Anyone slow roll spinnerbaits off the bottom for deep water smallies with good success?    How is the water clarity and what colors and blades do you use

White Spinnerbaits have always worked best here. 

Our river has a lot of eddies and shelf's and prefer 1/4 oz with combination Colorado and willow blades.

Yes. I use Shad colored or dark if they’re feeding on crawdads. Copper blade on the darker baits. I like 3/8 ounce on the River. Colorado thumper blade 

Negative, ghost rider 

Ghost rider, you there?

Willows for smallies.

3 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

Ghost rider, you there?

Willows for smallies.

Willows or willow/ colorado combo have always been my choice. Although, i’ve started playing with indianas more.

I've never used one to target smallies but I have caught some on them while fishing areas that seemed more like LM territory. Not sure why, but I never use them when I'm targeting smallies. Probably should try it more. I used to catch them in a river by my childhood home on inline spinners all the time though.

2 hours ago, Jleebesaw said:

I've never used one to target smallies but I have caught some on them while fishing areas that seemed more like LM territory. Not sure why, but I never use them when I'm targeting smallies. Probably should try it more. I used to catch them in a river by my childhood home on inline spinners all the time though.

Aglia in line with the hair on the treble ??

I use the same ones I  do for largemouths. I will slow roll spinnerbaits in deep holes on a local river , smallies will crush it.

Frances Case in SD last year this time. Uncle big LMB fisherman, threw spinner baits at smallies for two days...didn't catch a thing. Me and brother were hammering them on NED...

 

He eventually switched to NED and started catching fish. 

On 6/4/2023 at 6:15 AM, DaubsNU1 said:

Frances Case in SD last year this time. Uncle big LMB fisherman, threw spinner baits at smallies for two days...didn't catch a thing. Me and brother were hammering them on NED...

 

He eventually switched to NED and started catching fish. 

Seen that scenario play out a few thousand times 

When the spinnerbait bite is on, it’s on.  Have used a Nichols white, chrome willow bladed spinnerbait with great luck.  This year on St Clair, one of our party flew in from Australia and had limited gear.  A new bait company in the states is Bassman spinnerbaits, he sponsors Carl Jocumen and our buddy knows him.  He threw that spinnerbait a bunch and caught largemouth and smallmouth. 

Spinnerbait is one of my most productive river smallie lures. I have absolutely crushed them on a chart/white with chart/whote bldes over the years. Especially burned through riffles repeatedly. Its an agressive reaction response. I have also had luck rolling them along the bottom slowly.

 

also dont forget the lowly jig spin (beetlespin without the beetle). These were the first bait i ever really started having success with as a kid.