Spinnerbaits are the most popular of lures because of the variety of styles, colors, and sizes. There are many methods of working spinnerbaits based on particular fishing conditions,

1. Spinnerbaits – For Use Under All Conditions
Paul Katsus a Katy, Texas angler, is one of the spinnerbaits most vocal advocates. Spinnerbaits are probably
the most popular artificial bait in use today. The spinnerbait mimic the popular bait fish shad. Shad are a year
around (hopefully plentiful) source of food for many species of fish such as strippers, catfish, largemouth &
smallmouth bass. Fishing with spinnerbaits is often effective in any season due to the many varieties of
fishing methods, blade types and colors available. There is a simple reason spinnerbaits are the number one
choice of professional tournament fisherman,--they are extremely effective.
There are many types of spinner baits you can use depending on the type of fish you wish to catch. With so
many types of spinnerbaits, the question becomes down to what size and type to use. When you are fishing
for crappie, you want to stick with spinnerbaits with a small single blade. For sizes stick with 1/8 ounce or
1/4 ounce depending on the size of the fish you expect to catch. For added effectiveness use a small soft
plastic grub or curly tail to the spinnerbait as a trailer. Try to stick to lines that are 10lb or less to line, the
lighter weight lines help the smaller size spinnerbaits look more like baitfish with less hindrance from the
line.
When fishing for largemouth or smallmouth bass, generally you want to move up the scale on size to 3/8 to
3/4 ounce spinnerbaits. The rule of thumb is the bigger the bait the larger the fish. However, there are times
when smaller spinnerbaits are just or more effective than larger baits. It will depend on the shad or baitfish
size and/or the water clarity. It is generally thought that under very bright or clear water conditions, size your
spinnerbait bait a size to two down from what you would normally use.
When choosing colors try to closely mimic the colors of the baitfish in the water you are fishing. When
fishing deeper waters bait fish appear to be darker in color, so a good choice would be to use silver with
black, or gold /silver type spinnerbaits. When you are fishing in warmer clearer water usually the most
productive colors are the white shad shades. Fishing in the early morning or in murky water the most popular
spinnerbait is the chartreuse and/or white. Under lower light situations try using a Colorado blade which
produces more vibration for the fish to find the lure. In clearer water you will want more speed and flash that
the willow leaf blade provides.
Once you start experimenting with spinnerbaits, you can learn to bounce them off the bottom, reel them in
fast to buzz the surface, and rip them out of weed and moss beds. Sometimes even a steady retrieve will
work just fine. Remain flexible and when fishing and when conditions change match the spinnerbait with the
conditions. To be the most productive when using spinnerbaits, use the basic shad colors of the baitfish at the
depth you are fishing. With a little practice and experience, you will be catching more fish using spinnerbaits
following these basic guidelines.
About the Author
Paul Katsus likes to fish for many varieties of fresh water fish in the Katy, Texas area. Paul Katsus is very
flexible in his choice of artificial lures and will use live bait from time to time depending on availability.
Check out the Paul Katsus articles on minnows and night crawler worms, if you want some live bait tips.