The Spinnerbait: A Bass Angler's Multi-Tool?

As an avid bass fisherman, I'm always looking for lures that can handle a variety of situations and catch fish under diverse conditions. That's why the spinnerbait is one of my absolute favorite baits to tie on when chasing both largemouth and smallmouth bass. The versatility of a spinnerbait makes it one of the most valuable tools that should be in all bass angler's tackle box.

A spinnerbait is essentially a safety-pin shaped wire frame with a lead head, dressed hook, and spinning blade or blades. This simple but effective bait can be retrieved steadily, fished with a stop and go retrieve, ripped through vegetation, slow rolled,  fluttered or bounced along the bottom. And it will catch bass relating to cover, suspended in open water, cruising the shallows, or holding tight to cover/structure.

One of the best things about spinnerbaits is that they can be fished at just about any depth. Want to burn a spinnerbait high in the water column? Go for it. Need to bump a bait along rocky bottom? The spinnerbait has you covered. Even working a spinnerbait through thick grass or wood is no problem with the right blade configuration and retrieve.

Of course, choosing the right spinnerbait for the job is important for success. Colorado, Indiana and willow leaf blades are the most common blade types and each one have different flash/vibration profiles when being retrieved. Double willow leaf spinnerbaits have an incredibly fast thumping motion with lots of flash that mimics shad, while big Colorado blades produce maximum vibration. And spinnerbaits can be purchased in a rainbow of colors to match any water clarity conditions or selected to "match the hatch" when bass a being picky and feeding on certain types of forage.

Light wire models are perfect for clear water finesse situations, while heavy wire 1oz+ spinnerbaits let you bulldoze through the nastiest cover as well as probe the depths for bass relating to structure. I make sure to carry a variety of blade configurations, wire frame types (standard, compact, finesse, etc.) and weights in my tackle box to adapt to changing conditions on the water.

Though often thought of as a soft plastics expert, bass pro Larry Nixon has leaned on the effectiveness of the spinnerbait to hone his success while out on tour. Take a few moments and listen as he shares his views on how the versatility of the spinnerbait has helped him win some of the biggest events of his career...

The next time you hit the water for some heart-pounding topwater blows or find the bass tucked up in vegetation, tie on a spinnerbait. The ability to quickly change things up by modifying your retrieve and spinnerbait type is the key to maximizing your efficiency while out on the water. This do-it-all bass catcher should be a go-to in every angler's tool kit!