SoCal Spinnerbaits

[cabullwinkle]

Guys,

Help me out with something here.  Are bass hitting your spinnerbaits at SoCal's big lakes?  The forage seems to be high with all of the bait fish and trout at these lakes and it makes me wonder if it is hurting the spinnerbait bite.  I also don't see too many people throwing these types of baits.  Please weigh in with your two cents, even if you do not fish these lakes.  

Thanks

[Branuss04]

Besides the tourney guys, I don't know anybody that throws spinnerbaits regularly.  Not to say nobody throws them, but So-Cal is the so called "Swimbait Country".  I only own one spinnerbait (Actually Found it), have only thrown it twice, caught one fish on it, and I will probably never throw it again.  

But with that said, there is NO reason they shouldn't work given the right scenario.  There is only one way to find out... GO THROW THEM!!!  

[Hammer 4]

I will toss a spinner bait anytime. Usually it's the first bait I thow when I start fishing..8 times outtta 10, I get bit..Lately it's been tough to catch a fish on a spinner bait for some reason, although I must say, where I've been fishing there hasn't been much action on anything.  

Slow rollin a spinner over weeds works great for me, usually..lol

[cabullwinkle]

Thanks guys for this input.  I always thought that to maximize a spinnerbait, you need to run it into things.  If you are fishing a lake that does not have much vegetative cover, how are you guys fishing it?  are you slow rolling it?  or burning it across the top.  I'd be very appreciative of your advice.

[Bass_Stomper]

Usually I like to "Helicopter" my spinners. I reel it up to the cover I am trying to fish then stop and let it sink while the blades spin ("Helicopter") then start to reel it in slowly again. It works sometimes but I mostly use cranks and softies.

[cabullwinkle]

I fished my spinnerbaits yesterday without any hits.  It was a good experience though because I became more familiar with different retrieves.  Have any of you guys had luck with the spinnerbait, on a wake retrieve (skimming just under the surface to create a wake) in open water?

[Bass_Stomper]

I like to do that sometimes. It's called bulging, and usually I find that with spinner baits you really have to burn it to make it stay up there. So when bass aren't as active, I'll sometimes use a Buzzbait so i can slow down the retrieve and still keep it right under the surface.

[Hammer 4]

I have used my spinner baits like a jig..as long as there isn't a ton of weeds ect..it will produce fish. That's one thing I like about spinner baits, versitile...

Never had any bites using them as a wakebait..

[Bantam1]

Fish the windy points and wind blow submerged brush. You should be able to get a spinnerbait fish or two  

[SD_BaSsAsSiN]

For surface skimming fun wait until the fall.  Bass are more active and will hit a spinnerbait moving decently fast near the surface.  When I lived in Virginia I would love to fish in the late summer to early fall because bass get really active and hit pretty much anything.  I like working topwater baits or fast moving baits like spinnerbaits or a broken back minnow.  

The best thing to do is learn about the lake you are fishing and see what kind of forage the fish have to eat on.  If there are a lot of bait fish or crayfish then a spinner should get good results once you locate feeding fish.  Blade color, size and shape as well as skirt and head color will depend on water clarity(clear-muddy), weather(rain,temp,wind), lighting condition(sunny,cloudy), time of year(pre,peak,post spawn) and the type of food you are trying to mimic(shad,bluegill,trout,crayfish).  

I general stick to silver big blade and if I have a small blade on it I'll go with either silver or gold depending on water clarity, weather and what type of bait I am trying to mimic.  Now comes the fun  part, figuring out what combination works best for that day.  I unfortunately can't tell you that since I have no idea where you are fishing and I probably haven't fished there.

Spinnerbaits work anywhere.  They are so versatile and can be fished so many ways that they are bound to catch fish on any lake or pond.  The can mimic a variety of food that bass eat.  Try different presentations and erratic movements to get fish to bite and see what works.  Hope this helps.  

[SD_BaSsAsSiN]

UPDATE:  Went to Santee Lakes today and caught 2 bass on a Strike King KVD Sexy Shad Spinnerbait.  They hit it pretty hard!  Spinnerbaits do catch fish here.

[cabullwinkle]

Thanks for the input.  I try to throw them every chance I get, I will try to work that erratic action in more.  Do you just stop, start, jerk the rod kind of thing to impart action onto it?  I fish at Lake Casitas.

[Hammer 4]

Burn em, slowroll em, jig em, a fast retrive, for a few feet, stop and twitch, you can do tons on variations..experiment with depts, fast and slow retives, mix up the twitches. Note: on a long cast, I'll reel 2 or 3 cranks then in a side motion, I whip my rod as if I were setting the hook, sometimes I keep my rod at 1 to 2 oclock, reel a few times, then let the spinner bait die, then give a jerk or 2 upwards.

[SD_BaSsAsSiN]

That is a great technique as well for slow hitting days.

cabulwinkle try working it on what I call the 5 cast method. Do 5 casts with a slow retrieve, 5 with a faster one, 5 with a stop and go, 5 with a jerking or twitch, etc.

I was doing a slow retrieve and slowly moving rod tip up and down maybe 12 to 15 inches to give it a little more action. This changes the depth of the bait without stopping it and letting it fall. This small little trick was the difference in catching fish and not catching fish.

If you have a boat there is a huge point on the west side of the island at Lake Casitas. Position your boat right off that point facing south southeast into that cove. Right there, literally at the opening of the cove is a rapid depth change so fish are more than likely going to be located there probably suspended on the drop off depending on cover. Its like a little underwater gorge. They like these spots because they are close to the shallows to feed and close to deep water if they need a quick getaway. This kind of structure holds bass year round and makes for great go to spots when you aren't having a great day.

I have no idea if this true on Casitas, I have never fished it. I am just going by what a topo map says and where I would fish if I were to fish there.

EDIT: caught another yesterday at Santee Lakes on the same spinner.

[WRB]

SoCal you need a spinnerbiat that works in and around brush early when the shad are hiding tight to cover. Smaller 3/8 oz shad colors like Bushmaster from Markey.

Buzzers work better more often than a spinnerbait.

Winter; slow rolled Ledge Busters work OK and the twin spins are very good.

WRB