Balancing a spinnerbait

Question
I'm wanting to get started building spinnerbaits (and using them for the first time as well). I have seen "charts" as to how to assemble lures by lure body weight and blade size. A #4 for example would take a 1/5 to 1/4 oz lure body with a #4 French blade with an 1/8" bead in between. I've seen where people may use this 1/5 - 1/4 oz lure body with a #3 French blade and an extra plastic bead as a "spacer" between the lure body and regular 1/8" bead.

So to make lures using different size lure bodies and blades, is there a formula used to calculate these or can you trial and error balancing them in the middle of the length of the spinner? Sorry if this doesn't sound very clear. Thanks.

Answer
Tim, I'm guessing by your questions that you are building in-line spinners like a Mepps spinner and not a safety-pin type "Spinnerbait" like many people use for Bass.

Some of the charts that you may have found are a very good place to start, but by no means the gospel.  Yes, there is a lot of trial and error involved.  But, that's the beauty of making them yourself.  If it doesn't work, clip the wire and start over.  All you have wasted is about $.02 worth of shaft wire.

Bodies too light for the blade will wobble.  Bodies to heavy for the blade will cause it to not spin correctly.  

I like the smallest bead you can fit on the shaft right behind the clevis.  In most cases I can use a 3/32 hollow. After that you may need a 1/8th or two, or a bigger size.  

A general rule of thumb is that when the spinner is assembled and the blade is hanging straight down, the bottom tip of the blade should be about where the middle of the eye of the hook is.  

When you get one that works well... draw a sketch and write it down!!!  

But even then there are issues.  You may buy #3 blades from one dealer, and the #3 from the next dealer are slightly larger or smaller.  Number 3 Blades from one supplier may be stamped from steel and the other from brass.  Blades from one supplier may be stamped from 0.020 material and the other from 0.040 material.  Yes, it's a little maddening.  But this is why the chart you may have is a good place to start, but not the final word in most cases.  

If you get a good design and stick with the same supplier, you should be OK.  Mail-order places like Netcraft, Barlows, and Stamina have good supplies, but even they offer economy blades at times that are generally thin steel plated blades.  Plated brass is what you really want for good consistent spinners.  

In my opinion, right now the Cadillac of spinner components is Pen-Tac.  These people have taken spinner making and fishing to the next level.  They can be seen at www.pen-tac.com

Feel free to write back with any other questions.

Good fishing,

Marc