Fishing With Kenny

March Spinnerbait Choices and Techniques
article by  KENNY COVINGTON

Anyone who knows me around the fishing circles will tell you I am a spinnerbait nut.  I love everything from picking out a specific bait, tying it on, figuring out the best retrieve, what lure would work best, what tweaks I should make, and what I should have done differently.  In the month of March, all spinnerbaits have the potential to catch fish.  In this “Fishing with Kenny” article, I will give you some scenarios and situations where a blade bait might be the best lure in your tacklebox.

When I was a kid, I can remember my father giving me his cast-off spinnerbaits, as soon as I got a few of them, I started tearing them apart.  I can still hear his voice inside of my head, “What are you doing?” he would inquire. “There is nothing wrong with those spinnerbaits, why can’t you just use them like they are?”

I tried to explain to him my ideas on how to make them better, much to his dismay. I vividly recall this process starting in mid-January and by the time March would roll around, I had a handful of baits that I had confidence in simply because I had built them the way I wanted.  By using trail and error and using the lake down the street from my house as my laboratory, I developed a unique understanding of just how well these lures caught bass this time of year, and even better, I figured out why.

The first thing I want to discuss is spinnerbait color.  By far the favorite color of most anglers is chartreuse/white and for good reason, it is a prove fish catcher.  To be honest, it is the color I use the least.  My four favorite spinnerbait colors for this time of year are: a perch color, firetiger, golden shiner, and blue glimmer shad.  Each one is weather and lake specific but if I had to pick one to start the day with no matter what the lake, it would be the perch color. 

Please note, these skirt colors are usually when I am dealing with clear or stained water situations.  The one thing that can change my thought pattern on spinnerbait color is when the water turns a deep stain or muddy, but this is where blade choices dictate a change in the color of your skirt of choice.  

When fishing dirtier the water, I prefer to throw a single #5 or #6 Colorado blade, just like I would if I were fishing at night.  When throwing the single blade bait, I have found I do better when I use solid-colored skirts like white, black, or chartreuse.  If I am throwing a black skirt, my trailer will be chartreuse.  If my skirt is chartreuse, I will use a white trailer.  If my skirt is white, once again my trailer will be chartreuse.  Over the years I have just had better luck with contrasting colors in muddy water.

When was the last time you threw a spinnerbait with a single willow leaf blade?  I have found in clearer water situations, especially on lakes like Caney and Claiborne, a ½ size head with a single #4.5 willow leaf blade can be deadly.  The key to this is to match your bait with a skirt that looks lifelike, my favorite choice is a blue glimmer shad skirt matched with a silver blade.  On cloudy days I can still catch fish using the single willow leaf, but I have had better luck switching to the golden shiner skirt with a gold blade.  I have found this particular lure works best when I can retrieve it just under the surface, almost waking it.  The strikes can be exciting!

You may be thinking, what about cold fronts?  Don’t fish become less active with the passing of a springtime cold front, making them less likely to chase down a spinnerbait?  This is when a tandem spinnerbait works really well.  I like a 3/8-ounce model with a smaller Colorado in front of a #4 Indiana blade, and I will slow-roll it around the shallow cover.  The Indiana blade allows me to keep the bait in the strike zone longer but also, and I think more importantly, the thump of the blades gives off the impression of a bigger baitfish, making the bass more likely to strike the lure.

I almost forgot about rain showers and storms… This can be one of the best situations to throw a spinnerbait in the spring and the choice of lures is blade and color specific.  First of all, if the water is clear or has some clarity, I like a double willow leaf spinnerbait, with both blades colored chartreuse.  Most of this type of spinnerbait comes with a matching chartreuse skirt but I replace it with a firetiger color.  I don’t have a scientific reason for this change; it has just always worked for me.

If the water is stained or muddy, and it is raining, I prefer to use a bigger ½ model with either a double Colorado or Colorado/Indiana combination.  I prefer both blades to be white, but this is one of the few times I like a chartreuse/white skirt.  In the off-colored water, the white tends to give off more of a glow and the chartreuse gives it contrast, making the lure much easier for the bass to find.  This particular bait can be hard to find but this a situation where a good fingernail polish can work wonders when creating a technique specific lure!

Grass? Try double willow blades. Shallow wood?  I like double Colorado’s.  A ¼ ounce spinnerbait is great for slower presentations.  A ¾ ounce is great when you just need some speed.  As you can see, I can go on and on about this great lure!

Well, it looks like we have run out of space and time for this month.  I hope we were able to share with you some ideas on how to make your next trip to the lake more enjoyable.  This time of year, can be some of the best times to be on the water, so be safe, take care and make sure you catch one for me!