Using Smilie Blades?

[morriscode]

Anyone have any suggestions about troll speed? color? or anything that might help a first time user of Macks Smilies. How far ahead of the bait do you usually put the blade? How do you keep the blade in place? Thanks WC'ers

[Muleskinner]

You can run the smile blades at 1/2 mph and they will turn true. This is what makes the smile blade shine when the bite gets slow. The blades will also turn at faster speeds but above 2 mph you need to be careful of line twist. Colors are colors but the Chart fire tiger and the clear scale are two of my favorites. The scale type give a prism effect in good light penetration areas. Place several beads behind the blade just as you would a colorado or indiana blade. Do not place any beads in front of the smile blade this will hinder its natural action. The distance from the bait will be determined by how many beads you use. You can also us floats and other hardware behind the blades as long as you place a bead in there first.




good catching,
Kevin

[morriscode]

Thanks Kevin

I am heading to Cabelas in Owatonna this week to pick up a few. What size do you like s,m,l? I will be using crawlers/leeches most of the time. Do smilies glide side to side or just turn over like a spinner? Maybe a dumb question but I have never seen them work. Thanks again Kevin.

[Heye5]

Does anyone know if Cabela's has a variety pack of these blades? Last time I was in the store, all you could buy was large quantities of the same color/size blade. I would like to give them a try but wanted just a few in different colors. Does any place else sell them in maybe 5 or 10 packs? Thanks.
HEYE5

[tom g]

call macks they will send you a catalog where you can order five of each. The best luck for me has benn mostly drifting with them when the fish want it slow

[morriscode]

Cabelas does not sell variety packs. Only same color same size packs of about 15 for 8 bucks. I like the look of the gold prizm blades myself....but I aint a walleye! Fish on

[Backwater Eddy]

Mack's Smilie Blades are the only spinner blades I use on rivers now. They function well at any speed, even stopped or back slipping in the current. They float up in rivers and stay out of harms way much better then a conventional blade. Like it was mentioned they work at a very low level of counter blade resistance, 1/2 mph is all it takes.

I have came to believe that in waters where shiners are king so will the Smilie Blade shine. Colors can vary from day to day and light conditions. I like the pink, gold, and green, but use the others too.

A method that has produced well for me in the spring is rigging a Smilie Blade on a slip float 1-2' above the bait set between 2 bead stops.

The bobbing action of the waves adds enough motion to occasionally flutter the blade adding a bit of flash and attraction at a distance. I feel this has upped the catch on walleye roaming bolder fields. I have also used this trick on pike with live Chubb’s or dead baits, it worked very well.

Backwater Eddy ~ ~ ~><sUMo> ~ ><>

http://home.talkcity.com/ResortRd/backwtr1/index.html

[FROGMAN]

As alluded to in an earlier post Smile blades really shine in a slow presentation. For post front situations, or when the bait being offered is small stay with the small, or medium blades. I routinely use the large blades for open water trolling situations.

Color really is dependant on many factors, so I won't try to spout any info on that subject.

Smile blades come in 5, or 25 blade packs in a multitude of colors. The 5 blade packs even come in assortments like tiger assortment, and scale assortment, etc.
If you have trouble finding them in your area you can call them at 1-800-525-8737. Tell em FROGMAN sent you, and they'll get you taken care of.
Tight lines


Keith Segar
NPAA #260