delta spinnerbait question

[spotfin]

I am trying to learn to use a spinnerbait in the delta. I will be throwing a 3/8 oz, chart/white w/ 2 gold willow leaf blades at this time of year. My question is: "Should I use a trailer hook,...why or why not, and any recommendations as to whether I should use some kind of plastic grub/trailer on the spinnerbait hook? Thanks.

[kazk]

I've alway had really good results with the 1/2 oz Rod Strainer with tandem white willow leafs and a chartreuse trailer or the same with chartreuse double willow leafs and a white trailer. I superglue my trailers onto a trailer hook.

Chris Koda

[toadhunter]

I sent you a pm did you get it?

Tom

[spotfin]

My email is jchow1234@sbcglobal.net if anyone wants to email me an answer to my question about spinner baits. Thanks.

[fishercurtis]

I like the persuader 1/2 oz white and chartruese double willow most times of the year except right now the Chartruese with colorado blades, moves alot more water when it is so dirty out there.

[crawdaddy]

1/2 oz white or white/chartreuse spinner bait with gold or nickel blades or a combination of both. I ALWAYS remove that 4.5 blade on the back and replace it with a 4. Most of my spinnerbait fish are caught on weed lines in about 6-8ft of water, and it takes concentration to keep that bait down there. A slow retrieve reel 5.1 or less is helpful. I would suggest that whatever you use don't forget to get that bait down into the weeds. A lot of fish are missed by guys trying to "cover water".

[mark poulson]

Use a trailer hook whenever you can get away with it. It doesn't affect the spinnerbait's action, and it gets the short biting fish. I use trailers in off colored or dirty water to move more water, or when I'm in heavy brush or weeds to give a bigger profile. A trailer also lets me retrieve more slowly without the blade sinking as quickly, so I can use a bigger blade shallow, like over the tops of weeds or sunken brush.

[Kevin Evans - Kap]

I seem to prefer the 1/4 oz red skirt and gold colorado blades since most of the water is stained at this time of the year with the run off and such. Iuse a white zoom lizard as my trailer as it adds bulk. I like to use the 1/4 oz first if I can getaway with it and go heavier if need be for the wind. As Mark said earlier -

Use a trailer hook whenever you can get away with it. It doesn't affect the spinnerbait's action, and it gets the short biting fish.

Good luck,
Kap

[Phil]

WE HAVE BEEN BUILDING SPINNERBAITS SINCE 1988, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS USED 3/8 TO 1/2 OZ IN WHITE AND CHART FOR THE DELTA WITH SINGLE 2 1/2" WILLOWLEAF BLADE AND EITHER WHITE OR CHART TRAILER

[Cooch]

Spotfin,

I have mixed results with this right now, and I think one of the posters earlier said it best. If ya can git away with out a trailer hook and the fish are just gobbling up yer blade, great. If ya find they are mush clocking yer blade and yer missing strikes, put a stinger hook on to improve yer hook up ratio.

Right now, I've been having mixed results day to day with blades. I keep hearing of this awesome blade bite, but am not finding it with any consistancy. For me, the jig and Senko bite is unreal, and I just seem to toss the blade ever now and then between lulls to assure I ain't missing nothing. Right now, I can't git em ta eat the blade unless it's a blue bird day. No consistancy at all when the weather is in between or ugly. Today would have seemed to be a textbook kinda day for that blade on the river with the ugly conditions. I probably tossed it out of convinience fer half the day today with the howling winds. Never got bit, but the client and I put 30+ pounds of fish in the boat on jigs and Senkos. Don't git too locked up on this one bait! Be versatile, take two or three blade rods with different combinations if thats all ya plan to use and wanna learn the ins and outs of blading the river. As ya can see by the posts here, no one single configuration is repeated over and over. A variety of blades are working at different times and under various conditions out there!

I'm using two blade types right now. The first is a 1/2 oz Rodstrainer Spinnee with a #6 Colorado thumper, no trailer. I've not had to use a stinger hook with this blade, the river fish are just crushing it when they are on it. It's like they'll eat it one day, then not touch it the next 7.

The other blade I've been using is a 3/4 oz Tandem white Yamamoto with chrome willow and a small gold Colorado. This blade I have been adding a Chartruese Yamamoto grub trailer. I've had to add the stinger hook to this bait to boat fish. The fish don't hit it as aggressively as they do the thumper right now and seem to be just short striking the grub, I've had several grub tails yanked off before I put on that stinger hook.

Just be sure to take those stinger hooks with you and some rubber tubing. If they eat yer blade with out it, fine. If they is short striking, yer prepared to make the adjustment to hook em! Late winter and early spring are the only times I toss blades much any more. Simply because they will catch much bigger fish if used in the right kinds of areas, versus most of the rest of the year when it's just a numbers bait out there and everyone is tossing it.

[Phil]

COOCH;

WHAT DOES A SHORT STRIKE FEEL LIKE HONESTLY, ? IN 40 PLUS YEARS WE HAVE BEEN TOSSING A SPINNERBAIT BACK TO THE OLD BAGLEY I THINK IT WAS SPINNERBAIT, I HAVE YET TO FEEL A SHORT STRIKE AND HAVE NEVER USED A TRAILER HOOK, TRAILERS YES TWIN TAIL USUALLY, BUT NEVER A REAR HOOK.

THANK YOU AND YOUR ANSWER WILL BE APPRECIATED

JIGS

[Cooch]

feels just like any other spinnerbait bite, the exception is, when ya set, ya fall short and come up empty. The fish may be just whackin the blades, maybe they rush up to the bait and turn at the last instant, other times, maybe they just come up behind it and grab the trailer. Quite honestly I don't know exactly what it is they are doing, I've not seen too many of my blade bites. I know what that distinctive blade bite feels like, it's so different than that of any other strike a bass makes on the various types of lures we use. When I git one of those kinda bites, or several of them, to me, I interpret this as "short strikes", I resolve this by adding the stinger hook. Purty common practice for blade fishing.

Purty amazing Jigs, 40 years of fishing a blade and ya have never felt this?

[Phil]

YES I KNOW, THANKS


PHIL

[scott h]

Them bass always whack the blades theres two things to try in this situation 1) Use a stinger hook ( I usually only use em in tourneys ) and 2) Try changin the color just a little bit sometimes this can help. It can be blade color also!

[spotfin]

Thank you everyone for your most informative replies. This website and board is absolutely wonderful! I'm going to fish w/ my bro in law next Wed, Thrs,Fri if the weather holds out. We're not tournament fishermen....just love to bass fish for fun.

[Gary Dobyns]

Hi buddy, hows your blood pressure?

[Cooch]

to toss em more than 30 minutes on yer pond today! So I went back to my jigs! Damn, where'd all them 3-4 pound spots come from up there? Was it luck stumbling into the middle fork or am I just THAT good with a jig up there too?

Pressures back ta normal thanks! I'm home, and headed back to the river! Where's that dang SENKO rod? Amistad can't hold the Delta's jocky strap right now! HAR!

[Phil]

HEY GARY;
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN WE WERE ALL PLAYING IN THE SNOW AT DON PEDRO SATURDAY AT THE C&C RANGER TOURNAMENT !!!???


JIGS

[Gary Dobyns]

I was in Idaho doing seminars and shootin' the bull with bass fishermen. Idaho's weather is much nicer than ours.

[Phil]

Yeah, that is what Chet told me. Get your swimbait rod ready, Nov 18th here at Don Pedro Jigs fall classic........Your presents will be appreciated and will bring in the anglers !! Think about it !


Phil