Fishing with the Rooster tail spinner!

In this article I will thoroughly cover fishing with the Rooster Tail spinner. This is an extremely effective freshwater fishing lure that will catch a variety of species. Trout, bluegill, sunfish, crappie, bass, perch, and even pike will take them. The Warden’s Original Rooster tail spinner is an inline spinner. Some anglers call all spinners, “rooster tails”. However, all spinners are not alike.

There are a lot of good spinners on the market. Mepp’s, Panther Martin, and Blue Fox are just a few. The characteristic that set’s the Rooster tail apart is the light weight. This spinner thrives in shallow water in both lakes and rivers. The heavier spinners hang up more often. The Rooster tail also spins with the slightest movement. Again, the light weight plays a factor.

As a fishing guide in both North Carolina and Florida, (summers in NC, winters in Fl), I gravitate towards lures that are angler friendly. The Rooster tail is certainly that! It is very easy to use, even for novice anglers. Strikes are easy to detect, in most cases the fish hooks itself. Finally, they catch everything. What more could an angler ask for?

Fishing with the Rooster tail spinner

The beauty of the Rooster tail is it’s simplicity and ease of use. 95% of the time the best retrieve is slow and steady. I like to reel just fast enough to get the blades turning. Often times the fish hits on the first few cranks of the reel. The strike usually entails the lure just stopping, with a weight felt. The angler then gives a quick hook set and it is “fish on”!

Best rod and reel for fishing the Rooster tail

Light or ultra light spinning tackle is the best choice for fishing a Rooster tail. I normally use the 1/16 or 1/8 sizes, so a 6′ ultra light rod with a 75 series reel spooled up with 4 lb monofilament line is my top choice. I would bump it up to a light rod, 6’6″ or 7′ with a 1000 series reel and 8 lb line for bass.

Read this article for more on the best fishing rod and reel

Rooster tail colors and sizes

Rooster Tail spinners are available in several sizes and a wide array of colors. The sizes are 1/24, 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 3/8, and 1 ounce. Color combinations are endless. I tend to use the same handful of colors as I have confidence in them. Rainbow trout with a gold blade, black with a gold blade, and white with a silver blade are my favorite colors, but they all produce.

As far as sizes go, I almost always use 1/16 for trout in small streams and panfish. I go up to 1/8 for larger streams and when targeting larger panfish. The 1/4 ounce is good for bass and the 1 ounce works for pike and for trolling. Most come with a treble hook but they offer quite a few with a single hook. This comes in handy when fishing waters where a single hook is required. The singe hook does facilitate an easier live release.

Fishing techniques

As mentioned earlier, the Rooster tail is a very easy lure to use. If it had one downfall it is that is is really not snag free, it will hang up. Therefore, working edges of cover and open water works best. If there is one negative aspect of the Rooster tail is that it can twist the line up. Therefore, a tiny snap swivel or a tiny swivel and a 2′ leader between the swivel and lure will greatly reduce line twist.

Fishing with the Rooster tail in rivers

The Rooster tail excels in rivers, streams, and creeks. It can get down in the holes and is surprisingly snag free in the shallow riffles. The best approach is to cast across the current then fishing the lure back with a tight line. If the current is decent, the blade will spin solely on a tight line. Bites often occur at the end of the drift as the line swings.

 

Any type of cover can hold fish. Deeper runs and holes are prime spots. Any fallen trees or brush should be worked thoroughly. Rock ledges as well as boulders in open water can hold fish. One great aspect of the Rooster tail is that it allows anglers to cover a lot of water.

This lure really shines in small streams for trout and warm water species. The light weight results in a subtle presentation. It also can run in very shallow water. It is the perfect lure for prospecting smaller creeks. It is deadly on panfish of all species, trout, and bass.

Fishing the Rooster tail in lakes and ponds

Rooster tail spinners produce for anglers fishing in lakes and ponds well. The first fish I ever caught on this lure was a bluegill in a small pond. They continue to produce to this day. They can be used by shore bound anglers as well as those fishing from a boat.

Panfish and bass will be caught along shoreline cover by anglers casting a Rooster tail. It is best to target shallow water, this lure really is not made for fishing deeper water, it is just too light unless you switch to the larger sizes. Fallen trees, brush, weed lines, docks, rip rap, and pads are all prime spots. As with creek fishing, a slow steady retrieve produces best.

Anglers can troll the Rooster tail spinner, particularly trout. Trout are often found high in the water column, even in deep, open water. I will use the slightly parger sizes for this. Also, those snap on trolling weights will easily get the lure down a bit. Basically, you just let the lure back 100 feet or so and troll around at 1.5 miles per hour. Creel mouths, points, and dams are all good spots.

In conclusion, this article on fishing with a Rooster tail spinner will help anglers catch more fish!