Power Spinners: A Clever New Way To Fish A Stickbait

Bass fishing has its trends and crazes just like any other sport. Lures and tactics come and go, but some stand the test of time and become actual game changers on the water. One such tactic is the power spinner. The concept is quite simple. You take a standard straight-tailed worm or senkostyle bait and add a screw-in spinner to its rear. Think Beetle Spin but with more worm and versatility.

Get Wacky With Power Spinners

There are a couple of different ways this trendy rig can be fished. The first is probably the most popular: wacky style. As stated above, take your standard, 4"-6" senko or favorite straight-tailed worm and screw in the spinner to the flattest end. Proceed to rig the bait like a normal wacky worm and fish it the same way. Cast out, let it fall on taut line and watch your line for bites. Realistically, the only thing that is different from a standard wacky rig is when you would fish the rig with the spinner attached.

The spinner rig, regardless of how it is rigged, typically works best in shallow, clear(ish) water. However, the rig can also be effective in mildly stained water as the spinner blade allows for added visibility and attraction. Additionally, the rig works well in high fishing pressure situations. Bass, primarily in the southern states, see lots of wacky rigs each and every year. This minor addition to the rig allows for a slight edge over others.

Texas Rigging Power Spinners

The other way that bass anglers have been rigging the power spinner is Texas-style. This allows the bait to be completely weedless so it can be fished in and around cover. Now, keep in mind, in order for the power spinner to be effective the blade has to be able to turn. Thus, heavy vegetation may not be the best choice for a rig.

The addition of the power spinner to the Texas rig allows anglers to fish the rig quicker as well. The spinner adds some weight to the rear end of the bait and allows for a quicker but still subtle rise and fall action. Cast the Texas-rig out and let it fall, just like the wacky setup. Watch for bites as the lure falls on a taut line.

Changing Your Cadence For More Fish

Next, it is up to the angler to impart the proper action on the lure. Different fishing situations call for different retrieves. For more finicky fish, try letting the lure lay on the bottom for a few seconds and then sweeping it off the bottom with a subtle movement of the rod. If fish are more aggressive, like in the spring of the year, a steady-straight retrieve or ultra-fast retrieve may yield the best results. When fishing deeper water (more than 8 feet) try rigging the worm on a weighted belly hook. This will allow for longer casts, a faster sink rate, and more erratic retrieve.