Spinnerbaits for Pike, and perch?

1578 Views 42 Replies 15 Participants Last post by Steve Lewis, Mar 14, 2010

Dave Irving

Discussion Starter · Nov 23, 2009

Well I have to admit that I tend to catch many more Pike on Spinnerbaits than on any other type of lures. Now that could be because I am not working the other lures correctly, but I was wondering if the other members also do well with spinnerbaits, and if so what colours/blades works best for you.
Personally white body/skirt, with twin willows is a favourate, as is hot chartreuse with a single colarado blade.
If you haven't tried them, do. Almost weedless/unsnaggable, easy to fish. and with only a single hook, easy to deal with if your new to pike. Have had a couple of nice perch (by my standards - not the monsters that Vidar and Blockhead tangle with), on smaller spinnerbaits. Red seems to get the perch going for some reason.

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Vidar Thomassen

· #2 · Nov 23, 2009

Tunny said:
Well I have to admit that I tend to catch many more Pike on Spinnerbaits than on any other type of lures. Now that could be because I am not working the other lures correctly, but I was wondering if the other members also do well with spinnerbaits, and if so what colours/blades works best for you.
Personally white body/skirt, with twin willows is a favourate, as is hot chartreuse with a single colarado blade.
If you haven't tried them, do. Almost weedless/unsnaggable, easy to fish. and with only a single hook, easy to deal with if your new to pike. Have had a couple of nice perch (by my standards - not the monsters that Vidar and Blockhead tangle with), on smaller spinnerbaits. Red seems to get the perch going for some reason.

Spinnerbaits are pure and simple one of the best lures in existence for UK freshwater predators

You can use them almost like a buzz/top-water lure or you can slow roll them along the bottom, and anything is between. You can use them in deep water up to or over 30 feet, and you can use them in depths less than 5 feet. Hell, well-constructed spinnerbaits even catches fish on the drop whilst they helicopter towards the bottom. If I was forced to choose one single lure for a perch, pike or zander outing it would with 100% certainty be a spinnerbait, simply because nothing can touch the versatility of these lures.

I use them for in weights ranging from 1/8oz to 4oz (3.5 to 112 grams) and when it comes to the bigger ones for pike I prefer a single large Colorado blade. For the smaller ones the double bladed version (willow and Colorado) is my favourite.

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Iestyn Jones

· #3 · Nov 23, 2009

very interesting that you rate the spinnerbaits so highly as i have used them on many occassions and caught but they are not a patch on soft plastics to me when targetting perch. my second choice are spoons followed by crankbaits then spinnerbaits! i have never had a zander on a spinner bait, and only a handfull of pike when ive needed to fish very deep and bulldawgs keep catching the bottom and i have changed from vertical jigging and heavy rigged soft baits like replicants etc.

Vidar Thomassen

· #4 · Nov 23, 2009

Mr Zzippy said:
very interesting that you rate the spinnerbaits so highly as i have used them on many occassions and caught but they are not a patch on soft plastics to me when targetting perch. my second choice are spoons followed by crankbaits then spinnerbaits! i have never had a zander on a spinner bait, and only a handfull of pike when ive needed to fish very deep and bulldawgs keep catching the bottom and i have changed from vertical jigging and heavy rigged soft baits like replicants etc.

Hang in there – it’s all about confidence. When you start to get the hang of it you will catch plenty of fish on them

Spinnerbaits would not be my fist choice for catching zander on a deep Midland reservoir (vertical jigging with soft plastics would) but slow-rolled along the bottom on rivers and Fenland drains they are a great zander catchers.

My best ever single day perch catch (12 fish between 2.6Ib and 3.3Ib with 3 over 3Ib) came to a 5” Fox Chubby Shad soft plastic, and the greatest total number of 2Ib plus perch has come to a Jackall TN70 vibration lure / lipless crank. However, for sheer perch number in total I don’t think any of them can beat a ¼ oz black or white-skirted spinnerbait bait that I use. I use the black version during overcast and low-light conditions, and the white one when it’s bright. By the way, spinnerbaits fished high in the water on summer rivers are also great chub catchers.

As always it depends which water you fish and there are of course conditions where different lures will excel, but for sheer versatility and the ability to adapt to various conditions very few lures can beat a spinnerbait.

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Andrew Wilson

· #5 · Nov 23, 2009

Interesting thread, can I ask you three gurus, As some of you know I have some free time during the day whilst the kids are in school and it is too far to the coast so intend having a bash on the local rivers in Mid Wales. Mr Zzippy has already given me a mark for perch and I am told by locals that the Wye near where I live has Chub and Grayling in it. Do you have any links for a couple of lures of any kind that might be suitable for targetting the Perch and Chub, also can Grayling be caught on lures, I used to catch loads of them on bait when I was younger.

I was intending to use my 7foot bushwacker and exage 2500, although possibly not ideal is there any reason why it wont do, and theres more sorry, what line would you recommend to use?

Many thanks

Dave Irving

Discussion Starter · #6 · Nov 23, 2009

MosseyDog,
rod and reel are fine, I am using pretty much the same sort of set up, line wise I would go for 10lb PowerPro, strong enough for the odd pike you will catch, but light enough to cast smaller lures well.
Lure wise, i would go with Mr Zzippy and Vidars reconmendations above, small plugs, spoons, spinnerbaits and soft plastics, use a light wire trace untill you 100% sure there are no pike in the waters you are fishing.

Oh and for me a big lunker Perch is one of the best freashwater fish out there.

Vidar Thomassen

· #7 · Nov 23, 2009

mosseydog said:
Interesting thread, can I ask you three gurus, As some of you know I have some free time during the day whilst the kids are in school and it is too far to the coast so intend having a bash on the local rivers in Mid Wales. Mr Zzippy has already given me a mark for perch and I am told by locals that the Wye near where I live has Chub and Grayling in it. Do you have any links for a couple of lures of any kind that might be suitable for targetting the Perch and Chub, also can Grayling be caught on lures, I used to catch loads of them on bait when I was younger.

I was intending to use my 7foot bushwacker and exage 2500, although possibly not ideal is there any reason why it wont do, and theres more sorry, what line would you recommend to use?

Many thanks

I have actually never caught a Grayling on a lure here in the UK, but back in Norway I have on a few occasions caught them on spinners when fishing for trout. Having said that, it can have much to with the fact that the rivers I normally fish for grayling (Lower Itchen and River Test) does not allow lure fishing.

Fly fishing or trotting a stick float towing a smallish no 16 hook, baited with two maggots or a sweetcorn, would my first choice for UK river grayling.

I’m actually visiting the Timsbury Fishery on the River Test this Sunday in order to do a spot of trotting and flyfishing for grayling.

kevin white

· #8 · Nov 23, 2009

nice posts guy's.

what's the chance of getting some photo's up of differant spinner baits and blade's,also be nice if you could explain the differance between willow and colorado blade's for the guy's that maybe interested in getting to grips with it.

kev

John Orrells

· #9 · Nov 23, 2009

Hi Mossy, I’ve got a selection of small plugs, sp’s and spinners that I have used for brown trout in some of the local rivers and streams. Your welcome to try some of them if you like, to be honest I would be very interested to see if they would grab the interest of Perch, don’t see why not though. The only issue you may face is with casting weight, not sure what the bushwhacker is rated at but most of these lures are 3 to 4g.

Vidar Thomassen

· #10 · Nov 23, 2009

kjw said:
nice posts guy's.

what's the chance of getting some photo's up of differant spinner baits and blade's,also be nice if you could explain the differance between willow and colorado blade's for the guy's that maybe interested in getting to grips with it.

kev

Colorado blade spinnerbait

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 00_100-6-0

Willow blade spinnerbait

http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/store ... 00_100-6-0

[Vidar, just added photos to check how the moderator functions work, hope you don't mind]

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Dave Irving

Discussion Starter · #11 · Nov 23, 2009

Colarado blades have more resistance so will fish higher in the water on a straight retrieve, and fall slower through the water. They do produce stronger vibrations as well.
Willow blades (normally one large and one small), sink quicker, produce less vibration, and can be fished quicker, great when fished sink and draw hard on the bottom for winter pike.

Retired

· #12 · Nov 23, 2009

Vidar

Does the hook size matter for decent perch? If so what would you recommend?

Thanks

Paul

Andy Mason

· #13 · Nov 23, 2009

A bit more info and pics....

Spinnerbaits come as single blade or twin blade as shown above in Vidars post. They also come in multi blade like this...

There are several types of blades, finishes and colours too like these...

Then theres the option of having the blade replaced with a spinner iteslf, these are called buzzbaits...

Then we have the chatterbaits, these are Booya Boogie Baits...(MrFish sells these)

And finally the underspins, which combine spinnerbait blades, jig heads AND soft plastic...

More info to come i'm sure.

[image source for above...http://www.tacklewarehouse.com and http://www.evergreen-fishing.com]

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Simon Clapham

· #14 · Nov 23, 2009

Do you guys try these for the bass? I'd like to try a couple, what kinda weight are they and what do they cast like?? Where do I get them from or do any of you fancy a swopsie??

Andy Mason

· #15 · Nov 23, 2009

softie said:
Do you guys try these for the bass? I'd like to try a couple, what kinda weight are they and what do they cast like?? Where do I get them from or do any of you fancy a swopsie??

The only pair I know who use these in the sea are Keith & Kevin. Maybe they can add something from their experiences. Casting...pretty much like a carrier bag with a coat hanger in it. Does that help? Oh and pretty much any weight you like, low grammage to Oz's at at time.

Vidar knows some good sources, i'll ask him to post. Japanese ones are quality at a price, Megabass, Evergreen and the like.

Vidar Thomassen

· #16 · Nov 23, 2009

Jennifields Tackle is by far the best UK source for spinnerbaits

http://www.jennifieldstackle.co.uk/

As they are hand built by the guy in the UK you can combine skirt colour to achieve an array of designs.

Vidar Thomassen

· #17 · Nov 23, 2009

st ouen said:
Vidar

Does the hook size matter for decent perch? If so what would you recommend?

Thanks

Paul

You will be surprised what a ferocious the perch is and that even small ones are happy to slam into lures bigger than themselves. Once I had a 1lb perch take a 5 inch - 75 grams jerkbait, fitted with 3/0 hooks.

Andrew Wilson

· #18 · Nov 24, 2009

Brilliant replies, what a cool thread, I can see I have a lot to learn, ohh Joy!

I will add a new thread for some more questions so as not to totally demolish the spinnerbait theme.

Keith White

· #19 · Nov 25, 2009

The only pair I know who use these in the sea are Keith & Kevin. Maybe they can add something from their experiences.

I do that far more than Kev.

On those days when you are throwing lures into very heavy weeded cover like japweed or slow rolling over the
tops of bubbleweeded reef I reach for a Spinner Bait.

They will operate in places other lures won't, or can't.

They don't cast too bad, they just look awkward.

trev

· #20 · Nov 25, 2009

was surprised when i caught a small grayling this summer in Finland on a 10 cm rapala shallow diving minnow whilst plugging for big trout/salmon in a fast flowing section of river,only one ive had on a lure in many years of fishing that river though.

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