Spinnerbaits for smallies

[blanked]

Anyone slow roll spinnerbaits off the bottom for deep water smallies with good success?    How is the water clarity and what colors and blades do you use

[Bird]

White Spinnerbaits have always worked best here. 

Our river has a lot of eddies and shelf's and prefer 1/4 oz with combination Colorado and willow blades.

[bowhunter63]

Yes. I use Shad colored or dark if they’re feeding on crawdads. Copper blade on the darker baits. I like 3/8 ounce on the River. Colorado thumper blade 

[TnRiver46]

Negative, ghost rider 

[PaulVE64]

Ghost rider, you there?

Willows for smallies.

[Bdnoble84]

3 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

Ghost rider, you there?

Willows for smallies.

Willows or willow/ colorado combo have always been my choice. Although, i’ve started playing with indianas more.

[Jleebesaw]

I've never used one to target smallies but I have caught some on them while fishing areas that seemed more like LM territory. Not sure why, but I never use them when I'm targeting smallies. Probably should try it more. I used to catch them in a river by my childhood home on inline spinners all the time though.

[JMac603]

2 hours ago, Jleebesaw said:

I've never used one to target smallies but I have caught some on them while fishing areas that seemed more like LM territory. Not sure why, but I never use them when I'm targeting smallies. Probably should try it more. I used to catch them in a river by my childhood home on inline spinners all the time though.

Aglia in line with the hair on the treble ??

[scaleface]

I use the same ones I  do for largemouths. I will slow roll spinnerbaits in deep holes on a local river , smallies will crush it.

[DaubsNU1]

Frances Case in SD last year this time. Uncle big LMB fisherman, threw spinner baits at smallies for two days...didn't catch a thing. Me and brother were hammering them on NED...

 

He eventually switched to NED and started catching fish. 

[TnRiver46]

On 6/4/2023 at 6:15 AM, DaubsNU1 said:

Frances Case in SD last year this time. Uncle big LMB fisherman, threw spinner baits at smallies for two days...didn't catch a thing. Me and brother were hammering them on NED...

 

He eventually switched to NED and started catching fish. 

Seen that scenario play out a few thousand times 

[TOXIC]

When the spinnerbait bite is on, it’s on.  Have used a Nichols white, chrome willow bladed spinnerbait with great luck.  This year on St Clair, one of our party flew in from Australia and had limited gear.  A new bait company in the states is Bassman spinnerbaits, he sponsors Carl Jocumen and our buddy knows him.  He threw that spinnerbait a bunch and caught largemouth and smallmouth. 

[Bdnoble84]

Spinnerbait is one of my most productive river smallie lures. I have absolutely crushed them on a chart/white with chart/whote bldes over the years. Especially burned through riffles repeatedly. Its an agressive reaction response. I have also had luck rolling them along the bottom slowly.

 

also dont forget the lowly jig spin (beetlespin without the beetle). These were the first bait i ever really started having success with as a kid.