Currently throw 1/2 on both jackhammers and spinnerbaits. I have noticed even with a slow retrieve I often have trouble getting down in the strike zone. I believe there are often times where fish are just far enough out of reach that they aren’t making the move on your bait.

Yeah I do

Yep.  My most frequent weight these days with the spotsticker spinnerbaits.

 

scott

No, but I need to get into heavier jigs, spinnerbaits, and chatterbaits.

Yes , plus even shallow you can burn it and still stay down .

A lower ratio geared reel might help here too. Making yourself reel slower can be difficult. But if the reel can do that for you…

Yes. 

yes.  On a spinnerbait you up the weight for a couple reasons.  One is to get down like you said while keeping some speed on it.  You can drop the blade sizes for that also.  The other is to throw a bigger blade for thump without blowing it out of the water on top.  If you put a big #7 colorado on in dirty water but still need to get down to 3' you need a bit more weight.

Things like trailers and blade types/size will cause spinnerbaits to "lift" as well. Just something else to experiment with if you're trying to get your bait down deeper. 

I never bump up to a 3/4 oz, because I start with a 3/4 oz.

I pour my own spinnerbaits and 1/2 oz is the largest  weight . I make compact half oz baits with smaller blades for deep water. They resemble the Strike King Rocket Shad except with a regular hook.

3/4 oz spinner bait ain’t nothing.  I bump up the weight on lots of lures to fish deeper.   Every lure is a top water lure without weight.  🤣

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

3/4 oz spinner bait ain’t nothing.  I bump up the weight on lots of lures to fish deeper.   Every lure is a top water lure without weight.  🤣

Exactly I can’t do anything with 3/8 in current 

2 hours ago, scaleface said:

I pour my own spinnerbaits and 1/2 oz is the largest  weight . I make compact half oz baits with smaller blades for deep water. They resemble the Strike King Rocket Shad except with a regular hook.

Sort of like War Eagle Screamin Eagle

5 hours ago, king fisher said:

I never bump up to a 3/4 oz, because I start with a 3/4 oz.

How deep of water? 

18 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Yeah I do

If you were fishing a 4-6 ft deep river would you?

18 hours ago, softwateronly said:

Yep.  My most frequent weight these days with the spotsticker spinnerbaits.

 

scott

What depth/type of water you fish?

18 hours ago, gim said:

A lower ratio geared reel might help here too. Making yourself reel slower can be difficult. But if the reel can do that for you…

So in a 4-6’ deep river if I reel slowly, 1/2 oz will stay down?

3 hours ago, ohioguy25 said:

So in a 4-6’ deep river if I reel slowly, 1/2 oz will stay down?

The term “slowly” is subjective.

 

I would reel slow enough so that you start to bump bottom, and then lift the rod slightly up.

 

Generally speaking a 1/2 ounce is heavy enough to stay down if you reel slow enough. Bladed jigs being easier to fish deeper than spinnerbaits for me.

And much heavier for both deep AND shallow fishing - especially when it's a liiiittle clearer than I'd normally throw a spinnerbait but they're chasing and it's windy or cloudy or both.

I have spinnerbaits that go up to 1.5 oz. Running depth and speed play a big role in triggering bites, if you can get the right combination. 

14 minutes ago, gim said:

The term “slowly” is subjective.

 

I would reel slow enough so that you start to bump bottom, and then lift the rod slightly up.

 

Generally speaking a 1/2 ounce is heavy enough to stay down if you reel slow enough. Bladed jigs being easier to fish deeper than spinnerbaits for me.

Do I need a 6 speed reel or is 8 doable?

The lower the gear ratio, the slower it reels the line in.

 

An 8:1 gear ratio is a fast one. I wouldn’t use that.

I think slow rolling a spinnerbait is one of the most effective presentations there is. I start with a 1/2 oz but when I have to wait over 5 seconds for the spinnerbait to get down to the right depth I bump up to 3/4 oz. 

2 hours ago, ohioguy25 said:

Do I need a 6 speed reel or is 8 doable?

I was fishing an 8 tonight.  It’s not ideal, but you can make it work.  You just have to turn the handles slower.  It can be harder to do and you might find yourself getting carried away but if that’s what you have you make it work.  

I personally have some trouble with anything around 30 IPT or faster with spinnerbaits, unless I am really burning one to "make a bulge" type of retrieve. 

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

I personally have some trouble with anything around 30 IPT or faster with spinnerbaits, unless I am really burning one to "make a bulge" type of retrieve. 

What gear ratio is 30”?

22 hours ago, ohioguy25 said:

 

What depth/type of water you fish?

 

 

Great Lakes, from shore most often, and small inland lakes, from a boat most often.  From about 5-25' is my usual target zone.  I can fish it relatively fast at 5' down in open water above where I think they are and I can slow roll it near the bottom in 25' fow.

 

scott

41 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

 

Great Lakes, from shore most often, and small inland lakes, from a boat most often.  From about 5-25' is my usual target zone.  I can fish it relatively fast at 5' down in open water above where I think they are and I can slow roll it near the bottom in 25' fow.

 

scott

So for slow rolling in a 5’ river with current what weight would you use?