Additional spinnerbaits

The spinnerbaits of today are practically the same as they've always been. The ability to use them all year is what makes them great. From pre-spawn feeding to reaction and aggression strikes, spinnerbaits can be adapted to many situations. See what Bill Dance has to say about them...

When fishing a spinnerbait in clear water, it's important to pay attention to the lures head design and color - - Blades do for sure produce vibration and flash for attention, but bass attack the head and skirt of a moving object and this is why spinnerbaits hook bass so well. The skirt is pulsating and the blade or blades become a blur, but the head basically stays still. I honestly feel bass zero in on the head, so the more realistic it looks, the more attractive it will be. Take the eyes for instance they are very important since bass use them as a focal point for striking. Even a touch of red on the throat or gills on the head can make the lure even more attractive. It's also important to remember when fishing spring clear water that too much flash from metallic blades can be a turn off and can actually spook bass.

Lure companies offer a wide selection of blade combination, head designs and colors but most will tell you that most of their sales are basis chartreuse, white, or combinations of white and chartreuse.

However, natural colors are beginning to find their way into more and more tackle boxes.

Rainbow trout models are in huge demand out west, while crawfish patterns are doing well down south as well as shad, perch, and baby bass and shiners.

Along the east coast silver and blue that imitate alewives is strong, like yellow perch patterns up north.

Fire tiger has always been an excellent tri-color (lime, chartreuse, orange) where sunfish are a favorite forage.

For Clear Water: Willow Blades/Fast Retrieves

For Stained Water: Indiana - Colorado/Moderate Retrieves

Muddy Water: Colorado/Slow Retrieves

Most forage is similar, with silver, some turquoise, some blue and green and a touch of gold or yellow including shiners, shad, alewives, and others.

Panfish species like bream, green sunfish, red ears, pumpkinseed are also a favorite prey.

Any angler knows that bass can become very selective in their feeding habits, hitting only lures with the same colors of the existing forage. Example: a farm pond with only bluegill. Here, a bluegill pattern would work better than a shad pattern.

Two or even tri-tone spinnerbaits work very well when fished deep or near the bottom, while those fished near the surface, above the bass work better if they create a silvery baitfish look.

My decision whether to use round blades or willow-style blades is based primarily on water clarity and sunlight. If the water allows less than one-foot of visibility, it's an automatic round-blade or tandem round-blade configuration.

If the water clarity is one foot or greater there's a little sunlight, and I'm fishing the bait within 2 feet of the surface, then the choice will be willow-style blades for the added flash and sleeker profile.

Generally speaking, willow-style blades are better suited for a steady retrieve, while round blades are well-suited for steady retrieves as well as a drop bait.

It's the type of lure that will trigger reaction strikes from bass that may ignore slow moving lures, like plastic worms, lizards or jig'n pork combinations - - spinner baits have a wider zone of attraction because of the action, flash, and vibration they produce.

1) Spinner Baits can be fished faster, covering more water quicker

2) Spinner Baits draw bass into striking from a greater distance

3) Spinner Baits represent a bait fish better than most other rigs

4) Spinner Baits can be fished in a wider range of water clarities and water temperatures.

5) Spinner Baits can be fished effectively on the bottom or up several feet or move off the bottom

6) Spinner Baits are effective all seasons of the year

7) Spinner Baits produce well with a wide range of presentations - slow rolling, free falling, bottom bouncing, etc.