Whats your favorite conditions for a Spinnerbait?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ryan Lamb on March 5, 2011 at 4:59pm

Followed...

Will wait to see what comes up, I didnt have much confidence in it either until last year at potholes caught a 3.5lbr at the boat, it actually bit my spinnerbait as I pulled it out of the water to toss another cast.

I was in about 9ft but had milfoil up to about 7ft this was postspawn,

my other fish, also postspawn was in about 5ft or so at sunrise, those are my only spinnerbait fish!

 

Hobbs should chime in, maybe about tossing them in rivers as well? (just from watching the FLW vid) was just curious if you consider to have it dialed, or were using it just to kill time... just a thought?

Permalink Reply by P.J. Koshi on March 5, 2011 at 6:34pm

I prefer to throw a Spinnerbait over any other bait I own.  I will tell you some of the situations where I like to throw it.  I prefer to either hit things with it or fish it over grass.  I have had some of my best days fishing a spinnerbait when I run it through willows, over logs or limbs, bouncing off rocks, and runing it beside docks.  The most productive weather conditions seem to be cloud cover and a sligh breeze.  Don't get me wrong I will have a spinnerbait tied up and in my hand any day bright or rainy starting in the month of March.  I like to fish my spinnerbaits in shallow and deeper water.  Sometimes I will throw them on land and drag them into the water or land them in an inch of water and engage my reel right as it hits and start burning it.  Sometimes I use my Daiwa Sol and slow roll them since it is 5.8:1, it all depends on the time of year and conditions.  I am sorry you are just now discovering the spinnerbait I have been told by many that one of the reasons I catch big fish but not tons of fish is because I throw the spinnerbait too much.  I lost track of how many 3lb Smallies I caught on it last year and I caught 3 Largemouth over 5lbs on it.  I have had success on the spinnerbait in both eastern and western WA, but I can say I feel much more confident with it in lakes like Potholes and Moses.  I cannot speak for Banks or the River, but Potholes is where I have done most of my fishing and it can be lights out.  I can guarntee that from April until October there is a bass on that lake somewhere that will crush a spinnerbait.            

Permalink Reply by David Parnicky on March 5, 2011 at 6:55pm

I don't think that there is ever a bad time to give the spinnerbait a try.  They seem to work well on both largemouth and smallmouth everywhere they swim.  As a general rule of thumb though, I have had my best spinnerbait days on days with some cloud cover, wind, and/or rain.  This doesn't mean that they won't produce on slick calm bright days though, particularly early and late in the day. 

 

As far as the river goes, the spinnerbait bite can be great out there from spring through early fall!  I am still trying to get better at slow rolling and fishing spinnerbaits while the water is cold but burning a double willow spinnerbait and twitching it just under the surface as you burn it can be killer during the summer on the river.  Especially on those days where it is so windy that you don't know what to do.  I have had some great days burning spinnerbaits in the past on days where it was so windy that dragging plastic was very difficult.  The next time you are on the river and it is frustratingly windy, I would try burning a spinnerbait!  It might make the day a bit more fun!  white, white chartruse, and shad skirt patterns have worked well for me on the river, paired with double nickel willow blades.  I know some guys like one gold and one nickel.  Also, I like painted white blades if its cloudy. 

Permalink Reply by Ronald Hobbs, Jr. on March 6, 2011 at 7:56pm

It seems to me with largies they like to eat them when it is windy, or breezy, with smallies it seems as if it doesn't really matter, High sun super clear water, to high wind clouds and dingy water.  It seems that smallies hate them especially the bigger ones. Late Prespawn until fall seems to be the best with late prespawn to mid summer being the best.  When Smallies are eating bait fish, it seems to be one of the best baits, match willow blades to the size of the bait. If the bait is larger use a larger rear willow up to a size 6 or 7.  I almost always use 1/2 oz. or heavier, for smallies.  With largies it seems that lighter weights come into play.  In this state you need a good white spinnerbait a good chartreuse combo spinnerbait and a good sunfish/perch spinnerbait.  It seems that double willows almost always get the call for me, usually a combo silver and gold blades, usually the big blade being gold.  I will use tandem silver willows when they are eating silver baitfish.

 

I will use painted blades in murkier water or when I want a duller flash, a white on white spinnerbait can be deadly at times for largies and a chartreuse on chartruese can be deadly on smallies. 

 

I don't think anyone can predict with 100% certainty when the fish will bite a spinnerbait, so trial and error at each trip, will prevail.  I guarantee one thing though is if you use it long enough you will catch one.  Next year on Lake Tapps, you need to throw them past stumps on the flats, it is a great way to catch the better ones here.

 

A few brands to check out are: Revenge, war eagle, terminator, and stanley.

Permalink Reply by Marc Marcantonio on March 6, 2011 at 9:15pm

Wind; Wind and Rain, or current.  Near weeds and laydown logs are always top spots.

 

Also wherever water clarity results in poor visibility.

 

Mix up the retrieve; use occasional rod twitches, and also let the spinnerbait drop and flutter down periodically.  The change in movement and blade frequency will provoke strikes.

 

ciao,
Marc Marcantonio

Permalink Reply by Zackery Shaff on March 6, 2011 at 11:14pm

Gotta love spinnerbaits for the absolutely ferocious strikes. Had a really nice LM break the swivels off of a Terminator last year while prefishing (of course), and the smallmouth love em. Throwing a big spinnerbait seems to produce larger than average fish too. If I could only have one, it would be a 1/2oz Chart/White double willow with one gold blade and one silver blade, just like Ron said.

 

With LM in particular, switching from a spinnerbait to a chatterbait can get fish to commit when they're not really in the mood. If you get some swipes, but no hookups, or a cold-front has shut down the fishing, give that a try.

Permalink Reply by Randall J DeFreese on March 7, 2011 at 5:31am

Big Black Spinnerbaits are Great for Night fishing. Try them you'll like'm.

Permalink Reply by Zach Chandler on March 7, 2011 at 9:08am

Thanks guys, good replys and I'll commit some time to chuckin them here in the near future.

Permalink Reply by R Meyer on March 7, 2011 at 10:33am

I am no pro, but for me, windy banks + structure (logs/rocks) = throwing a spinnerbait for largemouth. My best fishing with a spinnerbait have come in April/May on the west side of the mountains

Permalink Reply by Brian Walters on March 8, 2011 at 8:57am

Wind for sure...clouds are also good. Hobbs hit it on the head for colors.. I prefer a colorado blade alot of times.. but change it up alot.. white is best for me.. and white with some chartruse in it. 50 50 on blades.. some are set up with both. Also run a trailer hook.. you will catch alot more fish.. and dont be afraid to burn that thing.. and im talking so fast its barley staying in the water.. this works great for smallies. Deep weed lines.. slow roll them for largies, that is a killer tatic.

 

And just throw that thing and dont put it down you will catch fish.

 

Hope that helps