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little shorter than most might use for a spinnerbait, but Scroggins said the length allows him to make long,
accurate casts.
IN-BETWEEN SPOTS: “I fish a lot of
shallow, dense cover, where I’m usually
flipping or punching soft plastics. In between
these weed mats, you’ll often find laydown
and logs, so I like to have a spinnerbait handy for this isolated wood,” he said. “You just put the trolling motor on high and keep moving through the area. You make a few casts as you pass by the wood and every now and then you get a bite. If you can pick up two to three extra fish in the course of a day; that can make a big difference.”
Arming himself with the same outfit he’d use for a shad spawn, Sroggins favors a 3/8-ounce Booyah spinnerbait with a Colorado blade and a willow leaf blade. He said he can slow roll this bait and keep it above any vegetation.
“The combination of blade styles gives me a good mix of vibration and flash,” Scroggins said. “In water with good visibility I like silver blades, but in slightly stained water, I go with gold
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and nickel blades. When the water is really stained, I go all gold.”
BIG IN THE BACKSIDE
Now, blade size, style and color varies greatly among spinnerbait fans, but there’s also plenty of room for discussion on the other end of the bait. Although a demure grub or maybe a little split tail or curly tail job, is the common choice for spinnerbait trailers, don’t hesitate to put some junk in the trunk. It’s not an everyday strategy, but bulking up the bait’s backside occasionally bears benefit. Consider these points:
PROFILE: Big fish prefer one big meal over chasing hundreds of tiny nibblets, so a larger spinnerbait profile can get you those game-changing bites.
DISPLACEMENT: In dim, murky or otherwise low visibility, a big tail pushes more water and gives fish more of a target to locate.
MOTION: Swimbaits, ribbontail worms, full size
brush hogs – oversized trailers with specific
tail movement add even more “life” to a
spinnerbait.
COLOR: Trailers offer a quick route to
color enhancement and
when you really need to
get noticed, the ability to
dress up your spinnerbait’s
visage can prove invaluable
– especially in dirty water.
(Dip that big trailer’s tail
in chartreuse dye and
you’ll add another level of
attraction.)
Bear in mind that larger
trailers affect fall rates. That
can work for you or against
you, depending on what
you’re trying to accomplish.
Also, the drag of a larger
trailer limits your ability to
burn a spinnerbait.
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