So I know quite a bit about spinner baits but the one thing I can’t grasp is when to use Colorado blades because most people swear by willow blades all the time. Colorado is meant for dirty water but how dirty is dirty enough for Colorado? Do you always fish them slower? 

Just looking for some tips on when to use them over willow 

This might go contrary to many opinions, but I base the decision primarily on retrieve speed combined with target depth I'm fishing. If you need to slow the bait down, use a larger Colorado. If you need to speed it up, go Indiana or willow depending on how fast. Lots of component variations to get the desired outcome irrespective of water clarity.

Fish spinnerbaits using gold Indiana & Colorado blades 1/4 & 3/8 oz. white, chartreuse and white/chartreuse skirts. Like to fish the single colorado blade gold or silver depending on water conditions and single and double willow around grass and weeds and sometimes running the double willow with a light wake right beneath the the water's surface in clear water. have 3/4 & 1/2 oz. spinner baits but not used as much. Most fishing 10 ft. or less water depth.

 

Suggest you read some of Hank Parker's articles on spinnerbaits -- good stuff.

 

good fishing...

 

 

During the day I mainly throw colorado if I am slow rolling deep. I always throw colorado at night. 

I use willows / indiana for burning em over weed lines / shallow water. 

I use mostly single Colorado, whether it is clear or stain. If fishing shallow, I will keep it just under the surface. It is really what you have confidence in.

I've custom a few by mixing the blades silver Colorado blade and gold Willow blade 

I normally run a willow with a Colorado.  Fish in the lake I hit most don't go for straight Colorado very well.  I learned that the hard way with a few beatdowns.

I use them the most for nightime or murky shallow water. They create the most vibration, lift, and slowest rate of retrieve compared to other style blades.

 

Allen

I couldn't make any of the 'rules' work for me, so I just use combo Willow/colorado 90+% of the time

I never use use a single Colorado unless at night , anytime else I run willow and Colorado, small Colorado with bigger willow. 

I use Colorado blades at night because they come with the Midnight Special . Otherwise I use willows most of the time and in the  early spring I love Strike King Spin Dance with the Turtle-back blades . They are no longer made but you can get similar blades from various tackle suppliers . I'm going to order some this winter and make a few baits since this is my last one . 

 

 

Willow gives off a more realistic flash and colorado gives off a stronger vibration. I kinda developed this through trial and error. 

 

White/silver skirt double willow silver blades with a white swimbait trailer for day

 

For muddy or stained water any chartruese/gold willow blades with black chunk trailer for day

 

Dark/black skirt colorado blades with a dark chunk craw trailer for night. 

 

This system has produced quality bass for me over the years.

 

 

 

 

Colorado blades can work in any water color and not just at slow speeds. I learned how to fish a spinnerbait bulging a single Colorado bladed spinnerbait just below the surface and caught a lot of fish doing it. When they're keying on bluegills I seem to do better with Colorado blades also. 

They really do outshine the others in muddy water though. If it's really muddy, double Colorado blades with the front being bright orange and back being copper or silver is one of my favorite combinations. 

13 hours ago, scaleface said:

I use Colorado blades at night because they come with the Midnight Special . Otherwise I use willows most of the time and in the  early spring I love Strike King Spin Dance with the Turtle-back blades . They are no longer made but you can get similar blades from various tackle suppliers . I'm going to order some this winter and make a few baits since this is my last one . 

 

 

 

The Midnight special is the only factory bait I use regularly as I make most of what I use.

 

I have some of these Spin Dance spinnerbaits NIP if you are looking for some more.

 

Allen

Colorado blades provide two main things: vibration and lift. They will do the following to your spinnerbait:

 

• Make it run a little bit slower
• Make it run a little bit louder (more vibration)
• Make it run a little higher up in the water column

Willow blades provide two main things: speed and flash. They will do the following to your spinnerbait:

 

• Make a run a little bit faster
• Give off a little more flash
• Make it run a little lower in the water column

 

 

Lately I have been using the double Colorado blades pitching them under docks. The Colorado blades seem to lower the rate of fall. The bass seem to hitting the spinnerbait just as it starting to fall. Here is a picture of one of the bass that I caught underneath docks

I like Colorado Bladed SpinnerBaits anytime the water is dark enough to make Bass hold tight to cover but I also fish this style of spinnerbait when Bass are guarding spawning beds, regardless of water clarity. These seem to be the two best producing scenarios for me, but it will work in many water conditions and situations. I've even heard about some anglers pitching and helicoptering Single Short Arm Colorado Spinnerbaits around Wood and docks with success. Hope this is helpful !

Went to a small lake yesterday that has  a good population of bass . Strong  but cold south wind  blowing , mild temperatures . spent the first four hours with zero fish . Tried Crankbaits deep , worms , buzzbaits , swim bait , even tried a Wacky rig . Tied on a spinnerbait with silver willow leaf as the main blade and a small  gold Colorado then proceeded to catch about twenty   in the next four hours .Had a limit of fifteen inch plus keepers but nothing huge . The skirt wasnt bright , it had grey , blue and brown tones and the bass were taking it deep . These were the first spinnerbait fish I have caught since pre-spawn .

14 minutes ago, scaleface said:

Tied on a spinnerbait with silver willow leaf as the main blade and a small  gold Colorado

This is my favorite configuration.

20 minutes ago, scaleface said:

  wind blowing ,

I know that blind adherence to rules while bass fishing means you'll get your lunch money taken, but I still automatically tie on a spinnerbait if its choppy...any time of year, any water...can't help myself

3 hours ago, Choporoz said:

I know that blind adherence to rules while bass fishing means you'll get your lunch money taken, but I still automatically tie on a spinnerbait if its choppy...any time of year, any water...can't help myself

Yep , under these conditions I should have went with a spinnerbait early on . Often I make the wrong choices but finally made the correct one .