Throwing spinnerbaits in deep water

[airborne_angler]

Can someone give me some insight on how to fish spinnerbaits deep?

I recently picked a couple of 3/4 ounce Strike King Pro Ledge Spinnerbaits. One of them is all chartreuse with a small colorado blade in front and a willow in the back,both blades painted chartreuse. The other is a white bait with silver(chrome) dual willow blades that have some blue flake on them.

Can these take the place of a deep diving crankbait,that just wont go as deep as I want it to?

I want to use these spinnerbaits by some bluffs in the lake I fish. That water is 30+ feet deep. Think ill have any success?

Whats the best presentation? Do I just let them go to the bottom and slowly crawl them back to the boat,just fast enough to get the blades spinning?

Im wanting to change things up this year. In the years past I have always stayed close to the bank and thrown at the bank with a Dropshot,and have only ended up with dinks.

Im wanting to explore a little deeper water and new tactics. I threw a spinnerbait shallow last year and caught a fair share of fish on them,so I have some confidence in using them.

If I decide I dont want to fish deep with these 3/4 ounce spinnerbaits,are they any good at being burned shallow,or will they have a tendency to roll on the retrieve because of the weight?

Thanks for the info.

[Fishes in trees]

I think what you're wanting to do is slow rolling.  In slow rolling you take a spinnerbait (heavier beats lighter, just because it drops faster) and let it drop to the bottom, then bring it back using a medium/slow retrieve.  You want to bring it back fast enough that you blades are turning, but not so fast that you pull it above your target depth.  The notion then becomes what ever is down there you bump your bait into it, hesitate and drop for a moment and then continue the retrieve.

10 or 12 feet is about my limit depth for this, mostly because I lack patience to let it drop farther.  There really isn't any reason it wouldn't work deeper, consider it a jig with extra "thump".  I've seen both willows and colorado blades marketed as "slow rollers", so I don't really know which blade style is better.  What modest success I've had doing this has been with colorado blades.

You mentioned fishing bluffs with spinnerbaits.   In the Ozark lakes, this is a common pattern,but you generally don't have to go very deep.  Stay 6' - 10' off the bluff and fish the spinerbait parallel.  Experiment with different depths, just know that you will never have to go beneath the thermocline, and your electronics should tell you where the thermocline.  Fish frequently hang 3 or 4 feet down on ledges, underneath ledges

and in little pockets in the bluffs.

You mentioned throwing the heavier spinnerbaits in shallow water.  You bet they will work and you will be able to cast farther and cover more water per cast.  Use heavier line - I use 17 or 20.  It is pretty easy to snap off 10 or 12 lb line with a 3/4 oz bait.

Good luck.

[Randall]

I like big 1 1/2 oz to 2oz spinnerbaits in 30 feet of water if I am fishing near or on the bottom. Ledgebusters are my favorite brand. I like a single willow blade 99% of the time. Most of the time at this time of year I use them slow rolling them over the bottom. I move the bait as slow as possible with the blade still turning hitting any cover I can along the bottom. I use the blade size and shape to adjust the lift on the bait to adjust to the depth I want it to run. If I want a smaller profile bait I take a 3/4 oz spinnerbait with a long hook shank and wrap lead wire on the shank of the hook or crimp on a weight to make the bait a 1-1 1/2 oz  bait.  I have caught fish in summer burning them at the surface.

[Crestliner2008]

Great off-shore structure tool. You can't fish them wrong, unless you fish them too fast. Keep them close to the bottom and you'll get bit.

In my mind, when you say "bluffs", I envision a steep drop off to deep water. If that's the case, don't over look a tail spinner, like the Little George, or a blade bait.

[roadwarrior]

Try this:

Allow the spinnerbait to fall to the bottom.

Lift the lure with your rod from water level

to 12:00, then let it fall on slack line. The

spinnerbait will flutter straight down as if

it were dying, not forward. Repeat until you

feel you are out of the zone.

8-)

[RandySBreth]

I've been doing some deep spinnerbaiting over the last couple of years, and everyone's advice so far has been good. Another thing to try is to use braided line that's about the same diameter as 10 or 12-pound mono. (It'll be anywhere from 40 to 60-pound-test break strength, depending on brand.) You'll be able to get deeper a little faster and stay deeper during the retrieve, and feel what's happening down there better.

[Skinnyh2ofishin]

Spinnerbaits are one of my favorite ways to search deep water.  Basically, experimentation is your friend.  With all the great tips already mentioned there's plenty for you to try until you find what works for you.

One tip I'll add is as soon as the bait hits the water give the bait a pull with the rod to make sure the blades didn't foul on the cast.  As soon as you feel the blades thump, drop the rod and allow the bait to fall on as slack line as possible.  I'll even slowly strip line back off the reel in very deep water to make sure I get maximum bottom contact on the retrieve.  The quick pull in the beginning gets the blades going and helps them flutter down properly.

[Raul]

For me deep water spinnerbaiting means having the right gear:

1.- Having a low gear ratio reel, for that purpose I use my trusty Curado B38

2.- Having a heavy spinnerbait, 1+ ounce

3.- Single or double willowleaf spinnerbait, if both blades are of the same size even better.

The combination of spinnerbait weight, blade shape that doesn 't generate much lift when the blades rotate and a low gear ratio reel is the ticket to maintaing the spinnerbait really deep.

[Blade-Runner]

Ledgebuster.

Don't forget about the lift-drop special single colorado, too.

[A-Rob]

I got a video by woo daves ($0.75 at BP haha)

He just casts it out there and cranks it in slow. However he uses up to a 2oz spinnerbait so he can keep it at a deep level and get the speed up a bunch.

It didn't seem like he did anything fancy besides just keep the blades turning.

I like RoadWarriors tactic of the Yo-yo technique to.