For a while, it felt like the spinnerbait had been pushed to the back of the boat. Bladed jigs took over, forward-facing sonar changed how we fish, and a generation of anglers grew up skipping right past one of bass fishing’s most proven tools. But the reality is, fish never stopped responding to a spinnerbait, and lately Epic Baits Fishing pro Wesley Strader has been reminding the competition of just that.
Recently, Strader leaned on this exact Epic Baits spinnerbait that he designed to finish 2nd at Stage 5 of the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour on Beaver Lake. That kind of performance doesn’t happen by accident. It’s a reminder that while trends come and go, effectiveness doesn’t.
Before chatterbaits and other modern moving baits came along, the spinnerbait was the go-to for shallow cover. Docks, laydowns, grass lines, you could put it anywhere and bring it back clean. That’s still one of its biggest advantages. Where other moving baits hang or lose efficiency, a spinnerbait can be worked through cover with control, even intentionally making contact with limbs or structure to trigger reaction strikes. That deflection, causing the skirt to flare and the blades to kick, is something that consistently gets bites and is difficult to replicate with other lures.
Another overlooked advantage is how a spinnerbait represents baitfish. Instead of mimicking a single target, it gives off the profile and flash of a small group of shad, especially around docks or during spawning activity. That added presence can be the difference in getting noticed and getting bit, particularly when fish are keyed in on bait.
One of the reasons spinnerbaits have lost some ground over the years is due to durability. Traditional R-bend designs have a known weak point. After enough fish, or even just repeated casting, the wire can bend, weaken, and eventually fail, often at the worst possible time. Epic Baits addressed that issue by designing a continuous loop wire system, eliminating that failure point entirely. By creating a full 360-degree bend at the line tie, the bait maintains its integrity without sacrificing the vibration that comes from a light wire frame.
From a fishing standpoint, versatility is still what makes a spinnerbait so valuable. It can be slow-rolled through dirty water with heavy-thumping blades early in the season, transitioned into a more balanced Colorado/Willow setup as temperatures rise, and eventually fished faster with double willow blades in clearer water. It adapts easily to conditions, whether you’re fishing in low visibility or targeting more aggressive fish in cleaner environments.
At its core, the spinnerbait is simple, efficient, and incredibly effective when used in the right situations. It may not always be the trendiest option on the deck, but results like Strader’s prove it still belongs there. In a time where many anglers are chasing the next new technique, the spinnerbait stands as a reminder that sometimes the best tool is one that’s been there all along, just waiting to be picked back up.