First attempt at spinner making

[BentRod]

Have been toying with the idea of making my own Steelhead spinners for a while and finally decided to give it a try. I wanted to make some simple weighted spinners that would hold the bottom well in deep holes and higher flows that wouldn't bleed my wallet every time I lost one on a snag. Kept it simple to begin with. Modeled my first after a Roostertail using a 3/8 oz piece of stick lead. I ordered size #4 French blades, but after creating this thing I'm thinking a size #5 would be better suited to a spinner this long and maybe I should use the #4 for slightly smaller(shorter) spinners? It's not the prettiest thing, but any input on design/function would be appreciated. Would having a smaller blade so far forward of the hook impede the bite/or hook set? Of course I'll give this thing a try and make my own conclusions, but curious to know what other's experiences are. Thanks for looking.

[mallard83]

First off that is a nice looking spinner, should piss off some fish pretty good. My experience has been to keep the tip of the blade as close to the bottom of the body of the spinner as possible. Sometimes even just slightly past. How long is the spinner overall excluding the hook? If that is a #4 blade it must be getting up there in length.

If you go with a larger blade size it will create more lift on the spinner resulting in it riding higher in the water column. This kind of goes away from what you are trying to accomplish with your idea. It is a fine line to walk in making a quality spinner that works how you want it to. If I was you I would try that same setup with a #4, #5 and even possibly a #6 blade and go test them all out side by side and see where you are at with each one. Also experiment with different body weights/lengths. Try different diameter hollow core too.

Here are some pictures of some spinners I have made. Some of them with the same general idea you had with the hollow core for the body.

[mallard83]

Here are some more, a bit different style. Sorry about the crummy cell pics. The blurry picture with a lot of spinners in it has 430 total (I got a little over zealous). Making your own is a great idea, big money saver in the long run.

[BentRod]

Great info and nice spinners. Thanks. Yes, it's awkwardly long. About 3" between the top of the clevis to to bottom of the spinner. I switched out the pic and added a measuring tape as reference. Are the majority of the spinners in the second photo #4s? If so, about how much do they weigh? I agree that a #5 blade would be preferred or maybe find a way to shorten the body (i.e. bullet weights or similar instead of hollow core lead). I'm also looking at attempting to make my own blades fashioned after the Luhr Jensen Bang Tail spinner. It's a thinner longer blade which would put the end of the blade back towards the base of the spinner as you indicated. Good point about the lift. I've got some learning to do in regards to blade types and how the effect the lift of the spinner. I've read the Jed Davis book, but it's been a while, so should probably take another look at it now that I'm actually dabbling instead of daydreaming.

[mallard83]

In the picture you referenced the majority of those spinners are smaller trout sized ones with #1 blades. There are a couple of #2 and #3 in there as well. Those are the only ones that I have done with hollow core for the body. I just put those in to show my ideas. They have worked excellent for trout btw. The next ones down with the metal bodies are either #3 or #4........I can't quite remember as its been awhile since I have taken pictures of my spinners. (I wanna say they are #4 though) The pictures in my second post with the coho were all made with craft store beads.

When you say you are going to try making a bangtail type blade, I am assuming that you are talking about a roostertail/willow leaf style blade. If so than that probably will help with accomplishing your goal of staying within closer proximity to the bottom. The thinner willow leaf style blade will catch far less water and is more streamline than the Indiana style blade that you are using now. Hence it will more easily run deeper without lifting as much.

With all of that being said, I prefer the Indiana blades over any other for steelhead and salmon. Not saying that a willow leaf style blade wont catch fish, I just prefer the Indiana's. The sky is the limit on spinner design, get creative. The best part is, if you screw one up or don't like the way it works, most if not all of the parts are reusable.

My favorite blade color is metallic/anodized red or a silver one. However, I do use gold and copper when conditions change. I got the metallic red color you see on some of my spinners by using Krylon X Metals spray paint. https://www.google.com/#q=krylon+x+metals&tbm=shop" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I just paint a bunch of blades before I do a batch of spinners. I paint both sides like a vibrax with a colored blade would have. It sticks fairly well and when it gets too beat up just re-spray them.

One of my personal favorite all around salmon/steelhead colors is a red blade with copper body. I was having a hard time finding this color from Blue Fox in the stores the past few years so I started just painting the blades myself starting with an all copper spinner, works pretty good. I painted them then put back in the package and fooled my buddy thinking I had found the color combo again at the store. I also painted an all silver one with the purple X Metals.

[The Quadfather]

Very nice, both of you! It must be a nice feeling to catch something from one you made.
I'm still in the dreaming/lazy stage.

[masterblaster000]

Nice spinner man. They don't have to be pretty to catch fish. I do agree with previous comments that a #5 blade would be better suited for the weight and length of your spinner. In reference to cheap and ugly spinners, check out this very cheap and ugly spinner that has been destroying coho for me this year on the Snohomish.

It is cheap, easy, and effective. Sure beats paying 5 dollars for a #5 blue fox.

http://salmonboys.com/tutorials/5050-spinner/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BentRod]

Thanks for the encouragement. Mallard, I mistook those smaller trout spinners for larger #4s. That makes sense. Thanks for taking the time to write up all the information you shared. Very helpful. Masterblaster, thanks for the link , I agree that spinners/spoons/jigs don't have to be pretty to catch fish. I make my own jigs and just started making my own Dick Nite style spoons this last season and have caught fish on them and they certainly are not pretty. The Bang Tail blades are similar to Willow leaf blades, but are unique in that they are not cupped blades. They're flat with just the lower tip bent on the diagonal (about 45 degrees, but I just eyeballed it). I thought it'd be a fairly easy blade to build and would be easily adjustable with a pair of pliers. Built one tonight. It's not pretty, but not bad for a first attempt. It's about 2" long and that's an approximately 3/8 oz chuck of lead, so the whole thing is already over a 1/2 oz. A little more than I was intending, but will have the ability to adjust weight during the build, which is nice. Here's a pic of the completed blade, but the spinner is still in the works. Will probably keep it pretty simple until I can test out the action of the lure in the water.

EDIT: Finished a quick and dirty build of the lure mentioned above using some recycled parts. Will test it out and report after.

Mallard, what dimeter wire do you you use? I am currently using .035 and I'm finding it's definitely a challenge to bend into shape even with jewelers pliers. My fingers are shot after one lure. Thinking .035 might be a little on the heavy side?

[Idstud]

Those are some killer looking spinners thanks for sharing.

[masterblaster000]

Bentrod: How did you go about make dick nite style spoons? I have been trying to come up with something.

[BentRod]

Bentrod: How did you go about make dick nite style spoons? I have been trying to come up with something.

I used a DN as a template and cut some blanks out of some sheet brass and also form some old stainless jar lids that my wife was throwing out. I then smoothed the edges with the grinder use a ~1/2" bearing and a hammer to make the cups at each end, then drill holes. insert split rings in the holes and clamp on a siwash. Done. The first few are time consuming, but once you figure out the system they go pretty quick. Think I can pound one out in about 15 minutes now minus any paint.


Update on the spinners above: Stopped by the river this morning to test them out. The Green Meanie is definitely tail heavy and although it'll cast a mile the blade doesn't have enough lift to keep the weight up off the bottom, so I had to reel much faster than I'd prefer and the blade was spinning really fast. That was in moderately deep water with very little current.

The larger home built blade had some difficulties getting spinning, but once going had a great THUMP, THUMP, THUMP to it and had no problems holding the bottom. A bit much for the very low current I was in, but seems like it would do well in a deeper heavier current situation with a little modification to the blade. Think I left too much material between the clevis hole and the edge of the blade, so might have been binding. That shows promise.

Additionally, I realized I should have used the SEARCH feature prior to ordering materials. Apparently I asked the wire diameter question a few years ago and was given the advice by member goodtimesfishing to go with .031 diameter wire. Will have to order some new wire and some size 5 blades to go with it and work on my builds. Oh, the learning curve.

[mallard83]

Bentrod I am using a .026 diameter wire. It is way easier to work with than the .035 that you are using. It is more than strong enough for salmon and steelhead. Idk exactly what diameter a bluefox vibrax uses but it is a decent amount smaller than the .026 that I use.

[uplandsandpiper]

I put together a video on how to make inline spinners for steelhead and salmon. They are really pretty simply to construct and cost less than $2 to make.

[BentRod]

I put together a video on how to make inline spinners for steelhead and salmon. They are really pretty simply to construct and cost less than $2 to make.

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing. It appears that you're using octopus or finesse style hooks. I thought Siwash was preferred for single point hooks on spinners?

My most recent attempts have been much better than my first go around that is pictured above. I've since gotten some size 5 blades and have paired them with 3/8 oz weight bodies, so the end product is more proportional. Still have to go out and test run the first pattern, but I'm sure they'll just get better from here. Here is my most recent try:

#5 spinner.jpg (61.91 KiB) Viewed 14026 times

Welcome to the forum.

[uplandsandpiper]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing. It appears that you're using octopus or finesse style hooks. I thought Siwash was preferred for single point hooks on spinners?

My most recent attempts have been much better than my first go around that is pictured above. I've since gotten some size 5 blades and have paired them with 3/8 oz weight bodies, so the end product is more proportional. Still have to go out and test run the first pattern, but I'm sure they'll just get better from here. Here is my most recent try:

#5 spinner.jpg

Welcome to the forum.

I've tried both the Siwash style and octopus/finesse style hooks and I prefer the finesse style hooks. There is a definitely an art to landing steelhead on a barbless hook and learned with the finesse style hooks so I am more confident fishing with them rather than siwash. I don't think their inferior in any way I am just more comfortable with the latter. However, I have noted several other spinner makers in the area using similar style hooks.

I think your spinner is a fine looking spinner. That should catch fish. It definitely takes time to dial in the spinners weight to blade and hook size to get something you like. I am just now starting to tinker with other blades to get a deep diving spinner that I can work into the salmon holes I like to fish.

[BentRod]

A couple more I built today. A size 4 hodgepodge experiment and a size 5 Jed Davis style.

spinner #4 & 5.jpg (17.1 KiB) Viewed 13995 times

[Mike Carey]

I checked out http://lurepartsonline.com/

Some seriously excellent prices on lots of different gear, including really nice looking kokanee sling blades for a half to a third of the name brand stuff, and they looked as good or better. I can't stand (and won't pay) $8.99 and up for a sling blade.

Black Friday free shipping and 10% off of a $75 purchase. Good till Sunday. Yes, I loaded up.