Spinner Baits

[Champ188]

I would simply add that on our Ozarks lakes, whenever you get into water with 2 feet of visibility or more, you won't hurt yourself one bit by dropping down to a 1/4-ounce bait. Keep your color in the baitfish realm and you'll get bit provided there is any sort of spinnerbait bite.

You won't hear me share that often. We all know what happens when too many people start throwing the same thing.

[Ketchup]

 

 

You won't hear me share that often. We all know what happens when too many people start throwing the same thing.

Everyone catches more 5 pounders? Ok im going to Wallyworld and buying more spinnerbaits. 

Funny years ago when i lived near Toledo Ohio, near Erie, i could pick up a white 1/4 ounce spinnerbait and work the bass over.  I tried that last year on Stockton at the end of May, and nadda. Picked up 2 shorts in 3 days. TR 7" worm saved my camping/fishing trip. 

[Flysmallie]

Stockton is one of the best spinnerbait lakes that I have ever been on. Fall is the best but spring is not bad either. Should be really good right now with this water up in the trees. 

[Royal Blue]

 

Stockton is one of the best spinnerbait lakes that I have ever been on. Fall is the best but spring is not bad either. Should be really good right now with this water up in the trees. 

I would think it would always be a good blade lake.  That wind never stops up there!

[Flysmallie]

 

I would think it would always be a good blade lake.  That wind never stops up there!

That is true! 

But while wind does sometimes factor into the spinnerbait bite there are a lot of other things that go into it as well. Forage and location are big factors too. And Stockton has some of the best locations I have ever seen. Between big chunk rocks in the right locations and saddles and flooded brush this lake often offers more opportunities to throw a spinnerbait. Plus they fish just really seem to key in on it. I've been a spinnerbait nut for a long time and fished a lot of lakes, and no lake has produced as consistently as Stockton. 

[dtrs5kprs]

And Stockton doesn't get the pressure TR does. It's not unfished, but it's not going to have 400 tmt boats on it on a weekend.

[Flysmallie]

 

And Stockton doesn't get the pressure TR does. It's not unfished, but it's not going to have 400 tmt boats on it on a weekend.

This is very true. But it also fishes very different from Table Rock. It's not as clear, it's not as deep. Plus it's just a better lake. I know a lot won't agree with that statement!! But if you fish it like Table Rock then you won't find that statement to be anywhere close to the truth. And that makes me plenty happy. Keep all that stuff down on the Rock where it belongs. 

[dtrs5kprs]

 

This is very true. But it also fishes very different from Table Rock. It's not as clear, it's not as deep. Plus it's just a better lake. I know a lot won't agree with that statement!! But if you fish it like Table Rock then you won't find that statement to be anywhere close to the truth. And that makes me plenty happy. Keep all that stuff down on the Rock where it belongs. 

It's a fish catching lake for sure, in the multi-species sense. Maybe more like some of the windy KS lakes like Melvern.

That wasn't a knock on Stockton. Just one of the reasons blades can be a tough sell on TR. They see a bunch of them, and a bunch of everything else. Makes them skittish and grumpy.

[Flysmallie]

 

Just one of the reasons blades can be a tough sell on TR. They see a bunch of them, and a bunch of everything else. Makes them skittish and grumpy.

I don't buy into that mindset for several reasons. One, Table Rock can be very good with a spinnerbait at certain times. Like most lakes. Hell I caught probably the biggest smallmouth I will ever see on a spinnerbait on Table Rock. But like many other lakes a blade just isn't consistent. Fall is great. Mid summer not so much. I do believe it's more of a depth issue than anything.

Another reason I don't buy into the whole fish are shy because they see a bunch of them is because they see a bunch of everything that they still hit. Look how many jerkbaits they have seen over the years. How many wiggle warts. Think about how many Ned rigs they have seen in the past few of years. They sure don't seem shy about any of those. look at how many fish on Lake Fork see a rattle trap. They are still hitting them. 

But Stockton, and also Pomme de Terre and LOZ, are great for a spinnerbait. I think the problem that most have with Stockton is they try to fish it like Table Rock. It's not Table Rock. It's not anything like it. Has nothing to do with wind or multi-species, it's just a different lake. I'm not knocking Table Rock either. It's a great lake and a beautiful place. And if it fits your style of fishing it can be a very great place to spend your time. But there are other lakes that are just as good for fishing and a lot quieter with a bunch less boat traffic. But you have to fish them differently to find their secrets. 

 

[merc1997 Bo]

i believe just as with any other fishing tool, spinner baits have a time and place anywhere.  there are times here on table rock during the summer, that you can wear out the bass on a spinner bait, and even once in a while it will be a shallow bite, but more often a deep one.  you have to use a spinner bait to fit the situation, and that means weight and blade size and style of blade.  this one of the reasons that i designed the SpinJig.  i can quickly change out the head to find the right weight to be able to fish whatever depth with enough speed to trigger bites, and i also put a bunch of different blades in my pocket and can quickly start changing blades until i find the right one that will trigger bites.  i have found that when  fishing for deep bass that i have had way more success on a colorado blade over willow leafs.

spinners are great fishing tools and should always be in the boat.  most of the bass we catch, that same bass can be caught with multiple fishing tools.  you just have to figure out the correct depth and speed to get them to bite.  of course, you have to be throwing in front of a bass to begin with.  being able to locate the bass is the most important part of the process, and then figure out which fishing tool you can use to catch them.

bo