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John N. Felsher's Bass Fishing Adventures
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After decades of professional bass tournaments, one would think that
every improvement in lure design already hit the market. Many companies
make outstanding lures that catch fish right out of the box, but Americans
love to tinker with their toys.
“I modify everything I fish,” said Gary Klein, a professional bass angler
from Weatherford, Texas. “One of my favorite techniques is a high rate of
retrieve. In a high-speed retrieve, a spinnerbait will roll unless the wire is
bent correctly. Where the wire comes out of the head, I put my thumb and
bend the wire up. I’m actually pushing the eyelet back so the blade hangs
farther toward the back of the hook, but does not touch the hook.”
Right off the shelf, spinnerbaits come in various sizes and
configurations. They come equipped with three basic blade types,
Colorado, Indiana and willow-leaf. Nearly round, Colorado blades make
more “thump.” Long and skinny, willow-leaf blades go through thick
vegetation more easily. Indiana blades resemble something in the middle.
“A Colorado blade puts out the most pressure waves, so it works in
dirty water,” said Denny Brauer, a former Bassmaster Classic winner from
Camdenton, Mo. “The willow-leaf is probably the most subtle presentation,
but it also offers the most flash. It has more of a baitfish silhouette. An
Indiana blade is a compromise between a Colorado and a willow-leaf. With
its teardrop shape, it gives good vibration and flash.”
In probably the most common modification, anglers add juicy tidbits to
increase the taste, silhouette, scent or action of their spinnerbaits.
Probably the most common temptations include pork rind “frogs” in
assorted colors or plastic trailers. Curly tails from used plastic worms make
excellent spinnerbait trailers.
Many anglers add a second, or “trailer” hook, to normally single-
hooked spinnerbaits. Although these snag more frequently in heavy cover,
they also hook more fish. When bass short-strike skirts, a trailer hook can
often mean the difference between a missed strike and a fish in the livewell.
To keep the trailer hook in place, cut a plastic disk out of a milk jug with
a hole punch. Put the trailer hook on the main hook and push the main
hook through the plastic disk to keep the trailer hook in place. Some
people use two plastic disks, one before and one after, to lock the trailer
hook in place.
Some anglers go to more trouble than just adding a hook. Some
anglers change the hook configuration entirely.
“If the fish are just nipping the skirt, I add a big treble hook trailer when
I’m fishing in clear, open water,” Klein said. “Sometimes, I turn a single
hook upside down so that it runs down instead of up.”
Some anglers shorten the wires, add more blades or change the
configuration of blades to simulate forage found in a lake. In lakes with
abundant shad populations, stick to white, gray, silver, chrome or similar
colors. Some anglers add a dash of color, especially a touch of bleeding
red to simulate blood, around the spinnerbait head for extra enticement.
Some add rattles to increase the noise or vibration to make their
spinnerbaits more noticeable in muddy or stained waters.
To make more noise or vibrations in dingy water, some anglers use
baits with thinner wires that create more wobble. Some anglers “season”
spinnerbaits to increase the sounds their baits make. One angler hangs
several new spinnerbaits off the mirrors of his pickup truck then hits the
interstate. When the truck accelerates, the wind turns the blades, causing
them to squeak, creak and grown. A few miles at 70 miles per hour adds
years of “conditioning” to any blade.
Anglers need noisy baits to attract fish on windy days. Noise
generated by waves slapping against rocks or other structure can muffle
sounds, but those same winds can also allow anglers to sneak up on fish.
On windy days, many anglers turn to noisy, clanking spinnerbaits.
“As a general principle, if the wind is blowing 20 miles per hour or
more, a spinnerbait fisherman is going to catch fish better in any season
under any other conditions,” said Alton Jones, a bass pro from Waco,
Texas. “One of my favorite techniques is to run a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce willow-
leaf spinnerbait as fast as possible along a steep rocky bank.”
Many anglers change the way a spinnerbait looks. Anglers can adopt
these highly versatile baits quickly as conditions vary. Try a few
experiments to see what works best while on the water
every improvement in lure design already hit the market. Many companies
make outstanding lures that catch fish right out of the box, but Americans
love to tinker with their toys.
“I modify everything I fish,” said Gary Klein, a professional bass angler
from Weatherford, Texas. “One of my favorite techniques is a high rate of
retrieve. In a high-speed retrieve, a spinnerbait will roll unless the wire is
bent correctly. Where the wire comes out of the head, I put my thumb and
bend the wire up. I’m actually pushing the eyelet back so the blade hangs
farther toward the back of the hook, but does not touch the hook.”
Right off the shelf, spinnerbaits come in various sizes and
configurations. They come equipped with three basic blade types,
Colorado, Indiana and willow-leaf. Nearly round, Colorado blades make
more “thump.” Long and skinny, willow-leaf blades go through thick
vegetation more easily. Indiana blades resemble something in the middle.
“A Colorado blade puts out the most pressure waves, so it works in
dirty water,” said Denny Brauer, a former Bassmaster Classic winner from
Camdenton, Mo. “The willow-leaf is probably the most subtle presentation,
but it also offers the most flash. It has more of a baitfish silhouette. An
Indiana blade is a compromise between a Colorado and a willow-leaf. With
its teardrop shape, it gives good vibration and flash.”
In probably the most common modification, anglers add juicy tidbits to
increase the taste, silhouette, scent or action of their spinnerbaits.
Probably the most common temptations include pork rind “frogs” in
assorted colors or plastic trailers. Curly tails from used plastic worms make
excellent spinnerbait trailers.
Many anglers add a second, or “trailer” hook, to normally single-
hooked spinnerbaits. Although these snag more frequently in heavy cover,
they also hook more fish. When bass short-strike skirts, a trailer hook can
often mean the difference between a missed strike and a fish in the livewell.
To keep the trailer hook in place, cut a plastic disk out of a milk jug with
a hole punch. Put the trailer hook on the main hook and push the main
hook through the plastic disk to keep the trailer hook in place. Some
people use two plastic disks, one before and one after, to lock the trailer
hook in place.
Some anglers go to more trouble than just adding a hook. Some
anglers change the hook configuration entirely.
“If the fish are just nipping the skirt, I add a big treble hook trailer when
I’m fishing in clear, open water,” Klein said. “Sometimes, I turn a single
hook upside down so that it runs down instead of up.”
Some anglers shorten the wires, add more blades or change the
configuration of blades to simulate forage found in a lake. In lakes with
abundant shad populations, stick to white, gray, silver, chrome or similar
colors. Some anglers add a dash of color, especially a touch of bleeding
red to simulate blood, around the spinnerbait head for extra enticement.
Some add rattles to increase the noise or vibration to make their
spinnerbaits more noticeable in muddy or stained waters.
To make more noise or vibrations in dingy water, some anglers use
baits with thinner wires that create more wobble. Some anglers “season”
spinnerbaits to increase the sounds their baits make. One angler hangs
several new spinnerbaits off the mirrors of his pickup truck then hits the
interstate. When the truck accelerates, the wind turns the blades, causing
them to squeak, creak and grown. A few miles at 70 miles per hour adds
years of “conditioning” to any blade.
Anglers need noisy baits to attract fish on windy days. Noise
generated by waves slapping against rocks or other structure can muffle
sounds, but those same winds can also allow anglers to sneak up on fish.
On windy days, many anglers turn to noisy, clanking spinnerbaits.
“As a general principle, if the wind is blowing 20 miles per hour or
more, a spinnerbait fisherman is going to catch fish better in any season
under any other conditions,” said Alton Jones, a bass pro from Waco,
Texas. “One of my favorite techniques is to run a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce willow-
leaf spinnerbait as fast as possible along a steep rocky bank.”
Many anglers change the way a spinnerbait looks. Anglers can adopt
these highly versatile baits quickly as conditions vary. Try a few
experiments to see what works best while on the water
Putting a new
spin on old
spinnerbaits
spin on old
spinnerbaits
Jimmy Houston, a professional bass fisherman and television
personality from Cookson, Okla., shows off some of his favorite
spinnerbaits for catching lunker largemouths.
personality from Cookson, Okla., shows off some of his favorite
spinnerbaits for catching lunker largemouths.
Jimmy Houston, a
professional bass
fisherman and television
personality from Cookson,
Okla., shows off a bass he
caught on one of his
favorite spinnerbaits.
professional bass
fisherman and television
personality from Cookson,
Okla., shows off a bass he
caught on one of his
favorite spinnerbaits.