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Posts: 360
Location: Tinley Park. Fish Cen IL. Bass & Vilas Cty.Muskie | I can't understand why so many muskie spinnerbait companies use the cheap barrel swivels on their spinnerbaits. I have always used Ball bearing swivels on my bass and Muskie lures.Is there any reason to use a barrel swivel on a spinnerbait? Is it all about price or is there a action the barrel swivel gives to the bait that attract Muskies? What's your opinion on this subject? Thanks, Roy |
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| Why increase the cost of the bait by using a ball bearing swivel for an application where a barrel swivel suits the needs just fine? |
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Posts: 3240
Location: Racine, Wi | It's all ball bearings now. 
Thanks Fletch!!! |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Here is one I am pretty knowledgeable on. It has to do with the blade spinning. If you want a nice tight spinning blade with very little if any thump to it Ball bearing is the way to go. If you want a blade that doesn't have a tight spin and has Lots of thump Barrel is the way to go. A friend and I went out and did some experimenting with spinnerbaits he makes. Barrel swivels baits outfished ball bearing baits like ten to one. Perhaps there are applications where you want the tighter spin(I haven't found one yet..) then go with the ball bearing. I know of bait shops that won't stock my friends baits because of the barrel, telling him hey will if he goes to ball bearing. He won't compromise the action of his baits, insisting that you will(at least with his bait) not catch the numbers of fish you can with the barrel. They will still catch fish but after fishing with him when he did the comparison I really do think the barrel makes the difference. The blade just spins a little more erratically giving off more flash and vibration. Anytime I buy new spinnerbaits by other manufactures the first thing I do is remove the ball bearing swivel. I went out bass fishing with those terminator titanium spinnerbaits, they come with ball bearing swivels. Three weekends it was the only spinnerbait I used. No fish. I took it home, put on a barrel swivel, next time out I caught a fish. |
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Posts: 4
| I beg to differ Kevin.
I'm a spinnerbait manufacturer (small scale basement builder). I also have done EXTENSIVE testing with many different types of swivels (barrel and bearing). I use the Sampo ball bearing swivels exclusively and have found no other swivel, even comes close to the amount of vibration allowed with the Sampo swivel. Reducing the amount of resistance to spinning allows the blade to arc wider, spin faster and pound harder. Think of an inline bucktail moving slowly when you speed the bait up the blade speeds up, swings out in a wider spin angle to the shaft, rides higher in the water and also creates more turbulance on the hair. I make a single spin with a thin #7 colorado blade that will loosen your dental work - put a barrel swivel on the bait and it kills the vibration. As far as barrel swivels outfishing ball bearing swivels 10 to 1 - nevermind, I wont go down that road; all I will say is that I have a stack of pictures and individuals testimonials that says otherwise. I wouldn't drive down the road with my foot on the break and I won't let my lures do it either.
Sorry if this sounds like a sales pitch - I don't mean it that way, just trying to give my viewpoint.
Chris Jensen
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Posts: 2059
Location: Belgium | I also make my own spinnerbaits now and I must say the crane swivels have more drag and therefore they make more noise in the water. If you want a spinnerbait that you can zip across the flats, get BB swivels because they spin like it's nothing. |
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Posts: 1936
Location: Eau Claire, WI | All I have to say is CJ's spinner baits rock...big time. Guess I trust his judgement and will continue to buy them. Between his "hair" baits and Rad Dogs "rubber" it's kinda hard to agrue with the success I've had with their baits.
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Chris, 10-1 wasn't a joke. Do you use heavy or light wire? That makes a difference in vibration. Yes, heavy wire will last longer by not getting as tore up as light wire may. My friends are light wire. There is NO WAY you can get more vibration or what I call thump on HIS bait with a ball bearing swivel. No way. You may catch more with yours, maybe if I used yours I'd catch more using the ball bearing then the barrel. My friends Musky Mugger comes with a 4.5 colorado and I forget what size willow, a large one, I'll include a pic of the blades. I did in my first post emphasize "His bait". Not all baits are the same. If I built a Musky spinnerbait, it would be light wire like my friends with a barrel. Do you have a website where I could see you baits? If not how about a picture here? Thanks. http://www.ebait.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=h...
Edited by kevin 1/14/2004 1:01 PM
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 boettcher blades.jpg (38KB - 168 downloads)
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Posts: 366
| One thing I thing I would say is your both right. Depending on the balance and drag of the spinnerbait in question either swivel could be the right combination. As far as driving down the road with your foot on the brake, well my experience has been that muskies prefer an erratic natural behavior versus the perfect running man-made rythmic bait. Thankfully this isn't true all the time, otherwise it would be no fun.
Ryan
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | Good topic with strong opinions, these posts are fun.
Just a few tid-bits for thought..
The "R" bend spinnerbaits are supposed to have more vibration with the open eye.
Lighter wire will definatly bend and flex more.
Are the manufacturers using "cheaper" or more "effective" swivels?
I think even a heavy wire, closed(twisted)eye spinnerbait puts out a mighty good flash and thump and will catch fish.
Here is a challenge for somone out there..
Take two identical spinnerbaits and put barrel swivels on one and bearing swivels on the other and measure the sound Under Water as they go by. I would love to see the results. How about while you are at it, record a willow vs colorado vs indiana vs french etc. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | The one I have a link to above is a light wire with the twisted eye. |
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Posts: 4
| Kevin,
I use heavy wire, .051 on the small tandem and .063 on the single and large tandem.
I don't have a web site (I like the dark ages), but I'll try to link the baits from the Thorne Bros website (don't know it's legal or ok with the moderators though).
http://www.thornebros.com/muskie/baits/spinnerbaits/spinnerbaits_cj...
Chris Jensen
PS - Thanks Mark
Edited by Chris 1/14/2004 1:30 PM
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | Thanks Chris. |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | SWorrall, you need to weigh in. If I remember, you said a while back you and a friend did some testing with audio equipment on this very topic. Maybe someone could look up the archived posts regarding this. Good topic for sure. |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Here's the archived topic, "Bucktail blade pitch." http://muskie.outdoorsfirst.com/board/thread-view.asp?threadid=13105 |
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