Greetings from Eastern NC! Glad to be apart of this great bass community!

I got a wild hair the other day and proceeded to purchase well over 100 spinnerbait forms from a gentleman who was getting rid of some old stock he had. I bought some 3/8th small frame and standard frames along with several other sizes. My plan for the small frames are obviously to make some finesse baits for the coastal tidal rivers I enjoy fishing.

I am obviously new to spinnerbait building...and now have a pile of spinnerbaits to build.

I have done some reading and tube watching however am torn on blades.

I am aware Hildebrandt blades are excellent blades and I plan on grabbing some however, would also like to purchase some more budget friendly blades to play around with.

Please share your favorite blades (willow and colorado) and where you typically purchase them from if you don't mind!

Feel free to provide any other tips as I proceed to climb down another rabbit hole!

Thanks in advance!

https://barlowstackle.com/lure-making/spinner-blades-and-buzz-blades/?page=2

I buy from these guys.

Depends on the water clarity and temperature. For winter and clear water, I´ll always use double willows. For night fishing, I would throw a big single Colorado blade. For murky water, a Willow-Colorado for slightly stained water, and a double Colorado for muddy water. I dont build spinnerbaits, but if I did, I´d mainly buy willow blades cause of where I'm fishing.

I've bought spinner blades from Lure Parts Online, Barlow's Tackle, and Jann's Netcraft. You should check out the blades listed online for each. Lure Parts Online has Premium finish and Regal finish. Regal finish being more expensive (gold, copper, silver).

I could write two novels just on blades. Try some Indiana or wide willows. Reason I say this is they work great for pressured waters. Everyone in their brother is throwing a chartreuse/white bait with a Colorado and willow blades.

Allen

5 hours ago, Munkin said:

I could write two novels just on blades. Try some Indiana or wide willows. Reason I say this is they work great for pressured waters. Everyone in their brother is throwing a chartreuse/white bait with a Colorado and willow blades.

Allen

I agree with this!

I should have been more clear as to what I was asking in my original post. Which blade manufacture or tackle company (Barlow's, lure parts, custom, etc.) do you guys who build baits recommend using to a new recreational bait builder?

I want quality but also need several dozen of each blade and prefer to keep the price somewhat reasonable if possible.

Things to consider:

What's impossible to find out from 1 retailer/manufacturer to another is the blade's thickness which affects weight which affects how fast it spins which affects thump.

When I was building spinnerbaits blade sizing was a little different from 1 manufacturer to the next. I'm not not sure if that has changed or not since I was making them but it can factor in your builds.

I know 1 retailer has brass blades that were at a very different price point than gold blades. I didn't mind using them, brass tarnished and sometime less flash was a good thing. But if you want them shiny, then they pose a maintenance issue. So when buying make sure you pay attention to raw material vs plated.

Different base materials on plated blades can make the blade heavier or lighter despite being the same thickness. Again, when I was building this info may or may not be known.

How did I work around the above:

I bought from 1 retailer to ensure consistency to all my spinnerbait builds.

I use Stanley Wedge for my willow leaf blades, and Hildebrandt for Colorado blades. I have tried many less expensive blades from Barlow's, Lure Parts Online and Janecrafts and others. I always seem to gravitate back to the Hildebrandt and Stanley. I'm not sure if you can get the Stanley any more, but Hildebrandt are readily available. You might want to try many different brands. They are easy to change, and can be recycled after your spinnerbait is beyond repair. I have caught bass on every make and type of blade I have bought, and my preference for the more expensive blades is more due to the Bait Monkey than the bass.

I have not found a good painted blade that I like. The painted blades I have tried all chip quickly and I am forced to repaint them myself. Here is a final suggestion. If you ever fish for Mexico bass, have some painted blades on your spinnerbaits.

8 hours ago, Swampworm91 said:

I agree with this!

I should have been more clear as to what I was asking in my original post. Which blade manufacture or tackle company (Barlow's, lure parts, custom, etc.) do you guys who build baits recommend using to a new recreational bait builder?

I want quality but also need several dozen of each blade and prefer to keep the price somewhat reasonable if possible.

So the blades Barlows, JannsNetcraft, etc. are made by 3 companies. Worth, Lakeland, and Hagensfish make 90% of the blades you see for sale. Finishes that looks better would be listed as Premium or Regal. Hildebrandt are very expensive and the sizes don't match anyone else's. For example a size 4 willow between the 3 main manufacturers is close but a Hildebrandt 4 willow is like 2 sizes larger. Lakeland overall has the most different types of finish colors.

Yep, got a video about that too!