Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Wednesday, 03 May 2023 08:56

It’s spinnerbait time
There’s probably no bait in my tackle box that offers such a wide variety of ways to fish than a spinnerbait. It’s a mainstay in my box of tricks that has survived the test of time and proven it can and is a well-rounded presentation.
There are not many presentations nowadays that I can say have continued throughout the years to catch fish like the spinnerbait. Yes, there are a few like the plastic work, but the spinnerbait just continues to produce and very rarely lets me down.

There are many options of style of spinnerbaits to choose from, but for me, I like the double willow look with gold blades. The problem is finding double willow with both blades being gold in color, is not typical, so many times, you have to special order the blades to get it set up like I believe is best.

The flash of the gold blades, especially on a lake like Guntersville where it’s dark most of the time because of the grass, is just the best color combination. I also like the way willow blades come through the grass and kick up the bottom, causing strikes from the trail it leaves on the bottom. I also like using a trailer. I know for many, this has mixed results, especially around grassy lakes as it has a tendency to gather up grass off the bottom, but I believe the trailer hook is one more weapon to ensure you catch your bites.

Colors are a personal decision based on your experience and results. For me, I like light colors like silvers, white, dipped in chartreuse, edging to highlight the shad color, for most of the bait fish in most lakes. Also, combine the shad color skirt with willow blades of gold, and it’s just deadly for me. It’s a color combination I have had success with for many years.

We are slowly getting close to the shad spawn, and when it approaches, there is no bait I’d rather have in my hand than a spinnerbait. It’s deadly and attracts the chasing of the shad, hence producing bass. It’s lots of fun to fish with!

-Captain Mike Gerry