The Result:
2 1/2" In-line Spinner w/ Single Colorado Blade



Step 1: Prepare Your Workspace
Before you start, you will need to locate and prepare a suitable workspace. Clear wire baits (those that do not involve molding a lead head to the wire) are the easiest baits to make and don't require significant cleanup after the project. Nevertheless, you may spill paint or drop tiny wire pieces and you should take this into consideration when selecting your workspace.

Once you settle into your workspace, gather the necessary tools and materials and organize them on your workbench. Lock the door to prevent any disturbances and wear your safety goggles.

Tools & Supplies:

• 6" .024 Forming Wire (stainless steel)
• Size 1 Colorado Spinner (preferably nickel or painted)
• Three (3) Size 3/16 Beads (preferably brass)
• Two (2) Unis (tiny smooth metal beads)
• Size 12 Treble Hook (preferably Mustad)
• Size 1 Stirrup Clevis
• Round Nosed Pliers (both arms are rounded)
• Wire Cutters (sharp scissors will also work)
• Split Ring Pliers

Step 2: Create Your Wire Shafts
Every wire bait begins with a wire shaft. Wire shafts are available in all shapes, sizes and styles from commercial suppliers (i.e. Stamina), but in this exercise we will create our own.

To create a wire shaft, cut a 4" (inch) strand of wire from your wire bundle. Although the actual size of the spinner we are creating is 2 1/2", we will need the extra inch and a half for bending and accident recovery.

Hold the round nosed pliers in your dominant hand and the wire shaft in the other hand. Grasp the wire with the round nosed pliers about 3/4" away from the tip of the wire as shown in the following diagram:

NOTE: For the sake of clarity, the position of the pliers is shown using two black lines.


Next, make a slight bend in the wire to bring the tip of the wire down 30 degrees. This bend starts your loop.

Now, bend the wire upward and roll it around one arm of the round nosed pliers to form a loop. This action is shown in the following diagram. (The pliers are shown head-on for clarity with the arms of the pliers represented with two black dots).

Finally, wrap the tip of the wire around the shaft. Wrap the tip around the shaft one more time and cut the tip off to snug the wrap. The completed closed eye wire shaft should look like this:



Step 3: Add The Components
After you have made a closed eye wire shaft, you are ready to add the spinner blade. There are a couple rules that must be followed to insure that the blade does not "bind" (get stuck) to the shaft or other components. These rules are as follows:

• Always attach the blades so that they hang toward the tail end of the spinner
• Always attach the blades so the convex (bowed-out) side of the spinner faces away from the wire shaft
• When using a clevis, make sure it is large enough to allow the top of the blade to rotate without binding against the wire shaft
• When using a clevis, always place a tiny bead ("uni") above and below the clevis on the wire shaft to prevent the clevis from binding with other bait components.

Now that you know the rules, let's put on our blade (Follow along in the diagram below).

(1) Hold the metal shaft upside down so the eye is facing the floor.
(2) Slide a small uni onto the shaft so that it rests up against the eye.
(3) Slide the clevis partially onto the shaft. Slide the blade onto the clevis.
(4) Slide the clevis completely onto the shaft.
(5) Slide another small unit onto the shaft so that it rests against the clevis.
(6) Slide the beads onto the shaft.
(7) Slide the hook onto the shaft.
(8) Twist the wire back around the shaft a few times to secure the hook
(9) Clip off any excess wire.

Step 4: Experiment!
Now that you know the basics, start playing around with multiple colors, new bodies, different blades, etc.

*Always wear safety goggles and follow instructions provided by the manufacturer or supplier of the tools and components you are using. TackleMaking is not responsible for any damage (personal, property, or otherwise) that results from reading, following, or referencing this article and/or performing the actions described within it.