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A lot of my tournament success has come on a spinnerbait . I was Bassmaster Angler of the Year in 1976 and 1986 , and both times the spinnerbait was a big part of that . I ’ ve won two national bass tournaments – in 1976 and 1985 – in South Carolina and New York , and each time , a spinnerbait was the key lure . I ’ ve been to 15 Bassmaster Classics and a Forrest Wood Cup , and those were largely due to the spinnerbait .
I even caught the biggest bass of the 1975 Classic on a spinnerbait . Over the years , I ’ d estimate that 70 percent of the bass I ’ ve caught and kissed came on a spinnerbait , so it ’ s a lure that I really know and appreciate . when
There ’ s no wrong time to fish a spinnerbait . It ’ s that versatile . By changing weights , blade sizes , colors and retrieve speeds , you can catch bass any time of year in any water that hasn ’ t iced over .
Probably the very best time to throw a spinnerbait is in the spring – especially the prespawn . Some of my favorite times to fish a spinnerbait are when it ’ s dark and cloudy and the wind ’ s blowing . Bass can get very aggressive under those conditions , and there ’ s no better way to catch a lot of big fish than by throwing a spinnerbait around shallow cover .
54 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022