Spinnerbait….what I’m doing wrong?

[Ravox]

Cloudy day, chopped water every time I see a weather like that I try to throw a spinnerbait, willow blade, colorado blade makes no difference , slow retrieve fast retrieve nothing never got anything on this bait, observing the fish at the ponds the bait has a opposite effect, it scares the fish I see they run away from the bait (bass and peacock bass) bought a rod and reel just to throw this bait and I’m starting to regret…what I’m doing wrong?

 

 

[Mobasser]

Try a Beetlespin

[Spankey]

Maybe smaller versions of spinnerbaits. Booyah, Strike King have micro styles. 
 

Try In-line Mepps spinners. Stick with it. Don’t get overly Frustrated. 

[A-Jay]

If you can see the fish,

they can see you.

Rarely ever a real strike generating situation.

Go at night.

A-Jay

[Skunkmaster-k]

Spinnerbaits are hit or miss for me. I absolutely love throwing a 1/2 oz double willow during pre spawn, it’s what I caught my pb with. The rest of the year I can’t catch a bass on a spinnerbait to save my life. 

[FrnkNsteen]

Agree with A-Jay that if you can see them, they can see you. Back off a bit, maybe go smaller bait and willow blades vs colorado blades so less thump. 

 

Spinnerbaits dont always work. But the two biggest bass I have ever caught both came on spinnerbait bites. The largest on a bright sunny day off a submerged stump. The other was high water flood conditions up in the trees in a flooded cove.

[TnRiver46]

Whatever you are doing wrong, I am too. Granted ponds (golf course) are the only place I’ve ever had success with spinnerbaits, but that was some time in the late 1990s

[813basstard]

Sell them to me…with the rod/reel

 

 

In my experience, spinnerbait maybe the most ‘conditions based’ bait in the arsenal. 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

If your using a bigger SB try going with either the war eagle finesse sb or Picassos thunder sb.  I've found that blade to be the perfect balance of a col and willow blade which makes it really versatile.  

I generally prefer a chatterbait, but I found a sb to be more efficient in really muddy water when the fish are tight to cover and when it rains.  It seems like just a little bit of rain will dramatically increase the effectiveness of a sb.

[papajoe222]

Those conditions sound ideal for throwing a spinnerbait. This time of year, I go with a smaller than standard willow blade and a fast retrieve. About the only thing I can add is to keep chucking them. Long casts in clear water, even on overcast days with a chop on the water. That, and repeated casts to targets.

[GreenPig]

Have you tried the left hand spinning blades?? Spinnerbaits work great on some bodies of water and no so much on others for me.

[TnRiver46]

3 hours ago, Ravox said:

Cloudy day

 

 

I’ve heard that sun can be better for SB, but once again I’m not the guy to ask 

[WRB]

Spinnerbaits, Blade baits (Chatter) and  crank baits are effective under the same conditions, targeting active feeding bass. Spinnerbaits create more flash to attract the bass along with pulsing a lot of water. The right lure at the right time and that is when bass are feeding on baitfish.

Tom

PS, Rick Clunn had great success with spinnerbaits in Florida.

[Ravox]

Was not that close to observe the fish running away from this bizarre thing full of wire and metal, usually I can see them attacking other baits like lipless cranks or plastic worms…. I just frustrating to keep trying spinnerbaits like that in what is a ideal condition and nothing happens at this point im thinking maybe is not worth to spend a cent with SB or SB related equipment 

The last time was using this strike ming btw… but tried other brands like terminator etc…with no luck

 

 

[Glenn]

Speed up your retrieve.

 

Also, these videos can help:

 

 

 

 

[ironbjorn]

I do not do well with a spinnerbait in the open water, windy and choppy and overcast or not. However, a spinnerbait has been killer for me, and here's how: I hug the bank with them. I'm talking 36" or less from the bank. Bass who are ambushing prey alone the bank can't help but hit it. I do the same with cover/wood/weed lines. Even better if you can bump the weeds or wood. Overcast and RAIN (couldn't care less about wind) make it even better, wind never matters for me here, but it will work even on sunny calm days. A spinnerbait, at least for me, is the epitome of target casting and combat fishing. You're truly hunting with a spinnerbait, choosing the most likely areas. Chuck and wind into open water is not where a spinnerbait shines.

[Columbia Craw]

2 hours ago, 813basstard said:

Sell them to me…with the rod/reel

 

 

In my experience, spinnerbait maybe the most ‘conditions based’ bait in the arsenal. 

Well said.  After over 40 years, I think I have a grasp on the situations and conditions where a spinnerbait may be that high percentage lure I need to be throwing on the locations that I fish.  I can’t speak for others.  
Pre spawn seems to present optimum conditions whether it be largemouth or smallmouth and I get to fish both. As the water warms those optimal situations lesson. Don’t throw in the towel .

[Hammer 4]

Yeah, the if you can see the fish, they can see you. Eliminate this, stay as far as you can from where the fish are, i.e. make long cast's, sometimes the bass will hit as it enters the water, other times I've let it sink to the bottom, the either slow roll it, or do some little hop's off the bottom. Heck I had a 6+ lb bass breach the surface, about almost 2 feet in the air trying to eat my 1/2 oz double willow spinnerbait. I can say that over the many years fishing, I've 100's of bass on spinnerbaits, in all kinds of conditions, and from early morning up until dusk.

I would recommend that you keep at it until you find a way to get em to bite, by varying your presentation. 

[Deleted account]

Sometimes fish want a spinnerbait, and sometimes they don't (goes for pretty much every other bait too). Give 'em what they want. I start out folks trying to "learn" a spinnerbait with a small one with some weight, usually doesn't take long for them to catch on.

[Bankbeater]

It's been very hot here and the bass that I have been catching have not wanted to chase anything down.  Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, and bladed jigs have not been getting bit.

[Functional]

what kind of trailer are you using on it? bare spinnerbait or with trailing hook I cant catch jack on them....with the right trailer its my highest producing lure. Not sure the color you are using but pure white never worked great for me, the Booyah Shad color is my highest producer and its not even close. Blade color can also make a difference, I have little luck when the dominate blade color is not silver. 

 

I throw mine like ironbjorn. Anywhere you would throw a trig or jig, including the heaviest of cover. 

[Ravox]

7 minutes ago, Functional said:

what kind of trailer are you using on it? bare spinnerbait or with trailing hook I cant catch jack on them....with the right trailer its my highest producing lure. Not sure the color you are using but pure white never worked great for me, the Booyah Shad color is my highest producer and its not even close. Blade color can also make a difference, I have little luck when the dominate blade color is not silver. 

 

I throw mine like ironbjorn. Anywhere you would throw a trig or jig, including the heaviest of cover. 

Not using any trailer just a trailer hook that came with the SB, what trailer doyou recommended?

[Jig Man]

I always have at least one tied on.  Where I fish early morning up to 9 ish is spinnerbait time.  After that it is basically exercising.  I generally use only 3 colors which I change depending on conditions.  I have one for clear water and sunny, one for cloudy days and another for stained water.

[Ravox]

11 minutes ago, Jig Man said:

I always have at least one tied on.  Where I fish early morning up to 9 ish is spinnerbait time.  After that it is basically exercising.  I generally use only 3 colors which I change depending on conditions.  I have one for clear water and sunny, one for cloudy days and another for stained water.

What is the color for cloudy days and stain water you prefer?

[Captain Phil]

8 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

I do not do well with a spinnerbait in the open water, windy and choppy and overcast or not. However, a spinnerbait has been killer for me, and here's how: I hug the bank with them. I'm talking 36" or less from the bank. Bass who are ambushing prey alone the bank can't help but hit it. I do the same with cover/wood/weed lines. Even better if you can bump the weeds or wood. 

 

Spinnerbaits work best when pulled in cover.  How close?  Inches...  I fished them for years with little success.  When I started to fish them in cover, I started catching bass.  That's practically all I use now.  Spinnerbaits are big fish baits that work year round.  Hugging the bank and casting parallel is the way to go.  If the guy in the back of the boat complains, bring him to the front with you.