Spring Spinnerbait and Chatterbait Fishing

During heavy spring rains the water becomes murky pushing bass in to shallow water. Because the bass cannot rely on sight they must key in on hearing. This is where a bladed lure comes in to play. The lateral line on a bass can sense very slight vibrations such as school of shad or crawfish on rocks. If a bass is very close to the lure they can even see the flash of the blades moving through the water.

Retrieves

1. Slow Roll– Bass are still sluggish during early spring, so a slow retrieve is perfect coaxing out slow bass. The lure should barely be bumping the bottom and moving enough so the blade turns.
2. Yo-Yo Retrieve– Let the bait sink to the bottom and slowly raise your rod tip a foot or two and let the lure flutter down. Watch the line for any strikes.

Trailers

Color

While a trailer is not always needed it is a good option especially for a chatterbait. The trailer you choose though should always keep in sync with the blades. The trailer should never be slower or faster than the movement of the blades. A good spinnerbait trailer is a Keitech Fat Swing Impact. The size of the trailer should also compensate for the size of the spinnerbait. While a Keitech is a good option for a chatterbait it does not compensate for the speed of the blade. The best trailer for a chatterbait is a Gary Yamomoto Zako. It has a tight wiggle that moves very fast, and compensates for the blade movement. If you are using a more crawfish colored chatterbait then use the Gary Yamamoto Double Tail Grub.

My favorite color for both a spinnerbait and chatterbait is white, but if the water is very stained then a chartreuse color is a great option. Sometimes a bright orange can work on very pressured fisheries where fish have seen most baits. For very early spring a red lure is killer. With the crawfish molting the bass lash out on a red or orange bait, and when the shad spawn in late spring a baitfish color works great. Gold is a great color for stained water on sunny days because it reflects the light very well. At the bottom of the page I will list my favorite colors next to my favorite baits.

Blades

This section is just for spinnerbaits. The blades you should you use on a spinnerbait vary. When bass are moving fast then opt for a willow bladed bait. The willow blades turn at a tight angle which recquires a faster retrieve speed. For very murky days use a Colorado bladed bait. They give off a loud thump and move slower. The Indiana blade is for somewhere in the middle of the two.

Gear

Rod- 7’2″ Medium Heavy or Heavy (Heavy if going after 4+ pounders)

Line- 40 lb braid with 17 lb fluorocarbon leader (Fluorocarbon leader is not necessary if the water is very murky)

Reel- 6.2:1 gear ratio or 7.2:1 gear ratio

Optional- Trailer hook for short striking fish or replace the blade with a shorter blade

My Favorite Spinnerbaits and Chatterbaits

Spinnerbaits–

1. Booyah Blade Double Willow Spinnerbait (Chartreuse w. gold blades, Gold Shiner w. Gold Blades, Silver Shad w. silver blades)
2. Booyah Blade Colorado Willow Spinnerbait (White Chartreuse w. gold blades, Gold Shiner w. Gold Blades, Silver Shad w. silver blades)
3. Revenge Deep Runner Double Colorado Spinnerbait (Shad w. silver blades, White Chartreuse w. gold blades, Black Widow w. gold blades)
4. River2Sea Ish Bling Colorado Indiana Spinnerbait (Golden Shiner, Abalone Shad, I know it)

Chatterbaits–

1. Z-Man Chatterbait Custom (Black and Blue, Bluegill, Chartreuse Shad, Green Pumpkin, Spring Craw, Threadfin Shad)
2. Z-Man Evergreen Chatterbait Jack Hammer (Black and Blue, Chartreuse White, Spring Craw, Fire Craw, Green Pumpkin, Golden Shiner)

Trailers–

1. Gary Yamamoto Zako (Black w. Blue Flake, Sight Flash, Electric Shad, Chartreuse Shad Laminate, Green
2. Fat Swing Impact Keiteich (Pro Blue Pearl, Chartreuse Shad, Black Cherry, Emerald Shiner, Electric Shad)
3. Gary Yamamoto Double Tail Grub (Black Blue Flake, Green Pump Purple & Copper Flake, Pumpkin Black & Green Flake)