[captsully18]

Hey guys, I would like to hear different opinions about what makes a good/great spinnerbait. Would like to hear from some of y'all that make such grand looking baits. Would just like to collect some different views on the subject.

Thanks

David

[Spike-A-Pike]

I like something just a little different than what all the others are using. I like an in-line spinner with either a french style, indiana, or fluted indiana blade. I make them in all sizes; crappie and perch, pike and bass, and musky. Fire tiger, chartreuse and blue, red, black and silver, black, and white are my favorite combinations.

When I want more vibration from the spinner, I add a second blade for a blugger effect. The blades quickly takeoff at the start of the retrieve with a nice smooth rotation. Make sure you allow enough room on the shaft where the components can move back and forth on the shaft and add a small bead in front of the clevis to keep it from hanging up on the line attach eye. Good luck.

[smalljaw]

A good spinnerbait will provide flash and vibration which are the key elements for a spinnerbait but most of us began making our own because we couldn't buy what we were looking for off the shelf like certain colors or blade configurations. A great spinnerbait (for my fishing) has alot of flash and a ton of vibration along with different color, something that the fish haven't seen, the vibration part is done by using quality swivels with light wire and the flash comes from using highly polished blades, most spinnerbaits that you buy that aren't titanium have a heavy wire so the lures are a little more durable but they sacrifice vibration but it's understandable because who wants to spend 5 bucks for a lure that may break after catching a few fish. Most will make baits specific to the bodies of water they fish so they can match the size and color to the predominant forage, I started to make them because I couldn't find a bait that I could fish in moving water (rivers) without rolling over or burn it just below the suface without the bait doing the same thing. These are qualities that make a good bait better.

[MTfishingrods]

Wow!! 5 Bucks for spinners small jaw. your getting a great deal. The majority of my Pike spinners retail at the sporting goods store here in town for $15.00 to $17.00. Of course they get a pretty good chunk of profit off of that. In fact I think they make more off them than I do sometimes but oh well. They also have a lot more over head than I do and I do this more for fun than anything else. I make great money off the rods I sell in thir store so I have a good deal going. Anyway back on topic. Balance vs action of the spinner are important. As you get into making these you will see what I mean. Adding more weight and larger Blades and larger bucktails can really affect the action in different ways. It is important to get the three things balanced so they work together for the correct action. Also as Bruce pointed out, Beads are not just for decoration. They also act as bearings and keep things from hanging up.

[reeves]

David, those are great tips from Bruce, Smalljaw and MT. I might add one other thing that to me is very important for a spinnerbait to do and that is come through all kinds of stuff without hanging up. Bass hang out in this garbage and often you have to go in and entice them out of their comfort zone. A spinner that can do that without getting hung stands a much better chance of getting bit. In my opinion, there is nothing that is true 'weedless', but you want to be as weed-free as possible. Many of the spinners on the market are sure pretty, but the head will hang on a blade of grass.
Good thread!

[LedHed]

David
Not sure if you are talking about in-line spinners or spinnerbaits.
As mentioned before, crucial to either one is balance and vibration.
Tacklemaking.com has some really good articles and tutorials on wire baits.

[Spike-A-Pike]

Dave,

Seeing George's post reminds me of another key aspect of a spinners, both in-line and spinnerbaits, a good quality finish. During the TU Meet in Clinton this year, I got to meet George and see first hand the level of quality he produces in his spinnerbaits. The paint and skirt are top notch and lure fishes great. I spent about 30 minutes casting one of his pike/musky sized lures and it bagged a nice pike... But, as I was fishing it, I kept looking at the spinner, watching it work, and I finally had to remove it a put it back in my tackle box.

You see, I value that spinnerbait too much to risk loosing it. Common of most spinnerbaits, it has an "R" bend frame. Since I couldn't use a musky leader with the "R" bend frame, I tied it directly to my 60# braid and that one pike told me I was risking more than I was prepared to lose.

So Dave, figure out if there are any design issues that have to be considered for the targeted species before you build too many.

And George, that spinnerbait will go after large mouth bass in the future, but no more toothy critters where line breakage could be an issue - It tracks great and the action is fantastic! If you ever start making a spinnerbait with a twisted eye design, just let me know!

[MTfishingrods]

Dont I feel like the village idiot. LOL. I had in line spinners on the brain not spinnerbaits. I am going to blame it on making up a bunch of them yesterday for a pike tourney this weekend. You all know how it goes, one track mind. But balance still does play a large factor on both types.

[Spike-A-Pike]

Hey, I'm an in-line wire bender of nearly 35 years and I don't feel like no stinkin' village idiot (I might look like him; but I'm not him). LOL. The thing is, these baits have some similar characteristics and use similar, if not the same, components. You'd be surprised how much an idea for one type spinner can impact the other. I know George, Dave, and I had several discussions about "spinners" and exchanged a pretty fair amount of info. You let guys from different backgrounds talk about a common subject for awhile and you'd surprised what they can come up with.

Dave, I hope I haven't hijacked your thread or taken it too far off topic.

[willie525]

vibration, flash, wire diameter, hook, head design, and the ability to catch fish without breaking