Just bought some War Eagles with painted blades. Anyone use painted blades? And when do you use them?

I have one that is painted in a shad pattern and have really good success fishing with it. I throw it in just about any situation as my search bait. it is deadly throwing around points that are ambush points

I believe in clear water a white spinner bait with a willow blade  having one side painted white is great for Fall shad pattern . Where Spots & Small Mouth roam  - a willow blade with one side painted bright orange or chartreuse will  create greater reaction bites . I also believe under certain circumstances a painted willow or Colorado blade on a spinner bait can provide just enough difference from the norm to get a few more bites. I also believe the same holds true for under spin baits ... 

I do use them but not a lot. The times I do use them are strictly smallmouth and when the water is dirty or the fish are really aggressive. The reason being is when a good spinnerbait bite is on, you often will end up with "cookie cutter" bass, that means they are all basically the same size. When that happens a painted blade can often trigger larger ones to hit but more often I prefer them in dirty water.

I like them in clear water when I want to kill the flash (usually white blades), and muddy water when I want extra color (chartreuse, orange, or red). It can be very effective. 

Hardly ever anymore . Dont really have a reason as to why why I stopped . A  popular color in these parts use to be a white skirt with red blades in muddy water .. I once had a 1/4 ounce Fleck Weed Wader with  a vinyl grey skirt and white Indiana blades that was a great numbers bait . Even my wife caught fish with it , so it had to be good . In a club tournament the guy I was fishing with won the tourney throwing chartreuse skirt  with chartreuse blades . Im pouring my own again  and plan on making some .

I use a single chart. willow blade on a short arm spinnerbait for smallies in the fall.  The pike seem to like it, too

I have a black/blue Strike King Midnight spinnerbait with a black/blue Colorado blade that I like in the cold of winter. It slows the bait a lot and the color is very visible in the early season muddy water. I caught what was probably the biggest bass in my friend's pond on this bait last winter. I say probably the biggest bass in the pond because I caught a very similar one off the bed the spring before and the owner says she caught one almost that exact size before that. It's a very small body of water so I doubt there are many 5 pounders in there.

I have a couple natural colored ones for clear water and one that is white and chartreuse for really muddy rivers mostly. Can't say I've used them all that much tbh though. 

Never. Well almost never. When the water is "muddy" or roiled and shallow, this pattern seems to get bit.

Over a decade ago painted blades with baitfish patterns in every imaginable all color scheme was the rage. This was followed by hologram finish blades. Prior to all those about 40 years ago white, black, fluorescent orange and chartreuse color blades were the hot ticket.

Been there and done all that.

Tom

Just like Bass Archives proves......If you want to follow tackle trends, look at the lures made every 25 years, you will see they all come and go...painted vs. non painted is all preference, no right or wrong answer imo.

when fishing smallies on a cloudy, windy day I love double willow/chartreuse blades with a white/chartreuse skirt in gin clear water.

I usually use them in muddy water, or clear water when fishing for smallmouth. 

Don't use them, never have...May pick up a few now. 

 

 

Mike