S
SmallStreams
0
I've been really banging up some of my spinners lately and figured I'd share some thoughts:
Roostertail - the epoxy paint body cracks and peels off in chunks when whacked into the rocks on miscasts (or snag recovery <ahem>). That means your colorful yellow & black fancy pattern becomes a dull grey (but it still catches fish). The blades, particularly on the 1/4 oz models, need to be tuned to operate consistently in all water flows otherwise you'll get a stuck blade that acts like a wobbler. If wedged in a crack, the shaft will bend and needs to be straightened. 1/6 oz models are a nice in-between size.
Bangtail - my 1/4 oz example is a few years old and the color pattern is no longer made (sigh). No 1/6 oz models. The all-brass body wears well, though a coat of touch-up paint is inevitable at some point. The blade is heavy and starts consistently. If wedged in a crack, the shaft will bend and needs to be straightened. There is perhaps too much length in the shaft, so the body sometimes pops over the loop holding the hook. The "holograhic" sticker on the blade has held up well and seems to give a little more flash than the Roostertail.
So in practice, while it felt like the Bangtail was a cheap imitation of the Roostertail, I've found it to be slightly more durable and reliable. Roostertail has many more sizes and colors available. In terms of fish caught, body color has sometimes made a difference, but mostly just having a nice flashy thing to follow and a fluffy fly to bite are the essentials and both lures do nicely.
Roostertail - the epoxy paint body cracks and peels off in chunks when whacked into the rocks on miscasts (or snag recovery <ahem>). That means your colorful yellow & black fancy pattern becomes a dull grey (but it still catches fish). The blades, particularly on the 1/4 oz models, need to be tuned to operate consistently in all water flows otherwise you'll get a stuck blade that acts like a wobbler. If wedged in a crack, the shaft will bend and needs to be straightened. 1/6 oz models are a nice in-between size.
Bangtail - my 1/4 oz example is a few years old and the color pattern is no longer made (sigh). No 1/6 oz models. The all-brass body wears well, though a coat of touch-up paint is inevitable at some point. The blade is heavy and starts consistently. If wedged in a crack, the shaft will bend and needs to be straightened. There is perhaps too much length in the shaft, so the body sometimes pops over the loop holding the hook. The "holograhic" sticker on the blade has held up well and seems to give a little more flash than the Roostertail.
So in practice, while it felt like the Bangtail was a cheap imitation of the Roostertail, I've found it to be slightly more durable and reliable. Roostertail has many more sizes and colors available. In terms of fish caught, body color has sometimes made a difference, but mostly just having a nice flashy thing to follow and a fluffy fly to bite are the essentials and both lures do nicely.