Spinnerbait, spinnerbait. Where for art thou, spinnerbait? Ahem, the "Bard" I ain't, but I do so long for the spinnerbait to become a top-of-mind choice for bass fishing fans once again. Sure, walk into your local tackle outlet and you'll see walls and walls of them. They must be a great bait, right?
They also seem so darn easy to fish. Just cast them, reel in, and repeat until a big bass whacks it. Simple enough.
Funny thing, though. Over the last many decades of tournament fishing you hear less and less about this lure. Did they become a terrible option? Harder to fish? Or simply overlooked for another more efficient offering? Well, they are effective and relatively easy to use. I am sure they were passed up to use a more efficient lure for a particular situation from time to time. That's simply a smart way to fish.
Lately, they have been experiencing a resurgence. The lowly old spinnerbait is becoming, if not a go-to bait, then at least they're used as a tool when needed by many top bassers throughout the land.
So, let's take a look at the ideal situations to toss the spinnerbait this fall.
Try Fishing With Spinnerbaits on Windy Days
Let it blow, let it blow, let it blow. Wind that is. When the wind is blowing hard, a spinnerbait can be the ideal choice for hooking up with all species of bass. In fact, Lund/Mercury pro Jeff Gustafson prefers lots of wind when tossing a spinnerbait.
"I like to throw a spinnerbait anytime it's overly windy, said Gustafson. "In fall, fish like to feed on baitfish, so spinnerbaits are a good bait to throw.
"I seldom use a spinnerbait if it is not windy."
Find the Food - You Find the Bass
Mercury pros Jimmy Houston and JT Kenney agree: if you find the food, you will find the bass in the fall. The presence of baitfish, shad, etc., is a huge key for finding large schools of bass getting their grub on during football season.
"The key to productive spinnerbait fishing in the fall is the presence of baitfish like shad," said Kenney. "Shad migrate shallow in the fall and are usually in or near cover like grass, wood or rock. This is where a spinnerbait shines, since it is nearly weedless and is a perfect forage imitation."
Jimmy agrees with Kenney.
"I particularly like 'em when the shad move into the tail ends of pockets for their pre-winter feed," said Houston. "The bass will follow them in big numbers, with some real big bass, too. This usually happens in October through November.
"One more location I like fishing spinnerbaits in the fall is rip rap. Same reason as the pockets. Schools of shad. I like using larger blades fishing there."
By Pros4- 1Source's Dave Landahl
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