If it’s November, it’s time to throw a big spinnerbait with two big blades or a single, big blade, according to pro Greg Hackney of Gonzales, host of Louisiana Sportsman TV.
“You know, honestly, my favorite bait in November is a spinnerbait. By far, that’s our best choice in November,” he said.
Hackney said there are a few good reasons he prefers a spinnerbait on the business end of his 6-foot-10 Lew’s Hack Attack spinnerbait/buzzbait rod between late October and early December.
For starters, Hackney said, November is Louisiana’s fall season.
“The other thing we have is, our fish are in prespawn. A lot of fish, especially in the marsh, spawn (as early as) January,” he said.
Plus, Hackney, a 15-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier, said a Hack Attack spinnerbait with a big profile generally catches larger bass.
“One of my biggest bags was caught out of Henderson Lake, mostly on a spinnerbait, some on a jig, but mostly on the spinnerbait. Again, I was just looking for quality bites. They eat big stuff in November,” he said.
When to use each model
Now’s the time for a ½-ounce spinnerbait, either double- or single-bladed. If you want to go deeper in the water column, use a model with two big Colorado blades (Nos. 4 and 5), higher in the water column, two willow-leaf blades (Nos. 4 and 5). If you want a single, big willow-leaf or Colorado blade (Nos. 3 and 5). If it’s overcast, throw gold blades; if it’s sunny, use nickel.
“You can keep a bait up high in the water column and don’t have to reel fast,” Hackney said of the double willow-leaf models.
Hackney prefers “mouse-colored” skirts, aka shad-colored, in clear or blackwater and chartreuse/blue/white in water that’s somewhat stained. If it’s really muddy, he said, he’ll go to lime/chartreuse or chartreuse. He’ll sometimes add a soft-plastic trailer.
“I’ll tell you this, I’ll use a trailer if I need to slow-roll the bait. Otherwise, no,” he said, choosing a curlytail for slow-rolling and a split-tail in other situations.
Hackney’s ties his spinnerbaits it to either 20-pound Gamma Edge fluorocarbon or 20-pound test Gamma co-polymer monofilament, the former if he’s fishing grass beds, not targeting anything specific and making l-o-n-g casts.
“But if I’m up close,, what I call ‘plinking’ (targeting nearby wood structure and cypress trees), I use the monofilament,” said Hackney, who uses a Lew’s BB1 Pro Speed Spool (6.4:1 ratio) reel because it has a wide spool.
