Spinnerbait effectiveness

Over the years I have loved to throw spinnerbaits perhaps old fashioned by todays standards.
With more anglers and pressure I have noticed this lure still working but not as effective hence why Ned, wacky, finesse has come more into play. I’m not ready to give up my spinnerbaits yet but have noticed less effectiveness over the seasons. I thought maybe the fish that are not as conditioned to them would think it was a new lure but alas not so. Anyone else noticing different techniques that seem to be waning perhaps? Rattles in some baits as well. Trying to find good spinnerbaits is getting a little harder to find as well probably because everyone else is on to the new lures and manufacturers dictate what sells. Just observations Thoughts comments?

I honestly have never had good success with spinnerbaits. I get more northern with those things than any other lure I throw. I know it can catch big bass but I just don’t seem to find them with it. I’d rather throw a crank and have better success with it.

As far as techniques that are waning, I would say a frog. It certainly still works but over the past 3 or 4 years with the amount of people angling, I don’t catch anywhere near the amount of bass on a frog as I used to.

I would agree frog lures are about the most useless lures for me as well.

mrpike1973 wrote:

I would agree frog lures are about the most useless lures for me as well.

I catch some nice fish on them each year. Just not as many as I used to.

Love spinners, most versitile bass bait out there. My favorite is the titanium Terminator which is almost impossible to find, like anything else fish can be hot on them or not. Good luck

When the spinner bait bite is on its on. And it’s fun. I have much better luck on smaller spinner baits over big double bladder willows. I was throwing one a few days ago with little success, but tomorrow could be a different story. I have a black one that I have no idea the brand but it’s my go to. Throw them when the chatterbait bite is hot.

I’m with you guys on the frog issues. In fact, I don’t catch a fraction of the bass I used to with topwater lures in general.

As for the spinnerbaits, I still use them with good effectiveness. Generally, I do better with them when the visibility is lower though. Like in murky water, or on a cloud/rainy day. A strike often comes after the spinnerbait deflects off something like a dock post, weed, or log. I’m with Tim on the original T1 Terminator for durability.

I think a lot of bass anglers have moved to a chatterbait instead of a spinnerbait. I use both.

I like them early in the year when fish are in sparse weeds after the winter has killed off most weeds.

Some of my best days have been one rod days and a spinnerbaits on it but it was always very early in the year.

The majority of the time I bass fish is with my dad in his boat.
Well he tends to not fish good spinner bait water and head for thick cover. So the only good spinnerbaits bites I get are when I am by myself.

Windy/sunny days = Spinnerbait !!

I prefer the closed loop spinnerbaits – Can have any color/blade combination of those you want made at Wayzata Bait & Tackle… 4 for $20. Not a bad deal these days ~

I use a lot of spinner baits. I have one of the old spinnerbait boxes full of homemade 3/8 oz safety pin spinners, 3 other small boxes each with different sizes and weight, and built a rod focused around them. I almost always have the 3/8 oz box and rod in my boat. It is my go to tasty pike lure. I will pick up a dumb bass on them here and there. They also work for walleye and crappie.

FryDog62 wrote:

I prefer the closed loop spinnerbaits

100% agreed. I wont use anything but the closed loop spinnerbaits. All the R-bend ones were given away.

Techniques that seem to wane over the years? Lots of them. I’m convinced that over-exposure to the hot bait will cause this reaction. Smallies seem especially adept at learning avoidance. Our ‘go to’ baits from a few years back won’t get touched nowadays, while new presentations never-before-used are getting smashed. Novelty definitely has an appeal to fish. Probably why I have 300lbs of lures…

BrianF wrote:

I’m convinced that over-exposure to the hot bait will cause this reaction. Smallies seem especially adept at learning avoidance. Our ‘go to’ baits from a few years back won’t get touched nowadays, while new presentations never-before-used are getting smashed.

Absolutely true Brian. Same can be said with muskie lures. High pressure and over use of lures make them tougher to catch too.

I also think that the clearing of many of our waters has altered the tactics. In general, murkier water is often better with a moving/power technique but in crystal clear water those strategies are often not effective. Its ultra finesse now.