Spinnerbait Weight

[HuskyKMA]

Why size weight of spinnerbaits does everyone prefer? All of mine are 3/8 oz but I have trouble with keeping them down, so I have to fish them slower than I like. The water I fish most is only about 8 ft deep max. Does anyone only use 1/2 oz or larger spinnerbaits?

[einscodek]

Yes I use 1/2oz and I am contemplating using 1oz muskie spinnerbaits this year as well for LMB.

If you want to burn them and have trouble keeping them down, add a beefy trailer.

I like to slow roll mine so I've no problem but I will adjust trailer and blades to get it down to the depth and speed I am interested in..

Thats the beauty of a spinnerbait.. easy modification.

[Dave P]

I too use mostly 3/8 and 1/4 but I am seriously considering getting some bigger ones just for that reason.

[doyle8218]

I use mostly 3/4 oz and a few 1/2 oz.

[Mr Swim Jig]

I mainly fish 3/8oz spinner baits and occasionally 1/2oz.

[iceintheveins]

Most of mine are 3/8 ounce but I fish 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits a lot in weedy water shallower than 11 feet. Still do very well with 1/2 ounce spinnerbaits too when fishing deeper.

[Catt]

3/16 - 3/4 oz

I'll slow roll them to 10'!

[CJV]

I feel like 1/2 is a great size .... 3/8 maybe if your fishing really shallow but for the most part it's 1/2.

[Bankbeater]

Most of mine are 3/8.  I usually just let them sink down to the bottom, and then start to slow roll them back.

[Maico1]

3/8 to 1/2 but more so the 1/2 gets the nod.

[Zach Dunham]

I use em all! Rarely less than 3/8 oz, though. Anytime I am in really shallow water or around weeds I throw the 3/8 oz. I throw 1/2 oz if I am really burning it or if I'm going a little deeper. I also throw 3/4 oz if I am slow rolling fairly deep. Night time smallmouth fishing I throw 1/2 oz to 3/4 oz slow rolling with a big black colorado blade spinnerbait and slam them!

[Bobby Uhrig]

3/8 for burning

1/2 for depths to 10 ft

3/4 for windy days and slow rolling 10 ft and deeper/

 

you must match all of your fishing baits to the conditions around you

 Then when you want to play with the biguns the 1 1/2 and 2 oz  NEW APEX Spinnerbaits

 

[roadwarrior]

3/8 for burning

1/2 for depths to 10 ft

3/4 for windy days and slow rolling 10 ft and deeper/

 

you must match all of your fishing baits to the conditions around you

 Then when you want to play with the biguns the 1 1/2 and 2 oz  NEW APEX Spinnerbaits

 

Do you generally use a trailer or not?

[Zach P]

Usually I still with 3/8oz and 1/2oz spinners. Couple these with a decent sized trailer and you shouldn't experience any issues throwing into the wind. Obviously on windier days stick with 1/2oz.

[papajoe222]

Why size weight of spinnerbaits does everyone prefer? All of mine are 3/8 oz but I have trouble with keeping them down, so I have to fish them slower than I like. The water I fish most is only about 8 ft deep max. Does anyone only use 1/2 oz or larger spinnerbaits?

One way you can utilize your 3/8oz baits in deeper water is to change the blade size, shape, combination.  Switch out a Colorado blade for an Indiana or willow. Go a size or two down on your willow blades, or remove the front clevis and blade to reduce lift.

I keep a pair of split ring pliers in my parts utility box along with different size and styles of blades. You can modify your spinner to run deeper or shallower, add extra blades to give it a schooling minnow look, even switch out the skirt for a different look altogether. Keep some trailer hooks and keepers, some bell (bass) weights and extra split rings and swivels in there too and you'll be surprised what you can do with just one spinnerbait.

[Catch and Grease]

the lake I fish averages 5 feet but some places are 12ft deep, 1/2 spinnerbaits fit my needs pretty well and ill occasionally throw a 3/8 under certain circumstances...

[F14A-B]

3/8 for burning

1/2 for depths to 10 ft

3/4 for windy days and slow rolling 10 ft and deeper/

you must match all of your fishing baits to the conditions around you

Then when you want to play with the biguns the 1 1/2 and 2 oz NEW APEX Spinnerbaits

That spinnerbait looks so so very good! And does

The hook swing left and right? That is a cool bait.

[5fishlimit]

I stick with 1/2oz most of the time, but 3/8oz and 3/4oz see some action depending on the depth.

[greentrout]

Depends? I'm old school, man. Match the hatch. Big body of water I'll use at least 3/8. Small body of water 

like a farm pond or small State park, I'll use a 1/4 or 1/8 ounce spinnerbait.

 

I like the Indiana Blade with a small Colorado blade most of the time. But if the bite is fast, I'll go to the

Willow Leaf with both blades as Willow Leafs or Willow Leafs with a small Colorado Blade.

 

I got hooked on what Ken Cook wrote about years ago on BASS about gold blades. I have more confi-

dence with them as the lead blade.

 

Love Mann's Classic Spinnerbait and Walmart's Humdinger.

[iceintheveins]

the lake I fish averages 5 feet but some places are 12ft deep, 1/2 spinnerbaits fit my needs pretty well and ill occasionally throw a 3/8 under certain circumstances...

 

Are you using heavier line (17 pound or greater) to keep the bait shallower? I will use 10 - 12 pound test for 1/4 ounce spinnerbaits in sparse cover, but heavier baits and heavier cover do call for heavier line. Casting a 1/4 ounce spinnerbait on 20 pound test isn't easy though, so I can see the need for reaching for a heavy bait in shallow, cover filled water.

[Catch and Grease]

I have been using heavy line on my spinnerbaits lately

[Frenchman83]

1/4oz spinnerbaits on 12# Mono.  I generally fish the bait in the top few fee of the water column.  I do have some 1/2 oz but those generally get river and walleye duty. 

[Zach Dunham]

I throw my spinnerbaits on 25 lb test copolymer (unless I'm in really clear water) and it works just fine unless you go less than 3/8 oz.

[Bobby Uhrig]

This is 1/2 ghost minnow in 10 ft  12 lb test slow rolling

[HuskyKMA]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I'm going to pick up some 1/2 oz ones and try them out.