Social Fins

Before one decides on a tip or technique, one must first choose what weapon he or she will pull out of their arsenal...tackle box as it is.  The one tip I will always stress to anyone is to use good quality equipment.  From your reel, to your line, to your rod, you shouldn't cheap out.  But one of the most important elements is your lure, whether it be hard bait, soft bait, stick bait or whatever you wish to tie on the end of your line, it should be quality made bait with good components and sharp hooks.  If you stop and think how many weak links you can potentially have between you and the fish, it really puts in perspective the need for quality gear.  I have always known this to be true, but it wasn't until I really became active in competitive fishing that I started practicing it.

We have all seen the racks of spinner baits that you can get, the ones that are 4 for ten buck, or some variation of that, and if you're lucky your spinner baits might last a fishing trip.  Odds are a lot better if you don't catch a pike on one!  Though just like our parents would say when we were growing up 'it's important to try something new.'  So one day at a fishing show, I had the opportunity to speak with a guy selling spinner baits and I had to ask him, "What makes your spinner baits better then the other ones on the market?"  Needless to say he pulls out 60+ strand silicone skirts (hand tied no less), super sharp Mustad hooks, made with durable paint in a variety of colour choices, clear coated holographic blades, quality you can only find in a product manufactured in your own backyard.  So I was hooked on Northam Spinner baits.  Like any good angler would do, I bought a few.  But sadly I had to wait a few months to ice out.  So once ice out came, I got to try out some of my new spinner baits and I was blown away by their action and there feel.  You can burn them, rip them, helicopter them and even flip them and each and every time they performed flawlessly.

When I'm using a spinner bait, I always use a bait casting reel paired up with a medium heavy rod with a fast tip.  I will also use a braided line, and depending on water clarity, will match it up with a fluorocarbon leader, when the water is clear or when fishing for pike or musky.  I really like using the Berkley Tracer Braid for this application, its super sensitive and works awesome with my rod and reel combination.  Northam spinner baits are available in a "direct tie" and a "snap/leader friendly" style, depending on your preference.  The good thing about spinner baits is you can cast them a mile away from the boat, and they work equally well if you flip or pitch them around the cover.  When retrieving a spinner bait you want to make sure you have the best feel possible and to achieve this always hold your rod to the side, never right at the bait.  With a quality bait such as Northam Spinner baits, you can feel the blades turning, so you know if you're caught in weeds.  With your rod off to the side you get the maximum effectiveness out of your set up to detect structure under the water.  Also, holding your rod off to the side provides you with a much better hook set, you can sweep the rod up on a 45 degree angle to maximize the power in the rod, and drive those ultra sharp mustads into the fish.  You can also drop the tip down on an angle then sweep it back for a super strong slack line hook set.

I personally like to start out with a double willow leaf combination, which covers a lot of water.  If I don't get a hit, I will switch to a double or single Colorado blade depending on water clarity.  Sometimes the extra vibrations of the Colorado blade wakes up the fish and the slower retrieve of the Colorado keeps the bait in the strike zone longer.  It's always important to have a variety of spinner baits on hand with different styles of blades.  Consider using a trailer hook too, if you are finding that you are missing fish or if they are short striking.

The variety of colours available and the different weights can seem daunting at times but you can keep it simple.   Get the weights that suit you best, bigger baits do not always mean bigger fish.  Start small in the early part of the season and match the size of the bait the fish are feeding on.  Make sure you always have a white, white chartreuse, a black or black blue combination baits.  Plus the availability of natural colours is just as important; perch, bluegill, shiner are all great colours.  In order to catch a fish you have to think like one, by using spinner baits you will increase the amount of fish you catch.  But always remember that a spinner bait is not just a one trick pony bait and they will change your retrieval and alter your cadence.  Being able to throw different style blades will certainly put the odds in your favour the next time you are fishing.