Cam Fishing - Lure guide to spinnerbaits

by Cameron Jones

PART 3 Tips

Spinnerbaits offer as many different characteristics as Crankbaits and softplastics. We all have our personal favourites, but sometimes it pays to make minor changes to a lure to trigger strikes on a given day and for this the spinnerbait is ideal. Experimentation will make you a more versatile angler and a more successful spinnerbait fisherman. In many instances there are guidelines for matching a lures characteristics for each seasonal change. Having an open mind and experimenting until you determine which lure draws the most aggressive strikes is important with all lure forms. Sometimes a fish may nip at a spinnerbait and not eat it. Often a change in blade size or retrieve speed will cause them to seize it on the next cast.

It was once wrongly perceived by many that the use of a stinger hook on a spinnerbait was like training wheels for beginners. When bites are hard to come by, during cold fronts or seasonal migration, I strongly recommend using them. American spinnerbait ace Kevin VanDam swears by them, “Because bass have a tendency of short striking the lure”. A trailer hook in sizes 1/0 and 2/0 will often increase your hook up rate by as much as 50%. But if fish are extremely active and aggressive leave them off, to limit possible damage.

Trailers that are applied to the main hook in addition to a skirt are tantalizing addition to aid fishing success. Pork and more commonly used plastic trailers added movement and taste to trigger a more determined response. During the summer months I find that small plastic trailers like 2” to 3” curl tail grubs to be great. Ideally the size of the trailer is relevant to both the size of the spinnerbait being used and the fish it is intended for. During the Autumn to Spring period or when tough conditions are present, the Uncle Josh Kicker Frogs or heavily scented plastics like Zoom and Berkley, produce the goods. These Pork trailers have a salty taste to them that bass, golden perch and other natives love. The advantage of using trailers is that they offer the lure added movement and that chewable sensation that means the will hang onto the lure longer.

Scents are another handy product by which to invoke strikes. Smeared onto the skirt or rubber tail of a spinnerbait, they are proving to be more effective than anglers once thought. Brands like Riversides’ Craw or Shad scent, Yum and the always-reliable Halco range of scents stimulate fish to respond.