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  • Super User
Posted

Was not aware it ever stopped :)

  • Super User
Posted

A coincidence - I just got my first spinnerbait fish of the year today; surface water temp at the bank was 49 - probably colder out where the fish was. I started fishing SBs when the water temp went above 40deg. (which was only 3 days ago!)

Posted

Hold on there! The spiinnerbait gets a whole lot better in mid latitudes above 45, and a lot better than that above 55. Very rarely is it a go-to bait under 42, regardless of how you fish it. Not saying it can't be done, but a spinnerbait below 40, would rarely even see the light of day. In southern climes such as Texas, one doesn't get too many times to fish it under 45 degrees. Let's not trump something up that ain't really the way it most days.

  • Super User
Posted

For me 45 degrees seems to be the magic number when they will run down a bait. Now this varies depending on conditions but it works as a general rule of thumb.

Allen

  • Super User
Posted
Hold on there! The spiinnerbait gets a whole lot better in mid latitudes above 45, and a lot better than that above 55. Very rarely is it a go-to bait under 42, regardless of how you fish it. Not saying it can't be done, but a spinnerbait below 40, would rarely even see the light of day. In southern climes such as Texas, one doesn't get too many times to fish it under 45 degrees. Let's not trump something up that ain't really the way it most days.

That's been my experience as well and I am a regular spinnerbait user.  However, I'm not saying they can't be used in really cold water but there are better baits for those conditions, in my opinion.

  • Super User
Posted
Was not aware it ever stopped :)

It may not stop for you, but here in the middle of Illinois, when the water temp gets below 55, it slows down drastically. Not sure at what temp it dies, because I don't try to find out.

When the spinnerbait bite starts to disappear, the jerkbait bite gets into high gear.

When the jerkbait bite starts to go, I can usually get a few fish with slow plastics.

Soon after that the baits start bouncing off the water.

  • Super User
Posted
Was not aware it ever stopped :)

It may not stop for you, but here in the middle of Illinois, when the water temp gets below 55, it slows down drastically. Not sure at what temp it dies, because I don't try to find out.

When the spinnerbait bite starts to disappear, the jerkbait bite gets into high gear.

When the jerkbait bite starts to go, I can usually get a few fish with slow plastics.

Soon after that the baits start bouncing off the water.

This is the best answer to his question by far , the region and the climate you fish dictates when.

Posted
Was not aware it ever stopped :)

It may not stop for you, but here in the middle of Illinois, when the water temp gets below 55, it slows down drastically. Not sure at what temp it dies, because I don't try to find out.

When the spinnerbait bite starts to disappear, the jerkbait bite gets into high gear.

When the jerkbait bite starts to go, I can usually get a few fish with slow plastics.

Soon after that the baits start bouncing off the water.

Yep now drive that nail home, northern bassin at it's best. Creativity and lure selection is a must.

Posted

One of my buds has won some big tourneys at Lake Ozark in late fall with a big blade rolled in 45-48 degrees, but that's along way from spinnerbaiting in 32 degrees! Right on, Mr. Ghoti (fish).

  • Super User
Posted

x whatever for .ghoti.'s post.

FWIW - I got another spinnerbait fish today (same lake/place as yesterday's fish) - 46 degree surface water temp at the bank - 3.04lb LMB - hit in less than 5 fow. Lost a bigger one that hit the SB in less than 2 fow just as I was getting ready to pull the bait out of the water at the end of the retrieve.

Just another data point...

Posted

Three years ago on Norfork Lake AR at the Stren (Everstart) our water temps plumetted from near 50 to 38 degrees in three days in March(?).  First day of tourney was actually cancelled because of snow.

My roomie, co-angler and I were scraping just to get a bite late in the practice. On a shallow timbered flat with 40 degree water, he put on a spinnerbait and got bit. I then slow rolled one for another strike. Just two bites, but the only 2 bites we got all day.

During the first day of the tournament he kept his spinnerbait tied on and thought he saw a fish make a disturbance in shallow water.  Tossed out his spinnerbait and caught one nearly 3 pounds! His only fish of the event. The bite was so poor that I think he ended up in the top ten after day 1 with that fish! So a spinnerbait can catch them when cold. but the tournament was definitely not won with one.

Posted

I have been fishing spinner baits since the 70's & consider myself pretty good with one. Your question was kind of open & Catt's answer was 100% correct but Nick's answer where "the water is below 45 there are better baits to use", is also good. Once the water gets that low a bass is not going to chase very far so you are better off to use a slower moving bait like a jig. Don't take this wrong a slow rolling spinner bait will work but there are better presentations.  :)

  • Super User
Posted

It is all about presentation and blade choice/color.

  • Super User
Posted

Don't forget that a spinnerbait is a jig with bling. I use them a lot, along with jigs, in cold water. Lacing a grub or a chunk trailer and working a spinnerbait like a jig often produces bites for me. A lift drop with a single colorado blade can really slow the ROF for cold water bassin. JMHO

  • Super User
Posted

Another data point - I got 5 more spinnerbait bass today - 14.81 lbs total - biggest was 22"/4.6 lb. Cold front coming in - surface water temp is dropping fast and was down to 42 degrees at the bank today (water temp was 49 two days ago).

I have a feeling that my spinnerbait party is just about over for now with the colder weather we have coming in...shallow water temp could be down in the 30s by tomorrow night... ::)

Posted

I like fishing a spinnerbait in cold water during a rain or right after. The big fish come in to eat and enjoy the warmer water coming into the lake. I start where the water is coming into the lake and work my way out hitting secondary points.

The best is a 1 oz spinner slow rolled just fast enough to hit a rock once in awhile. Sometimes a 3/8 oz will work better in the shallowest water. I just cast it up and try to slow roll it down the cut.

Posted

I saw a guy catch three nice bass on a buzzbait when the water temp was 54- so it never hurts to try.

Now that's unusual, but I'd say the spinnerbait bite does slow down considerably when the water temps are under the mid 50's. I do try slow rolling when fish are hitting other lures really aggressively in colder water - sometimes it pans out, sometimes not.

  • Super User
Posted

Last data point for my little test. I fished today - same places, same spinnerbait, same retrieve - no fish. Water temp was 39. Of course, is this a case that a bass won't hit a spinnerbait at 39 degrees, or that the shallow fish I've been getting went back deep overnight. Maybe both, huh... ;D

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