Spinnerbait Clevis And Bead Sizes

[shastaron]

I'm new to building spinnerbaits. I am going to be building 1/4 to 3/4 oz. with double blade willow leafs. Wire diameter will be .035 for the 1/4-3/8 with 4 & 3 willows. The 1/2 and up will have .041 wire with 5 and 4 willows. Occasionally I may use a Colorado for the small blade.

How do you guys determine what size bead, clevis, snap swivel to use?

Thanks for any help possible.

[Tony Maxwell]

I compare mine to one of the decent commercial baits as far as size. Using too small a clevis will not work. Also I use a ball bearing swivel with split rings on both ends. Good quality cost money? Good luck.

[cadman]

Several things come into consideration. If you look at the clevices, you will notice that they usually tell you the inside diameter or hole size. So in your case on the clevices, they may have an .040 that will fit the .035 wire and an .045 that will fit the .041 wire. Now if the .045 clevice is not too big, then you can use them for both wires. Also what determines what to use, is the bigger the clevice the more room you have for a blade to rotate. You do not want to use a small clevice and then find that the blade binds on the wire as it spins. I would buy several size clevices. They are not that expensive.

On the beads, again they need to fit over the wire diameter. You can use plastic beads as spacers and make the spinnerbait lighter, or metal beads which will add weigh to the spinnerbait and you will be able to fish deeper. A lot of this is personal preferance on what you like on a spinnerbait. They also have tubular spacers as well.................Good Luck

[smalljaw]

What cadman said is spot on, I use a size 3 clevis for 1/4oz to 3/4oz baits, the size 2 I use on the 1/4oz baits if I'm going to run a size #3 willow on it as the smaller blade doesn't work with the bigger clevis but any colorado or a #3.5 and I'm using the bigger one just because of binding issues. Don't let this stuff scare you, after you make a few you'll get a good understanding of how these go together and sizes will no longer be an issue. The only other word of advise for you is to stick with one manufacturer for a blade, the reason is the blade sizzes are different from one to the other for instance, a Lakeland 4.5 blade is the same as a Worth 5 and worth doesn't make a 4.5. You'll lear that by where you by your blades and the style you get and if you have doubt email the supplier and ask questions.