"I use the 7-foot St. Croix Legend Tournament Sweeper Spinnerbait rod to get that extra line pull on the hookset and to help me get the skirt straight and blades turning as soon as the lure hits bottom. With a long rod, you don't have to move the tip nearly as much to make the bait do what you want it to do."

Since fishing heavy spinnerbaits is typically what many would consider a slow-rolling presentation, some anglers opt for low gear-ratio reels that take up less line per handle turn. While the argument is that low-speed reels aren't as fatiguing to fish, Niggemeyer takes the opposite approach.

"I typically use the same 6.3:1 Pflueger reels for everything I fish," he said. "I kind of just like to adjust how fast I turn the handle as opposed to having to adjust to the feel of a different reel. I would say to try both. If using the slower reel works for you, go with it. If not, just turn the handle slower, and you'll get the same result."

Having created the Ledgebuster, Tibbs has learned through trial and error that super-sized spinnerbaits work best when fished with super-sized tackle. Light rods, light line, and lightweight reels just can't stand up to the pressures these lures can put on fishing gear.

While Tibbs recommends the same kind of rod-and-reel setup as Niggemeyer, he mentioned that using the longer rods and low-speed reels wouldn't help a bit if anglers spool their reels with light line. In fact, Tibbs says using the proper line will do more to maximize heavy spinnerbaits than just about anything else.

"We recommend using 17- to 20-pound-test monofilament for most applications," Tibbs explained. "If you throw anything lighter than that, the weight of the lure will actually cause the line to seize up on itself on the reel, which will eventually cause that line to break. The main problem with mono, though, is that it tends to want to pull the bait up off the bottom more than braid or fluorocarbon line."

When faced with off-colored water, Tibbs doesn't hesitate to fish his Ledgebuster on braided line. However, using braid can be tricky if the spool starts spinning faster than the speed at which the lure is flying through the air. And anybody that has tried to pick a backlash out of braided line knows what an exercise in frustration it can be. The happy medium between braid and mono might just be fluorocarbon.

"If the key to fishing big spinnerbaits is to keep them in the deep strike zone as long as possible," Niggemeyer began, "then using a line that helps it stay down is critical to the presentation.

"A line like 16-pound-test Sunline Shooter fluorocarbon, which is a denser line than monofilament, works perfectly with big spinnerbaits. Whereas mono wants to pull the lure off the bottom, fluorocarbon's tendency to sink makes it easier to keep the bait down where it should be."

HEAVY-HITTING TECHNIQUES
Spinnerbaits are often seen as the ultimate beginner lure because any angler can cast one out, reel it back in and catch bass. However, the same can't be said for heavy spinnerbaits. Chunking and winding may produce a fish or two, but learning the finer points of fishing heavy spinnerbaits in deep water is critical to getting the most out of these super-sized lures.

"After making a long cast, I let my Bottom Dweller sink all the way to the bottom," said Niggemeyer. "Once I know it's down, I engage my reel and pop my rod a little bit to put enough water pressure on the lure to start the blades turning and to make sure the skirt is flowing properly."

After making sure everything is in order, Niggemeyer then just slowly cranks on the reel to keep the lure moving across the bottom. To combat the spinnerbait's natural tendency to rise, he kills his retrieve every now and then to make sure his lure goes back to the bottom.