6 Spinnerbait Tips to Catch More Fall Smallmouth Bass

Wired2fish caught up with Bill Lowen for a lesson on finding and catching shallow water smallmouth bass using spinnerbaits during the fall. While deeper offshore structure makes prime smallmouth habitat, the shallows always hold fish, particularly during the spring and fall. A fast-moving spinnerbait bulged just below the surface is tailor-made to imitate a small school of baitfish and excels at combining vast flats and triggering reaction strikes. *Product links at the bottom. Here are Lowen's 6 tips to dial the bite: 1.)Burn (speed reel) spinnerbaits just under the surface. Bass in clear water feed by sight — a fast retrieve prevents fish from inspecting the bait and forces a reaction strike. It's also among the best methods for combining vast expanses of water in search of scattered bass. 2.)Select a heavy-wire spinnerbait with thin willow leaf blades. Speed combined with the aggressive nature of smallmouth requires the use of a beefy spinnerbait. Lowen favors a heavier-gauge wire, yet