One of the positive attributes of a bait that gets down to where big bass live during the summer is that it will also force some of those big bass to bite. That's why Niggemeyer keeps the new Strike King Bottom Dweller spinnerbait rigged and ready to go. Rather than something that he throws to get a limit of fish, these super-sized spinnerbaits are what he throws to catch big bass.

Heavy spinnerbaits can extend casting range and maintain deeper water depths than other more commonly used lures. Photo by Chris Ginn.

"I don't think I would rest a whole limit on a big spinnerbait," he said. "But when you're in a situation where you've caught all you think you're going to catch on a spot with a crankbait or Carolina rig . . . pick up a big spinnerbait and get another bite or two. I think of big spinnerbaits as 'add-to' lures. I use them to either add an extra fish I might not have caught, or I use them to add pounds to my overall weight during a tournament."

WHERE TO GO BIG
While there may be some isolated situations that call for big spinnerbaits in shallow water, these super-sized lures most often come to mind when bass gang up on deep structure and cover combinations like stumps along a creek channel or the outside edge of a grass line beside a river bend. Any area that congregates groups of bass in deep water is where anglers should fish big spinners.

"One of the places where I would definitely (use) the Strike King Bottom Dweller is where I come across the deep edge of outside grass lines or riprap," said Niggemeyer. "When the shad start spawning around the grass and rocks, this big-fish technique can actually put numbers of fish in the boat."

Niggemeyer also likes fishing big spinnerbaits around deep brushpiles, and he recalled how 1995 Bassmaster Classic champion Mark Davis won by making long casts with a heavy spinnerbait and letting it sink all the way to the bottom before slow-rolling it back through deep brushpiles.

Although Tibbs fishes his Ledgebuster in many of the same places as Niggemeyer, he also passed along the fact that his spinnerbait was designed to effectively fish Lake Eufaula in Alabama, a lake that is known for its deep-water channel ledges.

"There are a lot of variables when it comes to pinpointing bass on a ledge," Tibbs said. "Cold, muddy, clear . . . all of it plays a part in positioning bass on channel ledges, but one of our best deals here at Eufaula is fishing these spinnerbaits around the standing timber on the ledges."

Tibbs says that Eufaula anglers also fish heavy spinnerbaits around the migration routes that bass use to move from deep to shallow and back during the pre- and post-spawn. These migration routes on Eufaula are essentially small ditches that run from the main-river channel to the shallow flats.

As bass move up and down these ditches, they typically stop and congregate around irregular features, such as channel bends, intersections with other ditches, points and wood or grass cover.

SUPER-SIZED TACKLE
Chunking and winding spinnerbaits up to 2 1/2 ounces doesn't really require specialized rods, reels and line, but anglers can't just go out and throw them on anything they want and expect everything to go right. Like most bass-fishing techniques, using gear that is properly balanced for the presentation will result in a much more efficient presentation and more landed bass.

"The first thing you've got to consider is your rod," said Niggemeyer. "A long 7-foot rod works best for me because it allows me to move more line when I set the hook . . . even if the lure is way out there.