Beetle Spins and Walleyes

I caught 4 walleyes this Sunday in 2-4’ of water between 1-4 pm when it was high skies, 97 degrees pitching beetle spins while fishing for crappies. This is the third or fourth time I can remember catching multiple walleyes on beetle spins. Just was wondering if any of you guys have caught walleyes on them? If there’s any pattern when using them to intentionally target walleyes is practical. I was thinking this time of the year buzzing them over the tops of newly emerging weeds might produce. It maybe the new hot bait for walleyes? After the third one in 200 yards of shoreline I gave up the crappies and threw on a swim bait (storm wildeye swim shad) and casted that over the weed tops, but that didn’t produce anything, went back to the beetle spin and banged another one. Just trying to piece this puzzle together in my head. I’d like to hear if anybody else has had similar stories, what were the conditions.
Thanks, Drifter.

Seems like a good alternative to pulling jugs over the weeds. I’m surprised they’re up that shallow em right now but that’s what I’ve been hearing as of late. I’ve never caught them on beetle spins, but then again I never fish them.

My cousin actually targets them this time of year on a lake up by Aitkin.

We’re hearing more and more of this lately. I’m just wondering if stocking is having more of an impact than it did say 20 years ago.

Years ago used to fish Big Marine and Chicago with Beetle spins. On BM we used gold, orange or yellow colors and caught crappies and northerns trolling weed edges. On Chisago the same colors caught northerns, bass and walleyes trolling weed edges

Curious as to what type of plastic or body you had on the Beetle spin?
Just a grub type?
Ive heard also that they have been working for a number of different species. Even trolling with them up North has produced nice Crappies

bullcans wrote:

Curious as to what type of plastic or body you had on the Beetle spin?
Just a grub type?
Ive heard also that they have been working for a number of different species. Even trolling with them up North has produced nice Crappies

Just the grub soft plastic that came in the package. Yeah, I like to slow troll them on weed edges early/mid summer. It’s an easy way to locate crappies. Then once you find a school, anchor up and toss minnows on slip bobbers at them. Only problem is the pike take their fair share of them because of the light line.

Nice
That’s awesome. We all get into a rut sometimes and over think things. Nice to hear a good ol’ fashion bait and tactic work!
Good job man!

We used to catch lots of walleyes on Mille Lacs with Beetle Spins thrown across rocky points. Haven’t done it in a long time but I don’t get there much anymore.
DT

What size beetle spins do you use?

Do you guys use a snap or tie direct. Snaps always seem to twist on the spinner arm, and I never seem to get a good knot due to the doubled wire.

wildbeaver wrote:

One of the hottest walleye baits there is. Green and black is the ticket in the spring.

I was using chartreuse/Black dots, 1/16 oz or so, I was targeting crappies. Tell me more about when,where,why you use them please. This kind of intrigues me as they are not typically known as a “walleye” lure.

Beetle spin is just a spinner essentially, which are obviously a go-to for many for eyes. Caught my fair share on spinner baits and mepps over the years as well.

Nice catches. Fun to figure out eyes aren’t all that sissy finnese fish we always think of.

biggill wrote:

Seems like a good alternative to pulling jugs over the weeds. I’m surprised they’re up that shallow em right now but that’s what I’ve been hearing as of late. I’ve never caught them on beetle spins, but then again I never fish them.

My cousin actually targets them this time of year on a lake up by Aitkin.

We’re hearing more and more of this lately. I’m just wondering if stocking is having more of an impact than it did say 20 years ago.

I’ve always thought stocked eyes related far more to shallow weed lines than anything else in a lake. Nowadays I mainly stick to rivers, but if I was fishing one of MN’s stocked lakes (which is most lakes), I’d be on the weedlines regardless of depth.

MNdrifter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>wildbeaver wrote:</div>
One of the hottest walleye baits there is. Green and black is the ticket in the spring.

I was using chartreuse/Black dots, 1/16 oz or so, I was targeting crappies. Tell me more about when,where,why you use them please. This kind of intrigues me as they are not typically known as a “walleye” lure.

In prairie lakes, it’s definitely a pattern we target that shallow through mid-June or so, most out there are casting cranks like SSR 5 or 7 in perch or shiner colors.

We’ve always figured the eyes are looking for a specific YOY bait size, which is why the smaller lures work better than a bigger swimbait. Hope this helps, good luck.

walleyevision wrote:

What size beetle spins do you use?

Do you guys use a snap or tie direct. Snaps always seem to twist on the spinner arm, and I never seem to get a good knot due to the doubled wire.

I tie direct when using a beetle spin, usually just afisherman’s knot and it works well for me. As others have said, great bait for locating crappiess and have caught a few walleye doing this. There is always walleye in the weeds imo so if your fishing weeds you are bound to catch some with this method. Another similar way I like to fish for walleye in the summer is just long line a spinner jig or hair jig over the to of weeds with leech or plastic. I have done well with this method in mid days when it’s been scotching hot and would have never thought walleye would be biting in calm hot days.

weedis wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>walleyevision wrote:</div>
What size beetle spins do you use?

Do you guys use a snap or tie direct. Snaps always seem to twist on the spinner arm, and I never seem to get a good knot due to the doubled wire.

I tie direct when using a beetle spin, usually just afisherman’s knot and it works well for me. As others have said, great bait for locating crappiess and have caught a few <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye doing this. There is always <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye in the weeds imo so if your fishing weeds you are bound to catch some with this method. Another similar way I like to fish for walleye in the summer is just long line a spinner jig or hair jig over the to of weeds with leech or plastic. I have done well with this method in mid days when it’s been scotching hot and would have never thought walleye would be biting in calm hot days.

How do you keep the jigs above the weeds and not in them? Speed? Every time I try an fish in the weeds I’m constantly fouled up.

bullcans wrote:

Nice
That’s awesome. We all get into a rut sometimes and over think things. Nice to hear a good ol’ fashion bait and tactic work!
Good job man!

Beetle-spins have been around for a looooong time and are essentially just a jig with a plastic bait on a safety pin spinner. A person can pop that split tailed plastic off the original head and add whatever plastic is desired or one can remove the original jig entirely and clip in a hair jig or one witl a different style of plastic….twisters are a decent alternative. Beetle-spins in the larger sizes have been catching walleyes for years, but then so have their larger cousins used for Bass in weights up to 5/8 and 3/4 ounce. Walleyes are not that fussy and often are creatures of opportunity and will hit anything that appears to be food to them.

The safety pin spinners can be bought in shops fairly easy. Hildebrant makes a very good quality spinner that easily clips into most any jig hook so one can create away at will. The finish on their blades is second to none and offer a dynamite flash. They come in several sizes. There are lakes where walleyes and crappies share the same portion of the water at the same time and catch one or the other while fishing for one or the other isn’t all that unusual when using a bait like the beetle spin.

MNdrifter wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>weedis wrote:</div>

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>walleyevision wrote:</div>
What size beetle spins do you use?

Do you guys use a snap or tie direct. Snaps always seem to twist on the spinner arm, and I never seem to get a good knot due to the doubled wire.

I tie direct when using a beetle spin, usually just afisherman’s knot and it works well for me. As others have said, great bait for locating crappiess and have caught a few <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleye doing this. There is always <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleye in the weeds imo so if your fishing weeds you are bound to catch some with this method. Another similar way I like to fish for walleye in the summer is just long line a spinner jig or hair jig over the to of weeds with leech or plastic. I have done well with this method in mid days when it’s been scotching hot and would have never thought walleye would be biting in calm hot days.

How do you keep the jigs above the weeds and not in them? Speed? Every time I try an fish in the weeds I’m constantly fouled up.

Speed, jig weight, amount of line out all play a factor. Most of the time I stay around 1 mph with the trolling motor and stay on outside edges of cabbage. Usually I just cast out and and let a little line. If getting snagged up, smaller jig or less line. Rarely ever need to go over a 1/4 oz jig.

I’ve seen my brother catch a 31″ fish on a beetle spin in a river. At the time, I was flabbergasted.

Since then I’ve researched and experimented with a number of techniques I never thought would’ve worked for walleyes. They are a much more aggressive fish, and will hit a larger variety of baits, than many people realize.

One year I found a spot on the river in the fall when the walleyes were going absolutely bonkers. I anchored and threw out a quarter inch jig-head with nothing on it (no grub, live bait, nothing…bare hook) probing for snags and caught a walleye in the first cast. Minutes later, I saw a walleye launch about 3/4 of its body onto the bank going after a frog, then flopped back in. It really changed my perception of walleyes.

My point is, I don’t know if it’s anything special with the beetle spin. You maybe just found some aggressive fish. It’s possible that you could’ve thrown anything out there and caught the same fish.

Beetle spins are good lures, though. The combination of vibration and flash can be effective. But, that’s dependent on specific conditions. I’ve found a lot of fisherman identify specific patterns that may not really exist, and struggle transitioning from that down the road. I wouldn’t suggest sinking a bunch of time casting beetle spins for walleyes all summer long, but that’s just my opinion.

Don’t forget Mr. Twister spinners. Just as impressive.

Use them after the sun goes down. DK.

Shore fishing in the evening with a beetle spin on p2 was always a good producer. Caught all kinds of walleye and smallies. Also caught walleyes over weeds on metro lakes with the same bait. I think sometimes we get focused on “traditional” baits when all kinds of baits will produce.

A black and yellow beetle spin with a silver spinner is deadly for all species. Wish you could still find the 3” version.

I do not have a ton of lakes around me with eyes, but do catch nice perch and crappie with them. Never thought about trying them on bodies of water I know hold eyes.

MNdrifter wrote:

I caught 4 walleyes this Sunday in 2-4’ of water between 1-4 pm when it was high skies, 97 degrees pitching beetle spins while fishing for crappies. This is the third or fourth time I can remember catching multiple <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>walleyes on beetle spins. Just was wondering if any of you guys have caught <em class=”ido-tag-em”>walleyes on them? If there’s any pattern when using them to intentionally target walleyes is practical. I was thinking this time of the year buzzing them over the tops of newly emerging weeds might produce. It maybe the new hot bait for walleyes? After the third one in 200 yards of shoreline I gave up the crappies and threw on a swim bait (storm wildeye swim shad) and casted that over the weed tops, but that didn’t produce anything, went back to the beetle spin and banged another one. Just trying to piece this puzzle together in my head. I’d like to hear if anybody else has had similar stories, what were the conditions.
Thanks, Drifter.