Inline Spinner

The Easiest Lure To Use Well

An inline spinner works on a straight steady retrieve, which means it catches fish for a complete beginner in a way that most lures do not.

The blade spins as soon as the lure moves, producing flash and vibration continuously with no technique required from the angler.

For introducing somebody to lure fishing, or for covering water quickly, it remains among the most effective and forgiving options available.

Blade Shape And Water Speed

Round blades spin at a wide angle and produce strong vibration at slow speeds, which suits still and slow water.

Narrow willow blades spin closer to the body and produce more flash and less resistance, which suits faster current and faster retrieves.

Matching blade type to the water is a genuine adjustment and one that most anglers never make, defaulting to whatever is in the box.

Line Twist Is The Real Problem

A spinning blade rotates the whole lure, which twists the line progressively with every cast and retrieve until the line coils badly.

A good ball bearing swivel a short distance above the lure absorbs most of that, and cheap swivels do not turn under load and achieve nothing.

Ignoring twist produces a spool of line that tangles at every cast, and it is the commonest reason people stop using spinners.

Weight And Depth Control

Spinners have no diving lip and run at a depth determined by weight, retrieve speed and how long they are allowed to sink.

Counting a lure down before starting the retrieve is the standard method of fishing different depths with the same lure.

A spinner retrieved too fast rises to the surface, which is fine when fish are high and useless when they are deep.

Hooks And Fish Welfare

Trebles on spinners hook fish well and cause more damage than single hooks, particularly on small fish taken deeply.

Replacing trebles with single hooks reduces damage substantially and loses a small number of fish, which for catch and release is a reasonable trade.

Barbless or crushed barbs make unhooking faster and reduce handling time, which is the factor that matters most for a released fish.

Blade finish affects how a spinner works in different light, since a silver blade flashes brightly in sun and a copper or brass one gives a warmer duller signal that suits overcast days and stained water. Painted blades produce colour rather than flash and work in conditions where reflection is unhelpful. Carrying two or three finishes covers considerably more situations than carrying six of the same.

Weighted bodies let a spinner be cast further and fished deeper, and the extra weight also makes the blade slower to start turning on a slow retrieve.

Blade size relative to body determines how much resistance a spinner produces, and a large blade on a light body rises rapidly on the retrieve where a smaller blade holds depth far better.

Dressed hooks with a tail of hair or tinsel add bulk and movement at rest, which helps on a pause and slows the lure slightly on a straight retrieve.

The Verdict

The most forgiving lure to fish effectively, where line twist must be managed and hook choice affects fish welfare.

Line twist accumulates relentlessly, cheap swivels do nothing, and trebles damage small fish.

Use a proper ball bearing swivel. Line twist is why most people give up on spinners.