Fine Tuning Your Spinnerbait Selection

Among his contemporaries, Matt Herren has long been considered one of the best Spinner bait Fishermen competing on the Bass master ® Elite Series, but all are surprised to learn the Pro actually keeps very few of the popular blade-type lures in his boat. Instead, Herren carries boxes of Spinner bait Components, including Blades, Skirts, and Heads, and Makes his lures on the water as he needs them. “I wouldn’t have enough room in my boat to carry all the different Spinner baits I might want during a tournament,” laughs Herren, “so I keep Boxes of Parts in Different Colors and Weights and put them together as the Conditions Dictate. It only takes a minute or so to make one, so I’m really not losing much time at all, and I can have exactly what I want.”

Herren believes Spinner baits are far more specialized than most anglers realize, and he uses several criteria to Fine-tune his selection, including Water Temperature, Water Color, and the Type of Structure and Cover he will be fishing. During the Autumn Months, for instance, he Normally Fishes Spinner baits with Double Willow Leaf Blades, or a Combination of Colorado and Willow Leaf Blades.

“Fall is perfect for Spinner baits because the Primary Bass Forage this time of year is Shad, and with Willow Leaf Blades, I can match the Size and even the Color of that Forage very closely,” Herren explains.

“Normally, the Water is Clear in the Fall, too, so if I’m fishing 10 feet deep or less, I’ll make a Spinner bait with Double Willow Leaf Blades, because those Blades keep the Lure from Sinking Very Deep. If I want to Fish Deeper, I’ll Replace the Front Willow Leaf with a more rounded Colorado-style blade so the lure will sink.