Bling Spinnerbait bass fishing lure for spring

spinnerbait tips with ish monroe

BLING

in the sp ® ring

Spring 2022

page 52

SPINNERBAIT LIKE ISH MONROE

THE LURE DESIGN

Bling comes from River2Sea and is designed by Ish Monroe. Ish wanted maximum vibration; so, it is built on a light-wire frame. He wanted easier rotation at slow retrieves; so ultra-thin blades were developed, and a premium ball bearing swivel was used. He wanted the lure balanced during the retrieve, even when deflecting off structure, so a flared-head was incorporated.

Bling comes in 3/8 and 1/2-ounce sizes with a hand-tied silicone skirt. Different blade combinations are available.

SPINNERBAITING THROUGH THE SPRING TRANSITION

Lakes can change drastically from early spring to late spring. As the season progresses, water temperatures rise, and clarity increases. Just like the conditions change, spinnerbait choices should vary with those conditional changes.

“Paying attention to what’s going on and having multiple spinnerbaits in your box to adapt to those details is very important,” said Ish. “Specific colors and blade styles are more effective during different conditions, watching for those changes can mean the difference in successful spinnerbait fishing or not.”

During normal circumstances, the beginning of spring brings high water situations, with cooler temps and a dirtier color. Ish’s go-to Bling color for this is ‘Lemonade with a

Twist’.

“It is a chartreuse and white spinnerbait,

that shows really well in that dirty water,” he

explained. “For this early season time, I want a

Colorado/Indiana blade combo to fish a little

slower. This usually is around March.

“By May, it is typically time to fish a little

faster. I transition into a more shad patterned

version of Bling. I like ‘I Know It’. This is a clear,

blue and chartreuse color combo. Then, later in

the season, I like ‘Powder’ with a double willow.”

QUICK REFERENCE

BLADE CHANGES

“As the water warms and the fish are transitioning from bluegill to shad, this is how I

transition the blades,” said Ish.

• Colorado/Indiana –

early season

• Colorado/Willow –

mid season

• Willow/Willow – late season

GEAR

While Ish’s rod stays

the same throughout the

season, he does change his

reel with the conditions.

Rod: Daiwa Tatula Elite

Series Takahiro Spinnerbait

Crankbait Rod (glass rod)

Reel: Daiwa Tatula Elite 6.3:1 gear ratio and move to a 7.1:1 gear ratio as the retrieve gets faster. •