SPINNERBAITS......they are with out a doubt the most versitile bait for bass fishing availble. You can use them shallow or deep. You can customize them to meet every water/fish condition. They are without a doubt the most important tool in your tackle box, next to CONFIDENCE. Bill Morgan and Roger Davis taught me the most important fishing slogan ever...'quality builds confidence and confidence catches fish''..that is a credo every fisherman must have. Whether fishing for walleye, trout, bass, anything that swims, if you dont have a quality bait that you have confidence in..take up golf.  Simple.

Spinner baits are not a hard bait to fish. A long long time ago Roland Martin was introduced to this 'safety pin' fishing device. At first appearance you might wonder  why a bass would bite this wire with a head. Simple answer---it mimicks a bait fish that has vibration.

Please notice two key words....mimick and vibration. The mimick comes from the blades and skirt and head  and the vibration comes from the wire. Generally a smaller diamator wire creates the highest vibration in the water. This is where the quality of the bait comes in. The color of head and skirt is part of the presentation. The type of blades and size effect the vibration of the wire. Put them all togethor and you have the most effective bass catching bait around. But  wait...there are many sizes, head colors, skirts, blades combonations..how to use what and  where???

Welll...use the KISS principle.  KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID.......

One of the best  lesson I every learned was from Bass pro Gerald Beck, he  taught me...'bob...put it in front of 'em and they will bite it'.  Simple. Well maybe not. You cannot use the same spinnerbait in  spring as you do in winter. Why?? NATURE SAYS  SO. There is a  general guideline with spinnerbaits based upon NATURE...in early spring /winter...white head...white skirt...silver blades..willlow leaves...as the  water warms up...chart/white head..chart/white skirt with a mix of a gold colorado blade (#3-4) in front and a silver (#4-5 willow) in the back..OK LET ME STOP  and  answer WHY...in cold water the bait fish are pale..white..so  there for you match the hatch...as the water warms they develop 'color'..like we do---tan--and you  start to blend the colors of sun/earth/water with the spinnerbait..hence the mix of  chart/white...get it???ok???

now its summer..and I dont care if you are in Florida or Minnosota...you go with  a chart. head....gold  front blade and gold back...simple....

OK MAYBE NOT....

Hank Parker, Rick Morris, Ray Sedgwick, and other carry  what is known as 'the box"..this box has  every size  head/color/skirt/blade known to mankind in components..WHY??  because  they are PROS ..and they can build a bait in minutes for certain situations.. though I am not a Pro..yes I have a box..but I dont have the expertise to create an 'on the water ' winning combination..my box was made for demo purposes. Just to give you an idea how many different combinations are available, my box cost over 500.00..and that was not retail. One advantage..ok maybe disadvantage of having a spinnerbait component box, you get real popular at tournaments with competitors asking for 'this blade or head or skirt". IF you elect to invest in a spinnerbait component box, a Plano double side is a great way to go. A bit of advice, keep it under lock and key and let only a few trusted folks know.

HEAD SIZE

The normal head sizes are 1/4--3/8ths--1/2--3/4 oz...start small..1/4-3/8ths  until you can throw that size into the water creating the least amount of splash. Hank Parker can throw a 3/4 oz head into the water without a splash..I cant, but I am working on it. Kevin Van dam can throw any spinnerbait ,, any where, and catch fish.....PRACTICE...PRACTICE  PRACTICE,,,,its like my dad  said..; 'you cant catch them in your livin room'   ..get out on the water and practice..

Confused??  dont  be. Dont make it harder than it is...you  start small, white head/skirt silver blades...and  get bigger and 'darker' as NATURE tells you.  The key is CONFIDENCE. I have confidence in Hawg Caller and Zone spinnerbaits, for obvious reasons----Zone spinnerbaits are made by Roger Davis--please see my opening article  'about me" to learn about Roger and...awww me.

Ok,,  another hint.....EXPERIMENT with  retreive...sometimes  bass want the bait slow...other times  they want it fast...general rule...in Spring..before the spawn  the bass are 'stagin' and will 'chase' a  bait..so a  fast  retreive works..as the water heats up...and you 'tire'  so does NATURE....SLOW DOWN the  bait...simple...

well maybe

HEAD START

Back to the size of heads. The 1/4 oz -3/ths head is the starting point, simply because Nature dictates it. Think about it. When you buy minnows for live fishing, generally in the 'early months' of the year (Jan-March) the live bait is small and has little color. The same holds true for your spinerbait presentation. In the early Spring bass are looking for an easy meal, not selective in size, they want quantity to put on fat/body weight  for the upcoming spawn. Consequently , then a white head/white skirt. If you can find a spinnerbait manufacture with silver heads or unpainted heads this might be an 'edge'. Some Pros have confidence in silver/unpainted heads.

One of the reasons to move up to a 3/8ths head is enviromental. Not that more lead is good for the enviroment, rather I mean in windy conditions a heavier head is easier to throw. I very seldom use a 1/4 oz head, though the #29 from ZONE is one of my favorites in the spring, especially if pond fishing. Here's an old  trick  regarding 1/4 oz baits..DOUBLE SKIRT THEM..you get a bigger profile with a smaller bait. If you double skirt, always cut the second skirt down..you dont want a longer 'tag' just more bulk.

HEADS UP

Ok, so we now have established the need to use a 1/4-3/8ths oz in early season. Again, regardless whether you are in NC or MINN...think small early. This is a pre-spawn item. You should be fishing secondary points. But lets say your pre-spawn season is 'uncommon"...by that I mean you have had a 'mild' winter..with temperatures higher than usual. The bass will be 'staging' but in deeper water. Thats why a Shap Rap #5 and small crankbaits are so effective in pre spawn. These baits usually run 4=8ft...so lets use a spinnerbait.  Same head color..white.same skirt..white..but instead of a tandem willow leaf, use a colorado blade in front with a silver willow leaf on back. This combination can be used with either a 3/8ths head or 1/2 oz. The KEY is retreive...you want to drop that bait done ...so on the cast let it sink...and then crank. Why? the colorado in front??VIBRATION.. a  crankbait displaces more water that a spinnerbait in willow leaf combinations..so to get that 'wobble vibe" make sure your bait has a colorado..to create the vibe and the willow to mimick the bait flash.  I am not talking about 'slow rolling" a  bait...I am talking about casting..letting it sink and bringing it back home 'fast enough to make it home for dinner" but not so fast you have help cook.  ( a little Yankee humor here)

My personal favorite spinner bait combination under this description is a 3/8ths white head -white skirt with a #3 colorado silver and a 4.5 silver willow. This combination put fish into the boat, should get a limit, and allows you to fish for the 'kicker".

If you want a 'killer' combination for staging bass, and your name isnt Hank Parker, try a 1/2 oz white head/white skirt with a # 3 colorado silver and a # 6-7 Indiana on the back. The  reason I mention Mr Parker, the 3/4 oz combination he throws he is a  'master' of...try a 1/2 oz first to get the 'feel' until you have the confidence in a 3/4 oz..like he does...I have to  wish you 'good luck'..Hank Parker is not a legend for nothing..he can use a 3/4 oz bait like no one else....he has that much skill and confidence.

RODS/LINE

This will be the shortest section on spinnerbaits. From all the conversations I have heard, all the advice given I have come to this conclusion...generally..never use less than 14lbs test for line and never use less than a medium heavy rod. Some of the greats..Parker..Guy Eaker, Roland, Sedgwick can use a 'pistol" grip....I can't..I face the fear of throwing the rod instead of the spinnerbait..I use a medium handle,,,always cork..and always med/heavy. Rick Morris has a line of rods you might want to check out...(search under RPM custom rods)...

Again, getting back to 'quality builds confidence" if your spinnerbait vibrates a med/heavy rod you have quality......and like Mr Morgan stated..'quality catches fish"..Enuff said