Just perused this whole post, didn't realize until a few posts ago that it was started in 2014.  They I reflected on how some things don't change.   I don't use the cheap spinner baits at all - by cheap spinner baits I mean wire that is unnecessarily too heavy.   Ball bearing swivels & dull hooks.   I suppose you could change out the swivels & blades and make the baits marginally better - but I choose to waste the time I've allocated to messing with fishing gear in different manners.   So I just buy better quality spinner baits.

I'm ok with the notion that I might lose it at any cast - dense gnarly cover really isn't a reason to use a cheap spinner bait.  Dense gnarly cover is prime spinner bait territory and a good reason to use a quality spinner bait.  I generally throw spinner baits on 17 or 20 lb line.   I don't throw them on braid very often.

Buy what you can afford 

 

Also I think too much is made of a spinner bait running “true”. All the Pros say let it pause or give it a rod twitch to entice bass to bite. If that’s when they bite isn’t the bait off center for that instance and would it not take a turn or 2 of the reel to right itself?

 

Just my 2 cents

I've stated this before on spinnerbaits, but the cheap northland ones here are pretty useless because we have northern pike.  They will ruin a spinnerbait like that with one strike.  The frame will be bent and then it doesn't run true.

 

My advice for folks in the north with this problem is to use a more durable one.  I prefer the Terminator series myself (the original T-1 titanium frame series) but unfortunately they stopped making them years ago when Rapala bought them out.  I still have several left though and a couple even still in the original packaging.  Pike love these flashy, vibrating, moving lures and if you arm yourself with a 99 center from Walmart you can expect to ruin them quickly.

2 hours ago, E-rude dude said:

Buy what you can afford 

 

Also I think too much is made of a spinner bait running “true”. All the Pros say let it pause or give it a rod twitch to entice bass to bite. If that’s when they bite isn’t the bait off center for that instance and would it not take a turn or 2 of the reel to right itself?

 

Just my 2 cents

I don't notice any increase in bites by making the retrieve erratic. I do notice more bites when I make the bait touch cover. And retrieve speed make a difference. I usually prefer to reel the bait so fast fish have to make a split second decision. But that depends on water temp.

Walmart inline spinners suck. They don't spin well, period. So for inlines I pay more. I don't use spinners enough to comment further.

I only use quality spinnerbaits that are wire tied, have quality skirts, and good components.

Tried the wallyworld ones years ago. The band that holds the shirt desenagrated within a week and the skirt went with it.

I have War Eagle baits that I bought 10 years ago that are still like new, sans some scratches on the blades. They do cost a bit more, but will last Way longer. 

The older War Eagle before the buy out are some of the best ones ever made.

War Eagle spinnerbaits durable? What shape is the Earth?...

I make my own but if I see some blades I like I will purchase that bait just to reuse the hardware . I bought a Booyah Covert series because of the Hildebrandt blades . After about thirty bass and bending the wire back into shape a few times , it was time to retire it . The blades are now on a new bait for thirty more fish . 

While I have no qualms about buying LC for most of my hardbaits, my two favorite spinnerbaits of all time are the BPS Lazereye and the Pepper Customs. They retail for about a $5.50 and $6.50 respectively. 

I don't fret about losing a 1 dollar spinnerbait so I'm more inclined to bump them against stumps, submerged trees, etc.  

https://siebertoutdoors.com/products/ols/products/cosmic-tandem-spinnerbait