3/8 oz strike king white spinnerbait with a white kalin grub trailer

[nquattro0123]

booyah micro pond spinner 1/2 oz.

[stkbassn]

What is your favorite brand of spinner bait for smallies?

Not interested in in-line spinners.

Also, are there spinnerbaits available there are more compact than typical spinnerbaits in 3/8 and1/2 oz sizes? And, are some available that have a hook size smaller than typical?

I love War Eagle spinnerbaits. They make a 5/16 Finesse Spinnerbait that casts very well and has a smaller profile. I've caught some good fish on these. I would check out War Eagle and Northstar for sure.