When to use Spinnerbaits (What you Need to Know)

Spinnerbaits are very diverse fishing baits that catch all fish types and used by bass fishermen for years. This guide will explain some of the best times and conditions to throw a spinnerbait if you have never used one before. After reading this guide you will learn when to use spinnerbaits for the best chance to get fish.

So, when should you use spinnerbaits? Spinnerbaits are excellent baits that can be used all year long but excel in spring and fall months when baitfish start schooling up. The time of the day best for spinnerbaits is when water is muddy, choppy, and windy conditions. However, nighttime will also produce excellent bites, mainly when fished deep.

Can you use spinnerbaits all year long?

Yes. Spinnerbaits will produce fish all year long because you can use them in all types of water depths. The top causes a slight disturbance on the water surface. However, they are equally deadly when fished at the very bottom of the lake slow-rolling produces many bites, especially at night.

We have caught a largemouth bass on spinnerbaits every month and are a top bait for many bass anglers around the country.

Will spinnerbaits work in the dead of summer? Yes. Fish these baits very early and late in the day for great results. Like we have stated before, nighttime spinnerbait fishing has produced some excellent largemouth bass catches when slow-rolling a spinnerbait deep.

How about when the waters get very cold in winter? Yes. Spinnerbaits can be fished slow when bass and other fish slow down. Smaller spinnerbaits with larger blades will have a slower speed that catches fish in cold weather conditions.

Will spinnerbaits work at night?

The first time we used spinnerbaits at night was almost 25 years ago. We were fishing a larger lake with not a lot of weeds. We threw out a white spinnerbait with willow leaf blades, let it sink to the bottom, and slowly started to retrieve the bait and make contact with the bottom as best we could.

We crushed them that night, catching multiple fish in the 5-pound class and many more from 2 to 4 lbs. Fishing spinnerbaits at night works great.

You sometimes do not even feel the initial bite, but your lure tells like it has a lof weed on the bait when you fish at night and deep. So if you have not fished spinnerbaits at night, we highly suggest it.

What type of weather do spinnerbaits work best in?

Spinnerbaits will work in all types of weather, however when the wind starts to crank up or when it gets cloudy out, start throwing that spinnerbait to get more bites.

After heavy rain and a river mouth starts to dump its water into the lake and water muddies up, that is an excellent time to throw a spinnerbait.

The same holds after consecutive windy days stirring up the water, making the visibility drop. Spinnerbaits throw off a lot of vibration and become an excellent choice when water clouds up or during night conditions.

Is spinnerbaits good in the morning?

Yes. Spinnerbaits are some of our favorite lures to throw early in the morning, especially when we have vegetation a foot or some below the surface, allowing the retrieve to go over the top of the weeds. In addition, these blades act as a fluttering bait representing shad or shiner, causing reaction strikes.

Use a spinnerbait to cover larger bodies of water to find

Spinnerbaits should be used to find fish, especially on larger bodies of water or lakes or rivers you have never fished. These baits use blades that represent small bait and easily trigger fish to bite. Spinnerbaits are versatile and can be effectively and easily fished in any water column. These baits are a top choice to locate and find fish quickly.

In closing

Spinnerbaits are a highly versatile bait to catch largemouth bass and other types of species year-round, with Fall and Spring being some of the best times to use a spinnerbait. You can fish spinnerbaits in all water columns and catch fish, and as a nighttime bass bait, they are hard to beat.