Spinner baits?

For the past 30 years or so, 90% of all my bass fishing has been with
soft plastics...a confidence thing mostly. But since I moved into this
cabin on the lake, I have a lot of "time on the water" to try other
techniques. It has been fun experimenting with different lures, and
lately the spinner baits have been really producing for me.

My question for the spinner bait enthusiasts...what are all the
different presentations that you all have had success with, and the
conditions associated with those presentations?

I have mainly just been casting it out, letting it settle a couple
seconds, then retrieving it at various speeds...I am catching a lot of
bass this way, but nothing much over 2 lbs. I really enjoy the hookup
ratio, and the almost 100% lip hooks! Maybe I am starting to become a
convert!

Thanks in advance for any tips!

John B

"John B" wrote in message
...
For the past 30 years or so, 90% of all my bass fishing has been with
soft plastics...a confidence thing mostly. But since I moved into this
cabin on the lake, I have a lot of "time on the water" to try other
techniques. It has been fun experimenting with different lures, and
lately the spinner baits have been really producing for me.

My question for the spinner bait enthusiasts...what are all the
different presentations that you all have had success with, and the
conditions associated with those presentations?

I have mainly just been casting it out, letting it settle a couple
seconds, then retrieving it at various speeds...I am catching a lot of
bass this way, but nothing much over 2 lbs. I really enjoy the hookup
ratio, and the almost 100% lip hooks! Maybe I am starting to become a
convert!

Thanks in advance for any tips!

John B


Well, I've flipped spinner baits with a little success, but my best success
has been bouncing them over and through the tops of submerged grass.




--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

John, here is what comes to mind:

1. Buzzing -- Bend a willowleaf blade to increase the commotion it causes on
the surface. Curl the blade around your forefinger, or put two kinks in it
to create triangular panels, or just bend the back 25% of the blade up at a
90-degree angle. Experiment to get the drag, flutter, and action you like.

2. Bulge -- Retrieve the bait just below the surface, allowing the blade to
break the surface every now and then.

3. Steady -- Wind it in at a steady rate in the "twilight zone," keep the
lure in sight during the entire retrieve.

4. Bottom-bumping -- Count the lure down or retrieve slowly until you feel
it strike something. Try to make it bounce on submerged brush, rocks, and
vegetation throughout the retrieve.

5. Yo-yo'ing -- Lift the bait with your rod tip and then letting it flutter
back to the bottom on a semi-limp line as you take in slack with your reel.
Another way to yo-yo is to use horizontal branches or the near edge of a
hole in a vegetation mat. Bring the lure up to the branch or obstruction and
then raise and lower it eight or ten times by lifting and dropping your rod
tip.

6. Slow-rolling -- an extremely slow retrieve that keeps the bait in contact
with the bottom most of the time.

7. Dragging, which is particularly effective as a cold-water technique
around ambush points. A short-arm spinnerbait is best for this.

8. Flipping into standing timber, around dock structures, brush piles, grass
lines, and into pockets in floating vegetation mats. Best with short-arm
spinnerbaits.

9. Doodling -- Cast across a branch above the water, and then pull the line
up until the lure is right on the surface, and then start shaking and
vibrating it to create splash and flash right at the surface.

10. Burning -- Clip on undersized blades and retrieving the lure a foot or
so deep at an extremely high rate of speed.

11. Ripping -- Sweep your rod tip to the side to create a burst of speed,
and then slow it down as you reel to take up slack and rotate the rod back
toward the lure.

12. Skipping -- Not really a retrieve, but I know of one angler in
California who, apparently, is mastering the art of skipping his spinnerbait
back under docks and boat houses. I'm amazed that he can do that. Don't
attempt it unless you also want to practice the skill of untangling birds'
nests.

Joe
--
Secret Weapon Lures
Tackle systems engineered for innovative anglers
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"John B" wrote in message
...
For the past 30 years or so, 90% of all my bass fishing has been with
soft plastics...a confidence thing mostly. But since I moved into this
cabin on the lake, I have a lot of "time on the water" to try other
techniques. It has been fun experimenting with different lures, and
lately the spinner baits have been really producing for me.

My question for the spinner bait enthusiasts...what are all the
different presentations that you all have had success with, and the
conditions associated with those presentations?

I have mainly just been casting it out, letting it settle a couple
seconds, then retrieving it at various speeds...I am catching a lot of
bass this way, but nothing much over 2 lbs. I really enjoy the hookup
ratio, and the almost 100% lip hooks! Maybe I am starting to become a
convert!

Thanks in advance for any tips!

John B

Spinner baits?

Thanks Joe! As usual, you write very detailed and understandable
instructions! I will definately try some of those techniques...always
wondered what "slow rolling" meant .

I appreciate you sharing your expertise!

John B

=========

John, here is what comes to mind:

1. Buzzing -- Bend a willowleaf blade to increase the commotion it
causes on the surface. Curl the blade around your forefinger, or put two
kinks in it to create triangular panels, or just bend the back 25% of
the blade up at a 90-degree angle. Experiment to get the drag, flutter,
and action you like.
2. Bulge -- Retrieve the bait just below the surface, allowing the blade
to break the surface every now and then.
3. Steady -- Wind it in at a steady rate in the "twilight zone," keep
the lure in sight during the entire retrieve.
4. Bottom-bumping -- Count the lure down or retrieve slowly until you
feel it strike something. Try to make it bounce on submerged brush,
rocks, and vegetation throughout the retrieve.
5. Yo-yo'ing -- Lift the bait with your rod tip and then letting it
flutter back to the bottom on a semi-limp line as you take in slack with
your reel. Another way to yo-yo is to use horizontal branches or the
near edge of a hole in a vegetation mat. Bring the lure up to the branch
or obstruction and then raise and lower it eight or ten times by lifting
and dropping your rod tip.
6. Slow-rolling -- an extremely slow retrieve that keeps the bait in
contact with the bottom most of the time.
7. Dragging, which is particularly effective as a cold-water technique
around ambush points. A short-arm spinnerbait is best for this.
8. Flipping into standing timber, around dock structures, brush piles,
grass lines, and into pockets in floating vegetation mats. Best with
short-arm spinnerbaits.
9. Doodling -- Cast across a branch above the water, and then pull the
line up until the lure is right on the surface, and then start shaking
and vibrating it to create splash and flash right at the surface.
10. Burning -- Clip on undersized blades and retrieving the lure a foot
or so deep at an extremely high rate of speed.
11. Ripping -- Sweep your rod tip to the side to create a burst of
speed, and then slow it down as you reel to take up slack and rotate the
rod back toward the lure.
12. Skipping -- Not really a retrieve, but I know of one angler in
California who, apparently, is mastering the art of skipping his
spinnerbait back under docks and boat houses. I'm amazed that he can do
that. Don't attempt it unless you also want to practice the skill of
untangling birds' nests.
Joe
--
Secret Weapon Lures

Spinner baits?

Bob wrote:

Well, I've flipped spinner baits with a little success, but my best
success has been bouncing them over and through the tops of submerged
grass.
--

Thanks Bob....grass is one of the few structures here on this little
lake! There are a few rock piles and cypress stumps to try Joe's
techniques out on too.

The weather has cooled off, the bass are feeding.....Life is GOOD!

John B