Inside/outside Of Spinner Blade Paint

[StreamFixer]

Newbie to the site and about to try building my first spinners. Mostly fish for Chinook and Coho salmon on the Columbia and coastal rivers.

Traditionally, the outside (side away from spinner shaft) of salmon spinners are painted and the inside left metallic or painted. I do not recall seeing a commercial spinner any other way.

I have read somewhere having the color on the inside of the blade, leaving the outside metallic, should work better. Anybody have thoughts or experience the might wish to impart on this?

Thank you

StreamFixer (river restoration specialist not an urologist ;o)

[Oldfart9999]

I would try it both ways. You can find good paints that will allow you to paint your own, either powder or spray.

Rodney

[smalljaw]

The outside of the blade is what creates the flash of color or light, the inside isn't very visible and it sort of works like the way a crankbait has a dark top and light bottom and as it rolls it creates a flashing effect. It doesn't hurt to do the inside but I don't think it is required, and I did it 3 different ways, I painted just the outside, and then just the inside and both sides. I found that either just the outside or both sides works better than just the inside, very little flash by doing it like that.

[FuzzyGrub]

Interesting topic and timely. I was just working with some old muskie/pike spinners that where handed down to me from my grandfather, years ago. All are nickel fluted blades, but the insides were all painted red. I couldn't tell if they were made that way or something my grandfather did. I suspect they were made that way.

I tried to rationalize why this was. Viewing from the side, agree with Smalljaw's description. It would still have plenty of flash. The only difference, I could think of, is when a fish approaches the lure from behind. It would have less flash, and maybe more natural??? The waters my grandfather would have fished were all clear.

I think I have seen this on other "old time" spinners as well. Wondering if it was a fad at the time, or a "secret" lost to modern mfg "value". Again, interesting topic, and look forward to others thoughts on this.

Edited January 1, 2012 by FuzzyGrub

[smalljaw]

Interesting topic and timely. I was just working with some old muskie/pike spinners that where handed down to me from my grandfather, years ago. All are nickel fluted blades, but the insides were all painted red. I couldn't tell if they were made that way or something my grandfather did. I suspect they were made that way.

I tried to rationalize why this was. Viewing from the side, agree with Smalljaw's description. It would still have plenty of flash. The only difference, I could think of, is when a fish approaches the lure from behind. It would have less flash, and maybe more natural??? The waters my grandfather would have fished were all clear.

I think I have seen this on other "old time" spinners as well. Wondering if it was a fad at the time, or a "secret" lost to modern mfg "value". Again, interesting topic, and look forward to others thoughts on this.

FuzzyGrub, most likely those blades were painted but the outside wore off from hitting rocks and rubbing against weeds and such. A lot of musky/pike stuff from way back was painted red or red/white, they were the the colors that were used the most. I never tried any of this stuff out on an in-line spinner, these were all experiments on bass spinnerbaits but watching them come through clear water you really couldn't tell if the inside was painted or not. Maybe if you did the inside of a black nickel or copper blade a color like chartreuse it might show up, I don't know but I tried it because I was wondering why some blades were either painted on 1 side and some on both and I found that you really only need 1 side so that is how I do it if I'm making a bait with painted blades.

[FuzzyGrub]

I don't think there was ever any paint on the outside. No evidence, including on the inside of stamped lettering. While the fluted, just have the number "7", the others have "1" and "W.T.J. Lowe Buffalo NY" stamped in them. A search did not find any of their spinners with paint on the outside.

Edited January 1, 2012 by FuzzyGrub

[smalljaw]

I don't think there was ever any paint on the outside. No evidence, including on the inside of stamped lettering. While the fluted, just have the number "7", the others have "1" and "W.T.J. Lowe Buffalo NY" stamped in them. A search did not find any of their spinners with paint on the outside.

http://www.liveaucti...com/item/174467

Here is a link to some I found from an auction site, it seems like maybe some had both sides while others may olny have been 1 side. You'll see in the lower left of the pic a blade that has a bit of red still on it. This is interesting though, it seems someone did use a lot of different methods, pretty neat.

Edited January 1, 2012 by smalljaw

[FuzzyGrub]

http://www.liveaucti...com/item/174467

Here is a link to some I found from an auction site, it seems like maybe some had both sides while others may olny have been 1 side. You'll see in the lower left of the pic a blade that has a bit of red still on it. This is interesting though, it seems someone did use a lot of different methods, pretty neat.

All of the ones with paint showing in that pic, are on the inside. You can tell by the loop soldered to the blade, which is in the inside.

Allot of the Lowe spinners, also mixed brass and nickel, which you don't see much of today.