The more I fish, the more I realize that the baits that I grew up fishing that gave me a lot of bass fishing confidence, are the baits I lean on when fishing gets a little tougher. I spent about 10 years in Northwest Arkansas fishing on Beaver Lake. It’s a tough clear fishery but at times there was an awesome spinnerbait bite. My spinnerbait of choice at that time was a War Eagle Spinnerbait.
Last fall fishing got pretty tough. So I picked up a spinnerbait I trusted again and started fishing isolated cover. I boated a 7-12 northern strain largemouth. It was my largest bass in a while and a great reminder of how great the War Eagle Spinnerbait still was.
Here are a few things I found unique and noteworthy about the War Eagle Spinnerbaits in my tackle review:
- The head
- Wears well
- Custom tied skirts
- Good components
- Wired for thump
Unique head and durability
The first thing you notice about a War Eagle Spinnerbait is the chrome head. The identifying characteristic if you will. At a glance you know a guy is slinging a War Eagle from a distance. I like that identify trait for more than just its cosmetic appeal.
The head is not painted. So the paint is not going to chip or look totally different on the head of the bait as it wears. It simply just dulls a little on the buttom but it maintains its shape and action. So I like that a spinnerbait will last a while.
Hand tied custom skirts
The skirts are hand tied with wire, so they will not move, rot or pull apart. They will get tattered but only from multiple fish biting it. And I actually like my spinnerbaits looking a little tattered. I think the skirt flares and pulses better when it’s uneven. So I like how these skirts are tied and hold up.
But I also like the unique colors. Sometimes I think spinnerbait skirts are just too flat. White, chart/white and some sort of translucent baitfish color is about what most manufacturers offer. But these skirts come in a lot of colors you can tell got designed by anglers. I might have several variations that look similar but might be slightly more translucent or more solid and I like that for when the water clarity changes slightly or if I think the fish are conditioned to one type of color or pattern.
Best components
These War Eagle spinnerbaits also feature great components. They have sharp Mustad Ultra Point or Lazer Trokar hooks, they use Sampo swivels and attach great blades. They formed the frame with an ultra thin and shiny piano wire. They are the total package on spinnerbait design. They are easy too tune as a result should a bass or other species mangle your bait.
An added bonus of the piano wires comes in the thump it transmits to the angler. It’s very easy to fish with these spinnerbaits and detect when a bass “pushes your bait†at you because you can feel the thump stop or the spinnerbait will feel like it’s “sliding†instead of providing that steady torque that comes with a rotating blade.
Why these spinnerbaits
I fish the 1/2-ounce and 3/4-ounce spinnerbaits. I’ve caught bass on deep ledges in 20 feet of water and bulging the water just under the surface over bushes and other shallow cover. The start easily with a quick pop and the good components keep the spinning all the time. So you’re not fighting to get the bait to work right even in deep water.
War Eagle Custom Lures owner Keith Brashers is an accomplished angler in his own right, and with pros like Mike McClelland and Andy Morgan, they’ve focused on building lures they can use to win lots of money over the years.
My favorite colors are Spot Remover, Cole Slaw and Sexy Shad. But you can check out a bunch of their other colors and other blade combinations at tacklewarehouse.com and other fishing tackle retailers where War Eagle Spinnerbaits are carried.
Check out this video of the War Eagle Spinnerbait in action underwater!
