Knowing which spinnerbait is best for bass fishing can be a matter of personal choice for some, but the reason so many different options exist is because anglers are faced with a multitude of situations in fishing. A spinnerbait was the first lure I latched onto as a child. I had fished plastic worms some in my younger years, but the first time I threw a spinnerbait and watched a bass come up and tackle the blades under the surface, I was hooked.
The market is flush with spinnerbaits now. A quick look at Tackle Warehouse shows 330 different spinnerbaits. Never mind the different color options for each. So choosing the best spinnerbait for fishing might be a bit daunting.
Several factors matter in spinnerbaits, but this article will focus mainly on the best options available to anglers. We also recommend you watch our video on How to Pick the Right Spinnerbait.
OUR TOP PICKS
- Shimano Swagy Strong Double Willow – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Berkley Power Blade Compact DBL Willow – Buy from Basspro
- Damiki Tot Type 1 Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- War Eagle Screamin Eagle Painted DBL Willow – Buy from Basspro
- Nichols Catalyst Double Willow – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Best All Purpose Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Best Deep Water Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Honrable Mention: Megabass SV-3 Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Terminator P1 Pro Series – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Strike King Tour Grade Finesse Compact – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Accent J. Wheeler Custom Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Best Night Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Booyah Covert Seres Double Colorado – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Z-man Sling Bladez Power Finesse – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Greenfish Tackle High Class Blade – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
- Advantage Double Willow Spinnerbait – Buy from Tacklewarehouse
HOW TO CHOOSE AND TEST A SPINNERBAIT
There are basically 7 things that matter on the build of a spinnerbait. How a spinnerbait behaves in the water is dictated by the following:
- Number of blades
- Blade Size
- Blade Spacing or Arm Length
- Head shape
- Type of Wire Arm
- Weight distribution
- Flash
Obviously you want your spinnerbait to have a good hook, be made with durable components and last for a number of fish. They aren’t made to last forever. The wires get bent while fishing, The hooks will dull and they can eventually start to rust.
But I’ve caught dozens of bass on a single spinnerbait and a few in my box have probably caught more than a hundred. I keep extra spinnerbait blades and components in a small box so I can alter and update spinnerbaits. I keep a hook file with it as well to keep my hooks sharp. It seems like spinnerbait hooks can get get dull faster than a lot of other lures.
But a single blade spinnerbait has more vibration and more lift than a spinnerbait with two blades closer together generally speaking. Lift describes the tendency of the spinnerbait to want to ride up in the water column.
A double spinnerbait blade can pull harder or lift more if it has larger blades, rounder blades or if the blades are spaced apart more or the front blade is smaller.
The rounder and bigger the blade the more thump and vibration a spinnerbait will have and the harder it will pull. The narrower the blades, the tighter the vibration will be. And a blade in front of the back blade cuts the vibration of the back blade unless they are spaced apart more.
The head shape will determine how a bait runs. A cone or minnow head will run better in open water and high speeds. A spinnerbait head with a triangle shape will run okay in both open water and around cover. And a head with a bigger or flatter “chin” will come over cover and rocks better when fished lower in the water column.
The wire arm can be made out of a thinner more flexible wire or a thicker more steel like wire. A flexible thinner wire will transmit more vibration but will also get bent out easier. A thicker wire will stay tuned a little easier but won’t have as much thump. A lot of short arm spinnerbaits use thicker wires to keep them in tune for night fishing when it’s hard to see if your spinnerbait is out of whack.
Spinnerbait blade size and configuration can give some spinnerbaits a little more flash. Typically speaking a willow has more flash and Colorado blade is more for vibration.
We have a lot more great resources on spinnerbait fishing on our site to go into greater detail on this topic, but this basic knowledge will help you make good choices on spinnerbaits at your favorite tackle store and on the water.
BEST NEW BASS FISHING SPINNERBAITS FOR 2024
There are a lot of new spinnerbaits on the market and we thought we’d name a few we thought met all the standards for the best new spinnerbaits for this year.
