One of the key modifications you can add to a PIVIT Trailer Jig is a spinner blade. These flat metal blades, which are often silver or gold, attach to the jig through a right angle wire and produce both flash and vibrations that can stimulate a fish’s lateral line, triggering it to strike. Spinner blades are deadly, but they’re not always the clear choice for every single fishing situation. So when should you use them?
With their flashiness, spinner baits are an excellent choice during periods of low visibility, whether on cloudy days, windy days, rainy days, or early and late in the day. They’re also a great choice for murky water and night fishing, and for probing new bodies of water. In these conditions, the spinning blade vibrates and flashes like a beacon, drawing in fish from afar. In murky water and at night, without the spinner blade and its flashy vibrations it would be hard, perhaps impossible, for fish to see your jig.
The best time to fish spinner baits is spring and fall, when bass chase shad in the shallows, sometimes schooling up. They are good for bottom trolling at 0.8 to 1.2 miles per hour. The spinner bait flashes like a baitfish and stimulates competition in the school. These are also times when it is more likely to be windy and overcast. Spinner baits are also a good choice in the fall, when bait moves toward creek mouths.
So when is not a good time to use spinner baits? They’re not well suited to high pressure, sunny days. This may be because the blade reflects too much light and either spooks fish or turns them off. Thus, the very thing that makes spinner baits effective during low light periods limits their utility in bright conditions.
Spinner baits are a proven type of lure that has won the Bassmaster Elite tournament. They are extremely versatile and effective, and should be in your box, especially for low light conditions.