Spinnerbaits are an all time classic bass fishing lure. They are also one of the best clear water fishing lures.
But as with any lure or or rig, you need to select the right color, blade type, and fishing methods to maximize your success with spinnerbaits.
So let’s look at the best color spinnerbaits for clear water.
When it comes to color selection, it is best to keep it simple. In clear water, you want to use as natural of a color as possible, because bass can get a good look at your spinnerbait.
The three best colors when fishing spinnerbaits in clear water are white, natural bluegill, and gray.
White is by far the most popular clear water spinnerbait color. It is primarily a shad imitation, and catches tons of bass.
Although the color white is quite bright and visible, it still maintains a natural presentation even in clear water.
This colors also seems to work especially well on overcast days, which is fitting because spinnerbaits already work better when it is cloudy.
A white spinnerbait looks like a small school of shad that have been separated from the main school.
Bass hone in on this type of forage and love to chomp on a white spinnerbait.
During the post-spawn and summer months, bass feed really heavily on bluegill.
No matter what lure you are using, mimicking a bluegill in clear water is always a good idea.
Bluegill colored spinnerbaits will work best in shallow water. Once the water depth gets past 6 or 7 feet, I rarely use bluegill colored spinnerbaits.
But up shallow, where the bluegill live, this color is very hard to beat. When imitating bluegill, choose either gold or colored blades on the spinnerbait.
These blades give off a bit less flash and are much better at imitating the green and orange colors of a sunfish or bluegill.
Gray is still a shad imitation, but it outperforms white when the water is a bit colder.
So in the early spring, late fall, or during a cold front, use a grey spinnerbait in clear water.
The gray color is a bit more dull and nonthreatening compared to white, which is very reflective and bright.
The clearer the water is, the faster you want to fish your spinnerbait.
In muddy water, you slow roll, in stained water, you use a medium, steady retrieve, and in clear water you reel in that bait fast.
The reasoning behind this is that a spinnerbait is not super realisitc. It has a big wire holding it together and spinning blades.
So in clear water, you want to retrieve the spinnerbait quickly so that bass can’t get a great look at it.
What all this means is that Willow leaf blades are the best for clear water.
Willow leaf blades put off less vibration and resistance, allowing the spinnerbait for be reeled in much faster.
Other blade styles will slow the bait down, raise it to the surface, and cause it to turn on it’s side when retrieved at high speeds.
The color of your blades will mostly depend on what you are trying to imitate.
When using a white or gray spinnerbait, silver or white blades are your best options.
When imitating bluegill up shallow, gold, green, or pale yellow blade colors will work the best.
The blade colors that you want to stay away from in clear water are bright colors such as orange, red, or purple.
You also don’t want to use black blades in clear water. Those are all muddy water blade colors.
We already discussed this a bit earlier, but you speed is the name of the game.
You are trying to get a reaction strike out of the bass. If you slow rolls a spinnerbait passed the bass, they will take their time inspecting it.
They will see that the bait has a weird wire and spinning blades. And they will likely decide not to bite.
Don’t give them time to inspect or even think about the spinnerbait.
Just reel it quickly by them and force them to make a reactionary decision to bite.
The answer to this question will depend a bit on who you ask.
But for me, I consider any water that has more than 3.5 feet of visibility to be clear.
Water with more than 8-10 feet of visibility is ultra clear water.
But once bass can see more than 3.5 feet around them, they can start getting a really good look at the lures.
Also Read: When to Use a Spinnerbait?
Color Selection: In clear water, opt for natural colors like white, natural bluegill, and gray for spinnerbaits to mimic natural forage effectively.
Blade Type: Willow leaf blades are ideal for clear water as they offer less vibration and resistance, allowing for a faster retrieval speed, which can trigger more reaction strikes from bass.
Blade Color: Match blade colors to the baitfish or forage you’re imitating. Silver or white blades complement white or gray spinnerbaits, while gold, green, or pale yellow blades work well for imitating bluegill.
Retrieval Technique: Retrieve spinnerbaits quickly in clear water to prevent bass from scrutinizing the bait. This speed forces them into making a reactionary decision to strike.
Water Visibility: Clear water typically refers to water with more than 3.5 feet of visibility. Ultra-clear water has visibility exceeding 8-10 feet, where bass can scrutinize lures more closely.
Bass in clear water have a clearer view of lures, so using natural colors like white, natural bluegill, or gray helps mimic real forage and increases the likelihood of attracting strikes.
Willow leaf blades offer less vibration and resistance, allowing for a faster retrieval speed, which is effective in clear water where bass can scrutinize lures more closely.
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