Spinnerbait tips from Guy

— -- Hitting the high points ? Tips for protecting the wire frame. ? More advice on trailer hooks. ? Rigging trailers and the magic color. Guy Eaker has enjoyed a stellar fishing career. Along the way, the 65-year-old North Carolina pro's name has become synonymous with spinnerbait fishing. Not only has Eaker perfected the art of spinnerbait fishing, he's also devised many modifications that actually improve the lure's action and durability. ? Protecting the wire. Those who throw spinnerbaits know that the lure's wire arm is its most vulnerable component. That's why Eaker puts a 1/16-inch piece of thin aquarium tubing over the R-bend to help keep the wire in shape and protect it. "That keeps the bait from flaring and stretching out, and even breaking when a fish gets hold of it. After you stretch one so many times, it will break. This eliminates that. Plus, I like my spinnerbait arm mashed down so it runs true. I don't like it being open. I like the blade to be right over the top of my hook. That way, it's more streamlined and it looks more like a shad in the water." This positioning also leads to more hookups, he hinted. ? Trailer know-how. "I always use a little white 3-inch Berkley Power Grub," Eaker continued. "It makes a noise in the water that we don't hear, but the fish see it and hear it. I think it's the perfect trailer for a spinnerbait. But it's important to rig it with the tail down. A lot of times, if you rig it with the tail up, it interferes with the blades." ? Skirt cuts. To make his grub trailer more visible, Eaker trims the skirt almost even with the hook. This also enables the trailer to move more freely and have more action. ? Trailer hook tips. For times when the bass are striking short, Eaker employs a trailer hook. His choice is a No. 1 Eagle Claw (short shank). The red-colored hook swings freely, although he uses a "keeper" made from the red sheath used around copper wiring to prevent it from sliding off the main spinnerbait hook. "I've used it for years." ? Seeing red. No spinnerbait is complete without a red bead between the two ball bearings on the end of the wire, according to Eaker. "I've always been a big believer in the color red. I've seen underwater video of bass swimming with a school of shad and shiners where they wouldn't eat them ? until they flared their gills and the red of their gills showed. Then they would attack them."