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| Jeremiah T. Bagwell |
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Arguably, one of the most productive search baits on the
market is the Spinnerbait. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro
angler, these lures will give you the ability to dissect a large area
of water in a short period of time.
Although, Spinnerbaits are viewed
as an easy to use or almost “fool
proof” lure, there are certain factors that will affect their
level of productivity.
As with any other bait selection, size and color are
important factors. However, they represent only a small piece of the
equation when choosing
a Spinnerbait.
When selecting the size of the lure you must take into consideration
the time of year and also water clarity. In the spring or in clear
water it is very possible to catch a large bass on a bait as small
as 1/8 ounce.
Just the opposite occurs in the fall and also in muddy water, where
larger profile baits as big as 1 ounce are the ideal choice. The
3/8 ounce size
is viewed by many anglers as the all purpose size.
The color selection
process can be broken down into two different segments, skirt color,
and blade color. I have a tendency to keep
this aspect very simple. When choosing the skirt color, I have
a general rule
that I follow. For clear water or sunny days, I will typically
use a white bait. On cloudy days or in dirty water I lean more
towards darker colored
baits such as black and blue. This simple guideline is also,
what I follow when selecting blade colors. On sunny days or in clear
water,
I will most
often use silver blades. Silver has a greater reflection level
than that of copper blades. Copper and also painted blades are
effective choices
for dirty water or cloudy skies.
In
my opinion, the single most important factor of the bait selection
process is the blade configuration. Blades play a huge role in the
performance of these lures. They provide vibration, flash, lift and
also affect retrieval
speeds.
There are several different blade styles on the market. However, there
are three styles that seem to dominate in popularity. These styles
are the Willow Leaf blade, the Colorado blade, and the Indiana blade.
Each variation has its own unique function.
The Colorado blade provides the highest level of lift for the bait. This
is because of its round design that maximizes the amount of water being
pushed. As a result, the lure will run shallower than baits with other
blade styles. These blades also produce a great deal of vibration as they
rotate in the water. The vibrations are sensed by the bass using their
lateral lines. Because of the amount of water being displaced, these baits
are excellent for muddy water when bass have limited visibility.
Indiana blades are more oblong than the Colorado blade. The design
causes less water to be moved by the blade during rotation. As
a result of its
narrower shape, these blades will cause the lure to run a little
deeper. They also produce a longer silhouette in the water, which
increases the
level of flash. These are good multipurpose blades.
The Willow Leaf blade is very narrow in comparison to the Colorado
blade. This design gives off a lot of flash and very little vibration.
Willow blades produce an even longer silhouette in the water because
of their narrow shape and tight rotation. Spinnerbaits that have
Willow Leaf blades can be ran a lot deeper than the previously mentioned blades.
It is possible for you to run these baits shallow but in order
to do so you would have to retrieve the lure very quickly. This blade is extremely effective
in clear water, where bass tend to use sight as their primary sense.
Some innovative Spinnerbait developers are coming
out with new and unique lure designs. B and D Custom Lures
from Brandenburg, KY (www.Banddcustomlures.com)
is the manufacturer of an awesome looking and extraordinarily
designed bait called the Evilution “V”. This
Spinnerbait has dual thin wire arms for phenomenal flash
and vibration. Every, bait is equipped with
high quality, super sharp hooks and blades made from
excellent grade materials. The Evilution “V” is
multifunctional and can be affectively ripped just
below the surface or slow rolled to
catch monster bass.
Combining the different blade styles on your lures
is a great way to maximize the baits performance. For example, you
can have an ample
supply of flash and vibration by using a bait that is equipped
with both Willow Leaf and Colorado blades.
By experimenting with different styles and configurations,
you are able to develop a lure that will meet your needs. As with every
other type of lure, the most important aspect is your pure confidence.
This can be obtained by frequently using and understanding how each variation
works.
Proper line selection is another area that
I feel is very important. Most anglers have their own opinion on
what line is best. As
I have said many times before, “I respect everyone’s opinion”.
My personal preference for Spinnerbait fishing is 15-20 pound test
PowerPro line. (www.powerpro.com)
PowerPro is a micro filament line that has virtually no stretch. The significance
of this is that you have the power, even on long casts, to get enough force
to drive the big Spinnerbait hook into the jaw of the bass. In most cases,
Spinnerbaits are equipped with heavy gauge hooks that range in size from
2/0 to 5/0. With some monofilaments, the line stretch can be as much as
25% when wet. That represents a significant amount of power loss when setting
the hook. In turn, it could result in several lost fish and lost earnings
for tournament anglers. That logic is the basis for my preference to use
PowerPro line.
By taking into consideration the multiple aspects of each
fishing situation and analyzing each individually, an angler can more effectively
choose the proper Spinnerbait. Develop a simple checklist for choosing
the appropriate bait. Determine such factors as depth, water clarity, retrieval
speed, etc and determine which configuration and size bets suites your
needs. By doing so, you will greatly increase the number of bass you catch
on Spinnerbaits.
I would like to thank Bill Boyer from B and D Custom Lures for providing
the photographs for this article. www.banddcustomlures.com
For more information about this and other topics, please feel free to
visit my homepage at www.qcbassfishing.8k.com
©Copyright 2003, Jeremiah T. Bagwell, All Rights Reserved.
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