Spinnerbait Freshwater Jig Fishing Lures

Due to their diverse range of blade types, Spinnerbaits are great for almost any target species that live in the fresh water of Australia. In particular predatory fish such as Australian bass, Murray cod and golden perch. Smaller sized spinnerbaits have also been known to tempt sooty grunter, trout, jungle perch and redfin perch. Spinnerbaits are also super versatile, working well in almost any condition, year-round. They can be fished in all seasons and work well in clear or murky water.

When a spinner lure is in motion, the blade spins, creating flashes of light and vibrations. When fishing with spinnerbaits, your retrieval technique needs to alter depending on the situation you're fishing in. The most common way to use a spinnerbait is a ‘slow roll' that entails a long cast and then waiting until the spinnerbait hits the bottom of the water before using a slow consistent wind of the reel to engage the blades and entice a bite from the fish you are chasing. A second popular technique is the ‘burn and kill'. Again, you want to throw a long cast and let the lure hit the bottom, but this time you will wind the reel at a medium to fast pace to really get those blades moving. After a few winds in, you want to come to a complete stop. This makes the spinnerbait look like a baitfish has died and your target species will think it's an easy feed and likely latch onto the lure as soon as you stop.

An expert tip when fishing spinnerbaits in and around weed beds is to really look for the ‘holes' in the weed. By this we mean in weed beds you will often find small circular holes in the weed bed (normally around 1-2m in diameter). Throw your spinnerbait past these holes in the weed and bring it back across the top of the weed until you hit the hole. Stop the lure and let it sink down that hole - you will often find fish sitting in these holes waiting for an easy meal.

When talking about spinnerbait lures, there's plenty of variety – so how do you know which is the one you need? The main component that will attract fish is your blade style which determines the depth and sound of your spinner. The main blade types in Australia are Colorado and Willow blades. You can use a combination of both or the same. A larger blade will provide more water resistance and higher vibration compared to a smaller blade of the same shape. A smaller blade will move less water and create a subtle vibration on the flip side. Additionally, blade colours will play into how well your spinnerbait performs with metallics such as silver, gold and copper being the most common and successful. You can also dress your spinnerbait with tails and skirts that increase the profile of the lure and provides lift and resistance for a slower retrieval rate.

Another expert tip on spinnerbaits is to use a trailer soft plastic. Adding a paddle tail or curl tail soft plastic to your spinnerbait really bulks out the presence of the lure and can often attract the bigger fish looking for a big meal to satisfy their appetite.

To rig a spinner lure, you can use a combination of straight through monofilament or fluorocarbon or you can use a braid/leader set up. Different situations and locations can be a factor as to what line/leader combination to use. A simple blood or double unit knot to the attachment point of the spinnerbait will ensure you can throw this lure around all day and catch that elusive fish you've been chasing.