Hey ya’ll,

 

I see fishing for bronzebacks in my near future. I have a lot of questions on this subject. Taken broadly, what are the differences, if any, you notice between what makes a spinnerbait productive for smallmouth vs for largemouth? Additionally, for smallmouth, are you usually utilizing a faster or more erratic retrieve? What would you say are your best seasonal periods for smallmouth spinnerbladin? 
 

Im serious, talk to me like I’m 5 years old on this subject because I don’t know a darn thing about smallmouth but where I am moving in MO offers me good opportunities for large smallmouth, probably better than largemouth I believe. We’ll have to see. 

In my experience, smallmouth seem to prefer a fast retrieve. I don’t really do any slow rolling stuff anymore. Just hasn’t produced for me the same as a fast or true burning retrieve has. I get erratic sometimes with a fast 2-3 turns of the reel then back to my regular cadence but I’ve never noticed an increase in hits after those fast turns. 
 

As a result, spinnerbaits that are easy to burn is what I go for. Double willow, smallish blades but I don’t get caught up on exact blade sizes too much. The screamin eagle is all I need! 1/2 oz and 3/4oz. I’ll say if you’re burning one to step up in weight compared to what you’d normally use in an area. 

Read this.

A-Jay 

42 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

 talk to me like I’m 5 years old on this subject 

Go ask your mother...

Spinnerbaits skunk out equally for LM and SM 

Fish a compact, louder tandem spinnerbait faster and we'll get ice cream later...

18 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

louder

In both color and blade sizing? 

1 minute ago, LrgmouthShad said:

In both color and blade sizing? 

Color, the faster the retrieve the smaller the blade(s). MO? who did you annoy?...  

4 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

MO? who did you annoy?...

LOL

 

Just a necessary stepping stone. I told you why in our convo together. Won’t be there too too long. 

Hard to beat a chart and white spinnerbait with chart and white willow blades. In the prespawn though i was hammering them on a 3/4oz spinnerbait with a single #5 willow. On overcast days i used a black painted blade. On less cloudy days it was a silver blade. 
 

my soinnerbait fishing changes by season. Dead heat of summer im burning a double willow across riffles in the rivers i fish. I havent had much luck with colorados but i havent commited to fishing that blade either. Let fish tell you what they want and try a couple diff thing. Diff waters are different.

The only spinnerbait I have thrown for smallmouth has been on Lake St Clair and it caught largemouth, smallmouth, pike, musky, white bass by the hundreds and rock bass is the Nichols 1/2 oz white with silver willows.  Just chuck and wind. 

I like a bit smaller spinnerbaits for SM, and I almost always go with dual willows, and a pretty speedy erratic retrieve, they travel a long way to smash them and you'll know when they do, they sure aren't shy about it.

I just started throwing a spinnerbait for smallies this year and similarly to @TOXIC, I also am throwing a Nichols on LSC. I’m specifically throwing the Nichols 33 Mini Double Willow Spinnerbait in ‘White & Chartreuse’ and in 1/4 oz. I primarily throw a finesse tube, but reached for a spinnerbait recently and it was smashed by a nice smallie. That was the hardest hit I’ve felt from one before.

On 7/21/2022 at 1:40 PM, Sphynx said:

I like a bit smaller spinnerbaits for SM, and I almost always go with dual willows, and a pretty speedy erratic retrieve, they travel a long way to smash them and you'll know when they do, they sure aren't shy about it.

Good point on the compact part. Even on half and 3/4 i typically stick with a 3/0 or 4/0 hook and dont go over 44 strands. I also like to tie it with short flared strands out and and longer tails underneath. Knocks down the bulk a bit.