It won’t be long and spinnerbaits will be accounting for their share of spring bass. The following are 10 tips courtesy of the spinnerbait pro, Hank Parker (HankParker.com).
1. Rig a baitcasting outfit with 17-pound-test line, tie on a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait and cast around the thickest cover. The chances of snagging a lure are greater, but so are the chances of catching fish. Avoid setting the hook when you see the fish strike. Bass will hold a spinnerbait for a long time, so don’t jerk until the fish is felt.
2. Spinner blades: The Colorado creates a lot of vibration, while the willow-leaf produces a lot of flash. The Indiana has some of both without overdoing it. The Colorado will attract stubborn fish to the lure, while the willow-leaf retrieves better through grass.
3. Tandem vs. single spin: A single spin may produce more vibration, but the tandem helps ensure at least one blade spins continuously when banging brush. If a single-spin blade stops spinning, the lure lays on its side and hangs up. To keep it relatively snag-free, the spinnerbait must be running upright so the wire arm protects the hook. The tandem not only produces more flash, it also can be retrieved more slowly because the two blades provide more lift. Opt for a single blade when the lure needs to fall.
4. Lure color: White in clear water during sunny days; chartreuse and white for dirty water and sunny days; blue and/or chartreuse for clear water on overcast days; chartreuse in dirty water on overcast days and bright colors in muddy water regardless of sky conditions.
5. Vibration:If wind or current has stirred the water, use a bigger blade to increase vibration and flash. If it’s calm, try smaller blades with less flash. When fishing brush tops in 10 to 15 feet of water, big flashy baits are best.
6. Skirts and trailers: Parker always adds 3-inch plastic trailer. Pork rind will work, but it can discolor whereas plastic trailers remain the same all day. He prefers split-rubber skirts over living-rubber. “Always put the skirt on backward; it gives the lure more lift.”
7. A 1-ounce spinnerbait is his favorite for slowly winding the lure over the top of deep vegetation, down river ledges or along large logs in deep water.
8. Spinnerbait wire:”My spinnerbaits are built with 32nd-grade wire, a small wire that creates more vibration. Also, the flexibility of small wire reduces the number of fish lost.”
9. Weather conditions: Low-light days are good spinnerbait days, but the opposite can be true, too. Sunny days push bass under logs and into thick cover, where a spinnerbait will call them out.
10. Location: Cover is the key when selecting a location for this lure. In shallow water swim it through brush, or best of all, along laying logs that angle into deep water. Retrieve the lure slowly through deeper branches turning the handle just fast enough to keep the line tight. Keep the lure near structure.
For more articles, quick tips and much more visit HankParker.com.