Impressions: Daiwa is one of the few companies that produces every single element of tackle necessary to go fishing under one brand. From the rod and reel to the line and lure, Daiwa has got anglers covered. Spinnerbaits are some of the hardest lures to innovate, and to be honest the only really innovative spinnerbait we have seen in recent seasons was the highly configurable Secret Weapon. When I first examined the DS (Daiwa Spinnerbait) I found it particularly detailed, but the basic design was not much unlike than any other spinnerbait.

Daiwa makes reels, rods, cranks, and now spinnerbaits

The DS is available in 4 colors (White Shad, Chart Shad, Chartreuse, and Midnight), and two weights (1/2 and 3/8oz) as well as a number of blade combinations. The DS comes in both Colorado/Willow and Double Willow combinations, and a number of blade tints including stainless, gold, and titanium gunmetal.

The Daiwa spinnerbait retail packaging

The DS makes use of quality components including silicon skirts, ball bearing swivels, and an ultra sharp red Mustad hook. The skirt is attached with a wire on the DS, and another interesting component is the reinforcing brace at anchor point which keeps the bait at just the right angle when retrieved. The attention is in the details with this bait, and as an added plus for durability the blade loop is actually welded closed!     

The Daiwa Spinnerbait features a quality silicon skirt

Real World Test: To fish the DS we outfitted the entire team with a set of these spinners and head straight to Clear Lake and Lake McClure to see how both largemouth and spotted bass would react to the new baits.

The Daiwa Spinnerbait features a realistically shaped head

Casting: Casting spinnerbaits is more about the rod than anything else. Some anglers prefer fiberglass rods, but most anglers these days are turning to graphite for their favorite spinnerbait sticks. I personally believe that sensitivity is a very important factor to consider when fishing spinnerbaits. Though the technique seems simple to many anglers there are so many ways to fish spinnerbaits, and many of these methods requires an understanding of exactly what is happening on the end of the line.

Zander casts the DS

I think a good spinnerbait stick falls within the range of 6 to 7’3” in length and has a reasonably fast tip allowing you to snap casts in and around a wide range of cover types. An ideal spinnerbait stick in my book combines excellent sensitivity with an extra fast tip with a powerful butt section. The powerful butt will allow anglers to pull fish away from hairy structure quickly the second they set into a fish. We fished a number of rods including sticks from Daiwa’s Steez lineup, Megabass, and Kistler rods.  

The DS features a reinforcement brace at the anchor point

With the right rods in hand and reels spooled with 12 and 14lb line we were able to hurl both the 3/8 and 1/2 oz models with little effort. Spinnerbaits are some of the easiest lures to cast, and because they are so weedless you can cast in and around structure with little fear of getting hung up. Part of the reason why they are so effective is that you can park your right in the middle if fish holding structure.

The DS has realistic 3D eyes