mid depth spinnerbait

[GoneFishingLTN]

Can someone help me on understanding when to fish a med depth spinnerbait and how to work it?

In past videos I see people fishing it just until they can't see the blades along with fishing it on the bottom but am a little confused about mid depth. Is it just counting it down and fishing it like swimbait with random pumps of the reel/rod? when is this productive if so?

[scaleface]

Last week I caught bass by slow rolling a spinnerbait on steep rocky banks with parallel cast. Just let it settle  a few feet then retrieved it slowly . It can be pumped if needed , just experiment . Its a pretty simple and effective technique and keeps the bait in the strike zone for most of the cast..

[LrgmouthShad]

So nowadays when I fish a spinnerbait, I try to explore the water column. I utilize the countdown method to get it to middepth. However, often I find that I am retrieving the spinnerbait slow enough that it is sinking on the retrieve. Guys will do this when slow rolling, where they will cast into the shallows and let the spinnerbait follow the drop and continue to contour along or just above the bottom. 
 

I think a spinnerbait is good across the whole column. It can be good up high in some waves where there is plenty of refraction from the waves. it can be good down low where it can bump against cover. and it can be good middepth when fish are chasing shad or other baitfish down at a certain depth or to attract bass on the bottom to come up to eat

 

I don’t think it’s easy to say though when middepth is better than other times. I think the intuitive answer is that it’s good when bass are on baitfish that are suspended. I don’t think that’s a complete answer though. I think it’s a good idea to explore the water column with a spinnerbait

[Catt]

Speed of retrieval + rod tip position = depth of lure.

 

[scbassin]

Catt has answered your question.

[LrgmouthShad]

3 minutes ago, scbassin said:

Catt has answered your question.

@Cattdid not. Not entirely. It’s a good answer; I liked it. But it’s not complete. OP also asked when is fishing a spinnerbait mid depth productive. And I’ll admit that my answer basically says that I don’t know

[Bird]

Jimmy Houston fishes a Spinnerbait in almost any situation and at various depth.

I can physically see my Spinnerbaits 99% of the time " clear water " and the 1% that I get the chance to throw them in stained water, I can feel them, especially Colorado blades.

If you don't want your Spinnerbait sinking on the retrieve go to a single Colorado blade with a paddle tail trailer.

Zman Bullzeye is my go to.

[scbassin]

LouadmouthShad I did not mean your answer was not good, Many people fish them like you stated. When I am fishing a spinnerbait(which is often) I find the fish by varying the angle of the rod tip & speed of the bait. Once I have caught a couple of fish I now have a depth to work in.

[Catt]

8 minutes ago, scbassin said:

When I am fishing a spinnerbait(which is often) I find the fish by varying the angle of the rod tip & speed of the bait

 

Same thing when working heavy cover, use your rod tip to direct the spinnerbait around & through cover. 

49 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

OP also asked when is fishing a spinnerbait mid depth productive. And I’ll admit that my answer basically says that I don’t know

 

You answered that part, why should I repeat it?

[WRB]

My favorite 8’ deep running tandom bladed spinnerbait was Nichols Pulsator with Indiana blades.

Speed, blade size and type plus weight all contribute to mid depth running. Spinner baits sink if not retrieved so you cast and let it hit bottom. Most fall about 1’ per second, count down and start your retrieve keeping the rod tip down.

Tom

[Jar11591]

8 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

So nowadays when I fish a spinnerbait, I try to explore the water column. I utilize the countdown method to get it to middepth. However, often I find that I am retrieving the spinnerbait slow enough that it is sinking on the retrieve. Guys will do this when slow rolling, where they will cast into the shallows and let the spinnerbait follow the drop and continue to contour along or just above the bottom. 
 

I think a spinnerbait is good across the whole column. It can be good up high in some waves where there is plenty of refraction from the waves. it can be good down low where it can bump against cover. and it can be good middepth when fish are chasing shad or other baitfish down at a certain depth or to attract bass on the bottom to come up to eat

 

I don’t think it’s easy to say though when middepth is better than other times. I think the intuitive answer is that it’s good when bass are on baitfish that are suspended. I don’t think that’s a complete answer though. I think it’s a good idea to explore the water column with a spinnerbait

What he said. I fish a spinnerbait throughout the whole water column, but most often it’s mid depth to bottom of water column. As the blades spin, it’s going to want to rise. Counter it by slowing your retrieve until it’s running at the depth you want. A slower gear ratio reel will help even more. I use no faster than 5.x:1. 75% of the time I’m throwing a 3/4oz spinnerbait because it’s more efficient. It allows me to fish deeper and stay deeper without as much effort, but it’s also easy to fish high in the water column by changing the position of your rod tip and retrieval speed. 
 

Like LrgmouthShad said, casting into the shallows and following the contour down can be money. And also casting deep and dragging it up the slope can be great as well. 
 

As far as when the right time to run it mid depth is, that’s all up to the fish. I always start with a slooooow roll on the bottom. As slow as I can run it while still keeping the blades thumping. If nothin doin, I adjust up the water column from there. 
 

And also, random pumps of the rod always work well with spinnerbaits at any depth. I fish my in fairly heavy weeds, and I wait until the spinnerbait gets buried, the rod loaded up, then I SNAP it out of the grass fast. It breaks free of the weeds, and also very frequently this is when a strike will come. Don’t be afraid to throw it mid depth it fairly dense cover. 
 

Sorry for the long winded response, but spinnerbaits are my bread and butter and I could go on and on about em. 

[scaleface]

 When   fishing a spinnerbait and catching bass on the outside below the mouth , the lure is probably being retrieved below the bass and they strike at the blades, hooking themselves under the mouth . If that happens more than once try retrieving higher.