Cam Fishing - Lure guide to spinnerbaits

by Cameron Jones.

PART 2 FINE TUNING

Tuning a spinnerbait may be required after a capture or at anytime when the main wire is twisted or kinked out of shape. If not corrected it will cause the entire lure to rotate or at the very least make is sit on its side during the retrieve. To tune correctly, make sure the top and bottom wire, and the hook are parallel to each other. This way the lure will track straight with the hook facing up, offering better hook sets and allowing it to be worked through cover as it was designed to do.

Unlike many conventional lures the spinnerbait can be enhanced by your own personal touches. By simply adjusting the size of the V, an angler can vary the vibration of the lure. Opening the gape of the wire will slow the spinnerbait down and cause it to make more vibration, while closing the wire will allow you to speed up the lure, which is ideal in clear water conditions when fish are active. Many anglers favour a light wire spinnerbait because it produces more blade action, or what is known as blade swing. A wide swing on the top arm allows an exaggerated blade motion, which transmits action to the bottom arm and skirt. This will also transmit more vibration up the line to the angler, which is important when using the spinnerbait as a fall bait in deeper water. A shortened wire arm will also assist this technique and increase the effective bite of the lure.

BLADE SELECTION

Blade selection is an important consideration when fishing spinnerbaits. This is because the blades affect the speed, noise and flash capabilities of the lure and therefore have a big impact on its effectiveness. Select blades that allow you to fish and work cover the best and provide the right amount of flash and vibration. The Willow Leaf and Indiana blades are the most widely used because of their versatility around most structure forms. They provide greater flash through their ability for speed. Colorado blades are deeply cupped and produce more noise and vibration on a slow retrieve, which is ideal in slow or dirty water conditions. There are also slight variations to these standard patterns, such as the Tennessee or Oklahoma blade, which is found on the impressive Terminator Spinnerbaits.

The next most commonly asked questions are how many blades does a spinnerbait need? And what colour should I choose?

Two blades are useful around timber because if one blade catches on cover the other is still turning and keeping the lure upright. Two blades also offer you a slower presentation that is ideal for fish tight in cover or when a fish’s strike zone is small. Having two blades of different sizes will also give you maximum vibration. But when working heavily weeded areas a single blade is best utilized, as it is less likely to tangle up or foul.

Colour selection, as with most other lure forms is dependant on available light. Keeping it simple is the general rule of thumb, with choices ranging from metal finishes to more vibrant colour tones. I have a personal preference for hammered blades as they give off a shimmering 3D scale effect. Fish are used to seeing the flash from the scales of a baitfish, which appear as tiny blasts of reflection, rather than a large single flash that a regular blade exhibits.

On bright sunny days in clear water a silver or chrome blade is your best option, while in dirty water conditions on the same bright day gold, copper or brass are the obvious choice. Outside of these conditions during overcast or cloudy days or simply when the water is really dingy, try white, yellow or multi-colour blades. For late evening and nighttime spinnerbaiting, (yes they do work during summer nights) use fluoro reds, yellows, chartreuse, black and luminescent white.

Brands that include Cams “Strike Zone”, Stanley “Laser Eye”, Strike King “Premier” and the Terminator “Snap Back” with Titanium wire frame are just a few of the more popular brands available.