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Spinnerbait fishing tips

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9
Vote

Spinnerbait and braided line

SpinnerBait, Braid. Try throwing your spinnerbait on braid the next time you go out. The sensitivity is AMAZING and the thin braid cuts through vegetation that would stop mono dead in its tracks.

Topics: spinnerbait, braided line, bass
10
Vote

Avoiding Misses

Tired of missing strikes and losing fish? Try adding a stinger hook if you are using bait, trimming your skirt if you are using a spinnerbait, downsizing your lure, or whatever you need to do to put the hook in the strike zone. Now the fish has no choice but to get a face full of hooks. Get Bit!!

Topics: bait, lure, hook
13
Vote

Color-coding your rods

This may just be overthinking common sense, but if you have a lot of rods rigged differently, and keep them stored in a rod locker, I've found that color-coding to identify which is which saves a lot of time searching or trying to remember what rods go where.

The system is simple - put a small piece of colored electrical tape (different colors for each type)on each rod near the handle, and make a small laminated chart that you can stick to the inside cover of the rod locker to identify the rods. Some examples:

Red = Crankbait
Green = Spinnerbait
Blue = Flippin'
Orange = Jigs/worms
etc., etc., etc.

Find a system that works for you and help get yourself organized. For fun fishing, it isn't such a big deal, but to make the most of your time on the water, and especially for tournament fishing, if you can spare yourself the time and frustration of digging for a rod, the better the day will go.

Topics: Rod, Colorcoded
10
Vote

Runnin N Gunnin

There's something to be said for standing on a bank and fishing while relaxing, or trolling along a lake, but most of the time, I prefer to "run n' gun". Basically, this means constantly moving and going from place to place at adecent pace while using reaction or fast-moving baits. You won't catch 20-30 fish (usually), but the 7 or 10 that you do get are usually the 7 or 10 most aggressive fish.

The key is to find an area that will likely produce, like a point, weedbed, or are with lots of different cover and structure, and have a few rods rigged up - medium crankbait, deep crankbait and a spinnerbait. Work through the area, not stopping, and moving from spot-to-spot while making casts along the structure and to cover.

If you do this every time, you get worn out quickly, but if you only have a few hours to be on the water, this is a great way to make the most of it.

Topics: Crankbait, Spinnerbait
11
Vote

Mono vs. Fluorocarbon

OK, I'll start by saying I don't know a lot about braid or the superlines, because I've never used them. There may be applications where braid or another superline work better than mono or fluorocarbon, but I'm afraid to leave my "line comfort zone". Here's a little breakdown of the differences between mono and fluorocarbon (from manufacturer specs and my experience):

MONOFILAMENT
• Limp
• Low Memory
• Good Strength vs. Diameter
• Considerable Stretch
• Low Sensitivity
• Good Abrasion Resistance
• Good Knot Strength
• Low Visibility
• Floats


FLOUROCARBON
• Stiff
• Moderate Memory
• Good Strength vs. Diameter
• Low Stretch
• Very Good Sensitivity
• High Abrasion Resistance
• Good Knot Strength
• Very Low Visibility
• Sinks

PLASTICS/JIGS/TUBES
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

CRANKBAITS (SHALLOW, MEDIUM, DEEP)
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

LIPLESS CRANKBAITS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is OK

SPINNERBAITS/BUZZBAITS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is OK

SWIMBAITS
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

TOPWATERS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is Not Recommended (Sinks)

I hope this helps, as I have found that having the differences laid out for me really helps to understand the little nuances each style of line has. Remember to use the smallest line that is practical and it's worth it to spend a little extra - paying $9.99 for good line vs. paying $2.99 for store-brand line and losing a handful of $5 lures makes no sense.

Topics: Line, Fluorocarbon, Mono
8
Vote

Rod, reel line selection

OK, back to basics. I know I posted a tip about making sense of rods & reels and making things less complicated. Absolutely an essential part of fishing. This year I've been doing some experimenting with my tackle, and I've gotten to this point:

7' MH baitcast with 12 lb. mono for bigger worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits, and topwaters

7' M baitcast with 12 lb. fluorocarbon for crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and tubes

6'6" M spinning with 8 lb. mono for worms, spoons, spinners, and all finesse tactics

I hope my homework helps you out, and as I test more ideas I'll post them to help get things going. Just remember, do what you find works well, and never stop experimenting and learning!

Topics: Rods, Reels, lines
11
Vote

First rigs of the spring season

Up here in the northeast, fishing doesn't usually start until at least the third week of March, usually the first or second week of April (we have hard water). Anyway, once the ice goes away, that leaves the lake temps around 35-40 degree range. Here's what I keep tied on my rods for the first few trips of the spring (then I'll change up depending on what pattern I find):

1. Strike King Series 6 in Gizzard Shad
2. Strike King Pro Series Spinnerbait 3/8 oz. in Sexy Shad
3. Strike King Red Eye Shad 1/2 oz. in Chrome/Black Back
4. Strike King Wild Shiner Suspending Jerkbait in Sexy Shad
5. Strike King Wild Shiner Suspending Jerkbait in Chrome
6. Berkley Gripper Jig 3/8 oz. in Green Craw

I make color adjsutments based on water clarity, but for the most part, you want a more natural color base in clear water and go a little darker or brighter in stained or muddy water.

Topics: Spring, Bass, Crankbait, Jerkbait
15
Vote

Spring is here Start thinking about the pre-pre-spawn...

Well, the ice will all be gone in another month, and as soon as the lakes open up, you can expect to find me (along with a bunch of other guys) out on the water chasing down some late winter/early spring bass. As the temperatures hit 40-45 degrees, the bass will start to move around a little, and after a couple of warm days, you'll find them coming up on shallow flats to feed. Just make sure to look for shallow flats, near cover, and close to deeper water - a quick break into the depths usually holds more fish. Once the temps reach above 50 degrees, the fish will start to stay a little shallower, cruising around for a quick meal. 55-60 degrees and they're almost into spawn mode.

Slow-rolling spinnerbaits, jigs, carloina rigs, and big deep-diving crankbaits are great early spring baits. Once you start to see the vegetation returning, especially in water 7-10 feet deep and near a breakline, lipless crankbaits are almost unmatched, especially on warm days.

Remember, warm sunny days will draw the bass shallow, and once the weather stays warm, overcast days with a little breeze are the most productive. 3 days before to 10 days after th full moon seem to yield the most big fish, and remember to tune your lure size, color and action to look as natural as possible when the bass are inactive/sluggish.

Topics: Bass, Spring, Lures, Season, Jig, Crankbait, Spinnerbait
7
Vote

Cover a lot of water in weed beds and flats

When fishing weed beds and flats use a lure like a spinnerbait. You can cast out and reel it in quickly to cover a lot of water, and it is bright and flashy. Fish will swim up from the weeds to take the lure, so keep it brightly colored and cover a lot of water.

Topics: bass, pike, lures, spinnerbait, flats, weed beds