wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. He’s a veteran river bass tournament angler who likes to catch fish. To get them back on your line, here is a complete spinnerbait 101 guide. It provides moderate flash and moderate vibration. When should I use a spinnerbait? Fish a Colorado spinnerbait if you’ll be in murky or dark water. But to use a spinnerbait, you'll need to be able to tie it to the end of your line with a secure knot. But if you are moving quickly for hits, and the lures keep popping out, you need to put more lines out. Perkins adds, “When I’m fishing at night and it’s a full moon I fish along banks. The blades provide the flash and vibration which are so crucial to our success in fishing for bass. If you plan on using a spinnerbait, understand that you might not have much success right off the bat. How a trailer hook is secured is as important as the hook you choose … or even the spinnerbait for that matter. [1] X Research source Also use Colorado spinners if you’re fishing at night.Select a willow-leaf spinnerbait … This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. I like the grub trailer when the water is dirty or cold. There are many uses for a spinner-bait; it can be used as a fish finder, a deep water bait, a shallow water bait, a bait that covers a lot of area in a short time, you can drop it … If you draw the spinnerbait directly out into open water, the bass are less likely to follow and strike at the bait. I won by casting past my target—usually cedar trees and stumps in the water—and then burning the spinnerbait back to the target at high speed. The blade(s) on a spinnerbait offer flash and vibration as attracting mechanisms for bass. When I pulled the bait over the log, she creamed it. Actually, the spinnerbait setup played a big role in the first six Bassmaster Classics. One of the most important variables in any fishing situation has to be the temperature of the water. A spinnerbait comes with a lead head attached to 1 or 2 blades, usually either willow or Colorado style. It’s easy to pitch the spinnerbait out and then just crank it in, and sometimes this retrieves works fine. This high-speed retrieve actually creates a surface disturbance and there is a detectable wake that follows the lure. The spinnerbait itself is the determining factor of a hook or bait trailer. How to Use Spinnerbaits: Slow Rolling a Spinnerbait. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Best Spinnerbait Setup. Like every lure, learning a new one takes time, and spinners are not the simplest lure on the market. I caught a bass that weighed over nine pounds from a river in Alabama in 2011. The angler should throw the spinnerbait past the target area and crank it back slowly. We can make a few slight distinctions, however, to really know when to use each. This Premier League spinnerbait proved itself by allowing me to win the Riverbassin National Title in 2011.”. Get outdoor trends, data, new products, and tips delivered to your inbox. When drawn through the water, the plates spin and catch the sunlight, drawing the attention of bass and other large freshwater fish. There are dozens if not hundreds of different size, color, and blade choice spinnerbaits out there, and most will catch fish from time to time. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. I use it as my search bait when I’m preparing for a tournament. “Spinnerbait retrieve rates should vary from coldest water to warmest water,” Perkins advises. I can match any forage the bass are eating, and I can fish any type cover with a spinnerbait.”, He laughs. Learning how to use a spinnerbait is much simpler than most people think. When selecting your spinnerbait, ensure that it can withstand the abuse of high speed trolling. The wind will cause slight disturbances on the surface of the water, and increase the likelihood of bass striking your bait. Bass Fishing Tips Spinnerbaits: What to use when to always catch bass: Pease, Steve G: 9781514146835: Books - Amazon.ca 4. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published, This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. There are 3 basic blade types used on spinnerbaits and each one gives the lure a unique characteristic and action all its own. Spinnerbaits also create a flash of light under the water. I used a steady retrieve, the only retrieve I could use in that fast water.”, “Even if the bass can’t see the flash of the spinnerbait in the cloudy water, they can still detect the thump and bump of a big blade and locate the lure and strike it.”. If using braid, double the line before tying the knot for added strength. These blades have very different actions when they are pulled through the water. For this spinnerbait technique I'll use a 1/4oz or 3/8 oz, tandem willow-leaf blade spinnerbait. Some days, the bass don’t want a simple “this or that” retrieve from a spinnerbait. In 2011, I traveled the Riverbassin Tournament Trail. Learning how to use a spinnerbait and the different ways to work them is key to making those big catches. Step 4: Tighten the line to the spinnerbait. Spinnerbaits are almost infinitely adjustable to match current conditions. The basic design of a spinnerbait consist of a thin wire bent between 90 and 45 degrees with a weighted head and hook somewhat resembling a jig head at one end and a blade or blades at the other end. To install these tiny discs, simply thread the trailer hook over the barb of the lead hook, then follow it with a single plastic disc – piercing it dead center. As the lure spins, it creates vibrations that mimic the feeling of prey that larger fish eat. You can purchase fishing line—as well as all of the other tackle you’ll need—at an outdoor supply store. I prefer the smaller profile in clear water, because it may convince a startled bass to eat. You may have some luck throwing the spinnerbait in the middle of open water. On those days, they want a special action from their lure. Choosing spinnerbaits for different waters and other conditions. When selecting which spinnerbait to use, many people place an emphasis on size and color (we will discuss this further down). This article has been viewed 21,835 times. “I fished 42 different rivers, and I had success in every river I fished with that bait. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. I actually saw her right beside my kayak waiting for the bait to fall off the log.”. Last Updated: October 4, 2020 If I plan to fish the spinnerbait in a shallower wake, I may add a small grub or chunk trailer to add a bit of girth to the presentation, as well as buoyancy. In clear water, the spinning bait will catch bass’s attention and can draw them in from large distances. I’d say that a spinnerbait is what I throw about 85 percent of the time during the tournament. Knowing how to use a spinnerbait all starts with the selection of your spinnerbait. One of the most important variables in any fishing situation has to be the temperature of the water.”. However, anglers who assume that this is the only way to work a spinnerbait are missing the boat (and they’re missing a lot of bass, too). Welcome to fishing with D and in today's video we're talking about spinner baits and I've had over 45 years of using spinner baits. There are 14 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. (Massachusetts) Q.I fish small waters from a belly boat (float tube) and can carry only 1 rod. This photo submitted to us by Ed Mashburn. With the help of monofilament, wrap the eye of the spinnerbait to give it a firmer grip and also glue the line. To kick this off we’ll start at the top of the water column and work our way down. Well, the name alone gave this one away, but yeah, I’ve never tried to ‘burn a chatterbait’ and I don’t think that would have the same desired outcome. wikiHow's. The speed of retrieve makes a huge difference in how the spinnerbait works and acts. Despite the ever-changing lure market, a spinnerbait shouldn’t be overlooked. No law limits the number and kinds of blades installed on spinnerbaits. The bass really do seem to notice that, and won’t want to strike that lure. A tandem spinner is also useful if you’re fishing in heavy brush.