In-line spinners

 If there is one lure in this world that I could never understand the hype about, it would be the in-line spinner. Not having a wide variety in the stores back in South Africa, I maybe had three or four spinners and some hand-me-downs. True, at that point I did not fish that often, but I tried the in-line spinners a few times and never caught any fish on them. And yet, the internet is filled with anglers swearing by this little lure.

Having a larger selection here in the US, I opted to get one of the better-known brands, a Panther Martin. I did notice some cheaper spinners and had to grab a handful of Rooster tails. These lures ended up in the bottom of my tackle box, that is until the first winter I fished here in the States. I wanted to try something different from the power baits for the annual stocked trout. Boy, did these lures produce; catching 3 fish in 10 minutes seemed unreal.

Soon I developed some confidence in this style of lure and found it to be my go-to lure for covering water to find those active fish willing to chase some baitfish. From Trout to Bass, and Sunfish, I have even managed to get a channel catfish on an in-line spinner. But the questions then arise; What changed? Why did I suddenly start catching fish? Confidence in a lure has a massive impact, but surely that’s not the entire story?

I started to compare my new spinners to some old ones. There are hundreds of differences between all the spinners out there. From colors, blade size, and style, all the way to the weight of the body of the spinners. Every single change has a huge impact on how to fish and how fish react to the lure. Stranger yet, my go-to spinner in Nevada, had no interest out in California. It was thus no coincidence that I finally got fish on spinners. It was my willingness to try something new or different that made all the difference. In-line spinners work, but it is up to you, the angler, to find the right one for the right spot.