Getting Hammered on Spinnerbaits

Gear

May 1

Hawg Caller is one of the few brands of fishing tackle that makes a 1oz spinnerbait with triple hammered blades for slow rolling and burning over cover

Back in March I posted a video about the ¾ ounce tandem willow spinnerbait that produced my personal best 12 pound largemouth at the Camelot Bell ranch in Coolidge, Texas. Since then I’ve been in touch with George Jeane, who made that particular bait, and I’m hoping to stockpile a few more after a hiatus of nearly a decade.

In the meantime, some of you have requested my thoughts on why I used “hammered” blades on that day. The short answer is that my friend Clark Reehm gave it to me that day and I tied it on. The longer answer is that I’ve had great success over the years with spinnerbaits with “non-smooth” blades. During my local tournament days, one of my go-to tools at Buggs Island (AKA, Kerr Reservoir) from March through May was Hawg Caller’s Proven Winner #32, which featured two hammered willow blades, a chartreuse/white skirt and a very thin wire for maximum vibration.

Even if you can’t get ahold of a Jeane Tackle lure by hook or by crook, there are other manufacturers that make similar lures. There seems to be debate about whether they create more flash or less flash than smooth blades, but I think the important thing is that they create a different sort of flash—more like a series of scales or small baitfish rather than a single, uninterrupted shape. They also might create a different sound profile. If you think that the bass on your lake or river might favor that, or have become too accustomed to smooth spinnerbait blades, add some of these into your arsenal.

Nichols, a brand that we became very impressed with on our June 2021 trip to Anglers Inn Lake El Salto, offers them in a wide range of Scaly Patterns in their “Hammered Shattered Glass” Series.

Nichols Hammered Shattered Glass spinnerbaits are proven producers for big bass

Northland, a lineup with a heavy following in the Upper Midwest, offers hammered blades in their Reed Runner spinnerbaits.

The Northland Reed Runner spinnerbait is a lesser-known producer of bass, pike, muskies and walleye

Italy’s Molix has them, too, in various models.

War Eagle has long been one of our best producers, and they’ve recently expanded their offerings with hammered blades, and brought them out beyond just the big box market.

War Eagle spinnerbaits with hammered blades are now widely available and have produced many tournament wins for anglers including Mike McClelland of Arkansas

We’ve never tried it, but NuTech’s unconventional Elite SpinJig Tandem also has them.

The NuTech Elite SpinJig Tandem combines the attributes and features of two different proven fishing lures

Jackall’s JDM DoooN spinnerbaits have blades that aren’t hammered like the others, but they’re nonetheless textured for a similar effect.

Jackall's DoooN is a high-end JDM spinnerbait with premium components and distinctive proprietary blade designs

It’s not just willowleaf blades. Several manufacturers offer Colorado, Indiana or Turtleback blades in hammered versions as well. Omega Tackle has a dedicated nighttime spinnerbait with a black skirt and a big old Colorado blade for extra thump.

Omega's black Night Rider spinnerbait for fishing after dark elicits a heavy thump and vibration for maximum fish-calling power

If your favorite spinnerbait is not available with hammered blades and you think they’d make a difference, there are plenty of replacement blades for sale. Whether you’re headed to a record-producing ranch in Texas, up north for smallmouths, down to Mexico for grandes, or just want to show your local fish a different look, hammered blades are worth adding to your spinnerbait inventory.