how do you know what skirt and blade color to throw? and also when reeling in, do you twitch it, slow reel, or experiment to see what they like?

Glenn did a video a few months back that is on the site about spinnerbaits. One of the most informative videos I have ever watched.

Burn it, slow roll it, all speeds in between, let it sink and pop it back, steady retrieve, stop go stop go, bump it into limbs, rocks, stumps, helicopter it down beside cover (falling with blades twirling), wake it with blades spinning just beneath the surface leaving a trail in the water's surface, pretty much anything I can think to try until I get a hit.

I use spinnerbaits when there is a chop on the water to diffuse it's image underwater so the bass don't get a real good look at it. This is in clearer waters and on windy, breezy days. Muddy waters I don't worry so much about the chop cause bass can't see as well so it's more about vibration of the blades and bulk of the body for water displacement instead, also very bright or dark colors such as chartreuse or black for muddy waters.  I like more natural colors in clearer water, such as something resembling a baitfish like shad, bluegill, crappie, or even trout.  If I'm slowrolling it on the bottom I may use a brownish color to resemble a crawfish, and use a crawfish trailer such as the Netbait baby paca craw.

I use silver blades in clear waters and gold blades for murky stained, or muddy waters. Even black or brightly painted blades for muddy water as well, or when I fish at night.

Longer, skinnier blades (willow leaf) for more flash, shorter, wider blades (colorado) for more thump and vibration. Indiana blades are a hybrid of the two for the best of both worlds.

In his video Glenn says "Any color is fine as long as it's white.." I would have to agree for daytime fishing. Use dark blue or black for night fishing.

Experiment with colors and blades and techniques when throwing a spinnerbait.

Too many variables to list or consider in one post.

May I suggest purchasing Kevin VanDam's Proven Spinnerbait Techniques; Gerald Swindel's Teaching Success with Spinnerbaits; or Hank Parker's Ultimate Guide to Spinnerbaits? All are great productions and you will learn a lot.

I have them in order of preference for me, with KVD being the best and Parker's production having too much filler.

Also, read, read and read some more, on this site an the web. 

on the retrieve you just have to try differnt ones and see what is working

Experiment with colors and blades and techniques when throwing a spinnerbait.

Too many variables to list or consider in one post.

May I suggest purchasing Kevin VanDam's Proven Spinnerbait Techniques; Gerald Swindel's Teaching Success with Spinnerbaits; or Hank Parker's Ultimate Guide to Spinnerbaits? All are great productions and you will learn a lot.

I have them in order of preference for me, with KVD being the best and Parker's production having too much filler.

Also, read, read and read some more, on this site an the web.

I have to agree with Sam on the KVD video! Well worth the money! I also have KVD's Advanced Spinnerbait Tatics and its good too. Glenn's video here on BR is a great source of information too!

Great answer Rooster, I learned a bit from it, thanks.

Why Thankee!!   

Crash it into anything you can find. Kill it just after you do this. White skirt with gold willowleaf blades seems to produce well in this area.

Glenn did a video a few months back that is on the site about spinnerbaits. One of the most informative videos I have ever watched.

Where can I find this video?

Allen

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1247326108/

Check out all the stuff in "Best Of" BassResource.com

in the top portion of every section.

-Kent

Double gold willow blades, and a shad skirt..

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1247326108/

Check out all the stuff in "Best Of" BassResource.com

in the top portion of every section.

-Kent

Thanks!

Allen

My fav is a war eagle 1/2 with double nickel blades and color would be silver shad.  I have done very well with this spinnerbait in many conditions.  I like to slow roll this bait and bump it into anything that gets in the way,  then pause it for a second and it will get eaten.

I don't throw spinnerbaits all that much, but when I do I experiment with color a lot.  The clearer the water gets, I throw more baitfish colored baits, as water gets more stained, I go to more chartreuse colors.  My all time best muddy water color (less than 1 foot visibility) is a half ounce, chartreuse/purple, single copper colorado blade.  Slow roll it and bump it into whatever is there.

   I have six different colors of spinnerbaits in my box. My number one producer, the one I have the most confidence in, and he one I've caught my first and most recent spinnerbait bass on? White. Clear water, ponds, lakes, wherever, white will catch fish. In all honestly the only color you need in our box IMHO

In the past couple of years I have started fishing more with spinnerbaits.  I use white or white/chart.  with silver tandem blades.  For me, I've found that the white works better in stained to muddy water and the white/chart works better in clear water.

Here's a good video I found on youtube. KVD gives a lot of good tips.

Lots of techniques, but in a nutshell:

Color - white skirts with some blue or grey in them to break it up with silver willow leaf blades. OR Chartreuse with orange or blue highlights with a gold willowleaf blade. I find the gold blade gives a very nice shine in tea stained water.

Technique - burn 'em! especially in clear water. You can slow roll in deeper water or dark dirty water. I've had luck with & without twitching etc. but rip it thru those weeds is always a good thing to add to your retrieve. You can throw these thru thick weeds.

from experience, I've found color to not make a difference at all, so I don't bother with color.  I would look more at the type of blades for what kind of retrieve you're going to have.  If you're slow rolling, you may not want the same blade as if you're burning it back.

Skirt color: white or white-n-chartreuse

Blade color: willow or Colorado it's all gold with an occasional silver/gold

I seldom throw anything under 3/8 oz

I'll work the entire water column 

Day or night, I've caught most of my spinnerbait LM's with a black skirt. There's really something about black that seems to draw them like a magnet. However, if I'm slow rolling deep structures for smallies, I prefer white. Just something I've experimented with over the years.

Blades are simple. I stick with a single gold Indiana type, about 90% of the time. If I'm going deep, then I'll switch to a willow. Rarely have I found the need to go to a heavy thumper, like a colorado type blade, Although, I suppose they'd have an advantage in dim light or night time conditions.

Black skirts for morning and evening.

White skirts for the daytime.

Glenn thinks the Lumaflex skirts REALLY make

a difference. I'm going with his advice, swapping

out the factory skirts and going all white.

8-)