Spinnerbaits in the Salt texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout Spinnerbaits have long been regarded as a staple in bass anglers' boxes. And, believe it or not, they have actually been a mainstay for speckled trout and redfish in the Louisiana marsh for quite some time. However, it has only been recently that anglers in Texas have warmed up to using this “bass bait.” Not long ago, anyone who was seen with a spinnerbait tethered to his rod was looked at as if he “was a little weird,” acknowledged Rockport-based guide Capt. Darrell Walter, who admits his bass fishing background helped him accept the bait's use in saltwater a little sooner than other guides. As the popularity of spinnerbaits has spread along the Texas coast, flats fishermen have not only accepted their use, but begun experimenting with variations of their own. Not surprisingly, the collective minds of Texas coastal fishermen have come up with more than a few “spins” on spinnerbaits. VERSATILE AND EASY “It just makes sense for saltwater guys to throw spinnerbaits,” Walter said. “If you take the skirt off and replace it with a soft-plastic body, you get the best of both worlds on the flats. The blade gives you the flash of a spoon and you still have the action of the soft plastic jig.” “These baits are very versatile,” offered Ken Chaumont of the Stanley Lure Company, manufacturers of the increasingly popular RedSpin. “Our baits sells for around three bucks and that includes a head rigged with a body and spinner harness and one spare body. We offer six colors, but anglers can use any color combination they want simply by changing bodies.” “You can also fish them just about anywhere,” continued Chaumont, who grew up on the Louisiana coast and has fished spinnerbaits for redfish in that state's brackish bayous for decades. “You can throw them on shallow flats, up in the grass, deeper flats - wherever. And, anybody can fish them successfully. Although there are a lot of techniques that can be used, all a beginner needs to do to catch fish is cast it and reel.” Anglers can essentially customize spinnerbaits to fit any situation. Beyond the obvious alteration in color and profile by changing tails, anglers can also increase or reduce the amount of vibration given by changing blades and/or tails. Blades come in various sizes. Larger blades are obviously noisier than smaller ones. However, the type of blade can also affect the noise and vibration the lure transmits. Assuming equal blade size, Colorado blades produce more noise and vibration than willowleaf blades. The same holds true for soft-plastic tails. Straight tail baits are going to produce less vibration than paddle tail baits. By manipulating tail and blade combinations, anglers can fine tune the lure's performance - creating a bait that silently slide through the water, chops and churns its way along or anything in between. COVER WATER QUICKLY “I have found a spinnerbait to be one of the best lures to quickly cover a lot of water and find fish when they are scattered out on a flat,” Walter said. “This has kind of become my go-to bait when working the flats and needing to locate fish. And, it is a real easy bait for my clients to use.” Castability is sometimes an issue with spinnerbaits on shallow flats, as blade catches air, making the bait less aerodynamic and causing long casts to be more difficult. But, there is a flip side - and saving grace - to that blade. Because blade air and water, it “lifts” bait in water column, allowing anglers to use heavier heads with slower retrieves. Quarter and 3/8 ounce spinnerbait heads are not out of the question even in water as shallow as a couple feet. GET `EM UP TOP “If I have a fish miss another bait, I'll throw back in with a buzzbait,” said Rockport area guide Capt. Garrett Gill. “Nine times out of ten, they'll nail that buzzbait.” “When I'm doing this, I like giving them a big target,” said Gill. “So, I'll leave the skirt on and add a soft-plastic - like the 3.5-inch Stanley Wedgetail.” This topwater tactic can also be accomplished with a standard spinnerbait. Since the blade of a spinnerbait causes it to ride up in the water column, simply using a rapid retrieve will result in the blade churning the surface and causing a considerable wake. This is most easily accomplished by using a large Colorado blade, which catches more water and causes the bait to rise more rapidly. Throwing blade-baits is particularly useful over grass flats where there may be only a few inches of “clean” water between the top of the grass and the water's surface. Since the blade lifts the bait, anglers are capable of using a much slower retrieve than would be possible with just a soft-plastic jig. FISHING ON THE EDGE Spinnerbaits are also effective on fish suspended along ledges and drop-offs. There are two awfully productive ways to fish spinnerbaits along a drop-off. They can be worked parallel to the drop-off with a very slow retrieve or cast on top of the flat, then pulled off the ledge and allowed to free-fall down the face of the drop-off. In either instance, a heavier head (1/2 or 5/8 ounce) is needed than would typically be used on the flats. SHOT IN THE DARK During late summer and early fall, when the days are particularly hot, anglers often wade fish the extreme low light periods or even during the night. When the sun goes down, action on spinnerbaits often picks up. In fact, a bait fitted with a gold Colorado blade and black tail is one of the better choices for fishing over the flats at night. The “thump” of the Colorado blade alerts fish to the baits presence. As the fish close in on the lure, the opaque black body casts a good silhouette, allowing the fish an easy target to strike in the darkness. This also holds true for fishermen working dirty or off-colored water during daylight hours. When fishing under these conditions, it is beneficial to choose a tail with plenty of vibration. The Stanley Wedgetail is a good example. “I'm telling you, when you put one of those Wedgetails on a spinnerbait with a Colorado blade, the rod wants to jump out of your hand it's vibrating so much,” laughed Lonnie Stanley, who has fished spinnerbaits in freshwater for decades before designing the RedSpin for the lure company that bears his name. “You have to use the 3.5 minnow. If you put a 5-incher on there, you can't hardly hold the rod.” NOT JUST FOR REDS Although most folks throwing spinnerbaits on the coast are searching for redfish, trout can also be taken on spinnerbaits. However, since trout tend to be a bit spookier and less aggressive on the flats than redfish are, it is sometimes better to switch to a silver willowleaf blade. The willowleaf blade offers a bit more flash and a lot less noise than a hard-thumping Colorado blade. This stealthier spinnerbait can prove deadly, especially on specks buried in grass on shallow flats. A spinnerbait ticking along the top of the grass is usually more than they can resist. Of course, anglers don't necessarily need to change the blade to reduce the amount of sound the bait transmits. “Sometimes I feel too much vibration can be bad on shallow flats,” Walter observed. “When the fish seem extra spooky, I'll go with a straight-tailed bait.” Good examples of “straight-tailed baits” for spinnerbaits would be Norton Sand Eel Jrs., Bass Assassins, H&H split-tail grubs, and the age-old “tout” tail. Curl-tail grubs also work well when attempting to create a lot of action with minimal noise. GET INLINE Safety pin and harness-style spinnerbaits aren't the only spinners making a splash on the Texas coast. The use of inline spinners - historically popular among freshwater trout fishermen a la Mepps - have been increasingly popular. Unlike freshwater inline spinners, which are usually equipped with a hair or feather-dressed treble, saltwater inlines, like the popular Terminator, most often utilize a single hook, which can be fitted with a variety of soft-plastic tails. A unique, and productive, “hybrid” is the Red Alert made by Raven Reels in San Antonio. The Red Alert is essentially an inline spinnerbait with a standard jig head attached. The added weight of the jig head allows for easier casting and gives the bait more “up and down” action when retrieving. Like other spinnerbaits, the Red Alert can be mated with a variety of soft-plastic tails. While spinnerbaits may not be the perfect lure choice for all flats applications, they certainly are handy under a number of conditions. So, though you may not want to jettison all the lures currently stuffed in your tackle box, you may want to consider adding a few spinnerbaits and putting a new “spin” on your flats fishing experience. texas saltwater fishing, texas fishing, wadefishing, wading, bay fishing, speckled trout, redfish, snook, tarpon, texas redfish, texas speckled trout