As we discovered in Part One of this series, you can’t simply tie on a spinnerbait and expect miracles to happen by fishing it the same way everywhere you fish. Using the bait to its fullest potential means you’ll need to tweek your spinnerbait technique a little to suit a given circumstance on the water. Today, we’ll round out the series with a few more instances where knowing how to adapt your tactics will come in handy.
Bass love to hang around trees, especially in the South, where cypress trees are everywhere. Spinnerbaits can be very effective for suspended bass in these situations. Fishing trees begins with the cast, which needs to hit the water beyond the tree so the retrieve can bring the bait through the strike zone. If the trees have low hanging limbs, I suggest using an underhand cast or pitching the bait to get it beyond the tree. Slow rolling is a very good retrieve for fishing trees, since this allows you to get the bait down to a good depth and pass right by suspended fish. Use your rod tip to direct the path of the spinnerbait so it bounces off the side of the tree, then when you’re clear of the tree, burn your bait back to the boat and cast again.
You can catch fish on bank lines as effectively as you do around structure. Sometimes locating bass in open water simply takes casting a spinnerbait to a seawall, rock bank, or even a bare bank. Whether the bass are roaming the area or there is structure that you can’t see, a spinnerbait is great go-to for combing these areas to find fish. Again, a slow rolling retrieve is a good idea. You want to get the bait as close to land as possible on the cast, and then begin the slow retrieve to search the area. While searching, if you happen to spot some underwater structure, be sure to bring the bait through it, just in case there are any fish hanging out there.
Spinnerbaits might just be the number one must-have bait for anglers to keep in the tackle box. They’re versatility and effectiveness on the water simply can’t be rivaled, in terms of situational efficiency. Be sure to take the tips outlined in this series to heart and commit them to memory when fishing a spinnerbait this season. Remember, anyone can tie on a lure, but knowing how to use it effectively separates the men from the boys, and you’ll see significant results when you do so.
