How To Make Your Own Spinnerbait To Catch Redfish [VIDEO]
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Inshore Fishing

Have you ever used a spinnerbait to catch a redfish?
How about ever tried to make your own spinnerbait?
Well, in this new video and accompanying blog, I’ll show you how I make some great spinnerbaits for catching redfish.
Why Spinnerbaits?
Spinnerbaits are a very popular lure for catching largemouth bass, and a redfish will crush a spinnerbait just as quickly as a bass would.
I have even caught both on the same day in the same location (see below for proof).


I have always been told that a gold spoon, such as the Johnson Silver Minnow, is one of the top lures for catching Redfish.
They are drawn to the flash and vibration that the lure puts off simulating a baitfish in distress, or as a redfish likes to call it, an easy meal.
Believe it or not, I have never caught a redfish on a gold spoon (most likely due to my lack of confidence in it).
The spinner bait that I have great success on, I guess you could consider it to be a gold spoon on steroids.

I first began using the spinner bait to target redfish after watching a video of a guy in Texas crushing redfish on it in really muddy water.
When the inshore waters on the East Coast of Florida (where I mainly fish) were becoming very dark colored due to a brown algae bloom, I decided to give it a shot.
The visibility in the water was very limited, but I knew the areas well enough to know that there was grass on the bottom.
Also, keep in mind, water visibility will also change with tides, the wind, and after a large amount of rainfall runoff.
These two factors – dark shallow water (1-3 feet) and structure – are the 2 key ingredients for this lure to be productive, and here are a few reasons why:
- The spinner bait produces a lot of flash and vibration (more than a gold spoon) that can draw the attention of a redfish that may be hiding in the shallow grass, under a dock, tight to an oyster bar, or up in the mangroves. This leads to number 2…….
- Fish will hold very tight to cover/structure in darker water as they are also trying to hide from becoming the meal of a predator. Predator fish are in full “ambush mode” in darker water as it is easier for them to catch their prey off guard.
- Gold needs less light to produce a flash than silver does, so this is a benefit when using a gold spinner in dark or cloudy water that has less light penetration.
There are a few companies out there that sell these spinnerbaits as a complete lure, such as Strike King’s “Redfish Magic,” but I actually purchased the components of the lure separate and created my own.
But the real fun comes in making your own spinnerbait…
Here is a list of the items that I specifically use to make my own spinnerbait:
- H&H Lure Company Redfish Spinners – No. 5 Colorado Blade
- H20 Express Coastal Jig Heads – ¼ ounce Flats Minnow
- Saltwater Assassin Sea Shad 4 inch Paddle Tail – Mama’s 14k
I prefer to buy the pieces separate because you will actually save money this way.
It can cost you $4 to $5 per lure if you buy them already rigged.
They also do not come with spare soft plastics. If your purchase the above items, you can have 3 complete spinner baits, plus extra soft plastics for around $10. I purchase these items at Academy Sports & Outdoors.
Note: I purchase these items at Academy Sports & Outdoors.
*If you do not have a store near you, you can also purchase at their website by Clicking Here
Lastly, I would like to cover some pros and cons of this lure:
Pros Of Homemade Spinnerbaits:
- Easy to use. All you have to do is reel it in.
- Easy to cast. Has enough weight to cast very far and cover more water.
- Due to the amount of water you can cover using this lure, it can be used as a great “search bait”. If you start getting hits you can switch to other lures and work a specific area.
- Also, it works for trout and snook.
Cons Of Homemade Spinnerbaits:
- The blade will tend to rust out after a trip or two.
- Will catch on floating/loose grass
- Due to its weight, your braid to leader knot will weaken if you cast your knot through the eyes of your guides too often – don’t do this! I’ve lost plenty of these this way.
- Not as effective in clear water. Too much going on with the lure that the fish can see.
As a final tip for using this lure, sometimes a bite may only feel like a small tap, and other times they will absolutely destroy it and cause your line to go slack.
In either case, give a good tug and set the hook at any difference you may feel when retrieving the spinnerbait.
If it is grass that may have caught the lure, this will help knock it off of the lure, and if it is a fish…..fish on!
In the following video, I will be covering this Gold Spinnerbait that I personally use.
I will also discuss the equipment I use and rigging the lure (rod, reel, line, leader, knots, etc.)
How To Make (And Use) Spinnerbaits For Redfish [VIDEO]
Conclusion
It’s a fact: spinnerbaits with gold spinning blades catch redfish.
The big question is do you want to buy them in stores at full price or make them on your own?
Personally, there is something rewarding about catching a nice redfish on something I put together.
So what did you think?
Any other tips on making your own spinnerbait for redfish?
Let us know in the comments.
Related Post: 3 Shortcuts For Catching Redfish Like A Pro (see it here now)
P.S. – If you think your angler friends or fishing networks would like to see this, please Tag them or Share this with them. You Rock! Pa-POW!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Yes Tony i have neen using safety pin style spinnerbaits a ling time and i do it myself to i use slayer paddletails in hodinni and chix on a chain i also use the strike king jigheads in the one forth ounce size as well usually red and i tip it with a small piece of fishbites in the shrimp scent and i also use procure in the inshore scent for reds and flounder pounder for flounder spinnerbaits in fact except topwaters are my go to bait for reds and flounder thanks great article????
Does that same knot work in using mono as a lease?
Yep the same knot will work if using mono leader
Do other lures work or is it just that one?
I’m sure many others like it work just as well. I am just used to using this one and confident in it
Great video Tony. The first redfish I ever caught was on this same rig in Louisiana last year. Its definitely an effective tool when you are looking for attention. Tight lines
Good stuff, Tony……..I don’t use spinner baits too often here in the Crystal River area because of our clearer water and lots of weeds. When I do, I like the gold Lindy jig spinners and a lighter jig.
For those like me who don’t have an Academy Sports within convenient driving distance, shipping charges make the DIY option less attractive than purchasing the ready made version for $3.57 a pop at WallyWorld. In my case, shipping for an order of 3 spinners, 5 jig heads, and 10 shad tails from AS(as per the posting) totaled $9.47. Shipping was $7.57. (I didn’t place the order.) For those fortunate to have an AS store where you live they were the only place that carried all the items Luke mentioned. For those like me who live in smaller places, the WallyWorld Strike King spinner at $3.57 is a better option. For $7.57 I can buy more shad tails.
You should play around with colors and spinner sizes. Trout, flounder, and stripers like these spinners too!
Generally I’ll use smaller blades and a bit heavier jig if I’m trying to get trout or flounder, as well as using white, chartreuse, or pink Sea Shads as starting points. Chesapeake stripers love a yellow head and white tail or a white head and chartreuse tail.
Spinner baits have been really good for me around oyster bars, too.
Tony, you mentioned that you didn’t have confidence in the gold spoon. Tie on a gold Aquadream spoon. Reel it slowly bouncing it along the bottom around oysters. Slowly. Or troll it when you travel from place to place…. You’ll have confidence in it soon.
Curious as to why the trilene knot as opposed to the orvis ?
Hey Nick,
I have just always used the Trilene Knot without fail on fluorocarbon.
Have been making spinnerbaits for years, usually with tandem blades. The main issue I have is with swivel failure. Finally switched to Sampo swivels. Expensive but cured the problem. What make swivel are you using and what failure rate are you experiencing?
Nice video- Thanks.