QuestionI am pretty knew at using spinnerbaits..I was wondering..How exactly do you tie them...and how exactly do you work them...what is the best method of reeling and tugging...Thank You
AnswerDustin; I feel certain that I answered this question but I suspect that something got snafued in the exchange. That happens sometimes with computers. Anyway I will try again and hope it gets through this time.
First there are many ways of tieing a lure to a line, whether it be a spinner bait or some other lure the method is pretty much the same. Most lures have a ring or a bend where the line is to be tied. One of the easiest and strongest knots to tie most any lure to a line is the Polymer knot. This is tied by doubling back on itself the first 6-8 inches of your line.
Push the doubled end through the eye and tie a simple overhand knot in the doubled line. Next separate the loop of doubled line and pass the lure through the loop.
Then pull on the tag end and on the main line with equal force until the knot slides down to the lure. Then give a little more pressure on both to seal the knot. Cut of the tag end to about 1/8in and go fishing.
Now how to tug or reel the spinnerbaits using the best method will be determined by the design of the bait and the conditions of the water. I will go over the different situations.
Let's start with what is known as the "in
line" type spinner bait. These can run from very tiny ones used for panfish or trout to very large ones used for Bass, Pike and Muskie. They consist of a straight piece of wire with a hook of some kind attached to one end. On the wire then goes some beads followed usually by a relatively long slender weight of brass or lead with a hole down the middle of its length. In front of that goes some more beads followed by some sort of spinner blade. Sometimes more than one blade is used.with beads to act as spacers and bearings between. In front are more beads and the eye for tieing the line. I have several of these for use in the North Woods when fishing for pike or muskie.
One of my favorites for bass is called the "Snagless Sally" made by Hildibrant. It has a single blade and a pair of wire weed guards that let you pull it through some very thick weeds and brush. This one has a yellow skirt and a gold colored blade about the size of a quarter. I can trow it way back in the lilly pads and bring it out while it hops over pads and then hits the water between pads spinning. sometimes when it hops over a pad it winds up in the gaping mouth of a largemouth bass. That is,of course, just what I wanted.
A second kind of spinner bait has been called the "safety pin" spinner because the wire is bent into a shape like an open safety pin. This gives two legs one of which is attached to a hook and usually a painted lead moulded onto the wire. ON the other end or leg spinner blades are attached to spin freely when reeled in.
There are hundreds of sizes and combinations of blades but basically three shapes of blades dominate. One is called "willow leaf" because it is long and slender like a willow leaf. One is called A Colorado blade and I do not know how it got that name. It is only very slightly elongated almost as wide as it is long. In between is one which is called "Indiana" blade and is not nearly as popular as the other two. The willow leaf spins fast and will stay deeper while the Colorado spins much slower and tends to rise. On multi blade lures you may see all three used on the same lure. The Colorado blade can be used in shallow water by reeling in fast so that the lure makes a bulge in the water but does not break the surface. This takes some practice but will often pay off with some great strikes. Both Colorado and willow leaf can be used to slow roll. This is done by casting out and letting the lure sink to the bottom. Then start with a jerk to get the blades going then just barely keep it moving sometimes touching bottom. Still another way of using either of these lures along with several types of spoon type lures is to cast near a tree in relatively deep water and allow the lure to flutter down as close to the tree as possible. When it reaches bottom bring it up a few feet and let it fall again. Keep some contact between your rod tip and the lure but don't hold it up on it's fall.
Another way is to fish on a bank that is sort of stair stepped from shallow water to deeper water. With your boat over deep water cast up onto the shallow shore. Then slowly bring your lure toward you until it fall off the step. Let it fall until it hits the next step. Keep this up until your lure is just benieth the boat but on the bottom. Jig it up three or four feet then let it fall. Count each step the lure touches before you get a hit. Then you can fish that depth more carefully.
There are a couple more spinner type baits I will touch upon. One is the little George or by some other name. It has a spinner bait attached to the tail of a little painted triangular shape. on the bottom is a hook (usually one treble) and the top is a line tie. It is designed to fish very deep. It can be hopped along the bottom or yo-yo-d in cover. I seldom use it here because it is far from weedless.
Finally the spinner bait that is really different from all the others. It came out originally called "Lunker Lure" and it lived up to it's name. The main wire is bent about 90degrees and one leg is then bent again to nearly 90degrees. One leg is considerably longer and ends in a hook and skirt. Often a semi-flat lead weight is moulded on the hook and wire.
The blade is a large propeller shape but much wider blade than a propeller.
When pulled through the water the blade makes a splashing sound. Newer ones have double blades or side by side blades. I still like the older single blade the best because it doesn't tangle like the others.
Well I hope I have ansered your question and have been of some help. Try some of these things the next time you go fishing and see which ones work the best for you.
Thanks for calling on me to answer your question on All Experts. If I can be of further assistance do not hesitate to contact me.
PS I forgot to say that most Spinnerbaits are often used with a trailer of some sort.
Most come with a skirt but often a pork frog or plastic trailer adds to the effectiveness of the lure.
I am
Jack L. Gaither
Lake Seminole, Ga.
[email protected]
