Slow Rolling A Spinnerbait On The Bottom

[bassguytom]

What's the deal with this technique? When is the best time to employ it? I have never tried this would a chatterbait be better for this? I want to give it a shot but don't know when would be the best time/ situation. Any info. Is appreciated.

[Todd2]

The best day I had on this technique was right in the middle of the day..hot sun and about a million pleasure boaters on the water. It was probably a fluke because I've never been able to reproduce it like that. It's not a technique that I see used alot here. I don't use it enough. Spinnerbaits come thru cover better than most think. Keep bottom contact with the occasional pop or fast crank off the bottom and it can be deadly.

[scaleface]

I  slow roll 10 to 15 foot deep on points with heavy lures and a single willowleaf blade . It a good technique. Also a few decades back I use to do this with a black 1/2 ounce Blakemore Charlie Campbell spinnerbait that had a single large copper Colorado blade in stump fields around 5 to ten foot deep .  I caught a lot of fish with it .

[Senko lover]

I'm no expert, but its pretty hard to keep a chatterbait on the bottom, even in shallow water. Spinnerbaits are much better at this. Strike King makes a Bottom Dweller that would be a perfect choice.

[A-Jay]

I use this technique at times & in places where I can't get a crankbait down that far and caught my first Double Digit bass doing it. 

Rolled a 1 ounce spinnerbait up a sweep rocky ledge and the bass choked a 1 ounce bait in about 20 ft. 

 

I have better results with a faster retrieve than I do "Slow Rolling".   

I almost always have to fish Up a drop or long point.  It's the best way to be able to use some speed and still maintain some proximity to the bottom.    

 

Sometimes a technique called "Stroking" works well; involves fishing a big spinnerbait in the same manner as a Big Spoon. 

The same principles apply; a heavy spinnerbait is used, at least one ounce, and it's mainly a deep water tactic - 20 to 35 feet of water.

Heavy tackle is required, and the upstroke with the spinnerbait is hard and fast, somewhat similar to hauling off to set the hook.​

 

Make a long cast and as soon as you feel the spinnerbait hit the bottom (the line will go slack), wind in any excess line, then pull the rod like you're making a strong hookset, lifting the bait up 4 or 5 feet. Then let it drop again and if you're lucky, a bass will pick it up on the way back down. Repeat until you get the spinnerbait back to the boat.

Make no mistake, this is a strenuous way to fish, and it will strain your tackle to the max. It requires a stiff rod, heavy line, a gutsy reel that can take the strain. and a stout wired spinnerbait with a beefy hook.​ A .040 to .045 wire arm is best for extra strength and durability.​  I have resorted to customizing my own baits for this specific deal.

 

Good Luck

 

A-Jay

[A-Jay]

I'm no expert, but its pretty hard to keep a chatterbait on the bottom, even in shallow water. Spinnerbaits are much better at this. Strike King makes a Bottom Dweller that would be a perfect choice.

 

One of my favorite deep water presentation.

 

A-Jay

[WRB]

I use deep spinnerbaits mostly during pre spawn, summer nights and winter or cold water months.

The twin spin is ideally suited for vertical fall spinnier bait and slow rolled down steep slopes or ledges as deep as 40'.

There are a few twin spins on the market today (TW), I make my own using a 1/2 & 3/4 oz football head, Clevis and wire speaders with #2 Indiana blades. Good big bass lure that is seldom used today.

Tom

[A-Jay]

I use deep spinnerbaits mostly during pre spawn, summer nights and winter or cold water months.

The twin spin is ideally suited for vertical fall spinnier bait and slow rolled down steep slopes or ledges as deep as 40'.

There are a few twin spins on the market today (TW), I make my own using a 1/2 & 3/4 oz football head, Clevis and wire speaders with #2 Indiana blades. Good big bass lure that is seldom used today.

Tom

 

Shhhhhh ~ Easy Tom

 

I was hoping that one would stay under wraps . . .

 

 

 

A-Jay

[Catt]

Slow rolling a spinner bait works year round

[Heron]

Ive been liking War Eagle's twin spin w/football head for this technique. 

[papajoe222]

My best success slow rolling has been at night with a short arm spinner working up a drop. I don't do it often enough to work it from shallow to deep.

[Mike L]

The most success I've had with it is in depressions surrounded by shallow, stained water with very little current in the middle of a hot humid day.

Mike

[hatrix]

I'm no expert, but its pretty hard to keep a chatterbait on the bottom, even in shallow water. Spinnerbaits are much better at this. Strike King makes a Bottom Dweller that would be a perfect choice.

Naw spinner baits are harder unless your talking about the SK one. Those seem impossible to fish at depth. If I tied a brick to one and threw it in I wouldn't be surprised to watch it float to the surface. A chatter bait will run at a constant depth the whole cast much easier. Spinner baits want to constantly rise up buy nature of the blades. You can go to a single willow and bend the wires closer to help keep them down better.