Spinnerbaits, Old Lure New Techniques by Mike Iaconelli

Courtesy of Bass University

Spinnerbaits (wire baits)

A very old lure. Gained popularity in the 80’s
- Was called an idiot bait. Cast out and reel in!
- Jimmy Houston, Roland Martin, Hank Parker
Great lure for a lot of reasons:
- Weedless/snagless
- Flash
- Vibration
- Perfect Imitator Of Bait

Things to consider
- Water clarity – vibration or flash? The general rule is: the clearer the water the more you want flash; the dirtier the water the more you want vibration. Tandem configuration is the most versitile
- Water tempatures – cold, mid, hot. The general rule is the colder the water the more you want vibration and the warmer the water the more you want flash. Tandem configuration is the most versitile.
- Type of cover – little or no cover and grass I like willows better. Hard cover like wood, trees, brush I generally like Indiana Better
- Forage – match the hatch. Match blade size, shape and color to forage.
- Water depth – mainly I’m thinking about weight of the lure.

Neon Charmer – shock color, (perch or panfish), and also good for dirtier water.

Steady – great for active fish and stained water
Burn – Great for clear water
Slow Roll – great for cold or dirty water
Jerk – great when the bass are inactive (REACTION)
Feather – keep the bait in the strike zone longer and looks like the real movements of forage.

No matter what technique you choose, always try and make your spinnerbait change direction. You can do this by:
- Hitting/deflecting off of cover
- Using the Rod and Reel
- Using Your Body

Add On – trailer hook and or soft plastic trailers
Rod – 6’6” to 7’4”. But the 7’ M is my favorite (70/30). Slight DELAY needed!
Reel – Ratio depends on the technique. 6.4:1 to 7.9:1, but 7.0 is my favorite.
Line – 75% of the time straight flora (12-20 with 15 being my favorite). 25% of the time braid or mono (40 or 50 pound braid or 14-20 mono).