As I write this it is fall in Florida. Well, maybe not temperature wise but the wind is blowing, and we are getting the first cold front of the year. For bass anglers, wind usually means one thing. Spinnerbaits!
With the bait getting balled up this time of year if you add in windy conditions, it can group the bait schools even tighter and even disorient them creating an easy meal for bass. The spinnerbait is one of the most popular lures in all of bass fishing. I do not remember a time where I did not throw one. You can find them in every tackle shop and catch a largemouth or smallmouth bass in every type of water.
“The spinnerbait is my Amex, I never leave home without it. I’ve caught big largemouth in Florida, spotted bass in Alabama and even smallmouth in Wisconsin. It is a true confidence bait.”
The real question, does building a custom spinnerbait rod help you catch more fish? Let’s dive in.
I truly believe throwing different types of spinnerbaits need different rods. I’m not just talking about different weight lures but the actual spinnerbait and even where you fish it.
Breaking down the Spinnerbait
Meander through the idles of your tackle shop or browse Tackle Warehouse and you will find spinnerbaits large and small along with different blade combinations. My favorite is a double willow blade as most of the time I am fishing fast as well as over or around heavy cover. The double willows produce the least amount of vibration, which creates the least amount of resistance so it can be fished faster and in shallow water.
Adding in a Colorado blade creates more vibration, drag and typically a great option for murky water. The most common spinnerbait on the market is a combination of one willow blade and one Colorado blade. It is an all-purpose setup and you most likely own one in chartreuse and white. I’ve got one. It is probably 25 years old and still catches fish.
A couple of the more unique options are a single Colorado blade and those typically are for nighttime fishing and that blades is oversized to create more thump. The single Colorado blade has also made it over to saltwater in the last few years and are very successful for redfish and even flounder.
Although we won’t really touch on it but you know I know a farm pond and a beetlespin. Panfish love them and bass both big and small will slam a beetle spin.
The Right Rod for Your Spinnerbait
I know I give factory-built rods a hard time but there is one thing that really grinds my gears and that is when they are labeled as technique specific. Yes, I am aware there are custom rod builders that do this, but their intent is much different than the big box stores.
The rod on your local big box store shelf that has a photo of a “Texas rigged worm” or a “spinnerbait” on the blank is nothing more than a weak shot to sell more rods. I understand that maybe this is intended to help new anglers or a weekend warrior, but all anglers deserve better.
Can a seven foot, medium-heavy casting rod make a good spinnerbait rod? Yes, but it can also make a good topwater, jig, texas-rig, topwater…etc. It can go on and on so just putting a photo of a spinnerbait on a rod isn’t going to make it be YOUR best spinnerbait rod.
Built for Speed and Feel
This rod blank is a favorite of mine, but I wanted to add an asterisk to this choice. My NMB873 is one of my prized possessions when it comes to a bass rod. I have every iteration of the “high modulus” MB873. From the original to the second generation to the current Elite-X NM873. Honestly, I do not let a ton of people fish them but mainly it is because I am fishing it!
Specifications: 7'3" | 10-17 lb. | 1/4 – 3/4 oz. | Fast Action | Medium-Heavy Power
This blank has served me well throwing a spinnerbait all over the USA and so has the standard MB873. Here is the asterisk, I mentioned before. The NMB873 is the choice when feel is of the utmost importance and there is little to no cover in clearer bodies of water. Why? Have you ever felt like the fish was just hitting the blades? Or maybe it was just missing the bait. The Elite-X NMB873 can help you feel what is going on under the water and allows you to make subtle changes that can create more bites.
I know this might sound far-fetched and I am not going to make some claim that you can “feel the fish breathe on the bait” but if you are throwing a spinnerbait on a bluff wall or in open water on 14-pound fluorocarbon and a fish take a swipe at it, you will feel it. So, something is up. Is it the wrong color? Are they just being finicky? Can you make follow up casts and adjust your retrieve to get that eat? None of those questions ever happen if you miss a bite and don’t feel it. You just go on your marry way, chucking and winding and wonder why you aren’t getting bit. I’m not saying the NMB873 is a magic wand but with a spinnerbait I want to feel any chance in that baits action. Feel the blades stop turning, load up on him, it is a bite!
What happens when you want the same power, action and spinnerbait but in Florida’s heavy cover? I set down the NMB873 and pick up the MB873. Yes, the blank is a smidge heavier in weight but can handle a little more punishment when pulling big fish out of heavy cover when you bump up to 20-pound fluorocarbon line.
As I mentioned before I am throwing double willow blades and moving it quick. I am fishing a higher gear ratio reel and almost creating a wake with the blades, so having the maximum feel and sensitivity isn’t my number one priority.
When Accuracy Matters
In many cases a little shorter rod will increase your accuracy. We also need to be prepared for underhand or side arm casts around docks or laydowns. We do not have a ton of docks or shoreline cover in our famous Florida lakes like Kissimmee, Okeechobee but we do have cover and docks along the banks of the St. Johns River.
I know I said how great a 7-foot, medium-heavy, fast action rod would be for a spinnerbait, but I actually do not throw a 7-footer for a spinnerbait ever. Well, maybe if I am pond hopping and only have one rod but I either have a 7’3” or something like a 6’9” or 6’10”.
Before the question comes, yes, you can just cut 2 inches off the butt of the MB843 to make it 6’10” and fish it but that only takes care of the length and not really the action part that I like around docks.
I reach for a blank from the Mag XF category from MHX and pull the MB813XF.
Specifications: 6'9" | 10-17 lb. | 3/16 – 11/16 oz. | Extra-Fast Action | Medium-Heavy Power
I know there can be a love hate relationship with extra-fast rod blanks but the blanks out of the Mag XF class are time tested to be durable and accurate fish catching machines. The action allows anglers to not only be more accurate but shorten their movements to be they can sneak their lure into previously unreachable areas.
This blank is perfect for the standard 3/8oz spinnerbait that so many of us fish. The unique part about the extra-fast action is with a quick roll of the wrist you can throw a smaller, compact 3/16oz spinnerbait with the same precision as the 3/8oz if you need to scale down.
Saltwater Spinnerbait
As a quick honorable mention before I talk about my component choices for the spinnerbait builds is the SJ813. The Spin Jig series is best described as a lighter version of the Mag Bass Series. They all still have fast actions, but their mid-section and butt power is similar but not quite as powerful.
Specifications: 6'9" | 8-15 lb. | 3/16 – 5/8 oz. | Fast Action | Medium Power
Many of the SJ blanks make great spinning rods but many of them make excellent inshore casting rods. As with most inshore anglers, they are running braid to monofilament or fluorocarbon leaders so you can lighten up a little on the blank because you are removing the stretch out of the equation with the braid.
Choose Your Components
Although I tend to build my spinning and casting rods with the same components to maintain an equal feel across all of my builds, I did build my 7’3” MB873 Spinnerbait rod with a full-length cork grip. Why? The way I fish that rod I hold the grip down my forearm as well as hold it against my body when I get a bite. I do not typically set the hook up, I create more of a sweeping hookset. As with a chatterbait, if you set the hook with a short very powerful stroke, you lose a lot more fish than letting them load up on the lure. Remember it is an open hook.
With the shorter spinnerbait rod builds I go back to a split grip as I am working that lure against, over and around pilings, limbs and other cover so I add movement rather than just a steady retrieve.
In terms of reels seats, I am always going to choose an exposed seats when I build on something like an Elite-X to be sure I am maximizing my contact with the blank but on the MB873 I am power fishing a spinnerbait, I can use a standard casting trigger seat just as you can with a topwater rod build. You can see it when it goes down!
Although I am a fan of the Fuji ECSM, I have recently got to handle the new Fuji TCH seats, and I am very impressed. The fact all seat threads are hidden and the minimalist, lightweight design enhances sensitivity without being an exposed seat. When you dry fit the seat for the first time you immediately notice the shape fits your fingers comfortably, allowing for unrestricted finger movement.
For the guide train I recommend going with the American Tackle TiForged set that matches your rod length. They are 316 stainless steel frames and are a great choice whether you are fishing a freshwater or saltwater spinnerbait. The only thing I would consider is going to size 6 runners if you are throwing heavier braid with a leader to be sure your knots are passing cleanly.
A Spinnerbait Hook Keeper
Finally, you know I always end with a hook keeper suggestion. This is one of the instances I recommend an enclosed hook keeper. If you chose an American Tackle TiForged set, you are covered as it comes with the proper hook keeper but if you are piecing your build together, I would choose ether the American Tackle Deluxe hook keeper or the the American Tackle Drop Shot Clip hook keeper. Both of those options offer an enclosed keeper but also has a clip style entry if you use something like a Texas rig on your spinnerbait build.
Hopefully this gives you a few options to try the next time you are throwing the blades on your favorite body of water.
