As we mentioned on our homepage, all of our spinnerbaits are made with heavy 0.062" wire forms, 90 lb solid brass crane swivels, stainless steel split rings, and real dyed deertails (Bucktails).  For those who want more information, we have prepared the following table that gives you a description of the various components and how they go together.

HEAD SIZES - All of the River Rat Spinnerbaits make use of a minnow head mold to pour 1.5 oz, 2 oz, or 2.5 oz heads.  In the picture below are three examples of the available sizes in the Tiger Tail pattern.  (Top - 1.5 oz, Middle - 2.0 oz and Bottom - 2.5 oz head) 

The 1.5 oz spinnerbait (Top) is great for casting and it can be "speedtrolled" up to 4 mph; however, it may start to porpise depending on wave conditions and the type of blades you select.

The 2 oz spinnerbait (Middle) is an excellent choice for the muskie hunter that wants to cast and troll.  It won't wear your arm out too quickly and it trolls well up to 5 mph - even in a good "muskie chop."

The 2.5 oz head (Bottom) is not recommended for casting - unless you really think muskie hunters are all masochists!  It's great for trolling and it will run at speeds well in excess of 5 mph or in wave conditions rough enough to make you wonder why you're out there in the first place!

HOOKS - We use Mustad single OR treble hooks on all of our spinnerbaits.  The size of the hook depends on the size of the head as the table below indicates.  We have done custom orders with bigger/smaller hooks as required by the customer:

BLADES - when it comes to muskie spinnerbaits, there are few things that provoke as much heated debate as which blades are best.  The Rats would answer with "It depends"  ... which means different blades work best under different circumstances.

At River Rat, we offer three types of blades on our spinnerbaits: Willow Leaf, "Magnum Willow Blades, and the classic Colorado.

(Left to Right) - The Willow Leaf is a long slender blade that lets the spinnerbait run lower in the water with lots of flash.  The Magnum Willow (middle) is a great "hybrid" or combination of the best features of the Colorado and Willow Leaf Blade.  It has a unique, almost random action that produces good results casting or trolling.  Finally, the Colorado (right) - the most popular blade.  It moves a lot of water and keeps the bait near the surface - great for "ripping" across the weeds.

We normally equip our baits with blades as follows.  (Custom orders for over/under sized blades are possible.)

OK, what the heck do these numbers mean?  The picture below shows the various sizes of Colorado Blades we offer.  From Left to Right: #5, #6, #7 and #8

Colors and Finishes - that also depends on the blade type - here's a picture of some of our colors and finishes:

Colorado Blades - As shown in the picture above, they are available in Fluorescent Orange, Chartreuse, Hammered Brass, Hammered Nickel (Silver), and Smooth Nickel.  (Not shown, smooth Brass)

Willow Leaf Blades - We offer Brass and Nickel in both the smooth and hammered finish.  Sorry - no colors.

Magnum Willow Blades - A relative newcomer to our lineup, these "Hybrid" blades are currently available only in a smooth nickel finish.

Bucktail and Head Colors - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and just like blades, The Rats would tell you that different colors work best under different conditions.  One of only many reasons you should get one of each!  Truthfully, color selection does make a difference and we have found the "Hot" color varys from season to season.

We currently offer the following paint colors for the lead heads: Black, Red, Silver, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Yellow, Brown, and our newest color - Blue

Finally, we offer the following bucktail colors:  Natural, White, Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Grey, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Green, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Purple, and Fluorescent Pink ... which is used as an accent color only ... please don't ask for a "Pink" bait ;-)