Spinnerbaits for Clear Water

[Blue Raider Bob]

Any thoughts or favorites for skirt color and blade color for fishing clear waters?

[Siebert Outdoors]

I like my flash shad in double will.  Here is a pic of it in a co/willow

[Blue Raider Bob]

11 minutes ago, Siebert Outdoors said:

I like my flash shad in double will.  Here is a pic of it in a co/willow

chrome/silver blades for clear water?

[casts_by_fly]

I'm similar to Mike, though I downsize to the compact.  I normally prefer silver blades in clear stuff unless there is grass around at which point I'll go one of each.  Sometimes I might through bloody shad.  Sometimes I'll go to a more pumpkinseed and gold if its one of the lakes up here that doesn't have a lot of shad. 

 

I'll always have a willow on the back.  If I want to fish deeper or faster it will be a willow on the front.  If I'm targetting 4' or less then I'll probably throw a colorado front.

[greentrout]

Panther Martin

[TnRiver46]

[A-Jay]

 

In clear water, these work well for me.

 Long casts and Burned just under the surface, and I mean 'just under the surface'.

Presented over hard & soft cover as well as across expansive 'flats'.

Speed is your friend but the bait must run straight & true.

A-Jay

[Catt]

@A-Jay We call it "waking" a spinnerbait

 

Deep water structure & a big ol spinnerbug! 

[Reel]

Yes, white for clear water.

[Jig Man]

War Eagle Firecracker

[Munkin]

 

Natural color with downsized willows. Best clear water spinnerbait 2 years in a row so far.

 

Allen

[Boomstick]

I typically use dual silver willow blades in white, silver or a sexy shad color for clear water. The smaller size Nichols Mother Lode which is slightly smaller in size tends to produce really well but most models I've used matching the criteria should work with the exception of the River2Sea's - unless there's wood around in which case they eat them up but they tend to like stained water for some reason.

[Columbia Craw]

Blue glimmer Shad with double silver willow blades.

[buzzinfrog]

Megabass SV-3 in White Python and Black/Blue.

[FishTank]

For clear water I like something with some flash and I want to burn it back in. So depending on the depth, 1/2oz-5/8oz with no trailer, white or pink color, double willow and maybe a harder wire. So far the War Eagle exactly like the one pictured above and the OSP High Pitcher Max have been my favorite.  I haven't tried the Megabass V9 but it's supposed to be designed for this type of fishing. 

[Catt]

Stanley's Big Shot is a 1oz. deepwater spinnerbait. Color: White Crawfish

 

[casts_by_fly]

@Catt is that a current color on the market?  I like that a lot and its very close to what I want to add to my box (I'd like a little orange/yellow instead of red).

 

rick

 

[RHuff]

My number one combo by far has been a terminator spinnerbait in "silver shiner" with silver willow leaf blades with a pearl white swimming fluke as a trailer..... 

[Catt]

@casts_by_fly

 

https://fishstanley.com/product/big-shot-1oz-spinnerbait/

@casts_by_fly

 

https://fishstanley.com/product/replacement-skirts-200-series/

[Bankbeater]

White, black, or chartreuse and white.  Same with buzzbaits.

[WRB]

Nichols Hoosier blue pearl silver Indiana-silver Colorado works good in clear water received about 4’- 8’ deep.

Tom

[the reel ess]

[bigspirit]

Clear water for me means small, natural, and fast. 
 

the Megabass SV3 in Hasu, particularly 

[papajoe222]

I'm surprised there haven't been any responses that mentioned painted blades, especially for smallmouth.  Sometimes, less is more and in this case less flash can get you bit when those shiny blades are being ignored. 

[ChrisD46]

On 11/14/2023 at 7:56 AM, Blue Raider Bob said:

Any thoughts or favorites for skirt color and blade color for fishing clear waters?

I’ll talk spinnerbait trends in clear to very clear water : Pale , natural , translucent skirt colors . Down size spinner bait blades one size (twin willow leafs or willow / small Colorado combo) or use a newer finesse spinner bait (Siebert Outdoors) in same configurations . I experiment with standard silver blades but will add small size glitter in gold , green , pink , blue , white , etc. to one blade side or even both blade sides depending on bass forage,  water clarity , sky conditions , surface wave activity , etc. *Historically spinner baits are best used in stained / dirty water where color , flash , thump , etc. are very helpful . If you go the spinner bait route in clear water - you need  a more overcast sky , some surface ripple , transparent colors , downsize & muted blade flash and most likely faster retrieve speeds to overcome the clear water conditions . If you want to add a trailer - use a 3.3” Strike King translucent color swim bait (Ghost Shad , Smallmouth Magic) and remember to cover water !