Night Fishing Spinnerbaits

[Icehockeyplayer]

Was looking for an arm length on some 3/4 oz. spinnerbaits. How far back should my blade be for starters? Throwing a #6 Colorado.

Any blade color better than others. Have plenty of black nickel hammered and non. I'll be fishing a clear, rocky highland reservoir in Arkansas. 

Thanks in advance.

[mark poulson]

I coat my blades with glow in the dark white/green powder suspended in clear nail polish.  They work great at night, or early morning/low light conditions.

I used to get mine from Glo-Nation, but they're not around anymore.  You might try https://www.technoglowproducts.com/glow-in-the-dark-powder/.

[smalljaw]

For me it depends on several factors. The first is how big the bait is, you say 3/4oz but is it a 4/0, 5/0, or 6/0 hook? Then the question is how deep you are fishing and the type of retrieve used like slow rolling.  Spinnerbaits like that are usually more open to create more drag for slower retrieve speeds and maximum vibration.  If it were me making the bait, I'd use a 5/0 hook with the blade arm around 3-1/2" to 3-5/8". That should put the front of the blade (The front has the hole in it for the swivel) right near the hook bend. Positioned there it should give you the best balance and limit the amount fish hitting just the blade.

[Jig Man]

As for blade selection, for night fishing on Bull Shoals in AR, I’ve done best with a silver blade and black skirt.  When running a tandem, Colorado copper blades with red/black skirt and with a bright moon everything white.

[Outlaw4]

not sure if you ever watch any of Randy Blaukats youtube stuff but he did a night time spinnerbait one awhile back. Might be a good start.

i dont bass fish after dark much, but do do a fair amount of musky fishing then. I have had a lot of luck with black bodies and chartreuse blades. Especially when there is a little moonlight. If its more dark moony then the golds, black nickel, silvers are maybe better.  

[Icehockeyplayer]

Jig Man,

I live on Greers Ferry. If you fish Bull Shoals you should know where I'm at. Been here for about 12 years and bass fish all the tournaments, except at night. After last Sat. tournament, it's time to start night fishing till fall. The wake boats are killing my back. Does anybody oxidize gold blades anymore to dull them? I just did 12, turned out good. Old timer who used to sell me baits for my tackle shop showed me how to do it. He would win most of the night tournaments locally 20 years ago. I haven't night fished in 20 years. Thanks, any special trailers to use.

Edited May 18, 2022 by Icehockeyplayer

[JD_mudbug]

When I fish at night, I use black nickel blades on dark nights. I use silver plate or nickel blades on nights with a bright moon or when there a lots of shore lights. I sometimes use LPO glow blades or white blades coated with Folk Art Glow in the Dark paint. I really only use the glow blades in murky water at night. I seem to get more blade strikes when using glow blades in normal conditions.

https://www.lurepartsonline.com/Glow-Colorado-Blades?quantity=1&custcol10=540&page=1

Instead of dulling a good gold blade, you could buy the cheap economy brass blades. The come fairly dull. You could scuff them up with a Scotch bright pad to make them even duller.

I agree with Smalljaw on the arm length on a 3/4 oz bait. I find I have better luck with 1/2 oz bait with #5 Colorado or Mag Willow/Oklahoma with a shorter arm of 2-3/4 to 3-1/4", especially in shallow water and around cover.

For trailers, during the day I use a Zoom or Luck e Strike spinnerbait trailer. I tend use a thin trailer that doesn't do much or even no trailer because I don't want to interfere with the flutter of the skirt. At night, I either go with no trailer or will use a grub or cut off trick worm. Spinnerbait trailers can be hard to find in black. I might use a craw if I wanted to keep the bait higher in the water column or if I was hopping it off the bottom.

[Les Young]

I made a bunch of 3/4 ounce night time spinnerbaits with the lurecraft heavy duty frames & put extra number 6  deep cup colorado blades on them & they worked great. Done good slow rolling & worked real good yoyoing them. The smallmouth eventually tore them up too buit it was fun while they were & caught some pigs on them too. 

[Big Epp]

Anyone use a stinger hook at night to help with hookups? I stopped using one during the day because I find it to be un-needed most of the time, but maybe at night it would be helpful?

[JD_mudbug]

Day or night, I don't use a trailer hook on a spinnerbait most of the time. Very rarely there is a day where the fish just nip at it and I use a trailer hook then. That doesn't seem to happen at night at all. At night, I find the fish seem to fully commit when they strike. Night time strikes right at the boat can be heart stopping.