The spinnerbait. A must have lure for bass fishing.
One of the things that makes this lure so effective is that it is a simple cast and retrieve kind of lure. However, with that being said, there are many other different retrieves that can be used with this lure to entice a bite.
For that reason, in this post, we are going to talk about 7 different ways on how to retrieve a spinnerbait to catch more bass.
How To Retrieve A Spinnerbait – 7 Different Ways
- Stop it
- Wake it
- Slow roll it
- Jig it
- Fast roll it across the bottom
- It is all about that flutter time
- Bump it
Stop it. One of the easiest ways to generate a strike with a spinnerbait is to reel it really fast and then to stop it. Why is this so effective?
Imagine a spinnerbait moving along in the water column, the blades are spinning creating a lot of flash and making noise/vibration. All of a sudden it stops and the skirt starts pulsing. It then changes direction as you continue the retrieve.
This erratic motion drives bass crazy and is almost a guarantee way to generate a strike.
Wake it. Whopper ploppers, poppers, wake baits and buzzbaits all have one thing in common. They create a lot of disruption on the surface of the water. This is a great way to draw attention to your bait and draw the bass to you. This is especially effective when fishing stained water or low light conditions.
Did you know that this can be done with a spinnerbait as well? I like to call this technique waking your spinnerbait. Simply switch over to a high gear ratio reel, cast our your lure and be sure to bring it back at a high-speed. You want the lure to come back just under the surface of the water so that it creates a wake.
For best results use a 1/4 ounce or 3/8 ounce twin willow leaf spinnerbait such as the: Booyah Tandem Counter Strike Spinnerbait.
Slow Roll it. Probably one of the most effective retrieves when the fish are, holding up down deep or when they are lethargic, is to slow roll it across the bottom.
To do this, simple cast your lure out and allow it to sink to the bottom. Keep in mind that your objective is to maintain contact with the bottom at all times.
As you slowly bring back your lure you want to feel what you are bumping into on the bottom. If along the retrieve your lure bumps into something such as a rock, log or structure, stop your retrieve. Bass love it when a lure changes direction. Many times it is when your lure stops and then suddenly starts up again that entices them to react.
For best results, choose a spinnerbait with colorado blades. Willow blades are designed to cut through the water quicker and more efficiently. On the other hand, colorado blades move much slower, and allow the bait to stay in the strike zone longer.
Jig it. To me, this technique just makes sense because this lure basically looks like a jig anyway. So, in order to jig it, simply pitch it into an area that you might use a jig. One of my favorite areas is around grass or open areas around weeds. After you cast it out, allow it to drop to the bottom.
Once on the bottom, use your rod to jig it off the bottom a few feet and then let it settle back to the bottom. This approach is effective because when you twitch it with your rod, it causes the blades to move creating, vibration, sound, and flash.
The perfect combination to tempt a bass to bite.
Fast roll it across the bottom. This technique is great when targeting those more aggressive bites. Keep in mind that whenever you are moving your bait fast there is a better chance that you are going to attract smaller fish. This is because big bass are lazy and don’t want to put a lot of effort into chasing after a meal. Hence the reason they are big.
For me personally, I like to slow roll it to catch those big girls, but if you fast rolling it and it goes by a big toad, there is still a good chance she will commit.
To fast roll it, simply cast it out and allow it to sink to the bottom. Once on the bottom use a quick jerk of the rod to bring it off the bottom. Next, start cranking at a good rate. Your objective is to keep it down deep, but keep it moving.
For best results, use a heavy spinnerbait so that your lure will stay down deep. Also, don’t be afraid to try different types/sizes of blades. For example, a smaller willow blade is going to act differently with this technique than a larger one. With that being said, try different blades as well as different combination of blades to see which one works best for you.
It is all about that flutter time. I really like to fish this next technique when you know the bass are hanging down deep. To begin, cast out your lure and allow it to sink to the bottom. Once you hit the bottom, quickly begin to bring it back. After a few cranks, stop your retrieve and allow it settle back down. Again, once your lures makes contact with the bottom, quickly pick up your retrieve.
The reason, this technique is so effective is it perfectly imitates a baitfish that is feeding on the bottom. Going from one source of food to the next. Keep in mind that many times the bite will come on the fall.
With that being said, you don’t want to choose a spinnerbait that sinks too fast. Instead you want something that has a slower “sink time” and plenty of time to flutter.
For that reason, I would recommend using a 3/4 ounce spinnerbait. This weight isn’t too heavy that it will cause it to drop too quickly, but at the same time, it is heavy enough to allow for long casts.
Bump it. Another great way to generate bites with a spinnerbait is to bump it against structure. This can be done by bumping it into logs, rocks or even docks.
The reason this is so effective is because when you bump it into something it changes the vibration and the flash of the blades. That slight change, even for just a second, might be just enough to entice a near by bass to come out and get it.
For more cool spinnerbait tips, check out the following video:
Final Thoughts…
So what do you think? Did you know there were so many different ways to retrieve a spinnerbait?
Yes, you can just simply cast it out and bring it back to the boat, but the key is to change it up. Create that erratic motion that bass love, to entice them to come up and get it.
Now it is your turn. I would love to hear from your experience on how to retrieve a spinnerbait in the comment section below.
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