SPINNERBAITS
EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW AND A BUNCH MORE!
By: Hugh Crumpler III

Spinnerbaits, I love them. It seemed to take forever for me to get my first bass over seven pounds. Then it happened so fast that I had three in a short period of time -all on Spinnerbaits. I was very fortunate to learn from some of the finest Spinnerbait fishermen.

I purchased my first bass boat from Joe Keltner. It was a Kingfisher with a 33 hp Evinrude. To help me make the payments Joe hired me to make Spinnerbaits in the evenings. I would work three to four hours a couple of nights a week and get to take home two Spinnerbaits each night. Joe, his brother Jerry, and John Harrington were the owners of 3 J Bait company. Fishermen who have a passion for fishing can’t work without talking. That was how I learned about Spinnerbaits.

This was in the Springfield, Missouri area in the early 1970’s. This was a time of fishing innovation. In this part of the world Johnny Morris started Bass Pro Shops. Forrest Wood started Ranger Boats. Ron Pierce started Bass Cat Boats. Sam Kinsey was making performance stainless steel props for bass boats. Champion Boats started. Some of the finest bass fishermen in the world were in this area. Through competition and innovation each inspiring the other. It was a great time to learn.

Hugh Crumpler III with a very nice bass.  Hugh Crumpler is a Professional Bass Fisherman and Bass Fishing Guide.

By education and early trade I am a Teacher and Coach. I have a great willingness to share. My belief in God requires me to give from my blessings. I’ve never had a large amount of cash to give. I have had a great amount of knowledge to give. My articles are all over the internet. Sometimes a grateful webmaster will give me some advertising. Mostly, the articles are shared with hope some folks will take advantage and have an improved fishing experience - maybe catch the bass of their dreams.

My articles are written from an analytical educational stand point. I throw in humor from time to time. There is also a part of me in each article. There is a little coaching in the article as well.

There is more to Spinnerbait fishing than throwing and winding. Sure, that works from time to time - but for the best results there is much more to it. Think of Spinnerbaits this way: there are many types of Crankbaits; there are many types of soft plastics; why would you have only one type of Spinnerbait? Just like Crankbaits and Soft Plastics each type of Spinnerbait has a specific purpose and action. Open your mind to the multiple uses, styles, purposes, and techniques for Spinnerbaits and your fish catching will dramatically improve.

The Framework

The Spinnerbait has several basic parts. The framework which consists of the head, hook and arm; the blades; the skirts; and the hardware are those parts. Each portion is an integral part of the lure’s makeup.

Standard of the industry is a good strong and sharp hook. Higher quality Spinnerbait manufacturers will use a sharper hook. There was one Spinnerbait made in the Ozarks that had a hook fastened to the back blade as well as the standard hook. The intent was to catch those fish that hit the blade. Great idea that did not catch on very well. I don’t know if the hook affected the rotation of the blade. I custom make Spinnerbaits for myself and a few friends. I use a longer hook so as to get those fish that nip at the lure as well as to get a deeper and thorough hook up with all fish that bite. The use of the longer, sharper hook also reduces the need for a trailer hook. The longer hook gets the short bites and still preserves the Spinnerbaits tendency not to get hung up. Over the years I have seen a few manufacturers that use the longer hook. Those are hard to find.

Once in a while folks used to get into discussions about which shape head was best. Basically, they would indicate a skinny one was better for vegetation. The purpose of the head is to hold the arm and the hook together and keep the head below the blades. The most important factor is that the weight of the head is enough to keep the lure running straight at fishing speeds. The larger the blades; the heavier the head needs to be.

The arm is designed to hold the head below the blades. The original arms were stainless steel. Within the last decade or so Titanium arms have come to be used on Spinnerbaits.

People, in general, want the easy out. What ever is conceived to be the easiest method is the best way. People want magic. Heaven forbid there is any work or effort involved in catching bass. People want to do as little as possible and have the best results. My apologies folks; it does not work that way.

Spinnerbaits will draw a bass attention!

The Stainless steel arms are the perfect arm. They hold the blades in place. They allow the blades to rotate. Because of the firmness of the Stainless Steel arms they let the blades send out vibrations. Those vibrations cause bites.

Fish do not have ears like humans. Fish feel vibrations through their entire body. Take away the vibrations and you greatly limit one of the Spinnerbaits greatest fish attracting qualities.

Sometimes the vibrations of the Spinnerbait are so perfect that the fish slams the Spinnerbait and bends the arm. Big Deal!! You got the bite. Straighten it back with a pair of needle nose pliers and get on to the next bite.

But people don’t want to straighten out the lure. It’s much easier to use a Titanium arm Spinnerbait. What makes the Titanium arm Spinnerbait not bend is the same quality that causes the arm to absorb the the vibrations instead of sending them out. Watch a Titanium Spinnerbait arm as the lure comes through the water. The arm is vibrating; it is absorbing the vibrations that cause the fish to go nuts and bite. Yes, the Spinnerbait with a Titanium arm still catches fish, just not near as many as if the angler was using a Stainless Steel arm Spinnerbait.

At one time it was in vogue to use light wire Spinnerbaits. This all goes back to the same principle as the Titanium. The light wire absorbs the vibrations. If the fish do not want the good vibrations go to a Spinnerbait with a different shaped blade or to a smaller Spinnerbait with a smaller blade.

I love those hard bites that tear up my Spinnerbaits. Give me all those you don’t want! Just send those fish my way. I’ll straighten every lure back. The bite is more than worth the work.

Two types of eyes are on Spinnerbaits. One is the open eye and the other is the closed eye. Each has its advantage. Each has its disadvantage. The open eye reduces the possibility of the line getting caught on the Spinnerbait. The open eyed arm can have the line slip down the shank of the Spinnerbait. The closed eye prevents line slippage, but, the line can end up behind an arm, get pinched and then get cut. Each has its own advantage and disadvantage. I use both with an understanding of what to look for while fishing.

The use of the closed eye so you can use a snap on the lure goes back to the paragraph about wanting to do things the easy way. Tie your line directly to the Spinnerbait!

The Skirt

The skirt; oh my goodness the skirt! Original Spinnerbaits had rubber skirts. The rubber tended to rot in the tackle box. The rubber skirts dried up and became useless. Some rubber skirts still do that. Then came the vinyl skirts. These skirts added depth to the color. They were bright and brilliant colors. Trouble was they lost their “puffiness” with use. I still love um and remember them fondly. Feather material was an original material for skirts and still is. Silicone, flash material, and a variety of other materials came along.
The important part of a skirt is that is that it is a color the fish likes; it vibrates; and it stays on the head. The vibration of the skirt is a portion of the second stage of getting a fish to bite.

People, in general, want the easy out. What ever is easiest is the best way. People want magic. Heaven forbid there is any work or effort involved in catching bass. People want to do as little as possible and have the best results. My apologies folks; it does not work that way. Paragraph sound familiar???

Folks want to be able to remove a skirt and place on another. Thus they change the color of the presentation. The same thing that makes the skirt changeable is the same thing that causes the skirt to come off on a cast or when the lure bumps an object in the water. It is the same thing that makes the skirt come apart.

When you see a Spinnerbait with a rubber band holding the skirt in place you are looking at a trouble spot - not an advantage spot. Some anglers immediately use Super Glue on lures with these skirts. The Spinnerbaits that I make have a skirt that is tied on just like guides on a rod.

Retie often! One of the basic rules of a professional fisherman. Frayed line is most common cause of lost fish. The use of a snap or snap swivel to attach lure after lure is a habit that induces lost fish. It goes back to that familiar paragraph. Folks want the easy out. Well success does not work that way! Tie on each lure. When you decide to change skirt colors - tie on the lure again! Tie knots slowly? Practice makes perfect. Practice while you watch TV.

I had a fishing partner one time that took a half hour to tie a knot. We would move to a new location seeking fish. He needed to use a different lure. He would sit down. Light up a cigarette. Burn off the old lure. Puff and puff! Tie the knot in stages. Each time puffing. Then finally the cigarette and the lure would be done at the same time and he would burn off the the small end piece of line. I would pull up the trolling motor and head for another spot because I was done with that one.

Two things here- if your goal is to tie on a new lure. Do it in a timely manner. Any thing you do outside your goal slows you down. On average, every time my partner went fishing he tied on at least five different lures. Each tying of the knot took about a half hour. In a full day’s fishing that was about two and a half hours of knot tying. How successful do think he was in catching fish? You are right. How successful were we as a team? You are right.

The Blades

Pictured are two 1/2 ounce Spinnerbaits one is with Tandem Colorado Copper Blades and one is with Tandem Colorado White Blades.

The blades, their size, their spacing and their shape determine the vibration of the Spinnerbait. Basically, a blade that is wide swings wider and gives off more vibration. A blade that is narrow gives off less vibration and rotates in a smaller circle. A narrow blade is less likely to get stuck in vegetation.

The composition of the blade determines the type and color of flash that is given off by the blade. A smooth blade will give off one flash. A hammered blade will give a multitude of flashes in a multiple of directions stirring fish who may only catch a glimpse of the flash as the fish tries to locate the source of the vibration. Painted blades do not flash much. A fish that sees a painted blade feels the vibration and is attracted to the lure by the color of the blades and the vibrating skirt. Copper blades, nickel blades, silver blades, gold blades, brass blades, and a variety of painted blades are available.

Blade shapes include Colorado, Indiana, Willow, Dakota, Chopper, and Tomahawk. Blades can be fluted or cupped. Fluting is crinkling the end of the blade. Fluted blades look like an accordion on the end. Cupping is bending the blade or bending the end of the blade. Cupping causes the blade to rotate in a smaller circle and also reduces some of the vibration.

Starting at the bottom left and going up the first lure is 1/8 ounce Tandem Colorado Copper.  Then the middle on the left is 1/4 ounce Tandem Colorado Nickel.  At the top left is 3/8 ounce Tandem Colorado Copper.  In the Middle starting at the bottom we have 1/2 ounce Tandem Colorado Copper.  Dead center of the photo is 3/8 ounce Tandem Colorado and Willow.  Top middle is 1/43 ounce Tandem Colorado and Willow.  And on the right is 3/8 ounce Tandem Willow.  This photo shows the various types of most effective and common blades and the various sizes available.  Also, note the spacing of the blades.

Blade shapes can be used together. The most common shape combination is a Colorado blade in front of a Willow Leaf blade.

Each blade shape has its own particular rotation and vibration. Combining blades on a Spinnerbait adds flash and vibration. The blades should rotate in opposite directions. Proper spacing will produce opposite direction rotation. Ever seen a blade just lay flat? That was due to incorrect spacing.

A variety of fishing techniques add to the appeal of the blades shape, size color, flash and vibration. These will be covered a little later in the article.

The size of the blade also determines the circle of rotation and the amount of vibration. Larger blades of the same type rotate in larger circles and give off more vibrations. Smaller blades of the same shape rotate in smaller circles and give off smaller vibrations.

Getting the right combination of vibrations, flash, skirt movement, speed of presentation, and type of presentation is the key to outstanding days of production. There is more to it than you thought; isn’t there? Keep on reading - much more to come.

Hardware

The hardware consists of the swivel, the beads and the clevis. The swivel can be a barrel or a ball bearing. Ball bearing swivels, if they are top grade, provide the maximum rotation. Barrel swivels, if they are top grade, provide excellent rotation. A visual examination of the swivel is not enough to tell if its top quality or not. The key is to flick the blade and note the rotation. If the rotation suddenly stops - something is wrong with the swivel. The blade should rotate consistently and slowly come to a stop.

If you test one brand and the blade suddenly stops the chances are that all the rest of their swivels are of the same grade. Swivels can cost a manufacturer from a penny each to over a dollar each.

Clevises are those things that rotate around the arm and hold on the front blade of a tandem Spinnerbait. Basically, there are folded clevises and stirrup clevises. Folded are folded metal. The folded ones are not as efficient as the stirrup. Stirrup are more substantial and reliable. I have not seen folded clevises used very much.

Beads are made in several shapes, sizes and of several different materials. Glass, plastic and metal are the most common materials used. Faceted beads (lots of flat surfaces on a round shape) are designed to give off light in different directions. Round metal beads are the most reliable. The purpose of the beads is to space the front and rear blade. I have seen a tube used for this purpose. Basically, the manufacturer is using tube to save himself a few steps of putting on beads to reduce costs. Tubes work, but, tubes tend to cause more friction on the clevis and reduce rotation. Thus reducing vibration. Tubes have a flat end. Beads have a rounded end. Less material contact is less friction.

Spinnerbait Techniques

CHUCK AND WIND: Basically, this is casting the Spinnerbait out and winding it back. There is more to it that will increase strikes and success. Cast past an object and bring it buy. Also, try to bump the object. Bumping an object gets a bass’s attention. Much of a bass’s feeding activity is ambush feeding. They do this in two ways. First they will position themselves by a piece of structure and dart out at a prey as it comes by. Second, they will position themselves away from and facing an object. In this mode they are waiting for some type of prey to come out of cover so they can ambush it. Or they may be waiting for an opportunity to dart into the cover capturing the prey. Either way bringing the Spinnerbait by the object or bumping the object is likely to produce a strike from a bass waiting in ambush.

There are small adjustments that can be made to Chucking and Winding that can produce improved results. Increasing or reducing the speed can make a difference. The size of the lure and the shape of the blades can make a difference. If there is no grass around I like Colorado blades. The Colorado blades provide maximum vibration which is like a loud noise. The bass may not like it but it gets their attention and if the bass does not want to eat it the bass might want to shut it up.

Colorado blades tend to get tangled in grass and stop working. If there is grass around I like to use Willow Leaf shaped blades. Willow Leaf blades rotate in a smaller diameter so they are not as affected by grass. I use as large a back blade as the most likely bait size the bass will be expecting to see in the part of the water I am using the lure.

Bass also feed by schooling and chasing schooled up bait. In this instance the key is to cast the lure past the activity and bring it through. If the Spinnerbait looks exactly like the bait - why should the bass pick your bait to eat? Same size works great because that is what they are expecting. Use a color that will draw the bass’s attention to your lure.

Last Spring at Stick Marsh the bass really hit the ¼ ounce Spinnerbait with White blades and Bubble Gum skirt well! The blades were the color of bait fish. The lure was the size of bait fish in the area. AND the Bubble Gum got their attention! The vibration also got their attention. The blades were tandem Colorado.

If there are not many bait fish in the area and the bass are basically hanging around waiting for food to arrive. The use of colors and sizes imitating bait in the area or bait that is likely to be in the area is key.

SLOW ROLLING: This is casting out - letting the Spinnerbait sink to the bottom - then slowly winding the Spinnerbait back MAINTAINING LURE CONTACT WITH THE BOTTOM!!!!!!! Yes, not just winding slow, but, maintaining lure contact with the bottom. This is the same as bumping the stump except we are bumping the bottom.

The principle is that the Spinnerbait is vibrating which is drawing the bass’s attention to the bottom. The Spinnerbait is bumping the bottom stirring up any dust on the bottom. This looks like a bottom moving fish or a crawfish moving on the bottom. Or, maybe, some other type of prey moving on the bottom.

It is going slow so it looks easy to eat. Big fish are less aggressive. So…big fish like things that are easy to eat. They didn’t get big chasing fast moving lures! Your average size fish will increase. Your number of bites will probably decrease when you Slow Roll..

Think in your head what you are trying to imitate. What is it that you want the bass to think the Spinnerbait is? If the answer is Crawfish then throw a Crawfish colored Spinnerbait. If the answer is Shad. Ask yourself if a shad is likely to be stirring up the bottom.

A Professional Angler once told me that when I caught a bass to look at his eyes. If the bass’s eyes were looking up then the bass was looking up at my lure. If the bass’s eyes were looking down then the bass was looking down at my lure. If you catch one Chucking and Winding this “looking into his eyes” will help you to determine if there is another method that way produce more fish. Eyes up the bass was below the lure. Eyes down the bass was over the lure. Move from there. It is the small differences that make a big difference in success.

I like Colorado blades when there is not vegetation because they give out the maximum vibration. I like the largest blades I can get because I want the largest bass I can get. A bunch of little ones is not in my thought process when I am Slow Rolling.

One Exception: If there is a cold front and the bass will not move I will use a small Spinnerbait slowly on the bottom to produce any bite. If they will not move they are more likely to move on something easy to eat - a small, slow moving Spinnerbait.

Over vegetation Slow Rolling can be effective. Work the Spinnerbait on the top of the vegetation just like you would over a bottom without vegetation. Here we are trying to do two things. Get the bass above the grass to bite. And to the get the bass inside the grass or down in grass holes to come out and bite.

Key your size of Spinnerbait to the size that maintains contact with the vegetation the best. Key your color to the color of prey hat may be in the area.

I have mentioned colors a bunch. Basically, Crawfish colors are Yellow, Brown, Black, Red, Green, Orange, and Chartreuse. Crawfish shed their shells during the full moon. So they are darkest just before the full moon. They are lightest just after the full moon.

Shad colors are Gray, White, Silver, Blue, Black, and few others. Bluegill colors are Blue, Spotted, Orange, Yellow, Black, and few shades in between. Wild Shiner colors are Green, Gray, Orange, White, Silver, Black and a few shades in between.

So why do some of the goofy colors get bit? They get the bass’s attention. I mean who ever saw a Fire Tiger colored prey? Who ever saw a Bubble Gum colored prey?

It is not just the lure. It is not just the color of the lure. It is not just the size of the lure. Remember, it is the small things that make the big difference. It is all of these and the technique used. When you have that day you think you are in Bass Fishing Heaven then you pretty much got it all right. No one can tell you ahead of time. You must figure it out as you fish. Each and every time you fish.

BULGE: This takes a little practice to get the best possible presentation. Well, maybe, a bunch of practice. It all depends upon your present skill and experience level. Learning to do this technique will provide you with a technique that will produce some of the most vicious of bass strikes.

Correctly performing this technique results in the Spinnerbait running just under the surface and causing the surface of the water to BULGE above the surface. What does this look like to a bass? Number one it looks like a Crawfish fleeing across the surface and number two it looks like a prey fish fleeing across the top. In either case the prey is trapped in an ambush position. The bass is underneath and the prey can’t fly. Some thing trying to escape always looks like some thing that should be attacked and eaten. Because the Spinnerbait that is Bulging is seen to be escaping it is attacked with top speed and force. Therefore the strike is vicious. I love that!!

Cast the Spinnerbait out. The Spinnerbait should land past a target or almost on the bank. WHILE THE SPINNERBAIT IS IN THE AIR the angler should stop the out going line so that the bow of casting the line and the stretch of the line is taken out as the lure lands. If done correctly the angler might hear a “Pop” as the back blade lands on the water flat. The cup of the blade traps water and causes a loud sound. The sudden sound on top of the water attracts the bass’s attention just as a sudden sound would attract our attention. The bass looks in the direction of the sound and sees what appears to be a fleeing prey. He wants it before what ever it is fleeing from gets it first. Hence the vicious strike.

Even if the lure does not make the “Pop” the splashing of the lure will attract the bass’s attention. This is one technique that relies on sound for attention.

Once the lure lands the angler must immediately bring the rod tip up and start reeling. The object is to get the lure Bulging IMMEDIATELY!! I fished a tournament in the 70’s on Bull Shoals Lake, Arkansas. The limit was ten per person. I had my ten and culled a couple. The angler fishing with me had not very many. He could not get the hang of getting the lure to Bulge immediately. His Bulging required letting the lure sink about eight inches before the lure was brought up. This was about three feet of retrieve before the lure Bulged. Even though the bass were striking about 20 feet from the landing site of the lure the immediate Bulging made a difference in whether they would strike or not.

It is the subtle or little differences that make a big difference. Yes, getting the technique working at top performance takes a little practice. Is the practice worth it? Is twelve or thirteen bass better than two or three? I think so.

DROP: Dropping is a part of any technique. Dropping causes the Spinnerbait to appear to have a problem. Dropping makes the Spinnerbait look really easy to eat. This is just a simple stopping of the retrieve and letting the lure sink. Dropping will get a bass’s attention. Some times this little variance of technique is just enough to get a bass to strike.

Dropping is very effective in three situations. One: Drop the lure as it comes by a piece of structure. Typically this can be a tree. It can also be a hole in vegetation; the edge of vegetation; or by a rock. The line should be slack. The angler is looking for a jump or twitch in the line. Two: As the lure comes through a school of bait drop the lure. This will look like an injured prey - some thing easy to eat. Three: After a short bite. If the bass misses the Spinnerbait then drop the Spinnerbait. This looks like the bass injured the prey and therefore it is easy to eat. The bass is likely to go after the prey again.

On occasion the Drop can be just a little pause. All having the same effect on the bass. This short duration Drop causes the blades to flare. And the lure to Drop only a short distance. We could call this Flaring. Basically Flaring is an attention getting technique that also makes the Spinnerbait look easy to eat. Tandem Willow Leaf Spinnerbaits have a great Flare.

BURBLING: Burbling is a technique very much like Bulging. The difference is that the back blade of the lure (some times the only blade) breaks the surface on a regular basis causing the lure to create a Burbling sound. This is becoming a lost art and forgotten technique. The advent of Buzzbaits has caused the art to become lost. Buzzbaits do this much easier, much more effectively and Buzzbaits can be made to hit a clacker or the head of the lure.

The lure, rod, reel, line, …all of it are highly critical and are selective to the individual. It takes lots of practice, determination and experimenting to come up with an individual Burbling technique.

Rod Usage

I favor Baitcasting reels and rods for use with a Spinnerbait. The Baitcasting rigs are more accurate and more controllable. As for rods the key is the technique used. The rod tip must be soft when Slow Rolling. It can be critical how far the rod tip moves the Spinnerbait when it comes over an object. I was fishing a tournament of Table Rock Lake in Missouri. The fishing location, and type of fishing were my choice. The angler with me was catching bass and I was not. I had told him to Slow Roll and do so very slowly. When the Spinnerbait came to a log let the Spinnerbait ease over the log and the bass would simply swim off with the Spinnerbait.

So why did he catch twelve bass and me only three? I was fishing in the front of the boat. I had first choice of targets. I told him how to catch them. I did not figure it out for a long time. Some lessons are hard learned and not easily forgotten. This was one. I sat and watched him fish. In a tournament this is hard to do - watch and not fish. Well, I figured it out. His rod had a softer tip than mine. The result was that when his Spinnerbait came to a log his rod bent and the softness of his rod tip allowed the Spinnerbait to drop closer to the log than my stiff rod tip did. I switched rods and caught more. Not enough to make me happy. He won the tournament!

Small or subtle differences do make a big difference in success. His twelve bass and my three bass prove that.

When Slow Rolling I use a rod with a softer tip. I like a stiff backbone for hook sets and moving the fish. I like longer rods for moving more line with a hook set or for getting the Bulging started.

A little hint about Bulging. The key may not be speed. Well, what I mean is, the key may not be high speed. Larger blades and a higher holding of the rod tip by the angler can cause the Bulging Spinnerbait to run at a slow speed. It is possible to make the line vibrate above the water. When the this happens the Spinnerbait is producing maximum vibration. This is my favorite technique adjustment when Bulging.

Depth

Feeding fish are the easiest to catch. Finding the correct depth for feeding fish is simple. What depth are the bait fish? What depth is the probable prey? That can be figured by riding across the lake with the depth finder on. The schools of fish will be in a particular depth range. The prey do not move to find the bass. The bass move to find the prey. Bass like structure. So, find a structure break at the depth of the prey. BINGO!! You have a starting spot. From there it’s a question of your catching skills.

On occasion you know where the bass are located. In this case it’s a matter of selecting the technique that gets them to eat.

Periods of Spinnerbaiting

Bass like these eat Spinnerbaits  The fatness of this bass shows it is PreSpawn.  This indicates the bass are moving and eating.  Also, the bass are getting ready to Spawn.  Be sure to adjust your techniques with Spinnerbaits accordingly.

PreSpawn: Bass have a life cycle and much of how they behave is based on the cycle of the weather and the cycle of their life. PreSpawn is a period before the Spawn. During the PreSpawn period the bass are out eating and foraging. They are getting ready to go on the bed. The bass are getting fat and preparing their body for the ordeal of no food, spawning, and protecting their eggs until they hatch. It’s approximately a two week ordeal for the spawn. It takes the bass more than two weeks to get the extra weight needed to carry them through the spawn. It takes the bass about a month to prepare for the spawn. So…PreSpawn is about a month long. Weather changes can increase or shorten this time frame.

The bass are moving around and eating. For the angler this makes the bass easier to catch. The key elements for the angler is to be fishing near the bass’s prey and to be moving the Spinnerbait. Chucking and Winding is an excellent technique. Bulging will get a bass’s attention and Slow Rolling will also produce. Add the Drop to any technique and watch the catch rate increase.

Strikes during the PreSpawn are likely to be hard and swift. The bass is eager to eat and less hard to fool.

Spawn: During this time frame the bass are located in one spot - the bed. They will only move to protect the eggs. They do not eat during this time frame. Slow Rolling is an excellent technique for the Spawn. This brings the lure across the bed and makes the Spinnerbait appear to be trying to eat the eggs. Strikes may feel like a twitch or they may be very hard. It depends upon how much the bass feels the eggs are threatened by the Spinnerbait.

If the bass are Spawning in vegetation the beds may not be visible. However, the Spinnerbait should be dropped into any hole in the vegetation. This will get the bass’s attention and appear to be some thing coming down to eat the eggs.

Bass beds are close to each other. Catch one bass are there are more in the area.

Post Spawn: This is the time frame after the Spawn. Here the bass are protecting the fry. Bulging is an excellent technique during the Post Spawn. The fry are in a bundle and close to the surface. The mother or father, or both, will be close to the fry protecting them.

When you cast out and during the retrieve you see little fish hop out of the water the little fish are fry of some kind. Should they be bass you should get bit. It all depends on how much of a threat the protecting bass believes the Spinnerbait to be. Should you not catch a bass continue to work the little fish until you catch the protecting bass.

Just like bedding the fry will be in areas close to each other. They were Spawned close to each other and they will hatch close to each other.

Post Spawn ends when the protecting bass makes a pass through the fry eating some of them. This is a signal to the fry that they are no longer protected. They are on their own.

Summer

The Summer period begins when the Post Spawn ends. The bass have not eaten while protecting the eggs or while protecting the fry except in defense of the eggs or fry. The bass are fairly skinny and lethargic. What they are looking for is something very easy to eat.

Slow Rolling is an excellent technique as is Chucking and Winding combined with Dropping. Make the Spinnerbait appear to be easy to eat. Easy to eat is the key. This means S L O W. Easy to eat also means the bass should not have to move far to eat.
Casts should be close together. The bass will not move far or fast to eat.

As the Summer progresses the bass will gain some weight and aggressiveness. They will start to school and chase bait once they get healthy again. As the Summer progresses the techniques will have to be adjusted to suit the patterns of the bass. No one can tell you exactly when all of this takes place. It is a matter of going out there and figuring it out. Each lake, each season, and some times each part of a lake or stream is different. It is all related to the weather.

Fall

The fall starts when the Summer ends. They only way to figure this out is by going out there and fishing. Some times the Summer and the Fall kind of mush together. There is no straight line. The Fall for the bass is a season of activity. It is also a season of changing patterns highly related to the weather. What ever the bass are doing in the Fall a weather change will change what they are doing.

Maybe it will increase the activity or maybe the weather change will decrease the bass’s activity. GENERALLY high pressure slows the bass down and puts them deeper. GENERALLY low pressure makes them active and brings the bass shallower. GENERALLY dark days cause the bass to be more active and to be shallower. GENERALLY bright days cause the bass to be slower and deeper.

Why all the “GENERALLY”? Because every time I think I have the bass figured out they don’t do what they are supposed to do.

Again, and I know most angler don’t like this, but, it is a question of figuring it out. The information will help the figuring out process.

If the bass are slow and deep the techniques are Slow Rolling and any technique with a drop. If the bass are more active then the techniques are Chucking and Winding and Bulging.

Winter

During this season the bass are lethargic. They tend to stay in one spot. They do not move far or fast to eat. Slow Rolling and Chucking and Winding with a Drop are the favored technique. Remember, they don’t move fast they don’t move far. Casts close to each other are critical. Catch one bass and repeat the exact same cast. The bass also tend to be very close to each other.

Locating bass in the Winter can be difficult. The key is that when you find them you usually find a big wad. Lots of bass on one piece of structure. They don’t move far or fast so once found they should be easy to work.

There it is………….

Everything you need to know about Spinnerbaits and a bunch more. Anglers are constantly experimenting and learning. There is more out there to learn. Take any part of my presentation and put into your presentation. Some of what works for me may not work for you. Some of what works for me may add bass to your count. Get out on the water and work it. It is hard to catch bass on the couch.

I custom make a variety of Spinnerbaits. They are highlighted by a few improvements that I believe increase catch rate. The blades are designed to rotate in opposite directions. The hooks are long shank hooks so as to get the nip bite and so as to get a deeper thorough hook up with a regular bite. The skirts are tied on like guides on a rod. There is no “casting off’ the skirts. There is no fish pulling down the skirts. The hardware is top grade. Each head is painted by hand in a five step process.HughCrumplerLures.Com

CONCLUSION

What ever Spinnerbait you prefer the techniques and time frames for use presented will increase your catch. It is all up to you to go out there and give those bass a piece of your Spinnerbait.

Hugh Crumpler III
A Bass Fishing Guide Service
HughCrumpler.com
hugh@hughcrumpler.com