James RickardEqual time for spinnerbaits
July 15th 2007 23:57
I hope I didn’t make too many people upset by my last post. I don’t want anyone to think that I was promoting crankbaits over spinnerbaits. Knowing the versatility of the spinnerbait, I’d have to give it the nod in a popularity contest although I’m a little partial to my crankbaits. However, there’s a good reason for this! I started using crankbaits before spinnerbaits and so, I’ve caught more fish on crankers. If I had just one bait, though, it would have to be a spinnerbait. My next goal would be to have two—a light one for daytime and a darker one for night.
People sometimes refer to the spinnerbait as the “safety-pin lure.”
A slow to medium retrieve usually works best with spinnerbaits. The idea is to get them gliding through the water just fast enough to get the blades spinning. A clever tick is to give your line a tug after the lure sits motionless for a second or two. This gets the blades moving and gives curious fish a chance to home in on the action once again because they may have been scared off when the lure first splashed into the water. If you’re lucky, our aquatic friends will think that a meal has fallen into the water and go investigate! However, I wouldn’t recommend this action in all circumstances. Don’t use this technique unless you’re sure you won’t get hung up.
Another technique is the exact opposite of what we just talked about. If you’re not getting bit, try a really fast retrieve. This can trigger reactionary strikes in aggressive fish.
One of my most popular laments, “There are no definite answers in fishing” rings true with spinnerbaits.
When it comes to color, stick with basic stuff. White and chartreuse work well during the day. Spinnerbaits work well at night also. Try something in black and blue when the sun starts going down.
Don’t worry a whole lot about blades if you’re just starting out with spinnerbaits. Willowleaf blades have a long thin profile. The other popular style is the Colorado blade. These are shorter, rounder, and fatter. Use nickel plated ones for clearer water and copper or gold colored blades in darker water. The lures you buy should have everything balanced with the size of body, blade and skirt that is all in keeping with each other. If you feel creative, you can switch things around and use smaller blades on large spinnerbaits. Why??? A larger, heavier body will go deeper quicker but the smaller blades will mimic smaller bait fish. Another trick is to work on the skirt. Instead of throwing the lure as it comes from the package, try trimming the skirt so it angles toward the hook. To add bulk, you may try two skirts or a plastic or pork trailer. It’s okay to think outside the box and try and shake things up! The trick is to make things look just a little different. The fish may appreciate something different because there are a lot of spinnerbaits out there. If you get onto something different, practice, practice, practice because you can throw a spinnerbait all year ‘ round!
Until next time--watch yourself and watch your line!
*Top image from Wikipedia
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Comment by David
All of your posts upset me. They remind me of how much fun fishing used to be.
David ...
Comment by James Rickard
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