Tackle Tactics » Tips-Techniques » Sweetwater-Impoundments-Brackish » Spinerbaits & Bass

Spinerbaits & Bass

Steven Riding

I have to admit I have a favourite lure for bass fishing; it is any lure you can fish on the surface. However if the surface bite slows down the first lure I reach for to get the bite going again is a spinnerbait. If it was not for the huge buzz that I get when fishing the surface, then a spinnerbait would be continuously attached to my line.

When the surface bite shuts down, I start chasing the bass by casting a spinnerbait into any visible submerged snag. The weight of the spinnerbait makes the hook ride upward making it extremely snag resistant and even if it does get snagged I can paddle the kayak above the snag and bounce the lure loose.

My usual technique is to start retrieving almost immediately after the lure hits the surface so that I start fishing the top of the water column above the snag. With each subsequent cast I allow the lure to sink deeper into the snag. By counting as the lure sinks I know I am getting deeper on each cast. As the lure gets deeper you can feel it moving over the snag and it is amazing how often a strike occurs after making contact with the snag.

The beauty of the spinnerbait is that it is not just limited to fishing snags. I also use it as a prospecting lure. I cast it towards the bank and then retrieve it back. I use the same countdown system so that I fish the entire water column back to the kayak. You can use the same technique from the shore. I also mix up the speed of the spinnerbait; sometimes retrieving really slowly so that the blades are only slowly turning at other times a fast retrieve seems to draw the bass to the lure.

Another retrieve I regularly use is a stop / start retrieve. Each time the lure stops it helicopters down and then heads back towards the surface when the retrieve is restarted. Be ready for a strike as the lure is falling. You can also helicopter the lure down the side of a steep bank or adjacent to vertical timber. As the lure falls you need to keep an eye on your line and watch for the line speeding up, slowing down or moving in a strange way. If any of these things happen close the bail arm and strike.

One problem with spinnerbaits is that when the bite is finicky they do receive a lot of strikes that do not hook up. This is because the bass hits the skirt and not the hooks. These short strikes can be rectified by adding a stinger hook. The stinger hook does reduce the snag resistance of the lure, so I usually only use one when prospecting open water.

It is possible to modify spinnerbaits by adding a soft plastic. This adds bulk to the lure and changes the profile. Adding a ZMan Minnows to the lure will slow the decent of the lure as the ElaZtech material floats. A dab of superglue will keep the MinnowZ attached to the spinnerbait hook.

I have been reading about spinnerbaits being used as a surface lure. It involves retrieving so that you can see a bulge of water coming back towards you along the surface or so that you can see the blades breaking the surface. I have not tried this yet but as the weather warms and the cicadas start to call I will be giving it a go. Who knows, maybe I will have to retire all my surface lures and stock up on more skirted coat hangers.

TT Lures Vortex Spinnerbait - compact frame for bass, yellowbelly, saratoga and more.
TT Lures Striker Spinnerbait - mid-sized spinnerbait suitable for the aforementioned but built to handle Murray cod.
TT Lures Tornado Spinnerbait - a big fish spinnerbait that can handle the biggest of cod.
TT Lures FroggerZ Jnr Spinnerbait - frog profile and 10X tough ZMan?web-foot trailer that drives bass and cod crazy.
TT Lures FroggerZ Snr Spinnerbait - frog profile and ZMan 4" Hard Leg FrogZ trailer for switching on cod.