Spinner Baits!?

[Mikew36]

Hey guys, everyone swears by spinner baits and I see pictures of guys catching pike in the Passaic on them all the time !!

I have all different size spinners and colors and have fished them all sorts of ways (jig, slow retrieve, fast retrieve). I have fished them in ponds, lakes, fast moving river currents, still pools and have never gotten the hint of a bite on one.

What am I doing wrong?!!

[AndrewT]

Try using a white spinnerbait with two silver blades. Fish it in water anwhere from 1-10 ft with weeds, wood, docks, or badically any type of structure. You have to make sure that when retrieving them, the blades are running directly over the rest of the lure. You're bound to start catching fish eventually.

[Jigman13]

Originally Posted by Mikew36

I have all different size spinners and colors

Spinners or spinnerbaits?

For spinnerbaits, do what you're doing... play with retrieve speed, adjust depth, color (skirt, head, blades), and size... Fish structure... weedlines, brush piles, pads, docks, drop-offs, etc.

Like AndrewT said, you're bound to hook up eventually. They're my go to lure after senkos for bass...

[Skunk City]

I use big white, chartreuse or firetiger colored double bladed spinnerbaits with the biggest gold willow blades I can find. Most of mine have been modified with bigger blades. Straight retrieve, nothing special. I also run a trailer hook most of the time as well.

[The Birdman]

Tip the hook of the spinner with a twisty tail worm! Use contrasting colors.

The spinner gets the Pike, and the worm gets the bass! I call it the 2 in 1 combo

Try the terminator brand spinners and look into tornado blades.

[Lard Almighty]

It can be hard to figure out spinnerbaits as there are a nearly infinite combination of skirt colors and blade colors/sizes to choose from. Whenever I fish spinnerbaits, I always ask myself a few questions:

1. What do I want to imitate? Choose skirt color based on the predominant forage of a lake or river. If you see schools of shad, use a skirt that is mostly white. For bluegill, use a skirt with green and blue mixed in. For perch, use a skirt with yellow and orange in it.

2. What is the water like? If the water is clear, use a natural-looking bait. If the water is muddy, use bolder colors like chartreuse, firetiger, or black and blue. In murky water, use Colorado blades that throw off a lot of vibration. In clear or chilly water, switch to quieter willow blades.

3. What time of day am I fishing? For low-light fishing (before dawn, after dusk, night, or cloudy days) use dark colors with large Colorado blades so the fish can hone in on the vibration. For bright days with high sun, use light colors and willow blades for a more subdued presentation.

4. What time of year is it? Sometimes a spinnerbait just isn't the best choice, no matter how savvy you are. In spring and fall they can be lights out. In winter and the dog days of summer, a different lure may be a better option.

5. How big should I go? Try to match the size of the spinnerbait to the forage. If you see a lot of 2-3 inch fish in the shallows, don't start throwing a giant 1 oz. bait around. Even big fish may not go after a big lure if it looks out of place. You can catch huge fish on a 1/8 oz. bait just as easily as a 1.5 oz. bait.

The best (and worst) thing about spinnerbaits is that they are infinitely customizable. Many factors can change the effectiveness of a spinnerbait, including blade size, blade color, skirt length, skirt density, or the addition of a trailer or trailer hook. Just remember that these lures are proven fish-catchers. Don't lose faith, and keep playing around with them, and you will eventually find success.

[Fish n Jeep]

Excellent information there, Lard. Thanks.