How to Fish Spinners

Here are several ways spinners can be fished:

For most persons, spinner fishing involves standing at the edge of a lake, pond or river casting and retrieving. This is the most popular method because it works. But there are alternative methods that work better at times, particularly in flowing waters.

Before we discuss particular methods, we need to understand spinner-blade behavior. Several important facts:

Slower blade spin is usually better; almost always catching more fish. Sure you can catch fish at almost any blade speed. But if you want to excel -- and catch the bigger, smarter fish -- slow down the blade.

The speed of blade spin is determined by a combination of the stream's current, and the tension on the fishing line. If you let a spinner drift with the current on a slack line, the blade can actually stop turning entirely. Tighten the line a bit, and the current resistance causes the blade to start turning. The tighter the line the faster the blade turns. You can use this knowledge to control blade spin.

Spinners drifted on slack line tend to sink; spinners drifted on tight line tend to rise. You can use this knowledge to control the depth at which you fish the spinner. Nearer the bottom is almost always better.

Small blades turn faster than larger blades in a given current. Thin blades spin faster than thick blades. You can use different size spinner blades to get the right depth and spin rate for the current conditions you are encountering. For slow water use smaller, thinner blades, so you get some spin. For faster waters, use progressively larger or thicker blades.

There are five alternative spinner presentations that I like to use: cast-and-retrieve; cast and slack-line retrieve; free floating; down-and-across; and dead floating. We'll discuss all five in turn.

Cast-and-Retrieve -- This is the method everyone is familiar with. Cast it out. Retrieve it back. Vary the retrieve speed. Cover the fishable water. Little thought is given to the depth of the spinner or to the speed of the spinner blade. But it catches fish.

Cast-and-Slack-Line-Retrieve -- This method is used for riffles and tailouts, and is a great method for getting right down on the bottom and for getting slow blade spin in faster waters. You cast just like in the cast-and-retrieve method, but you slack line the spinner until it hits bottom. Then you tighten the line just a smidgen; just enough to lift the spinner off the bottom, and get the blade turning slowly. Then you slack the line a bit to keep the spinner from rising off the bottom or spinning too fast. It is a tricky combination of letting the spinner drop right to the bottom and just barely lifting it off bottom. In this way, the spinner bounces downstream off the bottom, spinning slowly in the fast water. It drives fish crazy. Obviously, this method is terrible for snaggy river bottoms. You'll lose way to many spinners. But for many riffle situations, the gravel is small enough that snagging is seldom a problem, and this method is extremely effective for fishing these fast riffle waters that simply are passed over using the normal cast-and-retrieve approach. Just because you never caught fish in the riffles before doesn't mean they are not there. It only means your presentation was unacceptable to them. Often the heads and tails of riffles are where the big fish lie.

Free Floating -- This method is used for fishing spinners through slow and transitional waters. It uses a float-fishing rig: a float and sinker with a spinner. Set up your rod the same as if you were fishing bait beneath a float; only use a float, weight, leader and spinner. Your weight can be a split shot for sandy bottoms, or a slinky sinker for rocky bottoms. The weight should be fished so you feel the river bottom every three feet or so, and your presentation should be dead drift. Cast slightly upstream and allow time for your spinner to reach bottom. Then, reel in excess slack line, but do not drag the float. When your float is directly across from you, free spool and allow your float to freely drift down river. It is important that your float drifts at the same speed as the current. This method is deadly because the spinner blade speed varies from no spin at all to a medium to slow spin when the lead weight stops briefly. And the spinner hugs the bottom profile of the river. Right where the big boys live. The bite is often soft, so if the float dips or you feel your spinner stop turning, tighten your line momentarily. If it feels more substantial than your weight, set the hook.

Down-and-Across -- This is another method for fishing spinners through riffles and tailouts. Often the water is less than three feet deep and to free float would result in frequently snagging the bottom . Cast your lure upstream and across; then reel in excess slack line. When your float is across from you, free spool. Unlike "Free Floating" you'll put your thumb on the reel spool to produce a slight drag. This will slow your float and slowly drift it towards your side of the river. There are two important secrets for successfully fishing this method. Whenever you apply drag on your line, the spinner will start to lift off the river bottom. To compensate, set your float a few inches deeper than the water you're fishing. You want to keep the spinner right on the bottom even when there is drag on the line. The second secret is in selecting the size of blade to use. When you produce drag on your line your spinner blade will speed up; the greater the drag the faster the blade will turn. If the current is fairly strong, your spinner blade may be whirling like a dervish. Increase the size and thickness of the blade to slow it down.

Dead Floating -- This method is used for deep pools of slow water. "Dead Floating," unlike "Free Floating," does not attempt to get a natural drift. In "Dead Floating," you will use a longer line, and allow your spinner and weight to "hang up" on the river bottom, so your float is almost laying down flat in the water. Set your float so the line is 8 to 12 inches deeper than the water you are fishing. Lift your rod tip to free the spinner and weight from bottom, and then drop it down and let it stop again. What happens is the spinner lies right on the bottom, like a resting fish. Then it suddenly jumps up a few inches, and the blade spins slowly, like a wounded fish. Then it sinks back to the bottom again. What fish can resist such a presentation?

Obviously, this method works only where the river bottom is not excessively snaggy. There are many deep pools with sandy or lightly cobbled bottoms where it works very well. Give it a try.

Note -- Many astute fishermen spray their spinners with WD-40 to remove all traces of human scent. Adding a bit of angleworm, night crawler, or crawdad scent to these spinners is another way to make them more attractive to the fish.