"The Vibra-Shaft spinnerbaits produce a tight vibration when coming through the water. That vibration is similar to what a panicked shad or perch will emit when moving erratically through the water. The Vibra-Shaft spinnerbaits are built with fine wire diameter for maximum vibration. Also, that fine wire moves out of the way when a bass hits the lure. That's why you don't need to use a trailer hook on these spinnerbaits."

The most effective spinnerbait blades over the years have been either a willow-leaf or a Colorado design. The Colorado shape, something like an egg, puts out a lot of vibration and is one of the best lures to use on bass in murky water. The willow-leaf blades, on the other hand, don't generate a whole lot of vibration, but they convincingly simulate a shad swimming through the water.

"It's very important to pay attention to what bass are feeding on at any given time," said Stanley. "If they are feeding on shad in clear to semi-clear water, you probably want to go with a single or double willow-leaf spinnerbait. If the water is real clear you'll want to go with a 3/16-ounce spinnerbait. If bass are feeding on perch, like they so often do, in the post-spawn, you'll be better off going with a 1/4-ounce spinnerbait in a sun perch pattern."

Water clarity also has a lot to do with what blades and color of skirts Stanley will be using. "If I'm in water that's slightly murky," he offered, "I'll go with a bright-colored skirt. Chartreuse, yellow and chartreuse/orange are good in that type situation. For slightly more vibration I'll use a spinnerbait that's got a small Colorado blade up front and a big willow-leaf blade in back.

"If I'm fishing in real murky water, like just after a rain, I'll go with a spinnerbait with big double Colorado blades for maximum vibration. I'll also go with a big teaser tail for more visibility and vibration."

Stanley's favorite time of year for fishing a spinnerbait comes during April, as most of the bass will be coming off the spawn then. When they leave the beds, they'll hang up on points, along vegetation, brush, logs or anything they can find. He considers this period great for slow-rolling a spinnerbait.

"I like to slow-roll spinnerbaits in 7 to 12 feet of water," he said. "That's when boat position is very important. I'll keep the boat in 12 feet of water and cast the spinnerbait up to 7 feet of water and slow-roll it down past stumps, brush and vegetation. When slow-rolling I'll go with a 1/2-ounce spinnerbait with a No. 4 1/2 Wedge blade.

"When slow-rolling, the trick is to keep the blade turning, while reeling the lure through the water as slowly as possible. That can be tough to do. But it's how Rick Clunn has won many tournaments. One of his favorite tricks is to slow-roll a 3/4-ounce spinnerbait with a No. 4 1/2 blade. The bite can be slow, but it's a way to pick up some solid bass. That's big-time important when you are in a tournament."

On sunny days in April, Stanley says, bass will move up to feed in less than 5 feet of water. Those bass will probably be feeding on perch moving through vegetation and brush. "If I'm fishing in less than 5 feet of water I'll want to speed up the spinnerbait," he explained. "The bass will be more active in the shallow, warm water. That's when I'll go to a 3/8-ounce spinnerbait in a golden shiner pattern. I've found that gold is a very good skirt color in the spring; it looks a lot like a perch. That's a forage fish that bass will be feeding on heavily during the spring."