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How to Fish a Gapen Spin-Bee Jig in Fall (Cast, Troll, and Vertical) Updated: October 2026. Spin-Bee sizes, colors and prices checked on the live product page Oct 13, 2026. How to fish a Spin-Bee jig, the short answer: tie on a Gapen Spin-Bee in 1/8 oz for general fall fishing, cast it past the fish, and bring it back slow and steady so the rear blade turns. When fish follow without biting, stop and let it drop, then lift. Tip it lightly with a small bit of crawler, leech or minnow so the blade still spins. From $3.98. Below: which size to buy, three ways to fish it (cast, troll, vertical), colors by water clarity, and when the Spin-Bee is the wrong tool. What is a Gapen Spin-Bee jig?The Spin-Bee is a fly-jig hybrid: a tied bumble-bee style fly body on an eyed jig head, with a spinning blade at the rear. The striped body looks like a perch or darter. The blade adds flash and vibration. The product page says that flash pulls fish from as far as 25 feet away. You can cast it, troll it, or jig it straight up and down, in open water or through the ice. Dan Gapen Sr. designed it. The idea goes back to 1940, when Dan worked in his father Don Gapen's fly-tying shop in Nipigon, Ontario. Don had created the Flub-Dub, the first fly with a spinner attached directly to it. Dan put that idea on a bumble-bee fly and a jig head. The first Spin-Bee was tied in July 2010, and it was fished for two full years before we sold it. Spin-Bees are Made in the USA. Which Spin-Bee size should you buy?There are five sizes. All 11 colors come in every size. Prices are from the live product page on Oct 13, 2026.
Shop judgment: in fall, start with 1/8 oz. It casts well on 6 to 8 lb line, stays down in a light wind, and still looks small enough for crappie and white bass. Go to 1/4 oz when walleye and bass are on deeper breaks or the wind is pushing your boat. Drop to 1/16 oz for bluegill and perch in the weeds. How do you cast and retrieve a Spin-Bee?Cast past the spot, let it sink to the depth you want, then reel slow and steady. The blade only needs a little speed to turn. If you feel it thump, you are going fast enough.
The product page notes that the Spin-Bee often catches fish that look at a regular jig and won't commit. The blade keeps working on the fall, which a plain hair jig can't do. How do you troll a Spin-Bee in fall?Troll it slowly along breaklines and weed edges, about 50 to 80 feet behind the boat. Shop judgment: keep the speed just fast enough that the rod tip shows a steady blade beat, usually under 1.5 mph. Use 1/4 or 3/8 oz to stay near bottom. When baitfish are suspended over deep water, a 1/8 oz trolled higher in the water column covers it. Shop judgment: to keep a Spin-Bee near bottom on a big walleye flat, run it on a short leader behind a Bait-Walker, set up the way we describe in our Bait-Walker crankbait trolling guide. How do you fish a Spin-Bee vertically?Drop it straight down over fish on your electronics, lift the rod tip 6 to 12 inches, then follow it back down on a semi-slack line. The blade flutters as the jig falls. Watch the line for a tick or for slack, and set the hook on anything odd. This is the same lift-and-drop you use with any jig. If you already fish an Ugly Bug vertically for fall walleye (Article 301), it will feel familiar. The difference is the flash. Use the Spin-Bee when fish are spread out and need something to draw them in. Switch back to a plain jig when they are packed tight and only want a slow, quiet bait. The product page lists the Spin-Bee for use through the ice too. That makes the 1/16 and 1/8 oz sizes worth keeping in the box after freeze-up. What colors and tippers work best?The product page gives a simple rule: bright colors (chartreuse, pink) in stained water, and contrasting or darker patterns in clear water.
All 11 colors: Black / White, Blue Herring, Candy Cane, Chartreuse / White, Frog, Orange / Black, Pink / White, Shad, Sucker, White / Red, and Yellow / Black. Tippers: use a small piece of leech, crawler, or minnow. Keep it small. If the bait is big enough to stop the blade, trim it smaller. A Spin-Bee with a stalled blade is just a hair jig. Which fish does the Spin-Bee catch in fall?The product page lists walleye, bass, white bass, crappie, bluegill, perch, trout, and pike, in fresh and salt water.
Customers fish it this way too. Theodore H. of Isanti, MN wrote on the product page that it "produced well in cold front conditions." DeWaine Harley of Three Rivers, MI called them his go-to for kayak fishing small rivers. For more on rivers, see our river smallmouth guide. When should you not use a Spin-Bee?
Spin-Bee vs a plain hair jig
Carry both. Start with the Spin-Bee to find active fish, then slow down with a plain jig once you find them. Our heritage jigs guide covers the plain-jig side. Shop the Gapen Spin-BeeGapen Spin-Bee, from $3.98. 1/32 to 3/8 oz, 11 colors, tied fly body with a rear spinning blade. Made in the USA. Gapen Tackle, a family shop in State Center, Iowa. FAQWhat size Spin-Bee should I start with? Start with 1/8 oz ($4.38) for general fall fishing. Use 1/16 oz for panfish and trout, and 1/4 oz for walleye, bass, and pike. Do you tip a Spin-Bee? Yes, but lightly. Use a small piece of leech, crawler, or minnow so the blade can still spin. Can you ice fish with a Spin-Bee? Yes. The product page lists vertical jigging through the ice. The 1/16 and 1/8 oz sizes are the ones to keep for the ice season. Is the Spin-Bee good for walleye? Yes. Walleye are first on the product page's species list. Use 1/4 oz on fall breaks and in river current. What is the best Spin-Bee color? Use chartreuse or pink in stained water, and darker or contrasting patterns in clear water. Shad and Blue Herring are good choices when you see baitfish. Who designed the Spin-Bee? Dan Gapen Sr. The first one was tied in July 2010 and tested for two years before release. It builds on the Flub-Dub, the spinner fly his father Don Gapen created. |