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Thread: Blue Fox spinner problem

  1. #1
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    Default Blue Fox spinner problem


    Blue Fox - Spoons - Flash Spinners

    When i first picked these items up, i wanted something that would spin under the top clear layer of water and more in the deeper murky water when the fish were attracted to flash. I first used them in the spring back in March and caught crappie, bluegill and bass. Since then i have lost some because of unknown structure and replaced them. But over the past 2 months, as i have replaced them for what seems like the 4th or 5th time, i am running into a common problem. The blade won't spin. It will come back simply wobbling back and forth and naturally the fish won't go near it. I've tried 4 different things to correct the problem: size of lure, speed of retrieve, type of line, making adjustments to lure itself, type of knot, and direction of water movement. Quite frankly none have made a difference.

    When i used them in the spring, the retrieve was slow, but i could reel them in faster and it only affected the depth and how quickly the blade would spin. The lures only come in two sizes 3/16oz which is what i have and what i used back in March, and 1/8oz which i accidentally ordered back in May, but some worked and some didn't. Back in March, i used the Nanofil line and mono 6lb test. That hasn't changed, but in an attempt to resolve the problem, i used both fluro, braid, and mono with no solution. I've used the clinch knot and the loop knot, both with and without clips to make swapping out lures easier than retying. I've tried retrieving it against the current in order to cause more resistance on the lure to make the blade spin and with the current as well and that proved not to be the problem.



    As for adjustments to the lure. Once it is taken out of the package, everything between the two loops on the lure moves freely (the metal body, the bead, and the clip that holds the blade). I've tried twisting the thin wire of the shaft to make the two loops lie flat. I've tried straighten out the wire shaft (despite looking normal to me). I've taken the pliers and pinched the front hole of the body just in front of the eyes to prevent the body from moving back and forth or even rotating in the water. I've taken the hollow metal bead off as well. I've pinched the clip that holds the blade on to separate it further from the wire shaft and allow more room for water to move through and cause the blade to spin. But as i said, none of these adjustments have worked.

    The only adjustment i have not made to the lures is messing with the blade it self. If anyone has these lures and have had the same problem and knows of a solution or has any ideas for correcting this issue, i would greatly appreciate it.

  2. #2
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    It looks like the shaft the clevis spins on, has been bent. Try to keep it straight, or try a clevis with larger holes.

  3. #3
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    I have use baits like that and some are a pain and the only way I could get them to work is after casting as they sink then give them a quick jerk to get blade to moving. Some will work fair out of package while others will never work and they both look alike. I too have tried fine tunning even the blade with only alittle success
    God Demonstrated his love for us. Romans 5:8

  4. #4
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    Forgot to mention that. I did try the stop and quick jerk to see if the blade would spin. I can tell when it is spinning and when it is not. There is more resistance during the retrieve while the blade is spinning that you can feel and you can feel the vibration from it with the light line. Sometimes the quick jerk works, but only temporarily, the blade will stop spinning again during the retrieve.

    The clevis' on all of them spin freely and with no hang ups or little hiccups while it spins when i flick the blade with my finger. If i am to bend to the clevis or blade, how would i bend it and where at?

    My other options are two 1. Contact the manufacturer Blue Fox and get their help 2. Take them to Cabelas or Bass Pro Shop and get their opinion or 3. Find another brand that sells something close to the Flash Spinners.
    Last edited by ChrisCarter; 07-19-2012 at 10:33 PM.

  5. #5
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    This is bad news for me--I just ran across a five-pack of these spinners I bought and hadn't gotten around to using!

    I built inline spinners myself for years, and discovered that the shape of the body behind the blade can keep the blade from turning. That is why you don't see asymmetrical keel-shaped bodies that would prevent the line twist problems associated with retrieving inlines. It is possible that Blue Fox got so fancy with the flattened bodies here that functionality was lost (though you would think that the company would have tested that thoroughly).

    The spinners I have are the 3/16 oz. size, like you had originally. I will give one a try on my next trip and report my results here. It might not help, though; what might have happened is that Blue Fox field tested this lure only in one size, then just scaled it down or up to expand the product line without testing the other sizes. The hydrodynamics on the 1/8 oz. size could make blade spinning impossible--in which case, you should not be the first to have noticed the problem, and one could hope that Blue Fox has remedied the defect and would be happy to replace yours with a redesigned model that spins.

  6. #6
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    I have had the same problem with the Flash Spinners . I wonder if they have changed manufacturers. Most of my Blue Fox lures have come from Finland or one of the eastern European countries, I think the last batch came for China ... purchased in Walmart ... need I say more. Let us know what the Blue Fox says about the problem.

  7. #7
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    I think Split Handle and Snowbird or on the right track with their thinking. I have used the Blue Fox spinners and they are different from the one in the picture which is the cheaper Walmart version. The Blue Fox spinners have a conical body and the blade is a French spinner design which is somewhat oval with a cup in it. It is also stamped made in Finland. They work great unless the shaft is bent. Sometimes its best to tie a swivel with a short leader ahead of the lure to prevent twisting your line if the shaft is bent.

  8. #8
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    After i made my own customized adjustments to the 3/16oz lures of the first box, i threw them away because they were no good. But i picked up two new boxes, both the 3/16oz and 1/8oz. Out of the 10 lures, one 3/16oz Flash spinner worked, and two of the 1/8oz worked. I took them back up to Cabelas and talked to the guy about them and told him the problem. He said he hasn't heard too many complaints about them but said it was odd for the blade not to spin. He did point out one difference between the Blue Fox Flash spinners and other Blue Fox lures and even the Mepps brand. Between the clevis that holds the blade and the metal bead, there is a brass bell or something that creates more separation between the blade and the body. Kind of made sense, if the blade is not spinning in the water, it could be because the blade is too close to the body. Unfortunately Blue Fox has made it near impossible to add something between the body and the clevis to make for separation, so i haven't really tested this theory out fully. My best shot was taking the needlenose pliers and squeezing the clevis closer to give me more room to add a split shot on the shaft. But all that did was restrict the blade from moving freely on the clevis.

    Blue Fox doesn't have much of a customer service. No phone number, address, just an email for the webmaster. But since Blue Fox is owned by Rapala, i might contact them and see where that leads me. I'll also try thinking about some ways to create more space between the body of the spinner and the clevis/blade.

  9. #9
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    Okay, first the blade is NOT a french style blade, it's called a swing blade or as some companies are calling them minnow blades. I've made spinners since the 1980's and reading your description of the problem here's the culprit problems.

    1 - Because everything moves on the wire everything can also jam up against the bead pushing it into the clevis causing it to not spin.
    2 - Check the holes on the clevis and see if any slime or other stuff has clogged the holes.
    3 - The more you mess with the wire trying to tune it the more you can mess it up - one small nick in the wire or just a small bend and the clevis can catch on it not allowing it to turn.

    While I still use stirrup clevis's, I prefer the folded one's as they seem to spin better. In the book "Fishing with worms and other live bait" by Harold Blaisdell, in the chapter on spinner making he ran into the problem when making twin spinners. His solution to the problem was three very small turns of copper wire then solder but he couldn't get it to stick. His solution was he got some acid from a hardware store that's all it says in the book and when he applied it to the turns of copper and then solder it made a very small metal bead which kept the blades separated.

    I know you haven't messed with the blade yet but in the pic it has either a sticker or paint job - get a piece of paper towel fold it over the end of the blade and useing pliers bend about a 1/4 inch back at an angle towards the body of the spinner and try it. Sometimes just a bit of a bend on the blade will help the water catch it better and make it spin.

    Gotta agree with split handle - they probably got the right design on one size and just adjusted it for size up and down.

    If the pic shows an original spinner - the only way to try and get more space is to re-do the whole spinner. Let us know how bending the blade works.

  10. #10
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    Mabey alittle faster or slower retrieve. I always loved blue fox. Sometimes replacing them is the only option. Fat man is very smart in this stuff



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