Quote:
Originally Posted by Smoky buck
If I am missing strikes on spinner baits it’s often just a matter of slowing down or add a stinger
Double 8’s and even 10’s in a flash style bucktail work well. My buddy has been hounding me about the fact I don’t sell my double 8s after he did so well on them when he did his fly in trip in Northern Alberta lol
Some brands suck because of cheap clevis so they don’t spin well. Musky mayhem bucktails suck. Musky munchies makes great bucktails but their prop style run deeper, spanky and Dadsons are good. I know a few small guys who make good ones too. For pike I find a lot of the musky bucktails run deeper than I like so I make lighter ones that run higher
I have offered to teach my buddy how to build the bucktails I make and post them up for him if he wants so they might become available in the future. I just want to focus on other designs instead of assembling wire baits
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Not dissagreeing with anything you say, I've been using spinnerbaits for pike since the early 90's with great success. But... a Len Thompson, hook swapped to a single, is very nearly as good in weeds as a spinner bait. It catches about as consistently, casts further, is far more durable, and has a better hookup percentage. Yes you could add a stinger to the spinnerbait, but at that point the LT is actually beating it in the weeds.
There are definitely situations where a spinnerbait will shine but I use spinner baits less than I used to, generally opting for a spoon or inline spinner with a single hook instead... that said, I'd never go pike fishing without bringing a couple.
Fishing from a canoe or kayak especially, I always troll a spinnerbait when padling from spot to spot. They work at any speed, wont twist your line, and generally dont get hung up. The ultimate "toss it out and forget about it" trolling lure. Particularly in dirty water situations, for whatever reason, I pick up a high percentage of my fish this way.