Brief Sunday report, 4-10-16

[marcus]

when u say 20 fish is a rough day i guess things could be worse it takes me a whole month to catch 20 bass in st.louis  20 fish is a good day in my book 

[BassBlind]

11 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

No problem with specifics on the bait ... War Eagle 3/8-ounce gold frame with double willows (kicker blade nickel, main blade gold) and a hot blue herring skirt. I don't know about the chatterbait deal ... I'm bullheaded as the day is long on that blade. Once I pick it up, I don't experiment much with other stuff. It's a commitment bait if there ever was one.

Thanks for sharing Champ, you the man! - Any pointers on how to fish it? Just saw Smallie post that it's not just a cast and wind bait. Are you swinging and pulling it? throwing up shallow and near timber? 

 

Thanks fellas! 

[Champ188]

1 minute ago, marcus said:

when u say 20 fish is a rough day i guess things could be worse it takes me a whole month to catch 20 bass in st.louis  20 fish is a good day in my book 

I didn't mean to come across as poor-mouthing. I had TM issues (losing power above 70% on my 101 Fortrex) on a day when the wind blew steady at 20-30 and gusted to 40 mph. The water temp was not where you'd expect it for early April and the fish were more scattered than you'd expect. It was a blue collar, working man's day for sure.

By all means, it was a great day because I was on the water fishing with my best friend/wife. Always is. Always will be.

I never want to sound ungrateful for having been able to go fishing.

[Sore Thumbs]

I'm the same with a crankbait. Sometimes they need more flash than a crank provides. 

[Champ188]

35 minutes ago, BassBlind said:

Thanks for sharing Champ, you the man! - Any pointers on how to fish it? Just saw Smallie post that it's not just a cast and wind bait. Are you swinging and pulling it? throwing up shallow and near timber? 

 

Thanks fellas! 

BassBlind, the thing I see people do most often that I believe hurts them with a spinnerbait is fishing it too fast. They get this "gotta burn it" mentality from somewhere and it's just not always the thing to do. In fact, the only season where that is consistently productive (for me, anyway) is fall.

I will share these suggestions out here in the public forum:

1. Fish the bait at a moderate speed in water above 60 degrees; fish it moderately slow (but keep it up off the bottom) in water below 60. I rarely stop or pause my spinnerbait. Been fishing them successfully for a very long time with a steady retrieve.

2. Make pinpoint casts and if you are fishing alone, position the boat however you need it to bring the bait as near to your target cover as possible.

3. Throw the bait up on a rock or the bank and drag it back into the water when possible, especially when your bites are coming dirt shallow.

4. Be aware for a slight "tick" (like a crappie bite) and set the hook hard when you feel it. This occurs when a bass grabs the bait from behind, often creating slack in the line. Also, pay attention for when you feel the blade quite vibrating and set the hook hard then, too.

5. On Table Rock, look for big rocks sitting just off the bank, little points/pockets along an otherwise straight bank or "shelf rock" that steps off into deeper water. Some wind on these areas can make them dynamite spinnerbait areas.

[vernon]

21 minutes ago, Flysmallie said:

 

I've been pretty much the same. My dad caught a huge bass from a small hole on a spinnerbait when I was 8. So it always surprises me when somebody mentions not using them very much. At 8 years old THAT was the only thing I was throwing. Nothing against you Sore Thumbs at all, but use it, learn it. It's a great bait that is very versatile. It's not the cast and wind bait that some people think it is. It does require some skill to get the most out of it. Some days it's going to break your heart but it rewards well.

I couldn't agree more.  Back in the early 80's I was told over and over by folks who were supposed to be local "experts" that a spinnerbait on Bull Shoals or Table Rock was pretty much worthless unless there was wind pounding the bank and, even then, there were many better ways to catch em' in the clear water.  Well, being "bullheaded" as Champ says, my brother and I completely ignored the advice and continue to do so to this day.  Double willow spinnerbait is what I start out throwing every trip regardless of conditions and, more often than not, can catch a few that way.  And if it turns out that they're eating it, a guy can cover tons of water and catch the heck out of them.  

Most of my biggest fish have come on a spinnerbait including an 8 lb. 10 oz. largemouth on Beaver in 1979.

I'll never believe that a couple can't be caught that way if you're willing to stick with it.  Usually throw it up to the bank or in deep tree tops and fast crank it back about a foot under the surface, killing it every eight to ten feet, letting it flutter down for about two second and then start cranking again repeating the process all the way to the boat.  Have had numerous fish grab it just as I'm pulling it out of the water right at the boat.

Now THAT'S exciting!

I've also been flat out called a liar on numerous occasions when guys ask me how I'm catching them and I tell them the honest truth.

[BassBlind]

7 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

BassBlind, the thing I see people do most often that I believe hurts them with a spinnerbait is fishing it too fast. They get this "gotta burn it" mentality from somewhere and it's just not always the thing to do. In fact, the only season where that is consistently productive (for me, anyway) is fall.

I will share these suggestions out here in the public forum:

1. Fish the bait at a moderate speed in water above 60 degrees; fish it moderately slow (but keep it up off the bottom) in water below 60. I rarely stop or pause my spinnerbait. Been fishing them successfully for a very long time with a steady retrieve.

2. Make pinpoint casts and if you are fishing alone, position the boat however you need it to bring the bait as near to your target cover as possible.

3. Throw the bank up on a rock or the bank and drag it back into the water when possible, especially when your bites are coming dirt shallow.

4. Be aware for a slight "tick" (like a crappie bite) and set the hook hard when you feel it. This occurs when a bass grabs the bait from behind, often creating slack in the line. Also, pay attention for when you feel the blade quite vibrating and set the hook hard then, too.

5. On Table Rock, look for big rocks sitting just off the bank, little points/pockets along an otherwise straight bank or "shelf rock" that steps off into deeper water. Some wind on these areas can make them dynamite spinnerbait areas.

Tough to find any better specific advise for a lake and strategy than this right here. Unbelievable. Thanks again Champ, I'll be saving this for years to come! 

[Champ188]

Let me just add so that Vernon and I aren't preaching two different sermons ... about the only time I'll vary my steady retrieve is when burning a blade. Like Vernon says, it can pay to stop and restart very quickly at times when using that retrieve, especially over deeper water.

[Flysmallie]

5 minutes ago, Champ188 said:

Let me just add so that Vernon and I aren't preaching two different sermons ... about the only time I'll vary my steady retrieve is when burning a blade. Like Vernon says, it can pay to stop and restart very quickly at times when using that retrieve, especially over deeper water.

Sometimes all you need to do is stop it just enough to flutter the blades, not even a second, and jaws appears out of nowhere.

[m&m]

I think that the spinnerbait is one of the most versatile lures you can use. Steady retrieve, yo-yo ing, shallow, deeper, open water, around cover, it has many uses.  I have one rigged up every time I launch the boat.  Pinpoint casting like Champ said increases your success rate.

Mike