Catch more fish using a stinger soft plastic combo.

While many anglers are still yet to fully grasp or accept the full potential of spinnerbaits as an effective lure on an ever-increasing variety of fish. Those that have tasted success still debate the pros and cons surrounding the need to add a stinger soft plastic combo to this style of lure. The addition of a stinger is not a new concept but one that has been used by some anglers for near on twenty years. Understanding why and how fish feed is to realize the benefits of running a stinger soft plastic combo on spinnerbaits especially where native fish are concerned.

To the small predatory fish, the overall effect of the flashing blades on a spinnerbait is possibly not viewed as a single identity but instead as a writhing cluster of small baitfish. Amongst the flash and pulsing skirt, there is a lot going on not to mention the vibrations sent forth by the turning blades. It’s a swimming smorgasbord and the wiggling tail of a trailing soft plastic is an opportunity to good to refuse. In nature, its instinctual for the strong to predate upon the weak and those that lag behind are the first to fall. With the addition of a stinger soft plastic combination, this illusion is portrayed and smaller predatory fish like golden perch consistently fall for this instinctual take. At least 70% of golden perch we catch over any given season are pinned on the stinger hook alone, reason enough to run one. When it comes to larger predators like Murray cod, the benefits to running a stinger hook are a lot more obvious.

Unlike smaller predators, Murray cod especially larger fish will view the spinnerbait as a whole or single item of prey, something to be scoffed in a single mouthful. They will rarely nibble at the offering; instead they will engulf the whole thing in a single implosion of water. In this case, the soft plastic stinger combination is not so much about presenting the weak or slow straggler its about adding bulk and providing the means to carry an extra hook. A large meal is far more likely to create a response from a large fish as in energy spent for that regained. The extra hook itself is simple mathematics you double your chances of coming up solid and when it comes to hooking into a giant cod then I’m all for those odds. At a guess, I would rate at least 30% of our hook- ups on large Murray cod would come on the stinger hook alone.

The majority of the overall catch would be made up of the fish being caught on a combination of both hooks with the rest caught on the front or pre rigged hook alone. It really comes down to one simple question why as an angler would you not want to increase your hook up rate by adding a stinger? It’s a question that in common sense terms escapes me and the answer I suspect hinges more on tempting fate than tempting fish.

The downside to swinging an extra hook is that most anglers are of the opinion that it will increase the chances of becoming snagged. And while there may be some credence to these thoughts, the overall increase in snagging is very small. When you wind a spinnerbait it travels in an upright position whether it has one hook or two does not alter the angle on which it swims. This vertical presentation allows the spinnerbait to ride the timber well so long as you keep up momentum. Increased snags come from pausing the spinnerbait when they come up against a snag this allows them to fall on their side. You should not pause the spinnerbait until you have hoped over the snag it is then you can allow it to freefall a small distance down the other side before you recommence the wind. This technique is deadly on cod and a shore fire winner when practiced correctly. There is however, a notable increase in snagging when you look for depth with your first cast, this is especially true if you allow it to freefall all the way to the bottom. Once again, this allows the spinnerbait to fall on its side opening up the opportunity to snag. In saying that, this is exactly the way I fish them on the first cast to any snag. Being struck deep on the drop has yielded me many a large cod and those capture well and truly over shadow the inconvenience of a few extra snags.

Spinnerbaits are an excellent lure that have the effect to create plenty of opportunity, having the foresight to rig them with a stinger soft plastic combo provides the means to grasp it when it presents itself.