View Full Version : french spinner?
When I was a kid, 20 years ago, my dad had a takle box full of what he called french spinners. They were great for northerns and smallmouth. They were an inline spinner and had a beaded lead body similar to a larger mepps spinner. The blade was always silver, willow leaf shaped, but was bent like a pleated skirt or acordian style. They also had a sindle treble with some hair dressing. I remember yellow and white and we caught many fish on them. Does anyone know what I am thinking of and where to get them. I have not seen them in Cabelas, BPS, or any shops around northeast Wisconsin. I would like to get my hands on a few just for old times sake if not to catch a few fish.
Thanks, and think open water, there's more of it everyday at DE Pere, but it is cold so things may go backwards.~~~~~~~~~~
Those were either Evan's Shysters or Garcia's Abu-Reflex. Abu-Reflex is still available in Canada
henckel
02-17-2001, 02:37 PM
The traditional "French Spinner" of that time was a Mepps, but Tom is probably correct in his reply about the Abu Reflex. The Abu Reflex was awfully popular in Wisconsin 20-30 years ago. They had the type of spinner blade you describe and they were used quite a bit for walleyes and northern pike. -- mark
It was either the shyster, or the abu. good luck and good fishin.
Den
Backwater Eddy
02-17-2001, 04:01 PM
LAST EDITED ON Feb-17-01 AT 06:02PM (CST)[p]Remember the June Bug spinner rig's, still see them in use today in some area's. The French spinner blade was often used on these rig's in order to gain a bit of extra depth while trolling or casting.
BE...
{Patience is said to be a virtue, so lets all hurry up and find some!}
Mean Mike
02-17-2001, 04:03 PM
I have some june bug spinners
Thank you everyone!! Is it possible that ABU was stampped on the blade? Could just be my imagination but when it was mentioned I seem to remember it on there. Now, where could I possibly find some? Couldn't locate on the web.
look on ebay, there hasnt been any of them made for a long time, so what you do find will be the old ones, and may be expensive. good luck and good fishin.
Den
If you want to get a spiner like that -
You can pretty get a duplicate of the old bait that you remember in the form of one of the wide variety of Mepps spinners, or one of the Blue Fox - Vibromax.
Both brands are made very similar to the bait that you speak of, and they do still catch lots of fish.
Take care
REW