[Ouachita]

Good topic. I believe it's highly important to modify any bait any way you can just so it's unique and something bass haven't seen. Just a slight change in action can make a good lure much better. I got into making my own spinnerbait skirts, then began replacing stock blade hardware with quality barrel snap swivels so I can add, remove, or mix up blades in seconds. Then began removing the skirts and using Zoom Fat Alberts, twin tail Alberts, Brushhogs, Horny Toads, swimming chunks, the works. Try a Tiny Fluke on a 3/16 oz spinnerbait when the bite dies for regular bass offerings. The new Terminator Laser Eye is often shown with a curly tail trailer.

You've pointed out a fine lure idea all of us ought to be trying and experimenting with. A big bass "Beetle Spin".

Jim

 

[Ouachita]

The only wire bending I do is to retune a spinnerbait that has been warped from a bass or a hang-up.

There's usually a split ring through the wire loop, or a clevis on the shaft. I just remove the original barrel swivel, replacing it with a high quality snap swivel (50 cents each for best quality), then attach the blade to that. I make up a bunch of blades so all I have to do is switch. I put the snap end on the wire loop, split ring on the blade. I cut the original metal clevis off the shaft and use quick-change plastic clevises. I get those from Jannsnetcraft for about 9 cents each.

I'm not impressed with the quality of hardware on most big name brands. I've snapped a bunch of blades off new spinnerbaits, especially if getting a "professional over run" with sudden snap stop, and from banging it into rocks, stumps, etc. I always try to hit stuff when fishing those, so I'm hard on spinnerbaits.

For you folks that custom build spinnerbaits, a rig I try to keep in the box for when I think bass are going mostly for the trailing blade is to replace the clevis blade on a tandem spinnerbait with a red treble hook that isn't so big it hangs up in the trailing blade split ring. Just add a few extra beads to keep it far enough up shaft. A size 1 or larger hook won't spin and get you hung up while a smaller treble hook will spin and get you in trouble with weed and wood. I built a garage and next will add a workbench, so when everything is unpacked and back in service I'll try posting some photos of my favorite spinnerbait creations step by step.

Jim

 

[Ouachita]

On a tandem bait there's a blade at the end of the upper arm hanging over the hook. Sliding on the upper arm is usually a half circle metal clevis holding a normally smaller blade. I remove that inside blade and add a treble hook.  If the blade is cheesy cheap I'll cut it off the clevis, then add a split ring to the clevis, then the treble hook (not using a swivel). Otherwise I might cut the clevis off to save a quality blade so I use other blades, attaching hook directly to the arm with a split ring. If not using the hook, I just clip on a blade using the quick plastic clevis, already made up at home.

When custom building I use a metal clevis and split ring with the snap swivel for blades, and can unsnap a blade, then snap a hook on.

Another reason I don't go with the regular spinnerbait barrel swivel and split rings is I lose too much time fooling with split rings in the boat, especially in low light. If you have good eyesight and are handy with split ring pliers, you get better spin or vibration sticking to the stock swivel, depending on which way it aims, toward the blade for smoother spin at lower speeds, away for more vibration at higher speeds. But it only takes me a couple of seconds to switch a blade and I have more confidence in the better hardware. I spend a lot more time finding the blade I want. I think I sold my last custom spinnerbait, but will keep looking and try posting a photo. The hard part is doctoring it up in a photo editor.

The main advantage of putting a treble hook in the place of that front blade is to get better hookups without the misery of adding a trailer hook to the main hook. Those get snagged too easily and a bass gains extra leverage from lengthening the lure. The bass can throw that rig easier. But not if any of that treble grabs mouth along with the main hook. The treble is protected by the upper arm. Of course, since at least two points of the treble stick out the sides, it's more prone to hangups in wood unless you use weedless trebles, the short ones with the three wire guards.

Jim

 

[Ouachita]

;D  In order for you to doctor it up, do you first have that last description clear? If not, I'll have to do this with graphics. It's very true the old saying "a picture is worth a thousand words".  I'll try tracing and drawing it out with handwritten labels. That would actually be a lot less headache even though I'm no artist. I could scan the drawing, create a jpg, then send that to you.  How about that?

Jim