I always fished here and there as a kid, with live bait and a cork or some variation, but then a friend in junior-high school got me into bass fishing and I've been all about it ever since! I really have a passion for the sport and I take any chance I get to talk about it. I think that we, as bass fisherman, can and will always learn something new simply through conversing and sharing every now and then. And there's no better place than the world-wide-web! So thanks for providing a canvas on which to do so. Keep posting!
Much like you, I like to switch out blades, skirts, etc. to match my spinnerbait presentation with the current appetite of the fish. I enjoy using "hammered willow" blades in these Houston-area lakes where we have mainly stained waters. I like the appearance and smooth rotation of a willow blade, and the hammered effect is enough extra action and vibration to work in most water conditions here.
One thing that I can really relate with you on is using a soft plastic trailer to entice fish. I rarely throw a spinnerbait without first dressing it with some sort of trailer, whether it be a long curly-tail worm, a twin-tail grub, or even a lizard or other creature bait! I believe that, besides the extra action that such trailers add to a spinnerbait, there is something else special about the appeal of a soft plastic matched with a spinnerbait.
A lot of times when the bite is slow or fish are passing up the opportunity to bite, I like to use a two-tone trailer. For example, on a white/chart skirted spinnerbait I might add a pumpkin or black or other off-colored plastic with a white or chartreuse or pink tail. Something about that two-tone plastic, which gives off the appearance of a smaller fish/creature tagging along with the spinnerbait seems to trigger the bite mechanism of most otherwise stubborn fish. It makes me laugh because it seems to be a territorial or "pride" thing that causes this to work, the fish are suckers for it!
At first I didn't recognize the trend, but soon I began to realize that this technique makes a true difference. May not be anything new to you but I just thought I'd share the common strand, a little fish talk never hurts. Thanks for your articles, keep them coming!
