Adjusting Spinnerbait Configuration For Steady Down Pour Rain.

[canuck]

Hello fellow tackle makers.

Over the past few years I have been fortunate to tap into  the tackle making wisdom of the membership with great succes.

I just recently found my self stumped unable to match the hatch so to speak in a situation fishing for pike and bass  in a tourney with unusually hard constant down pour . The kind that the rain actually bounces back off the water and deflects back up 3 or four inches.

It was a dark day with a north wind causeing a constant chop across the surface of this clear water ontario lake.

A cold front had just rolled in the night before dropping the temperature from 24C to 14C day time highs.

The lake water was much warmer than the cold rain  so it caused a fog to start forming as it mixed with the surface water.

These climate and weather variables caused me to really challenge what I have learned about adapting to different conditions while fishing spinnerbaits.

I tried many head  sizes and blade configurations, skirt and trailer combos with little to  no success.

I thought that the noise of the rain probably nullified the blade vibration somewhat so flash and speed of retreave would be more a factor.

I tried 3/8 1/2 5/8 and even 3/4 oz heads to be able to cast in the wind and get the bait down to deeper fish.

I tried changing the skirts from 66 strand to 44 to no skirt,  even  just a bare grub body.

I used natural colour three /two colour single colour silicone skirt patterns. Blade configuration from double willow to combos with colorado willow indiana willow single hammered finishes in gold brass silver plated . You get the picture . At one point I had fourty different baits on the floor of the casting deck . At some point I felt ready to throw the whole tackle selection overboard at them,I mean rods and all!!!.. After this long story I was hopeing to get some feed back as to what you may have tried in this situation including using something else as a lure.  I did try a few other technics but really would like your thoughts on modifications or choices that you may use with spinnerbaits that I could use in future under similar conditions. Even with this frustrating day my team was able to finish third just one lb behind the winners. Thanks again for any feed back,although a little bit different a question I feel this is the right forum to ask it. Sorry if you dont agree. Cheers.

[Musky Glenn]

My first thought was, if you have tried 40 spinner baits, it probably isn't a spinner bait bite. Good luck.

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

I would have gone to a large single gold Colorado blade if I stayed with blades.

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

Ask Joe H over at SWL how many bass he has caught on the Green Goddess configuration.  

 

I might also have spent more time thinking about what was happening because of the down pour and where fishing might actually be turned on by it.  

 

Location.  

[smalljaw]

That big of an air temp drop means the lake water temp was on a steady decline as well and with rain it was even faster. Normally rain helps as it introduces fresh oxygen in to the water but that temp put them off, your best bet would to have used something completely different.

[JRammit]

When they wont hit anything else, i always fall back on the drop shot

I dont fish spinners much, but when i do its either white or white.... Reading your post makes me wanna broaden my horizons!

[Vodkaman]

The way that I see it, fish are very sensitive to temperature changes and vibration noise. If I were a fish, I would head for the bottom and stay there.

Feeding is going to be a low priority, so for anything to have a chance of success, it is going to have to be loud, flashy and colorful, to distract/annoy the fish.

Once the storm has passed, there is going to be a lot of debris and food on the surface, which is going to attract the small fish.

Dave

Edited September 16, 2015 by Vodkaman

[CNC Molds N Stuff]

Let me just say.... NO! Fish don't just low tail it for the bottom. They can, but not always. Some of the best bites I've ever had have been in the rain.

Now I could tell you why I think that happens sometimes and in some places, but what be the fun in that.

[Vodkaman]

Bob - logic will only produce the right answer if all the facts and variables are known. I bow to experience of course.

My experience has always shown that before the storm is a good producer. Many anglers study the barometer as well as water temperature. As a teenager, I kept charts of the weather and temperature along with my catch.

We must collect data/observations and try to understand the reason or logic of the fish' behavior in order to make predictions.

Dave

[mark poulson]

I've found the better fish (largemouth bass) take advantage of the reduced visibility whenever it's raining or blowing, or if the water is moving or dirty, to slide up to any current breaks and feed.  I use a chart/white tandem 1/2 oz spinnerbait, with a small Colorado/large Indiana, with a Kalin's 3" single tailed grub as a trailer,  Big fish get big by not missing meals, and that blade/trailer combo puts out a lot of vibration, immitating a bluegill or other larger prey item.  If the wind or rain stops, or there's no current, I let the blade drop to the bottom on the outside of the grass line, and slow roll it.

[canuck]

Thanks to all for your feed back and input. Cheers