SWL Big Game Survey Results

Thanks to 285 anglers who offered opinions and ideas for our upcoming Big Game Series. Secret Weapon spinnerbaits and buzzbaits were designed with bass in mind, but they turned out to be very good peacock bass, redfish, snook, muskellunge, and pike lures, too.

In our Big Game Survey, we invited anglers who target those species to advise us on heavy-duty design features, materials, and dimensions. We wrapped up this survey on December 20, and the results are compiled below.

Realizing that a large number of bass anglers wanted to weigh in, too, Secret Weapon has launched a whole new Top Bass Bait Survey that will run through 31 March 2008.

SWL Big Game Survey contest Winner — Because his name was drawn at random from among the 285 entries, the winner of a $60 SWL Online Gift Certificate is Jake Myers. Congratulations, Jake! Please call Secret Weapon to confirm your identity and claim your prize.

Didn’t win? Try again with Secret Weapon’s new Top Bass-Bait Survey... More winners... Bigger prizes... More chances to win.!

Pattern Preference			SWL User			Line Tie Shape
Baby Bass	5.4%		Yes	49.6%		Twisted eye	33%
Bleeding Minnow	6.9%		No	50.4%		Coil loop	19.5%
Blue Avenger	4.0%					R-bend	47.5%
Blue Herring	6.2%		Preferred Weight
Bluegill	6.9%		3/8-oz	21.5%		Preferred Blade Config.
Chartreuse Shiner	4.8%		1/2-oz	34.2%		DC	15.4%
Chartr-White	10.0%		3/4-oz	22.2%		DW	49.3%
Citrus Shad	6.7%		1-oz	15.5%		TI	6.8%
Firetiger Perch	6.9%		1-1/2-oz	5.6%		TW	28.6%
Gold Shad	4.9%		2-oz	1.1%
Green Sunfish	4.6%
Midnight Snack	6.7%					Preferred Wire Gauge
Rock Craw	3.6%		Frame Blade Arm			.031-in	19.4%
Silver Shad	7.1%		Long	20.8%		.040-in	50.2%
Tennessee Shad	6.7%		Medium	67.1%		.045-in	27.6%
White Shiner	8.7%		Short	12.0%		0.051-in	2.8%

Comments and Suggestions from Survey Respondants

1. I prefer single blade spinnerbaits for deep water fishing
2. Thin trailers
3. I would love to see some bucktail spinner bait skirts
4. I would love to see a while with blue back, and a white with black back
5. The band for the skirts should be made of a stronger/tougher rubber so as to last longer. Currently the band is not durable.
6. Being that I opted for a long thin diameter wire mainly for vibration I would suggest a long shank hook to accommodate the longer upper arm. I also would hand tie the skirts using wire for the tie. Yes it makes for a more expensive spinnerbait but there’s an old saying" Build a better mousetrap and the world will follow". I also as well when tying the skirts would use a few extra strands of a color in the skirt that are longer and act as a trailer.
7. Blade Configuration preference: Silver Willow & Gold Colorado
8. Bleeding patterns with just 2-3 strands of red, and have them hang long like tux tails
9. All of the pro’s talk about up and down sizing blades to achieve various points in the water column. Consider supporting this idea with multiple blade sizes in the pack. My survey response is more for Bass than the big game, but would like to have a chance to win? :)
10. Red... rainbow trout... spinnerbait
11. Wire skirt to head as rubber collar don’t last
12. I like to throw a single 3/8 oz. No.7 Indiana blade through shallow water tulles.
13. I would like to see a skirt with a little pink or purple( smoke purple, or citrus shad with a little pink on the head and a few strands in the skirt). I have been looking for a 1/2 oz. with a small wire. I understand they will not take the abuse a large (dia) wire will, but They will catch fish. Maybe I need to try some of your lures, they look good.
14. Double skirt design with about a 1/4" separating the skirts. Smaller blades (number 4’s ).
15. Bubblegum, and firecracker.
16. Being a full time guide here in NC, and fishing a lot of spinnerbaits, I feel more confident in light wire spinnerbaits such as HawgCaller&tm; and Dave’s tournament tackle. I feel that the light wire adds a little vibration to the lure making it more effective. I think you should offer different blade configurations. (I was only allowed to choose one). If you would like to hear a few more ideas, visit my website and give me a call.... Thanks... Jamie Olive... Jamie’s Guide Service... www.haulinbass.com
17. easily replaceable/changeable blades.
18. I would like to see your buzzbait with a similar construction as your spinnerbait. This would take the upper arm out of the equation when the fish strike the blade and the helicopter fall would be much more efficient. Also provide a multitude of blade combinations for different situations.
19. Possibly a second wire just above the head. this configuration may allow vibration and possibly blade chatter if they strike each other.
20. Small red beads on top arm between blades, also would like to see it in one quarter oz.
21. Built-in trailer like tux-and-tails. And on the flip side a very compact version
22. Orange blades: #3 Colorado and Gold #4 Colorado.
23. The key for me is a heavy weight that balances along the shank, that provides a smaller profile and horizontal balance. Also too one size smaller blades than typically used on spinnerbaits, so that the blade will have less lift and will hug closer to the bottom.
24. All black, and all the Colors are great.
25. Compact Hidden Head Design 1 oz bait in a smaller than 1/4 oz. frame size.... Small blades so I can keep it near the bottom (less lift) Ribbed keeper system similar to the Lunker City lead head jig design.... Citrus Shad with lavender added below the chartreuse. (i.e. Strike Kings Sexy Shad color)
26. Black & red, black & blue & purple.
27. I like to mix my Colorado blades with willows or Indiana’s depending on water clarity. the Colorado’s seem to help in controlling the speed and added resistance and noise help in murky water.
28. Watermelon / red, White/dark green.
29. Holographic skirts
30. Triple Willow Leaf blades in one size smaller than normal for slow rolling along bottom or speed reeling on top.
31. Something you may consider is putting more of the weight behind the skirt ring. I would like to see about a 3/8 head size in 3/4 weight, Also move the hook back a little more for less chance of short strikes..
32. Flexible hook type system
33. Extended Hook, so a trailer hook isn’t needed... ABA
34. Lavender shad
35. Red hooks would be nice, also including a trailer hook would be a great feature.
36. Some sort of "vibrating" attachment for keeping the lure slowed down, along with the Colorado blades
37. I think the bait I described would be great for slow rolling and fishing deep bluffs in the current.... yumabassman.com
38. A little bit of marabou on the skirt works very well in our waters, maybe some sort of marabou trailer on the back of the skirt
39. Better swivels, more secure connection of blades..
40. i like longer hooks
41. Black splatterback. Black on top strands, white on bottom with some chartreuse mixed on the bottom.
42. Change the color of the wire to red. The color of the hook should be red as well. I would like to see a rainbow trout and brown trout pattern.
43. Good length on quality hooks. More weight distributed on the shank of the hook instead of the head. S.O.B. makes an excellent spinnerbait w/ this weight distribution, but lacks on quality hardware. A combination of the two would be a fantastic spinnerbait and very marketable. This distributed weight also keeps the spinnerbait from torque problems.
44. I don’t know what kind of blades you have but I have had tremendous success on smallmouth with chartreuse willow blades. They are hard for me to find. I actually like a white front blade and a chartreuse back blade.
45. Brown - brown and gold-flake or silver-flake Both with different style and color blades.
46. Standard trailer hook (red), bigger willow blade silver, smaller willow blade red.
47. Painted blades
48. Ship them with a trailer hook.
49. Quality swivels and name brand, premium hook (which I’m sure you already use)..
50. a rattle and flexible hook!.
51. Don’t use the traditional 4 and 6 blades. Use 2 and 4.5, both being silver. I modify store-bought and this combo works great and coosa river spots..
52. It’s hard to improve on a great product!.
53. Colored blades, red trailer hook, premium hooks, a clip under the hook (near the head) to add some weight in the form of bell sinkers or others..
54. I would like to see the same quick change blade system currently used with the Quick Strike spinnerbaits so you are not limited to a specific blade setup.
55. My personal preferences for fishing spinnerbaits on deep structure are 1/2 ounce to 1 ounce sizes. I also prefer single blade set-ups for fishing deep structure, as I feel they are easier to keep in a deep strike zone. I am excited to see the baits may possibly come in heavier sizes.... I was given a SW spinnerbait to try by an ABA director. I liked the bait a lot, but the draw back on my purchasing was the fact that I would have to add weight to get the size I wanted. In my opinion, adding the Big Game Spinnerbait will have a very positive impact.
56. I’d like to see this lure kept secret from other guys who can’t figure out why I’m always weighing in more fish then them ;o)
57. I would suggest offering painted blades.
58. Blades must be gold and high quality. Not the stuff that corrodes before you get a chance to use it. Also I prefer the skirt tied on and rubber material. I presently make my own because of the problem with skirts slipping. Since I only use white I am not concerned with changing skirts during a tournament.
59. 3-D eyes, Blood spot, single/double red hook, Rattles, All Black color, gold blades, black body w/ Black/yellow skirt.
60. Most of these colors work well. But for those of us that fish the coastal areas and tidal areas of the US would like more options that would resemble, shrimp colors (tan, brown, gold with a hint of a very light pale pink), also something that woud resemble a blue crab, Light gray with a hint of blue and white. Also a heavy spinnerbait in a compact version would be nice when the bite gets tough and a smaller profile is needed but the added weight keeps it steady in the current of the tidal areas.
61. I also use spinner baits trolling for striped bass in the Sacramento River Delta and prefer a med to long arm to off-set the drag caused by grub trailers.
62. Red Shad.
63. Tilapia color skirt, *long drop blades* (VERY RARE!) GREAT BLADE! Rattle attachments?
64. I would like to see them with the max. shine that they could get with the blades. It could be 4 or 5 blades it doesn’t matter.
65. Black Blood Red in Single Colorado short arm for night fishing. Same skirt design as Midnight Snack except Blood red instead of the blue.
66. Pre-rigged trailer hooks would be nice. I’d also like to see the skirts with the magic tails.....kind of like a built in trailer. Basically, I want it to be ready to fish right out of the package.
67. I do good with a darker crawfish brown and white on cloudy cover days.
68. I like to keep the body of the bait compact for fishing it deep. Even though the weight of the bait should exceed one ounce and I typically will use larger blades. This technique can really bring those winter bass out.
69. Dark Green Pumpkin on a silver flecked pearl.
70. The skirt to be a little longer.
71. Painted matching blades on the Chartreuse Shiner and Midnight Snack colors.
72. i would like to see you make a spinnerbait like the old Blakemore spinnerbait red head with white and red skirt, great in Arkansas in fall.
73. Built in trailer hook
74. i would like to see big single Colorado blade spinnerbaits for night fishing 3/4 to 11/2 once i also think the day blades would be better with a single Colorado because of deep depths you would need to slow things down would also like to see more night time colors such as red and black or purple and black etc.
75. Not really, it looks like you have everything covered.
76. Patterns with more red.
77. I think your selection is great now.
78. Chartreuse/blue/orange/and 4 white strands.
79. Blade color. I would use gold blades and also a combo of gold and silver.
80. Long ago when I first made up spinner baits, I didn’t make them "right" and the blades would clack against each other when I paused and re-started the SB. Deadly - fewer fish but much better quality. The blades didn’t hit when just running the SB. I quit making them and than started making a number of years later (as a lot more experienced angler), I can’t remember how to make them do that. I still experiment, but to no avail....... So my 2c worth is to construct them to get that effect. It really works and would be an exclusive among SB makers.... Blade configuration depends on the time of year - rounded blade or round/willow in colder water, double willow in warmer water.... Big blades - #5 or #6 willow... Frank
81. I would like to see some more quad colors. I would also like to see a quad blade with a Tennessee or gold shad skirt.
82. Rattles in blade or on back.
83. Purple Shad; green pumpkin.
84. Good hooks...not ones that have to be sharpened extensively out of the box (such as the old Rat L Trap hooks that took all day to get sharp.).
85. Weight behind the head (under the skirt) as opposed to all the weight in the head.
86. A real innovation would be to use a skirt that would have the same characteristics as a beta light {night light}. I’ve used night lights in soft baits which I’ve made myself and it definitely improves the catch rate. To be able to get lures with these features commercially would be superb and possibly a first?
87. A darker Crawdad pattern.
88. Hidden weight under the skirt.
89. With the above Rock Craw color choice, mix in a few strands of black and chartreuse on the sides of the skirt. The blades should be the same color as the body - one blaze orange, one black, and they should be above average large. The front blade ( blaze orange) should be somewhat smaller than the back blade (black). The lead head should have a short lip coming off the bottom. This feature would make the bait move/short slide side to side/wobble more. The hook should be a strong 5/0. Also build in a tandem hook as a gimmie. "They" can always take it off if they want to.
90. When I use a spinnerbait. I usually add a trailer on the hook. Be it a twin tail or a twister tail.... It would be great to see something in a baby pike or a perch pattern.
91. Clear White with Clear Purple (purple shad) White with Purple... Both so the purple is on the inside full length of the hook and trailer.... Both about the same ratio as the Citrus Shad. Check the skirt length to ensure it covers the trailer hooks.... ABA
92. Solid body skirts that are more durable and come pre-cut in a wedge shape to more closely resemble baitfish. I always trim my spinnerbait skirts to come to a point at the end when viewed from the "swimming" angle.... yumabassman.com
93. On the bleeding minnow I would like to see the red skirt about an inch longer than the white.
94. red tip hooks with red spots on the weighted part.
95. YELLOW Skirt with glitter in the skirt or tinsel silver or gold. both work well for me. This is my go to color for Bass on Ultra clear water.
96. More of a teardrop shaped head.
97. Some way to include a rattle between the spinner blades. As the blades turn they will cause the rattle to create more noise..
98. More reflections, a built-in trailer, and something that will make the fish want them.
99. Extra large eyes.
100. Black/Gray/White skirt with a white head. When making my own skirts for swim jigs, etc, I do really well with black back, grey mixed in and a bulk of the skirt White.... Also, a Single Willow configuration, especially for deep water would be ideal! But I do know with Secret Weapon I can remove the front Willow Blade very easily :-)
101. Fishing deep, mostly at night requires a heavy wire, large single Colorado blade. I prefer a heavy bait, up to 1.5 oz. This type of bait works very well on large bass here on my home lake Clear Lake, CA.... Your baits look very interesting, I currently throw a 1.5oz Ledgebuster...but I was instructed to replace their Colorado blade with something that thumped better. I’ll be giving your 13/16 bait a try real soon.... found the survey while researching Colorado blade replacements... #8 single Colorado. Trailer hook. More dark patterns for low light conditions... Intriguing. I never thought about snook fishing with a spinnerbait........ I night fish here on Clear Lake, CA, currently use a 1-1.5 oz blade, depending on water depth.
102. A double collar/hook on the body, so that a soft plastic such as a twister tail could be added under the skirt.
103. Pre-rigged trailer hook would be nice.
104. I did a lot of northern pike fishing in the U.P. of Michigan. The main lure I used was a spinnerbait. One bait that always out produced the others was a ½ oz. spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade, bronze in color, with a chartreuse, blue, and white skirt. I would attach a yellow twin tail trailer. I feel the bronze blade was the key to this baits success.
105. I’d love to see a head designed with a keel on the bottom to keep the bait running true at all speeds and depths.... Secret Weapon Lures
106. I think this is a very good idea. I already use the largest blades in the kit and wrap weight around the hear to keep them deeper. A heavier bait is needed..
107. Solid red skirt w/ strands of silver and white.
108. Tinsel in the skirt... red beads to separate blades... red trailer hook... one painted and one shiny blade
109. Bucktail Pattern.
110. Free-swinging Stinger Hooke
111. Silver Shad with a few strands of Purple mixed in.
112. Recommend we add some gold flashabou/tinsel strands to our Gold Shad skirts.
113. a solid green skirt and a solid blue skirt.
114. #4 and #7 willow blades.
115. Will you use the same hooks you have know or a different one? And what size?
116. Emplacement of rattles on the hook shaft, I have tried this but cannot seem to find away to attachment permanently.
117. Bright Chartreuse with Chartreuse blades.
118. In a night time, I would go with a single no.6 Colorado with a short arm heavy wire in the Midnight snack, would also like the same in purple/black, red/black and other dark hues.
119. I have used coil loop line tie on small spinnerbait. It seems durable and wire did not bend much. It will be interesting to see the coil loop design on bigger spinnerbait. I never see it on bigger spinnerbait.... Do you ever consider using holographic blade? I bought some holographic sticky paper. I cut it to the blade shape and stick on the blade. It is pretty cool and I caught fish too.... I also like the hidden weight design.... Unfortunately, I have not tried any of your product. I got 2 dozen brand new spinnerbaits in the box waiting to be fished.
120. No not yet have not used the lure but now that I have seen them and read about them I can not wait to try them out!.
121. Ti a[titanium]wire
122. I would like to see some with a lot of shine in the water like the 4 blade spinners.
123. For a big game spinner bait I would like to see a in-line model, not just a safety pin style
124. Chartreuse with blue or green back.
125. I’d like to see an option for a single large hammered copper Colorado blade.
126. Maybe a double arm. One long arm on top, one short arm on bottom with head and skirt in the middle. Double up the flash and vibration.
127. With T-bars also
128. I make my own with a white body/ black back using your frame. This color is available in other applications crank baits, pointers etc. but rare to find in a spinner bait; this is a all around great color for clear/ stained water, and dusk fishing.... ABA
129. I am looking for deep running spinnerbait to fish the ledges on Kentucky/Barkley. I love your spinnerbait because of the ability to change up the combination of blades and skits. The deeper and slower I can run a spinnerbait-the better
130. In making a big spinnerbait I think it needs a longer hook shank. I use big grub type trailers while fishing for musky and one of the problems I have seen in the past is a small gap and short shank. Also most big game spinnerbaits are made from some sort of hair. Painted blades in bright colors are also used often.
131. You offer a couple different blade configurations. from what i have learned the most flash works best.
132. I use large spinnerbaits in 2 situations. One is fishing 30 to 40 ft. deep on Smith Lake for big spots with a 1.5 to 2 oz bait with a 5 Colorado blade. The other is in deep grass at Guntersville with a 7 willow on the back and a 3 or 4 Colorado in front. A big spot will tear an R-bend bait to pieces. The line slides up the top wire to the loop. I’m sure the same would happen with the other species you aim to target with this bait. Never liked a clothes-pin bend (coil loop)either. Line wraps around it to easily. Need a long arm to make it as weedless as possible in heavy cover or weeds. You’ve got great daytime colors. Night colors need some variety.
133. Trailer hook.
134. More blades. For example three or 4 blades so it looks like a group of fish.
135. trout (rainbow/speck/brown) sucker blue/green mackerel.
136. Lip to produce side to side action.
137. A (X-Point!) big game spinnerbait hook.
138. Some kind of wiggle tail and maybe a trailer hook