Snagless Sally

The Snagless Sally has truly survived the test of time. Dating back several decades, the Snagless Sally is an offspring of the spinner lures made so popular by northern Pike fisherman. Today's version has been modernized with a new custom made ProModel XtraSharp Hook surrounded by Premium quality vinyl shirt. The Sally still utilizes an in-line spinner blade supported by metallic beads on a wire shaft in which the hook is attached. The hook itself is protected with a stand-up weed guard which aids in preventing the lure becoming snagged, thus the name Snagless Sally.

The Sally is most effective when used in areas where the standard forked spinnerbait would become "hung up" such as tightly grouped lily pads or in densely toppled tree cover. The lure runs near the surface making it extremely effective in southern tidal influenced waters. Especially when being "run" over the tops of submerged grasses or other types of cover during high tide periods.

What makes the Snagless Sally so effective?

A Colorado blade placed in the front of the lure "helicopters" when being retrieved. This produces the "flash" many fish find appetizing and with the blade's ability to provide a strong vibration effect, the Sally becomes irresistible to a hungry fish. Additionally, with the blade being on the leading edge the helicoptering action allows the lure to "climb over" floating vegetation when being retrieved, similar to that of an artificial frog. The versatility of the Sally allows the retrieval to be varied. The speed at which the lure is "reeled in" determines how near the surface the Sally runs. A faster retrieval will have the lure swimming nearly on the surface creating a wake. Slowing the retrieval allows the lure to run deeper.

Jack, who lives near Clewston, Florida and fishes Lake Okeechobee told Fishing-Tips-Bait-Tackle.Com this:

"The Okeechobee has changed over the years, but one thing has always stayed the same, spinner bait lures have always worked well in the lake and my favorite is the Snagless Sally. I first started using the Sally as a kid back in the 90's. The lure was easy to use and required no special retrieval techniques, just tie it on and start casting. It (the lure) hardly ever got hung up and it was durable. As a kid I could only afford one or two lures at a time and because the Sally works good in shallow water (back then I did a lot of wade fishing), it was ideal. And it still works today." "I generally fish from Kings Bar down around Worm Cove and toward Bird Island. When the water levels are normal or above, I look for floating mats and clumps of vegetation. I like to pull the lure over weed tops and retrieve it quickly. This fast moving lure causes the bass to re-act instinctively and strike. The flash of the rotating blade gets a lot of attention in the clear water. So, the Sally works really good in standing grass and reeds too. I prefer the gold blade with chartreuse in black skirt and because it swims near the surface you can often see the fish hitting the lure causing an explosion of water as it strikes." "When the water levels are lower, I look for pockets of water or areas with deeper holes. The fish tend to school up in them. The Sally works good casting into the shallow water and pulling it into the deeper water. I will sometimes pull the lure fast enough to make it kind of swim on the surface. This seems to work better in the summer when fish are striking top water baits." "The only problem I have really had with the Sally is sometimes fine grassy like moss collects on the blade causing it to stop spinning. But this is quickly fixed, just clean it off and go back to fishing. I am so glad the Sally is still being made, not only does it bring back fond memories but I am still catching fish with it."

There appears to be no doubt that the versatility of the Sally's fishing options has contributed to the lure's longevity. Some anglers even add trailers of soft plastic or pork rind increasing those options. One of the most popular add-on is the Uncle Josh #11 pork rind which imitates both frogs and crawfish, two of the favorite foods of a bass. One trailer we do not recommend is a trailer hook. Adding a trailer hook reduces the lure's ability to remain snagless unless of course one is fishing in open water where getting hung up is less likely.

Here's a tip: If by chance you come across a "vintage model" of the Sally, "Buy It". They are becoming collector items. You should be able to tell the difference by comparing the new with the old. The change in the hook designs should be obvious. Just the fact that the Sally has a vintage model and is still being used today is but another example of how the lure has survived the test of time.

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