Matching The Hatch With Your Spinnerbaits?

[Curt - NC]

When you're creating spinnerbaits of your own, how much trouble do you go to to try and match the forage of a specific lake you plan on fishing?

 

I personally don't go to much trouble. I just try to use color schemes that will draw strikes based on overall conditions, water clarity (or lack of it), and maybe time of year.

 

Sometimes I even go with "the shock factor" by using extremely gaudy baits that I know the fish haven't seen before. This works really well for me in dirty water or under low light conditions, such as dusk and dawn.

 

Should I be putting more effort and thought into this? I try to keep things simple and basic and it seems to have worked for me over the last 20 years, but maybe I'm missing something!

 

I look forward to your comments and feedback

[RayburnGuy]

A good friend of mine was in the boat with me one day and the bass definitely weren't setting our drags on fire, but we were catching a few fish. It was in the spring of the year and we were throwing 'traps over and around the grass on Sam Rayburn. Everything was going along pretty smoothly until my buddy tied on a pink.........yes I said PINK.......BRIGHT PINK.......spinnerbait. Now this was years ahead of all the bubblegum and white Sluggos and other brightly colored baits that are acceptable in the world of bass fishing these days. You can only imagine all the grief I gave him talking about his girly bait. Asking him if he was wearing panties to match his spinnerbait. That was until he started catching fish on that sucker. That's been many, many years ago and eating crow wasn't any easier back then than it is now. I'm just now getting all the black feathers out of my mouth.

 

For myself I usually try to keep things fairly simple and like you mentioned make my choices on water clarity, time of year, etc. Just keep in mind that things like fishing in just a couple feet of water doesn't necessarily mean fishing a 1/8 or 1/4 oz. bait. One thing I like to do is throw a 3/4 oz. spinnerbait with a single large Colorado blade during the spawn. Running it just under the surface so it creates a wake can drive a bass nuts. I've had them come screaming out of the buck brush from 3 or 4 feet away to get at that sucker.

 

Ben

[Curt - NC]

LOL.. bright pink!

 

I might mention, also, that fishing with these gaudy baits (like the one pictured above) can result in some vicious strikes!

 

I have had the rod literally almost ripped from my hands when throwing these baits

[RayburnGuy]

The one in the picture should be a good one in the spring. I'm sure the secret is out about "Rayburn Red" in the spring. lol

[smalljaw]

I get really specific with spinnerbaits, I make spinnerbaits specifically for burning, and yes, it was before Strike King started doing it...LOL!!! I make them for slow rolling and I also have models that are just for use in current, those are similar to the ones I make for burning in that I bend the wire forms using steeper angles to cut down on drag and smaller blades, the difference between the current and the burner is the burner has smaller blades while the current uses a size larger with more spaces between the blades. I like to use bright colors in dingy water and translucent colors in clear water, what seems important is that you match the size of the bait to the forage, the color isn't as important in dingy water as it is in clear water. I found that in clear water the fish would avoid a white bait or simply swipe at it while a pearl color they would eat, it sounds strange but it gets like that but I only witnessed that in super clear water but matching the size of the forage is more important than matching the color for the most part.

[mark poulson]

For pure flash, try adding some silver Flashabou, the thin silver mylar strips, to you skirts, extending the flashabou past the skirt 3/4" or so to make a built-in trailer.  It works in both clear and off colored water.

[canuck]

Interesting question/discussion and some very time proven answers.Being new to making and fishing spinner baits.The real question for me is what is the magic behind why these wonderous inventions work so effectively. I love them! Since being told about the fish catching ability of these wonder baits I have pondered details like the blades size,vibration,numbers, flash, colour,balance, spacing, beading,head style, weight of head,closed wire type, open or R type bend, skirt strand numbers, colour.Use a trailer or not,bulk up the body with a grub or a worm trailer. How long a worm length two tails or one and it goes on and on.The combinations are endless and limited to ones imagination and avaiability of materials.They catch fish for me ! I know some guys that wouldnt thank you for a spinner bait. They may have tried one once and never had any luck with it or couldnt figure out how to tune it properly so it tracked properly. I have confidence that they catch fish for me.I use them for mainly pike fishing so I build mine with a bit more weight in them.The 3/8oz heads dont track very well with the larger blades that I choose to use so 1/2 oz anjd 5/8oz are my choice. The point is these baits are extreamly versatile in application and design.My question is Dose the head and skirt mimic a predator fish attacking foriage fish,simulated by the flash of the blades thus triggering a strike. Or is it the flash and vibrations from the blades give the total bait presentation the alure which causes the trike. On so many occasions a follow up will happen. Something about the presentation is appealing but not quite enough to trigger a strike. So many variables that one out of five basic things can make and do make a difference. Figuring out what is working and changing some parts of the presentation and delivery for the conditions is the real talent when fishing these baits.Figuring out what the fish want at any given time is the trick.Certainly luck is a factor but adapting to changes in light water colour wind sun etc is paramount in being consistant with catching and not just fishing these amazing baits.. To make it even more interesting . what bait worked here then dosent work here any more. Especially with heavy fishing pressure. Go to baits or old favourites stop working as fish stop biteing. The mastery of observation of sorroundings and applying tried and true combinations usually results in catching . I only wish I had invented the spinner bait and held the pattent of its design.Does any one have the answers? If it catches fish use it.If it isnt working ,change it out right of part of it. Sorry for the rant. Cheers

[Brent R]

Curt that orange spinnerbait is killer at night. I've got some orange and black also that are good at night and i also use orange floating worms.

[Curt - NC]

Curt that orange spinnerbait is killer at night. I've got some orange and black also that are good at night and i also use orange floating worms.

 

I used to use that exact bait for night fishing and did well on it, but then I started making black single spin baits specifically for fishing at night and they out-produced the red baits by a huge margin.

 

But under certain conditions, baits like this red one can do really well when the black single spin doesn't get bit!

 

My best success with this red bait has been in low-light conditions, such as dusk or dawn, but also in muddy water or when the water is churned up due to high winds.

[RayburnGuy]

I used to use that exact bait for night fishing and did well on it, but then I started making black single spin baits specifically for fishing at night and they out-produced the red baits by a huge margin.

 

But under certain conditions, baits like this red one can do really well when the black single spin doesn't get bit!

 

My best success with this red bait has been in low-light conditions, such as dusk or dawn, but also in muddy water or when the water is churned up due to high winds.

 

Try that blade on a black bait. (single spinner) A friend of mine swears by it under the low light conditions you mentioned.

 

Ben

[Curt - NC]

Try that blade on a black bait. (single spinner) A friend of mine swears by it under the low light conditions you mentioned.

 

Ben

 

Thanks Ben, I'll try to remember to try that!

[RayburnGuy]

Thanks Ben, I'll try to remember to try that!

 

Works on a buzz bait too. The color. Not the blade.

 

Ben

Edited September 27, 2013 by RayburnGuy

[Curt - NC]

Works on a buzz bait too. The color. Not the blade.

 

Ben

 

Agreed!

[crankbaits]

Canuck brought up a great point. Does the preditor fish percieve the spinnerbait as a bait fish or as a preditor chasing a bait fish

[Curt - NC]

Canuck brought up a great point. Does the preditor fish percieve the spinnerbait as a bait fish or as a preditor chasing a bait fish

 

That's probably something we will never know for sure. But we do know that spinnerbaits work and they work well!

[smalljaw]

Canuck brought up a great point. Does the preditor fish percieve the spinnerbait as a bait fish or as a preditor chasing a bait fish

 

I was told a long time ago by an old river rat that the spinnerbait was invented by a guy who was using a spoon during a windy day and his boat was drifting off his spot and his line got twisted and when he was brining in the spoon it was spinning and a small fish was following it and right before he got it to the boat a bigger fish ate the small fish trailing the spinning spoon. That gave the angler an idea that he could fashion a lure that would look like a fish following smaller fish and a bigger fish is going to eat the fish that is following and that is how it came about. I'll admit I don't know if it is true but I often looked at the spinnerbait ever since as a fish chasing smaller fish, I believe the fish see the flash and feel the vibration and when they hone in the see the larger body which would be a better meal so they hit the body most of the time. I have had days were they hit the blades but when that happens I just down size the bait and that usually works.

[crankbaits]

Thats a great story Smalljaw.I think most of us have had that happen.Realing in a small fish and have a giant follow it.I think they see another fish feeding and get fired up.One of you wire bait guys should make a spinnerbait size bama rig.Make the blades in a circle around a offset spinner bait head.

[Apdriver]

Thats a great story Smalljaw.I think most of us have had that happen.Realing in a small fish and have a giant follow it.I think they see another fish feeding and get fired up.One of you wire bait guys should make a spinnerbait size bama rig.Make the blades in a circle around a offset spinner bait head.

I like the idea. Similar to the A Rig in that you make the bait with 5 quality swivels, 5 blades, nice head, paint and skirting. Then you lose one. Geesh, now I have to go put in some overtime to pay for it.

[smallmouthaholic]

Spinner baits are reaction baits that provoke strikes from aggressive bass I.M.O.. White ,chartreuse and black are the 3 standard body colors.I currently have 2 Pro-staffers testing a special alloy,clear head that has 3-d eyes and is epoxy coated to prevent oxidation. Many,including myself are of the opinion that painted heads are unnecessary on a spinner bait-time will tell.That said,I sell plenty of  3 colored head spinner baits. 4 color skirts for white and chartreuse  baits enhance the appeal and a grub/swim-bait trailer can be the real deal.

 

I personally stick w/ and manufacture standard blade configurations. I use the K.I.S.S. philosophy -

(keep it simple stupid)

 

1- Colorado /willow combo

2- double willows

3-Colorado/Oklahoma blade

4-Short-arm w/no#3-4-5 single Colorado blades- for night fishing for both LM and SMB we use a No#5 6,single Colorado blade painted black w/ a 3.75' swim-bait trailer.

 

Others may use all types of blade configurations with success.

 

Most want 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz. w/ 3/15 oz. being the norm for summer,low water river fishing.We use a 1oz for slow-rolling a No# 3 gold Colorado/No#6 Willow w/ grub trailer for LMB. A 1 0z. w/ a single no# 8 deep cup Colorado for night fishing-black blade and skirt.

 

Spinner baits work best in stained water-especially for river SMB. That said, chartreuse head and chartreuse willow blades are the gold standard during the fall in clear water @ 1000 islands burned @ a very fast retrieve for SMB

 

I only use Worth blades, wire forms and ball bearing swivels on my spinner baits. Component Systems water base paint and 2 pt.epoxy are air brushed on the heads.the paint will not fall off of the spinner bait head-even if the epoxy gets chipped from rocks.

 

To burn a spinner bait w/ a fixed, s.s. wire form,simply close the upper arm closer to the bottom of the wire form . Open it up to slow roll. Flexible cable spinner baits address the problem w/out any adjustment for burning or slow rolling. They are tricky and time consuming to make.but provide excellent hook-ups w/out the use of trailer hooks which I dislike and will not use.

[canuck]

Thanks for sharing your vast  experiences. That was a ton of great info and design ideas. I have heard mention by others the dislike or preference of using open or "R" type wire forms for spinnerbaits versus closed loop forms .It being said that the line gets caught between the wire wraps and break off occurs frequently.I have never experienced this but do think that some vibration is absorbed by the wound wire type but is well worth the gains in strength of bait . Thus compensating for any vibration loss at the head and skirt. The amount of tuning seams to me less often with the closed form style aswell. Any thoughts on this plus wire fatigue and upper arm break offs from stess from using larger blades.etc. As I mainly fish for pike ,a fairly toothy predator I still put a lot of pressure on my baits from holding some of if not all of the fishes weight while trying to free the bait from there mouth and net etc.This adds a lot of extra stress on the wire and the need for tuneing after every fish. I also line and knot check after each strike or landing a fish  to save on throw away baits.It sucks when you finally find a working pattern or combo and loose it after catching only one fisf due to line abrassion or knot failure.

[smallmouthaholic]

I won't use close eye spinner bait forms.I'd recommend moving up to .050 wire diameter w/ your spinner bait wire for pike and other large toothers.I've never had a wire form break but others using titanium forms have.Tuning spinner baits after catching large fish is part of the game and a necessity.Salvaging the blades ,ball bearing swivel and the rest of the components is a plus. So- make a bunch so your ready to rock and rock-then you can salvage the important and expensive components of a spinner bait

[mark poulson]

In clear water I think bass see the bait part as a larger fish chasing the smaller blades, but in off colored water I think they are attracted to the vibration, and hit the bait part because it's a little behind the blades.

I had a nice fish eat just the Indiana blades in off colored water, so both the main hook and the trailer hook were stuck into the fish's underside below the jaw instead of inside the mouth.  Only happened once, so maybe it was just a 5lb fish with really bad eyesight!  Hahaha

[canuck]

Thanks to all that have contributed here. In being a part of this forum/discussion .It has stimulated me to read a lot of related spinner bait articles and get a wider understanding of not only making these baits but fishing application aswell.I can now justify the need to carry so many different configurations of spinnerbaits. Burning,slow rolling,bouncing, verticle dropping even twitching.What a versatile bait. Keeping it simple is sound advice.The fishing conditions and intended application of the bait will determine the design changes or modification necessary to perform and track properly. A bait dosent have to be pretty looking to catch fish. I think fisherman like a bait to look good.Just a preference and a bit of a confidence booster.