Yesterday It was windy and cloudy so I committed to fishing a spinnerbait slow pretty much all afternoon, I kept getting solid thumps but I'd set the hook into nothing! So after while I had the idea that they were hitting my blades so I changed to a slightly different blade color and then caught a few, I don't believe they were short striking because I mean these were THUMPS like they choked it!

Now I'm wondering how often bass actually bite the blades and you miss the fish...

Blades are flashing moving attractors to simulate baitfish, why wouldn't bass strike them? You could change to a swim jig (a blade less spinnerbait), a flutter spoon or add a stinger hook and answer your own question.

Tom

Or Chatterbait

 

Yes they will commenly strike the blades. Not much you can do about it.

Try changing blade type or blade color.

Try using a trailer hook.

According to Berkley research from the book 'Knowing Bass' page 188, only about 10% of spinnerbait bites are aimed for the blades, 90% aimed at the skirt.

According to Berkley research from the book 'Knowing Bass' page 188, only about 10% of spinnerbait bites are aimed for the blades, 90% aimed at the skirt.

 

^^ Pretty much this ^^

 

It happens, but not as commonly as you might think. Bass tend to focus their attacks on the center of mass of an object. The head/skirt/trailer and such are usually a much better silhouette than flashing blades. The one exception is limited visibility waters where you might use solid colored blades which show up much more distinctly, and there it is still unknown whether bass interpret the two (blades & body) as separate objects/prey or view them as one large mass.

 

-T9

If they are not "eating it" then something is not consistent with their instinctive preferences at the time.  I think more likely they are just thumping/bumping it as I have foul hooked a few when this was happening.  As stated above, change color, size, blade type, anything.  I think color is the most important.

I once saw some neat underwater footage of a bass hitting a spinnerbait and was shocked to see he ate the ENTIRE thing (and spit it before he got hooked)!

 

I grew up fishing with in-line spinners and spoons.  I don't think I knew what a jig was when I was a kid.  When I saw my first spinnerbait, I immediately thought, "What a dumb lure!  The fish will eat the spinner blades every time... it will never catch one!"  Boy, was I wrong!  :-)

 

Tight lines,

Bob

Adding a trailer like a grub will give the hook part some more body and bulk. 

Bluegill   

most of the strikes that feel like they are hitting the blades i assume are pike.  I watch a lot of pike and musky strike at the blades rather than the skirt as I am retreving

I have caught Northerns with the blades clamped in their mouths with both the main hook and trailer hook securely buried under their chin.

All I know is my father would never fish anything like a spinner bait because there is too big a risk that the fish might only hit the blades.

Holy necro-thread...

 

Not throwing a spinnerbait because you're afraid that the bass will strike the blade and not the jig is like not throwing a Texas/Carolina rig because you're afraid the bass will strike the sinker.

They will if there's an active school and you already have a fish on the main hook.

Another thread resurrected! It is timely, though, as the shad are headed shallow and the bass will herd them against the banks for a buffet!  Due to their ability to come through cover and the fact the look like a small school of shad fleeing spinnerbaits rule this time of the year. 

 

I have caught hundreds of bass on a spinnerbait and have never had an issue with fish hitting the blade only. Especially if you have some sort of trailer that the bas focusses on after the blade draws his attention. The only issue I've ever had was making the blades match the hatch, so to speak. Often times bass will short strike or follow and turn off a bait if the blades aren't the right configuration or size. Which is why I only have a handful of colors but a lot of sizes in those colors. Speed of retrieve is even more important. And the bass will educate you on how fast or slow they want it.