Was using a spinnerbait the other day without much success. Any tips on retrieves, line, where to fish them, etc.? Typically the water in my area is clear although it isn't right now, can I still have success with a spinnerbait in clear water? I'm fishing a Booyah spinnerbait in a citrus shad color with 1 silver and 1 gold willow leaves. Thanks for the help!

Spinnerbaits are best when there is a little chop or break in the water.  I normally use a swim jig when the water is calm or slick or when the water is really clear.  What works for me is casting past cover and reeling the spinnerbait past it, whether that's laydowns, grass lines, docks, etc.  

http://www.bassresource.com/content/search?SearchText=spinnerbaits&BrowsePageLimit=30

 

Spinnerbaits sink so they  cover the entire water column and work excellent in deep water  . Expect bigger than average fish when used deep . They are also more snag-proof than a lot of other lures .They are among best lures for  precision  casting/pitching  in shallow cover .

Glenn has a good video:

 

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/spinnerbaits-bass-fishing.html

i never just retrieve it straight.  i'll pump it a bit, speed up/slow down and yo-yo it.  i'll work it every which way possible.  I for one don't fish them a ton in just open water, i prefer to bang them off a stump, rock, laydown, etc. and then let the fish come off that cover and smash it!  

A-Jay

Slow rolling is a good technique to use when fishing a spinnerbait and I have caught lots of big bass using this technique.

Spinnerbaits is one of my confidence baits.  I don't go anywhere without one, all year long.  For clear water I like natural colour baits and normally fish a double willow bait.  So it sounds like you got the right idea with a natural colour.  This time of year I would slow roll it.  Let it sink all the way and then reel enough to get it going and reel it slow.  I always fish it outside weed lines or through corridors/open spaces between cover.  I love to bring it through standing trees, well not through but just around it.  

Run it into something, then kill it, then repeat. 

Clear water spinnerbaiting "can" be incredible.

 Sometimes a painted bladed model will outfish a flashy model in clear water.

 I know, that flash is a major attractant, but at times its just to flashy in clear water. At least thats what Ive found. Days I'm fishing clear water with wind, and a nickle bladed bait isnt producing in a good area? I will change over to a painted bladed model, and be back in business. Also, (depending on prevalent bait) a copper, gold, or brass bladed model may be the ticket. As well as a smaller offering, like a 1/8 oz model.

 Spinnerbaits can be just as tough to figure out as any other bait. But if you've found the right one, it can become a favorite quickly. They offer that single hook "ease of removal", the ability to call fish from afar, and considering the right retrieve? a weedless option that will fire the fish up enough to call them out of their lair.

 As for your question?,.. fish them around and over cover, stutter your retrieves and it may just put more fish in the boat. You can bulge the surface when its not so windy, retrieve just under the surface (a foot or so) when it is windy, you can slow roll it around deeper cover, Yo-Yo single bladed models off the bottom.

 The opportunities are almost endless considering the environment its used in. Study the videos, and  past postings here and Im sure you will have a different insight about spinnerbaits afterwards

Blade choice is just as important as the color choice imo. After ice out, up until the spawn, I throw double colorado blades on my spinnerbaits. From that point forward, its willow leaf blades, or a combination of willow leafs and other blades. Colors are the same as other bait choices, natural colors in clear water, bright colors in stained water.