Tomahawk blades or hatchet blades have been fairly popular, at least among folks who tie their own nightcrawler harnesses. Variations on the standard three spinner blade styles can be very effective, I believe because they offer something a little different in appearance and vibrations. Who knows what the fish will prefer at any given time. Every blade style makes a different vibration in the water. But this does not keep it from being popular, nor should it. To be truthful, the Indiana blade probably is unnecessary. Use it for drift fishing when the wind is too strong for Colorado blades. But not halfway between the Colorado blade and the willowleaf blade. Then there is the Indiana spinner blade, the ‘in-between’ blade. A slender blade will not rise toward the surface as much as a Colorado blade. If you were choosing a spinner for trout fishing and you wanted to retrieve it close to bottom or in mild riffles, then you should choose a willowleaf blade.

Trolling on Lake Erie for walleye, the willowleaf blade is suitable for speeds as fast as about 3-1/2 mph. Relatively because spinners are not high speed lures. These blades are intended to be trolled at relatively fast speeds. They are long and slender like a real willow leaf. Willowleaf spinner blades are the opposite of Colorado blades. Drift fishing was effective 30 years ago, and it will work as long as we have walleye and perch in Lake Erie. If you got in on the drift fishing bandwagon last summer, you need more spinner rigs with Colorado blades in your tackle bag. The reason a Colorado blade is specified is because slow speeds are best for perch. If you are after both perch and walleye, walleye will hit this rig just fine.

Maybe the best rig you can possibly use to target jumbo perch is a Colorado blade spinner rig tipped with a red worm or half of a nightcrawler. This holds true whether it is used as an inline spinner, a spinnerbait or a spinner rig including nightcrawler harnesses or single hook rigs such as you might use for perch. It is intended to be used at slow speeds while drift fishing or trolling with an electric motor. The Colorado blade is effective nearly round. Each fills a distinctly different role in fishing. The three are Colorado, Indiana and willowleaf. There are three basic styles of spinner blades, and several others that do not fit any of the standards. What needs to be written about a spinner blade? A bunch, I believe.

Actual size colorado blade for walleye