Fall is upon us and some the best fishing can be found right now throwing reaction baits. My go to reaction style bait is a spinnerbait. No matter what river, lake, or pond I decide to fish my favorite reaction bait is hands down a spinnerbait. Spinnerbaits can be an extremely versatile and valuable tool for an angler to have in his or her arsenal. Spinnerbaits can be fished shallow and deep, through grass and vegetation, or near rocks.
In order to be most efficient with my spinnerbaits I pair up a Dobyn’s Rods 734c and a Diawa Tatula CT. My line preference varies for each body of water. However, my standard is usually 40lb braided line tied to a 17lb test fluorocarbon leader.
The most important piece to the puzzle is the spinnerbait itself. After fishing nearly, every spinnerbait I could get my hands on I have landed on the Nichols Lures Pulsator Spinnerbait. The Pulsator line comes in a variety of colors, weights, blade styles, and blade sizes. My personal favorite is the “Metal Flake” line.
Nichols Lures spinnerbaits are unique in that they are made right here in the U.S.A. Each spinnerbait is hand painted, hand tied, and hand assembled at the Nichols Lures HQ in Georgia. They come standard with sturdy wire, heavy thumping blades, and a stout hook. You might think the large blades would cause the bait to lift upon retrieving it but the baits like to stay down and run true to course. I have fished these spinnerbaits everywhere from the shallow grass of the California Delta to the deep clear waters of Lake Oroville and everywhere in between and they only continue to catch fish.
When fishing these spinnerbaits try mixing up your retrieves to find what the fish want. I usually start with a moderate pace while mixing in a couple of quick snaps. If the water is still cold I like a real slow roll just enough to have the blades turn. (It doesn’t take much to get the Nichols Lures blades turning.) One retrieve that can be lights out this time of year is to burn it. I like to get around scattered grass and throw the spinnerbait right over and through the clumps. This blade is about as weedless as they come so I’m not afraid to throw it right through the “stuff”. If the fish are fired up you cannot reel this thing fast enough to keep it away from them!
One of my favorite things about Nichols Lures is that you are able to go to the website (www.nicholslures.com) and customize your own spinnerbaits. I cannot count the number of spinnerbaits I have custom made for a specific bite I was on. You have the ability to run through all of the skirt, head color, and blade combos you could possibly think of. No matter what forage you want to match or situation presented to you on the water a Nichols Lures Pulsator Spinnerbait will catch them.
If you have any questions or comments feel free to contact me via email or social media.
– Ryan Hall
Instagram: @ryanhallfishing
email: ryanhallfishing@gmail.com