About DFTannheimer Lures
Fishing in moving water using both fly and conventional gear is a passion that grips my soul like a Boga on a fleshy lip. Expanding upon that passion is the creation of a device which attracts and ultimately traps your prey. This is why I use spinners that I design, assemble and fine tune by hand. DFTannheimer spinners are extensively (or obsessively as my wife would claim) tested on both big and little waters. I typically use size 3 or 4 inline blades and size 8 wide gap, short shank hooks.
History
Sometime ago I decided that I no longer wanted to purchase loads of big brand spinners. I was not liking the quality of the product, and tired of having to run to the store to buy something that I didn't even appreciate in the first place. Lead mold lure bodies are cheap and not very pleasing to the eye. Lead is not a healthy material to add to our streams, either. I thought to myself; Why can't spinners be artfully crafted in the spirit of the old handmade wooden lures or even flies?
I decided that I would learn how to make my own spinners. I would come up with something that would be well made, visually pleasing and would drive the fish crazy. I set out to my local arts and crafts store, and ordered numerous components from distributors on the web. I tried a multitude of different beads from faceted crystals, to round plastics, glass and even different metals. The spinners I came up with would catch fish, but I didn't really notice a difference between my new designs and the old brands I had used previously.
The idea for the DFTannheimer Spinners came when I was using a rattling body bait fishing for Smallmouth on a Western Michigan pier. The selling point behind this particular lure was the high pitch clicks made when the lure moves through the water. The clicks serve as an attractant to move fish that wouldn't target the bait on sight alone. I began testing beads to see which sounded the best under water. That's when I found that hematite makes a very nice high pitched click when struck together underwater. The sound traveled far, and was a higher pitch than metal. I found the ideal body material.
For the blades I have always been a fan of the inline style. I found that the blade spins better than one with a clevis. It also spins more erratically. The hook moves up, down and around while the spinner is moving. I decided some tubing would be appropriate to simulate a tail. Lastly, the wedding ring style beads commonly used on Walleye harnesses and Kokanee lures give off a fantastic amount of flash for their size. The clicking of the hematite moving up and down the shaft, the flash from the wedding rings and the erratic nature of the inline spinner make for a very noisy and irresistible lure!
Once I had everything together I tested and retested until color combinations, weights, sizes, etc were all exactly where I wanted them. Once I had my first prototypes ready I found that I had a winning formula for a lure that not only looks great, but catches a heck of a lot of fish!
I decided that I would learn how to make my own spinners. I would come up with something that would be well made, visually pleasing and would drive the fish crazy. I set out to my local arts and crafts store, and ordered numerous components from distributors on the web. I tried a multitude of different beads from faceted crystals, to round plastics, glass and even different metals. The spinners I came up with would catch fish, but I didn't really notice a difference between my new designs and the old brands I had used previously.
The idea for the DFTannheimer Spinners came when I was using a rattling body bait fishing for Smallmouth on a Western Michigan pier. The selling point behind this particular lure was the high pitch clicks made when the lure moves through the water. The clicks serve as an attractant to move fish that wouldn't target the bait on sight alone. I began testing beads to see which sounded the best under water. That's when I found that hematite makes a very nice high pitched click when struck together underwater. The sound traveled far, and was a higher pitch than metal. I found the ideal body material.
For the blades I have always been a fan of the inline style. I found that the blade spins better than one with a clevis. It also spins more erratically. The hook moves up, down and around while the spinner is moving. I decided some tubing would be appropriate to simulate a tail. Lastly, the wedding ring style beads commonly used on Walleye harnesses and Kokanee lures give off a fantastic amount of flash for their size. The clicking of the hematite moving up and down the shaft, the flash from the wedding rings and the erratic nature of the inline spinner make for a very noisy and irresistible lure!
Once I had everything together I tested and retested until color combinations, weights, sizes, etc were all exactly where I wanted them. Once I had my first prototypes ready I found that I had a winning formula for a lure that not only looks great, but catches a heck of a lot of fish!
Passion, Pride and Results
I build each one of my lures by hand, one at a time in my home in Kalamazoo, Mi. When I am not building my lures I am testing them on the river. This has become a passion of mine through the initial experiences of research and development all the way through the finished, final product. I keep my prices competitive with the mass produced brands out there. I don't make much profit off this project. My greatest compensation comes from the praise, pictures and relationships developed through people using DFTannheimer Trout Spinners. I love receiving reports, pictures and comments (both positive and constructive) about my lures!
I invite you to try them out, or shoot me a message with any questions that you may have. I can talk fishing all day. I am sure that you will love these spinners!
I invite you to try them out, or shoot me a message with any questions that you may have. I can talk fishing all day. I am sure that you will love these spinners!