• Spinnerbaits work for some anglers, but mystify others.fishing reel image by Dawn Williams from Fotolia.com
  
  Spinnerbaits are a popular and versatile category of bass lures, but many anglers continue to by stymied by them. Many a fisherman has taken a few casts with spinnerbaits, not caught anything, then moved on to something else, perhaps never to come back to the blade-bait. But a few simple tips can increase the odds on hooking up with big bass, and could provide a good reason to dig all your old spinnerbaits out of storage and get them back in the water where they belong.
  
  

Vary Your Retrieve

• A common mistake bass fishermen make is to throw a spinnerbait and bring it back at a constant depth and constant speed. Catch a bass's attention by mixing things up a bit. First, raise the rod tip slightly to move the lure higher in the water column, Then lower it again. This causes the spinnerbait to flutter and fall slightly, then regain balance and carry on. Many bass hit the lure as it falters. Also try a stop-and-go retrieve by bringing the spinnerbait in with a series of pulls with the rod, then reeling the slack line in-between.
  
  

Color Matters

• Spinnerbait skirts are available in a dizzying array of colors. Water clarity, light conditions, and what bass are eating in a given body of water are the biggest considerations when choosing colors. In clear water, keep it subtle; use a spinnerbait with a skirt that is white, salt-and-pepper, or some translucent shade of light grey, green, or purple, perhaps with some silver glitter. In stained water, try chartreuse, or white with strands of chartreuse and blue. Pure chartreuse could be a good choice in really muddy water. If night fishing, try a black, dark blue, or black-and-red skirt.
  
  

Try Different Blades

• A variety of blade styles on spinnerbaits are available, and pro fisherman Alton Jones points out the importance of using different blades. Choose from three basic blade types: Colorado, Indiana and willowleaf. Colorado style blades are the broadest; they create the most vibration, ride higher in the water column and allow fishermen to fish slower without losing action. Willowleaf blades are the thinnest, designed to give off more flash (but less vibration) and to work at high speeds. Indiana blades are a compromise between the two. Many fishermen prefer to use a Colorado blade in muddy or cold water, and a willowleaf blade for clear conditions. Also, consider tandem spinnerbaits, which have two or more blades.
  
  

Be Willing To Experiment

• Sometimes throwing something that nobody else is using, even it it's something truly bizarre, can give you an edge over other anglers. Some days, bass just want a spinnerbait with gold blades and a hot-pink skirt. There's no logical explanation for it, but sometimes the road less traveled can lead to some surprising places. Try bending blades for different vibrations bass aren't used to, or adding soft plastic trailers to spinnerbait choices.