Slow rolling spinnerbaits late winter / prespawn

[tje0705]

Hey guys. I’m an avid spinnerbait fisherman. It’s my go to when I don’t know what to do and I always seem to catch fish on them. One thing I have a question about is slow rolling larger spinnerbaits in the early spring and prespawn times of the year. I’m thinking of getting some 3/4oz double Colorado spinnerbaits for this. Pairing them with a 7’6” MH rod, a 5.1:1 reel and some 16lb fluoro. One do y’all think this would be a good setup? Second is double Colorado blades what I need and if so what size blades should I be looking for? Third, do you guys use a trailer for this technique? And lastly what kind of cover/structure are you guys looking for when throwing this and what depth ranges? Thanks for the info guys

[CroakHunter]

I like to throw 3/4 ounce spinnerbait this time of year. Nearly a similar setup for me. I always use a trailer. 5 inch swimbait in matching colors to the skirt. Which is either a shad pattern or gill pattern. Deep clear water I throw double willow leaf blades, the shallower and dirtier the water the more thump I try to achieve with Indiana and Colorado blades. I throw these in the high percentage areas that you'd throw a jig. For example, long point, deep wood, standing timber, road beds, deep weedlines. 

[Bluebasser86]

Jason Christie almost won the Bassmaster Classic last time it was at Grand Lake throwing nothing but a 1oz single Colorado bladed Booyah spinnerbait with a 5" YUM Pulse swimbait in the backs of pockets around any kind of shallow cover.

[Hook2Jaw]

53 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Jason Christie almost won the Bassmaster Classic last time it was at Grand Lake throwing nothing but a 1oz single Colorado bladed Booyah spinnerbait with a 5" YUM Pulse swimbait in the backs of pockets around any kind of shallow cover.

I've been doing this with a double willow Booyah in 1/2oz with the same length YUM pulse, I'm pretty sure it's a 4.5", though.  Was the water not so clear at that particular classic, and why a 1oz around shallow cover?  Educate me.  I haven't gained as much knowledge as I would like about spinnerbaits yet.

 

As far as the YUM Pulse goes, I have so much faith in that swimbait.

[CroakHunter]

57 minutes ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've been doing this with a double willow Booyah in 1/2oz with the same length YUM pulse, I'm pretty sure it's a 4.5", though.  Was the water not so clear at that particular classic, and why a 1oz around shallow cover?  Educate me.  I haven't gained as much knowledge as I would like about spinnerbaits yet.

 

As far as the YUM Pulse goes, I have so much faith in that swimbait.

Just my guess. But I would say he wanted a bait with a lot of thump, so he used a bigger Colorado blade which meant to keep his bait from "blowing out" he needed a heavier head. And being that he was throwing it in backs of coves he was probably fishing a bit shallow meaning he had to move that spinnerbait fast, which is another reason for having the heavy head and big Colorado blade. 

[Munkin]

Giving up another secret here but I slow roll whiteish single blade spinnerbaits in our local reservoirs in the spring. Either 1/2oz with a #6 Indiana or 3/4oz with a #7 silver blade for the win. Since no-one is using this configuration it just wrecks them. I will only get a few bites but all the fish are 4-6lbs which is what counts.

 

Allen 

[Bluebasser86]

1 hour ago, Hook2Jaw said:

I've been doing this with a double willow Booyah in 1/2oz with the same length YUM pulse, I'm pretty sure it's a 4.5", though.  Was the water not so clear at that particular classic, and why a 1oz around shallow cover?  Educate me.  I haven't gained as much knowledge as I would like about spinnerbaits yet.

 

As far as the YUM Pulse goes, I have so much faith in that swimbait.

The water was really dirty everywhere except up the Elk River where Evers eventually won it. We launched near the where Evers was fishing on the second to last day and the water was clearer, but still pretty dirty. A 1oz bait stays near the bottom and bangs into cover, doesn't tend to roll and snag like a lighter bait (he was fishing around a lot of dock cables that are really bad about snagging spinnerbaits), and allows to fish the big trailer without effecting the action of the bait and present the big profile in the dirty water to get a big bite. He wasn't getting many bites a day, but the quality was good. 

 

51 minutes ago, Munkin said:

Giving up another secret here but I slow roll whiteish single blade spinnerbaits in our local reservoirs in the spring. Either 1/2oz with a #6 Indiana or 3/4oz with a #7 silver blade for the win. Since no-one is using this configuration it just wrecks them. I will only get a few bites but all the fish are 4-6lbs which is what counts.

 

Allen 

A tandem Colorado/Indiana blade configuration is one of my favorites for the same reasons, I just don't think many people are throwing it. Seems to work in any water clarity also. 

[Catt]

I'm just a dumb Cajun but to me "slow rolling" a spinnerbait is when you let it fall to the bottom, reel it just fast enough to keep it up right, & in contact with the bottom. Other wise ya just chunking & winding!

 

My weapon of choice is a 1/2 or 3/4 oz double Willowleaf, preferably a Stanley Wedge or Vibra Wedge. I'll cast up close to the bank, following the bottom contour, up & over logs, ricocheting of stumps, weaving back through brush.

 

[ChrisD46]

Spinnerbait Paddle Tail Swim Bait Trailer Tip : Rig the paddle tail swim bait upside down as this will help keep the spinnerbait down when reeling it back ... Many good replies above !

[Deleted account]

You guys been looking at my notes?....  

Really like doing this, specially late winter into the pre spawn.

 

[Munkin]

15 hours ago, Catt said:

I'm just a dumb Cajun but to me "slow rolling" a spinnerbait is when you let it fall to the bottom, reel it just fast enough to keep it up right, & in contact with the bottom. Other wise ya just chunking & winding!

 

My weapon of choice is a 1/2 or 3/4 oz double Willowleaf, preferably a Stanley Wedge or Vibra Wedge. I'll cast up close to the bank, following the bottom contour, up & over logs, ricocheting of stumps, weaving back through brush.

 

The baits I slow roll get lighter after a day or two fishing from dragging them on the bottom. I have a bait in the basement that is 1/8 to 3/16oz lighter than an exact bait from loss of paint and lead from slow rolling the bottom.

 

Allen

[RHuff]

15 hours ago, ChrisD46 said:

Spinnerbait Paddle Tail Swim Bait Trailer Tip : Rig the paddle tail swim bait upside down as this will help keep the spinnerbait down when reeling it back ... Many good replies above !

 

Don’t give all of the secrets away.. j/k

[pauldconyers]

On 1/2/2019 at 9:30 PM, Munkin said:

Giving up another secret here but I slow roll whiteish single blade spinnerbaits in our local reservoirs in the spring. Either 1/2oz with a #6 Indiana or 3/4oz with a #7 silver blade for the win. Since no-one is using this configuration it just wrecks them. I will only get a few bites but all the fish are 4-6lbs which is what counts.

 

Allen 

I've been looking for a good, white spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade but War Eagle doesn't seem to make one. Booyah is about the only one I've seen. Gold or silver a better blade color option?

[Deleted account]

9 hours ago, pauldconyers said:

I've been looking for a good, white spinnerbait with a single Colorado blade but War Eagle doesn't seem to make one. Booyah is about the only one I've seen. Gold or silver a better blade color option?

Blades and skirts can be changed as required. I almost always throw gold over silver, except in really clear water and sunny conditions, but I know guys that only throw silver and they catch just as good. I think they are reacting to the action of the blade more than anything. keep in mind, these fish are usually staging, and won't move far for a bait. When you get one, you'll usually get more in the same general area, sometimes they will be stacked, that makes for a good day. Pay attention to the slow part of slow rolling. I can't say anymore without the cone of silence...

[Hook2Jaw]

I've been using a 1/2oz Booyah Blade Double Willow for general use, varying my retrieve speed from cast to cast, but having most of my success with it slow and near the bottom.  It's winter, and makes sense.  I've been using a 4 1/2" YUM Pulse as a trailer.

 

What I understand about spinnerbaits is to increase my weight, like any lure, and decrease my speed to access the middle of the column and bottom.  I keep colors simple, white in clearer water, chartreuse in dirtier water.  I keep my trailer colors close to my spinnerbait, but try not to match to attempt to draw the bite towards the hook.  That's about it.

 

What I don't understand about spinnerbaits is when to use one blade rather than two, when to downsize or upside my blade/s.  

 

There's some great information so far, but if the spinnerbait masters here could keep coming off information that would be great!

[Catt]

1 hour ago, Hook2Jaw said:

What I understand about spinnerbaits is to increase my weight, like any lure, and decrease my speed to access the middle of the column and bottom.

 

I control depth by raising or lowering my rod tip & retrieval rate.

 

As for the actual lure weight, for me it's about matching the food source. Toledo Bend for instance a 3/8, 1/2, or 3/4 will get you bit but in our marshes ya gotta drop down to 1/4 oz.

[Deleted account]

56 minutes ago, Hook2Jaw said:

What I don't understand about spinnerbaits is when to use one blade rather than two, when to downsize or upside my blade/s.

for slow rolling I like a willow/colorado, and Indiana/colorado, and a single colorado. It's almost to the point where I get to the water, and the wind, and color of the water brings a particular bait to mind, and I start with that, but will adjust if need be. As far as single vs tandem, If I'm going to mini yoyo (start and stop, as opposed to steady retrieve) as a primary trigger, then I'll go single, otherwise it's 2 blades. 

[the reel ess]

I use the War Eagle double willow in gold/gold shiner. The skirt has some strands that are longer so it resembles a trailer. This allows me to use a trailer hook all the time without interfering with the trailer.

 

If you're like me, you have some spinnerbaits in the box that the skirts have long since disintegrated off of. I replaced some of those skirts with War Eagle replacement skirts so I could have different blade combos with the same skirt colors. 

[scaleface]

I only have one of these left but early in the year I like to use  weedless short-arm bait with a pork trailer . Now that pork trailers are no longer available I'll probably go with a twin tail grub . I like to slow-roll it next to cover then kill it .