ripping back up, putting pauses and jerks in your retrieve get the ultimate action out of the bait. Play with different retrieves each time your out to until you find the one that works, because not one retrieve works each and every time.
In general, the warmer the water, the faster my retrieve, while in colder months my lure creeps along the bottom, but any of these techniques may pay off for you year-round. On bright days in clear water, run your spinnerbait fast. This is to not give bass as long to inspect your bait in crystal clear conditions. Rip the spinner bait quickly for reaction strikes.
HOOKSET
Most often than not, the strike alone will hook the fish; however, there are times you just know its not hooked well enough. While your reeling in the fish, yank the rod toward you with the tip down to get the hook set deeper.
Most importantly, whenever you detect a pause in the beat of the blade, set the hook!
GEAR
Gear is always essential. Being able to cast far, work the bait and get a good hook-set are critical for any bait. For spinnerbaits, I like to use a Dobyns Champion Series 733CSH, a 7ft 3in medium heavy, fast action rod. It is soft enough in the tip to let the bait work properly and with a fast enough reel (6:4:1 or 7:1:1) to retrieve it so it will keep control of the fish. Either 12 or 14 lb test monofilament or fluorocarbon can be used. Mono when in the mid to top of the water column and fluorocarbon for slow rolling on the bottom.
My go-to spinnerbait is the NuTech Lures SpinJig line. So many different blade combinations, short top wire so the blades don’t interfere with the hook and the ability to change the head on each bait is unlike any spinnerbait any other company offers.
Having interchangeable heads is what sold me; I have each of my favorite variation of blade(s) and then choose any NuJig head (jig head) by weight and/or color I want to attach to the SpinJig. The limits are endless with that bait.
SPRING 2015
17
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