Spinnerbaits are productive fishing lures for anglers for several reasons. Due to their design, spinnerbaits are quite weedless. The wire frame allows them to walk over structures, and through weeds and grass. Spinnerbaits have a lot of built-in action and are very easy to use. Spinnerbaits will catch just about every freshwater game fish species.

Spinnerbaits are mostly used by freshwater anglers. They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, styles and colors. The tiniest versions will catch bluegill and panfish. The largest spinner baits will fool a trophy pike or musky. Anglers that use spinnerbaits can use either spinning and bait casting tackle. This of course depends on species of pursuit and experience with equipment.

The primary consideration is the size of the spinnerbait being used. Anglers casting small baits in search of panfish, small bass and other species usually rely on spinning tackle. This is simply because it is not practical trying to cast a very light lure with bait casting equipment well, mostly for fishing for redfish in shallow water.

Anglers should match the rod and reel to the size of the spinnerbait being cast as well as the fish being targeted. An ultralight outfit with 4-pound or 6-pound line is excellent for panfish, crappie, bluegill, and small bass. Ten to 12 pounds spinning tackle works well for medium-sized fish such as largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, small pike and other species. Anglers casting the largest of spinner baits for big bass, pike and muskie can either use bait casting equipment or heavy spinning outfits.

One of the primary advantages of fishing with spinnerbaits is that they are so easy to use. The action is basically built in, anglers really only need to vary the retrieve speed and depth at which it is allowed to fall through the water column. They can be used in a variety of depths. However, in most instances they are most effective when fished in reasonably shallow water. Also, in many types of fishing, especially using soft plastic baits, bites can be difficult to detect. This is not the case with spinnerbaits.

Spinnerbaits really shine when fished around cover. The design of the bait makes them relatively weedless. Spinnerbaits tend to walk over fallen trees as well as rocks and other submerged cover. They will also worked their way through weeds. However, just like most baits, spinnerbaits will load up on heavy moss.

The most effective way to fish a spinnerbait is generally to work shoreline cover. The boat is placed at an angle, 45 degrees or less, to the shoreline. This results in the spinnerbaits staying in the strike zone longer. The angler then casts the lure out past likely looking structure and then works the spinnerbait back to it.

If the bait can be bounced off a tree limb or rock, so much the better. This is often when a strike occurs.

As with all fishing, anglers should vary the cover, location, depth and speed to determine what the fish want that day. In most cases, a fairly brisk and steady retrieve works best. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes burning it just under the surface will produce. Other days slow rolling close to the bottom works best. Anglers can even combine the two and reel fast for a bit and then let the spinnerbait flutter to the bottom. Spinnerbaits are very effective when worked just over the top of submerged weed beds.

Spinnerbaits can also be used to work deeper structure such as points and rock piles in water between 10 and 15 feet deep. However, this is a bit more technical. It is a technique that produces when the water is on the cold side and fish have schooled up in these traditional winter locations.

There are bunch of different companies in the spinnerbait market but I prefer to go with what has been tried and true, Northland Tackle. During the recent Icast show, Northland Fishing Tackle introduced three new bass-centric patterns into their premium line of Reed-Runner spinnerbaits. These new colors were formulated by a team of bait designers and pros to mimic a variety of forage in different water types.

The new patterns include Gizzard Shad, Gold Shiner and Sexy Shad, and are available in all Reed-Runner spinnerbait styles, except for the Reed-Runner Magnum, which comes in a fish-catching Silver Black versus Gizzard Shad.

All Reed-Runner blades are affixed with slick spinning and robust swivels. The bait’s stout steel hairpin features a loop bend tie-eye for easy clipping with snaps and leaders, too. Inclusion of the loop bend tie-eye truly separates the entire Reed-Runner series from the competition.

Reed-Runner weighted heads are sculpted to emulate a baitfish, their bulging bicolor eyeballs infusing added attraction. The jig head opens into a firmly embedded premium Ultra-Point hook, which can easily support a trailing Northland Slip-On Sting’r Hook to thwart short strikers.

Not your typical skirt, the Crazy-Legs silicone skirt is cap-wrapped, meaning the individual legs are unified into a single component. The benefit is that if a bass or pike pulls on the skirt, you don’t lose individual strands.

We’ve all had skirts thinned out to uselessness over time. Not true with Northland’s Crazy-Legs silicone skirt. And beyond durability, the skirt itself is supple and pulses seductively in the water.

Whichever spinner bait you are throwing, make sure you still match blade, color and retrieve to the what the fish are looking for. When water temperature are down and fish are less active, close your retrieve and use a wider willow leaf blade. In contrast, speed up your retrieve when conditions are right for feeding and go with a colorado blade.

Spinnerbaits will and can catch everything from crappie to muskie.

Next time your on the water tie on “thumper” and start chucking and reeling.