Spinner Bait Challenged 2024

PhatBass reply :

Okay this might be a question that requires someone actually watching me but let’s see what anyone has to say.

I’ve finally mastered my Shimano Citica 200. I have all the breaks off & can cast 99% of the time with no backlash. Getting pretty accurate too.

My problem is throwing spinner baits. At least 50+% of the time the line gets tangled up with the blades rendering the thing useless on the retrieve.

I can actually see the thing helicoptering in the air but for the life of me can’t figure out what I’m doing wrong.

I’ve tried straight braid, tried fluoro leader. Doesn’t seem to be a factor.

Have watched dozens of videos but haven’t found anybody discussing this issue.

Any thoughts before I pack these away?

Ozark_Basser reply :

The way I fish a spinnerbaits is I usually do a roll cast (that usually prevents helicoptering) past my target. It also allows the spinnerbaits to enter the water a lot quieter.

Raul reply :

It´s not the reel, it´s the way you cast.

Senko lover reply :

On 6/11/2015 at 3:26 AM, Ozark_Basser said:
The way I fish a spinnerbaits is I usually do a roll cast (that usually prevents helicoptering) past my target. It also allows the spinnerbaits to enter the water a lot quieter.

Yep

scaleface reply :

Thin out the skirt .

RAMBLER reply :

A little bit of brake will put some tension on the line and I have had some luck in preventing helicoptering that way. Maybe you won't be able to cast so far, but, which is most important to you?

gardnerjigman reply :

I vote to try the roll cast too.

OroBass reply :

I always roll cast

Frenchman83 reply :

Another vote for Roll Casting

Bluebasser86 reply :

I'll pile on,

try a roll cast instead of overhand.

smalljaw67 reply :

As others have said, roll casting spinnerbaits is the way to go. I like shorter rods when using spinnerbaits for this very reason, but I'll try to help you with your situation. You can do a few things to remedy the situation, the first is to use a roll cast, the second thing would be to add brake, maybe 2 brakes on will help, the third thing is line, fluorocarbon or mono as braid is very limp and on a high overhand cast it won't have enough stiffness to combat to helicopter action of the bait. I don't know what size bait you are throwing but you may want to try something a little heavier, a 1/2oz bait will fair a little better than a 3/8oz or 1/4oz.

iceintheveins reply :

Roll or sidearm casting is ideal, but I usually don't honestly have a problem bombing a spinnerbait with an overhand cast either.

Dogmatic reply :

Never really had a problem with sb, you can try what the others have said, I'll just add, that I was having problems with helicoptering swimbaits and I realized I wasn't letting the rod do its job, was putting to much on it, just let the rod load up natural and not try and horse it out there.

doyle8218 reply :

On 6/11/2015 at 4:50 PM, iceintheveins said:
Roll or sidearm casting is ideal, but I usually don't honestly have a problem bombing a spinnerbait with an overhand cast either.

Yep.

Catt reply :

On 6/11/2015 at 4:50 PM, iceintheveins said:
Roll or sidearm casting is ideal, but I usually don't honestly have a problem bombing a spinnerbait with an overhand cast either.

Yelp

georgeyew reply :

In addition to roll casting, don't jerk the cast. Make your cast nice and smooth.

the reel ess reply :

If you're close enough for a roll cast, use the brakes.

iceintheveins reply :

Regardless of how you cast a spinnerbait, you can get them to make a pretty quiet entry if you thumb the spool at the right moment before it hits the water.

Ratherbfishing reply :

Seems to me you are giving the lure too much "hang time." Cast with a flatter trajectory and put your thumb on the spool near the end of the desired distance so the line can't interfere with the blades. I'll wager your problem will be solved.

cgolf reply :

On 6/12/2015 at 8:08 AM, Ratherbfishing said:
Seems to me you are giving the lure too much "hang time." Cast with a flatter trajectory and put your thumb on the spool near the end of the desired distance so the line can't interfere with the blades. I'll wager your problem will be solved.

This and I usually give it a stronger toss than needed and rely on my thumb to stop it where I want it. The hard toss should keep it from helicoptering. I have thrown a 3/16 SB with a size 7 trailing willow blade with no helicoptering casting like this.

Catt reply :

Let your rod cast!

bassr95 reply :

It could also the your specific spinner bait contributing to the problem. Big blades and a light (3/16 or 1/4 oz) head will not cast as well as a heavier head with smaller blades.

Ozark_Basser reply :

On 6/12/2015 at 7:58 AM, iceintheveins said:
Regardless of how you cast a spinnerbait, you can get them to make a pretty quiet entry if you thumb the spool at the right moment before it hits the water.

This is true for most baits. Instead of stopping the spool when the bait hits the water, stop the spool when the bait is about a foot above the water. This works really good on long casts for me.

shanksmare reply :

I am quite puzzled by your experience. Sure I occasionally get the line wrapped around the spinnerbait wire, but not anywhere near 50 % of the time. It probably happens to me about 0.01 % of the time or less. I use SB's all the time, I have for the past 40 years and I have never been able to come up with a combo to achieve your results. I used to make my own baits and used all kinds of blade combos usually on a 1/4 oz head. The lighter the head combined with larger blades and a side wind will contribute to the SB spinning on the cast. But even then the line rarely gets twisted around the SB arm at least for me. I usually fish from the bank so I often have to improvise in order to avoid bankside obstructions. So my casts are pitching, overhand, roll, backhand, underhand, bow and arrow, and whatever it takes. Since I'm bank bound I only carry one rod so I wind up throwing SB's on the "rod of the day". So I often end up throwing the SB on an outfit meant for another lure. Despite all this I rarely encounter the issue which plagues you.

PhatBass reply :

Thanks for all the feedback!

I have been throwing overhead & sidearm but looks like roll cast seems to be the popular consensus.

I do try to muscle the most distance I can get out of my casts & that could be a contributing factor.

I’ll try to find a video that shows the roll cast technique.

War Eagle 44 reply :

Also since no one else has mentioned this I'll bring it up, experiment with the amount of line you leave between your rod tip and you spinnerbait. Sometimes this can make a huge difference, depending on the action and power of your rod and your own personal casting style it's important to find just the "right" amount of distance.

Just something to consider.

cgolf reply :

I know the fly casting roll cast, but not sure with a bait caster. My cast I picked up from a KVD vid is the following, is it a roll cast?

Start with rod at 2 o'clock 45 degrees to target with lure hanging about 12" down. Do a pretty violent clockwise loop and cast lure out on a flat and low trajectory that lands surprisingly splash free. Not a max distance cast, but goes farther than you would think and great for windy conditions.

And OP good luck finding a video, all I got was fly casting videos.

Fishes in trees reply :

Hard to say. Could be a gear issue, could be a technique issue. I know that the rods I use for spinner baits have a little more "tip" in them than the rods I use for bottom contact baits. The rods that I use for spinner baits are a little less "tippy" than the rods I use for other moving baits, like cranks & trap style baits.

The notion of trying a roll cast is a good idea. The notion of turning one or more of your brakes back on is a good idea. The notion of backing off, and not trying to muscle each cast for maximum distance is a good idea.

Probably you just need more practice using that bait. I know that often when I go down a 30 yard stretch of bank, I'll do a roll cast, maybe an overhand or 3/4 overhand cast, maybe a pitch, maybe a backhanded roll cast, more of a "sweep" cast really. Point here, don't limit yourself. Sooner or later, you will find yourself in a position where an over head cast won't work but a pitch cast will. Conversely, if you are burning a spinner bait across an open point, why wouldn't you go overhead with your cast, to get maximum distance? My advice would be to learn them all, to the point that you can execute any cast in any sequence.

If you want to learn the roll cast, watch a couple of Jimmy Houston shows and do what he does.

PhatBass reply :

Will be working on technique this weekend.

Add some break back on.

Reduce force of cast.

Try to keep lure lower to the water.

Try Roll Cast – As Dink noticed you-tube search gives you all fly fishing videos.

I’m only in my second year returning to fishing after not fishing for 40 years. First time throwing spinner baits.

Last time I fished I was using a Ronco Pocket Fisherman with canned corn for sunnies on the pond down the road where I grew up.

If you’re under 45 years old you might not know what the Ronco Pocket Fisherman is! Surprisingly there are a ton of videos for it & they have it on Amazon for $17. Think my cost something like $5.

Catt reply :

On 6/12/2015 at 6:46 PM, PhatBass said:

Thanks for all the feedback!

I have been throwing overhead & sidearm but looks like roll cast seems to be the popular consensus.

I do try to muscle the most distance I can get out of my casts & that could be a contributing factor.

I’ll try to find a video that shows the roll cast technique.

There is your problem!

You can not force the cast!

Let your rod do what it's designed to do...cast the lure.

Shanes7614 reply :

Simply tighten your tension knob a little as line coming off your spool to fast at the beginning of your cast is most likely your culprit. Also check that your know is super tight around the wire of the main line tie as loose knots will allow the line to shift on the wire bend causing more force towards the outside of the wire arm causing it to start a spin. Weird analogy but think of a curveball being thrown with a baseball. More pressure on one side causes the extra spin. Lastly, try using a bit more thumb at the BEGINNING of your cast and allowing to free spool in mid air and then thumb pressure again as spool is slowing down. The hook and blades should be leading your bait through the air as the friction from your line alone should hold back the line enough to prevent the extra spin.

shanksmare reply :

I should have recommended this earlier. Watch Glenn's excellent video on spinnerbait fishing at: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/spinnerbaits-bass-fishing.html

Towards the end of the video Glenn shows how to execute the underhand loop cast (forehand and backhand). The info in this video should get you on the right tack.

If you watch a Jimmy Houston show, he uses this cast all the time. He may have invented it?

lmbfisherman reply :

Like a lot of have said. Side arm or roll casts are ideal. Although I also don't have problems bombing them. Curious if it's the brand you are using? I use -> Generic, Strike King and Booyah never had a problem.

HoosierHawgs reply :

I cast my Spinnerbaits just like I cast everything else, whatever gets it accurately to the area I want it to get to. I've never had trouble casting Spinnerbaits overhand, underhand, pitching, or any other type of casting. What is your Spinnerbait setup?

cgolf reply :

To the op reading through all this and the original post, it could just be a case that the tangles are happening at the end of the cast as the bait loses forward energy and the blades take over and cause the bait to helicopter and tangle. As everyone has said using the thumb brake while the bait is above the water just before it hits this point should take care of the issue. Hitting the brakes hard straightens out the bait and it should be ready to retrieve as soon as it hits the water.

When I am tossing them shallow, I am pretty sure I stop the spool in the air and switch hands and engage the reel as the lure is hitting the water, I have had many hits just as the bait is dropping in.

Catt reply :

Y'all ever watch an experienced angler with a fly rod?

What does the casting, the angler's arm or the rod?

The roll cast is so smooth & accurate because of little arm movement with a lot of rod movement; the same with flipping & pitching, the rod is doing the casting.

Your rod is designed with two purposes in mind, casting the lure & fighting the fish.

Let it do it's job!

PhatBass reply :

On 6/14/2015 at 8:00 PM, shanksmare said:

I should have recommended this earlier. Watch Glenn's excellent video on spinnerbait fishing at: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/spinnerbaits-bass-fishing.html

Towards the end of the video Glenn shows how to execute the underhand loop cast (forehand and backhand). The info in this video should get you on the right tack.

If you watch a Jimmy Houston show, he uses this cast all the time. He may have invented it?

Shanksmare - Well that video really covered just about everything you’d want to know about spinner baits.

I’ve watched it like 4 times.

Thanks everyone for all the input.

Had motor trouble last Sat & had to take the boat up to Highway Marine. Couldn’t put all the advice to test.

Sun @ 0700 headed to Lake Towhee but 80% was already chocked with lilies & there were 10+ people already established in the few fishable spots.

Doesn’t look like I’m getting the boat back by this weekend but they are calling for on/off rain most of the weekend.

7305

Spinner Bait Challenged 2024

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