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Spinnerbait and Topwater Videos
Back in mid-April of 2008, at tournaments on a flooded Table Rock Lake, bags of fish crossed the scales that shook the Heartland Trails record books to their bindings.
In the days of expensive swimbaits, shakey head worms, drop-shot rigs, special crankbaits and all of the other new techniques so popular in tournament fishing, is was one of the oldest, most basic techniques of bassin’dom that racked up the big weights and big points—the spinnerbait.
The Team Series was won by Team Eutsler—Mike and Corey—with a record-setting five-fish limit weighing 23.33 pounds. Their fish were caught on 1/2-ounce white and chartreuse (painted blades) Chompers “Jerry McCutchen” and 1/2-ounce white with gold blade Picasso spinnerbaits.
On the next day, Rick LaPoint won the Pro Division with a limit scaling a whopping 25.18 pounds. His successful lure, as if you couldn’t guess, was a 3/8-ounce white and chartreuse War Eagle spinnerbait with painted blades. This is the largest one-day Heartland Trails five-fish limit and included the tournament’s third largest Big Bass, a 6.80-pounder.
And Chris Jackson won the Amateur Division with a three-bass limit pushing the needle to 15.71 pounds. That included a 7.66-pound Big Bass oinker. He was “slow rolling a 1/2-ounce cole slaw War Eagle spinnerbait,” reported Matt Eisenbacher.
Most of the top five in each of these divisions were chunking spinnerbaits, which have been catching bass since back in those ancient days when Shannon introduced its bucktail dressed twin spin (two wires and two small blades).
So why and how did all of these excellent anglers zero in on modern versions of the ancient spinnerbait to sack such impressive catches. The answer was hanging quietly, inobtrusively, on the side of an end cap in the Fishing Section of Bass Pro Shops in Springfield. It was a DVD entitled “Kevin VanDam’s Proven Spinnerbait Techniques.
”I don’t think anyone needs a rundown on KVD’s accomplishments or prowess as a professional bass angler. And this 55-minute DVD, a part of Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World Library since it was copyrighted in 2003, covers fishing a spinnerbait from the types of tackle used to the selection of baits and colors to the how-to of presentations in a wide variety of situations.
Of course, the videography by Bass Pro’s team is outstanding and KVD’s catching is impressive. And he shows catching the little guys as well as the big’uns—something a lot of modern DVD makers obviously are reluctant to do. VanDam has broken the DVD down into 11 chapters.
He starts out with a paralleling technique, which obviously many of the Heartland Trails competitors did along the flooded brush lines they fished back in April. He stresses the use of Polaroid sunglasses and of making repeated casts when a strike is missed or a particular piece of cover looks good.
I particularly liked Chapter 3, when KVD got into the specifics of the types of rods and reels he uses for the various spinnerbait techniques he uses. He discusses rod lengths, actions, reel gear ratios, line types and weights.
Chapter 4 discusses fishing docks—both permanent (with pilings) and floating types. This chapter should have especially strong appeal to those who fish Lake of the Ozarks and Grand Lake of the Cherokees. Another of my favorites was Chapter 6 – Spinnerbaits and Plastic Trailer. KVD may have changed my old thinking about this as he discusses water clarity, bait profiles (he delves into profiles more in Chapter 8) and even the use of trailer hooks.
VanDam analyzes the sizes of spinnerbaits, the different types of blades and when to use which, lure weights, skirt colors and offers numerous “Pro Tips” on presentations or techniques. For years, pro anglers, outdoor writers and TV anglers have been touting spinnerbaits in their many forms as one of the more versatile lures in all of bass fishing.
After reading about the Heartland Trails successes on Table Rock Lake and then watching “Kevin VanDam’s Proven Spinnerbait Techniques,” available at Bass Pro Shops for $9.95, I’m convinced.
But you’ve got to know when, where and how—and why—to chunk it to find that versatility and success.
