Steelheading with Spinners...just a myth?

[guitgary]

Greetings to all my Ifish friends. While I certainly realize that steelheading with spinners is not myth...I thought more people would respond if they were up in arms!!!

I would really like to hear some techniques, recommended river conditions, spinner sizes etc etc. I've never tried spinners on steelhead...or salmon for that matter...and thought I would seek some Ifisher sage advice!

[Fish Hawg]

I'm a novice also , But I got my first spinner; steelhead on a blue fox #4 metalic blue spinner casting up stream and reeling slowing leting it tic the bottom every now and then. The water color was steelhead green. I also put a Gamakatsu siwash hook on instead of the treble. Hope this helps a little....Ross

[guitgary]

FH...did you add lead? What about swivels? Did you tie directly to the main line?

Thanks for the info!

[The Bad Fish]

spinners dont work for anything :grin:



we use blue fox #4 in chartreuse, green, red, and pink. put a 1/0 siwash on them cast up stream into the fast water and reel down stream so it flutters, sometimes the fish will take it on the down stream swing. when they do take it there is no douubt you got bit, they hammer em. good luck and ask any questions, im sure my wife could answer all them for you. it' all she uses

[The Bad Fish]

straight line to a locking snap swivel so you dont do the twist.. you can change colors faster that way.

[David Johnson]

The smaller the stream the better.

The best book out there is called, "Spinner Fishing For Steelhead, Salmon and Trout" By Jed Davis

It's a great book. Published by Amato Publications

[Fish Hawg]

I don't use lead and I just tied on to the spinner, I have the pink and chartreuse blue fox in size #4 But never caught a steelhead on them Not sure if they are the right colors, although the slivers love them. I also put a drop of smelly jelly Craw/Anise on the hook....Ross

[Flatfish]

Think pocket water. They swing on flats pretty well. But that single fish lying behind a rock is money in the bank.

Steelies do hit them very hard at times, but once in a while they just pick it up and everything stops. If you don't set the hook there and now, you will miss them. They tend to do this in bigger runs and out in the flats. The ones in pocket water usually grab it pretty hard.

Good Luck.

Mark and the size 4 1/2 dog.

[guitgary]

GREAT INFO...MANY MANY THANKS! I'm off to Sportsmans Warehouse to buy spinners!

Gary

[Dakotan]

#3 blue foxes in the summer. #4 or #5 in the winter. my most successful colors have been metallic blue or green. #4 seems to work better when the water is lower and clearer. I tie directly onto the line and leave the trebels on. I've only had one fish spit the hook. The take is a no brainer. You'll know when they grab it. Every once in awhile, it may feel like you are stuck on a rock. It doesn't hurt to set the hook in some cases bc I have caught a few that way. The trebel is nice bc I usually have them hooked with two of the hooks.....less likelihood to come unbuttoned. Good luck.

[Fish Hawg]

Has anyone caught a steelhead on the pink or chartreuse #4 blue fox? Or should I not waste my thime with those colors, and stick to the Slivers with those colors....Ross

[sparkleboy]

I love using spinners for summer steelhead. It's in my top three choices of offerings during the summer.
Replace your trebles with Siwashes. A siwash hook will give you a much deeper hookset in the fishs' mouth. Two or three hooks aren't always better than one. Trebles don't set as deep. After running an experiement this summer, I changed EVERY spinner and spoon I own to siwash hooks.
My dad used to catch steelhead on spinners during the winter. He did well on red spinners. Oh, I almost forgot, my dad caught a winter last year on a gold Bud's spinner, and I had a fish chase a blue bodied, silver flasher, spinner last winter.

[Fish Hawg]

TTT

[RichH]

A friend of mine has caught hundreds of winter fish on Three Rivers with #4 brass Bud's, usually no weight and with an upstream cast as was mentioned before. I personally prefer brass on sunny or bright days and nickel or even better yet silver on cloudy/dark days.

[TAILOUT]

Ive caught quite a few native steelhead on the Sandy with the Buds spinners, they dont seem to be quite as effective as the blue fox spinners but they do work quite well.

[Mikeymoto]

Gary like what Dave said, get and read the Jed Davis book. Lots of good info. And dont go too crazy buying premade spinners, you can build a superior product for less than 1/2 the price with just a pair of needle nose pliers. Since we have a new sponser who is absolutly great and you probably could get to his shop in 30 min or so. Go check him out and get some info, it used to be cheaper to buy from him web site than going into the shop, but to get some real knowledge he is a good one.http://www.**************.net/
Call to get his hours, I think he is still closed on Wednesday and is open to 4pm.
MM

[ultralight]

I've bought a huge quantity of PenTac spinner making components and spent countless hours fabricating silver, gold, and copper spinners of various sizes. To me, they're not as easy to make, using two pliers...can get a little dangerous, especially if you use a little heavier gauge wire. The spinner making tool definitely makes the finish-off easier, but at a handsome price tag!

In the end I think the Blue Fox spinners are superior in quality and in fish-catching ability. The only drawback with them is that they're not heavy enough to get down to the bottom. The choice between the treble and the Siwash is always a dilemma, but I generally choose the treble when I'm desperate for a hookup and I go with the Siwash in a snaggy riffle.

[north coast kook]

So, I'm not exactly clear on this. You cast it upstream, and reel it but how fast? Do I reel it fast enough to make the blade spin, or just fast enough to keep it off the bottom?
-KooK

[ORoutdoorsman]

David J, I have read that book and agree, it gives you quite a bit of insight. It also gave me some things I apply to regular drift fishing such as water temp in relation to colors and spooking fish. WHile I prefer to drift rather than use spinners, it is a good book to read if you are considering becoming more involved with spinner fishing.

[Grant Scheele]

North Coast Kook, cast upstream above where you think the fish are lying. If that is almost straing upstream that is ok. In fact, a huge percentage of my bites with spinners has been casting straight upstream and reeling straight back to the boat.

As soon as your spinner hits the water, beging reeling just fast enough to feel your blade spin. It will probably be a pretty fast retrieve. In fast water I have been seen reeling as fast as I can.

I usually lay my rod on it's side with the tip pretty close to the water to keep the spinner close to the bottom. If you can imagine your spinner about 6 inches off of the bottom you are in the zone.

My favorite spinner is the old #4 or #5 "BUD" spinner in Gold or Silver.

I have had many fish secretly chase the spinner back to the boat and take it as I am trying to lift it out of the water. There is nothing anyone can do to prepare you for this, just bring extra underwear. :grin: [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img] :grin:

Good luck. Grant

[ 01-07-2004, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: Grant Scheele ]

[night stocker]

Blue Blue Fox #5 works for me.I have seen steelhead darn near come out of the water after them.They will sometimes follow them for a long time so watch your spinner.You might just have to slow the spinner enough for the fish to catch up to it.I'm no expert,but 50 or 60 fish on that spinner has made a believer.I have a spin rod rigged at all times in my DB so when I am done drift fishing that hole I will make a few casts and SOMETIMES it will work.Or,I'll start out first with the fox.As some have said, they don't always slam the lure,just stop it.Usually, they hit it pretty hard.I also have had some sucess having the guy in the front throwing the fox as I'm rowing slowly along.Sort of like side drifting without the bait.Works best IMHO in low,clear water but have had fish in colored water too.Many limits with the fox and sometimes the only thing that works for me.Joe's has them on sale now......must stock up...Hope this helps as my drift fishing tecniques leave a lot to be desired.

[FallRiverGuy]

NCK,
The slower the better on the retrieve I think. I like to cast upstream at about a 45-degree angle and depending on the water depth, let it flutter down stream until I feel it hit the bottom. Then I start to reel just fast enough to feel the blade turn. Practice with the spinner close enough to see it, that way you so you can get a feel for the spinner when the blade is just spinning. If you don't loose some gear you are not fishing deep enough according to Jed Davis

[Icelander]

Hello All,
Here is a trick I used to fish spinners in the faster water. I used a piece of 1/4 pencile lead (length depending on how fast the water) which I ran a stainless wire leader thru and made eyes on both ends connected to swivles. Also red beads on both ends of lead for attractors. This I tied to my main line on one end and 24 to 36 inch leader on the other tied directly to the eye of my spinner. Lot less snags and gets the spinner down to the bottom. For a great number of years I made spinners and sold them thru a tackle shop in Hillsborrow Oregon. This was long before they were popular for steelhead and salmon. My favorites are silver number 4 blade with red beads and number 3 blade with green beads. I like siwash hooks swinging loose at the end of the spinner. Later Lyle

[Gun Rod Bow]

I knew BF would bite!

The day I took that pic of him and Joni, he passed me on the creek and I was working on a few fish in a hole that were giving me no love. He says, "You should try a spinner", I say, "naw, too cold for spinners".

About 2 hrs later while fishing down the creek I see Joni landing her second :blush: . I go over and admire their catch while BF walks over to the creek and casts his spinner and nailed their last fish. I was impressed to say the least.

Kind of him not to rub it in too hard

I also like the #4 Buds. Best $.99 lure on the market.

I had a tough day on the Cowlitz with my buddy Rich a couple years ago for summers. We had 2/3 in the box at noon but there were a lot of fish present. I switched to a spinner and Rich rolled his eyes. We tagged out with a 6 fish limit and released 1, lost 2 in the next 90 minutes. Including one hole where I lost one, had a follow and landed one in a 300' drift, 5 casts.

[C-lice]

I agree with Siwash's post. I would add that there's not much sense in debating whether a Bud's works better/worse than a Blue Fox, or Mepps, or???? Presentation is far more important than brand or color. I mean really, would a fish swim up to a Blue Fox, look at it, and then decide not to hit it because it's not a Bud's? No way. I also don't think that a fish will swim up, look at an orange-bodied Blue Fox and decide to pass it up because it's not a pink or chartreuse-bodied Blue Fox.

I do think that certain colors and finishes show up better in certain conditions than others. For instance, red doesn't show up as well in dirtier water, and IMHO gold works better in overcast or low-light than silver. These qualities pertain to the spinner's ability to catch the fish's attention in the first place more than they pertain to making the fish want to bite once he's seen the lure. I believe that if you catch the fish's attention by working a lure through his strike zone without spooking him, he'll decide to strike or not strike without really thinking things through.

Fish the spinner as slowly as you can get away with and as close to the bottom as you can get away with. If you cast upstream, you'll have to reel faster to keep it off the bottom. If you quarter your cast downstream, sometimes you can work most of a hole without reeling at all--just keeping a tight line. Feel the bottom once in a while and feel the blade thumping all the time and you'll soon feel a strike.

[Siwash]

My dad was(is) a spinner guy, so that's how I started back in the early 80's. Since then, i've only gotten a few steelies on anything other than a spinner. Choice of spinner is somewhat important but overrated IMO, as long as it spins dependably. Presentation is the big thing (for this reason, size matters more than color, because size/weight influences depth/speed). As for casting upstream vs downstream or whatever--it all works, depending on the situation. Go ahead and vary both your casting position and rod angle (i.e., retrieving with the current or across the current) to try and keep the spinner near the bottom, with the blade spinning slowly if possible, and the whole spinner not moving too fast. I've gotten fish several times in places where i'd already made several casts from a different position; after moving myself and then covering the same spot, the change in presentation angle (and therefore depth & speed) can be the key. As others have said, the strike can vary a lot--they often slam it, but somtimes the spinner will just stop in the drift like it's hung on a snag, and sometimes they'll follow it for awhile first (so pay attention--sounds obvious, but I still catch myself zoning out once in awhile and then WHOA!!).

[crawdad]

I catch most of my fish on Buds. They are lighter than Blue Fox which is a problem in the winter but for summer fish it means you can retrieve a little slower in the water where the fish hang out. I used to hit the water at the crack of dawn until I realized that most of my fish were caught after the sun came up. Now I fish in the middle of the day. I know this is exactly the opposite of what every book tells you to do but it works for me. I target the broken water behind boulders and the aerated water at the head of pools. The fish are in these areas because it provides some cover. A spinner is perfect for these spots. They have to hit it or pass it up quickly so you get alot of hard fast strikes. Also I'm a firm believer in siwash hooks. since going to singles I land way more fish than I did with trebles. Just keep em sharp, set the hook hard and odds are there not coming off.

[Dakotan]

North Coast Kook,
I have had a lot of success casting about 30-45 degrees upstream and then giving out a little line, allowing the spinner to get close to the bottom. Then reel in slowly enough to get the spinner blade to just maintain a spin. Many people have suggested the siwash hooks but I have only lost one hooked steelhead out of 50 or more with the treble. I agree though that the siwash is superb in drifts that are more snaggy. My father-in-law really put on a show when he came to visit last year. He caught 4 chinook and 1 steelhead by casting upstream and then swinging his rod slowly from 12 o'clock to 10 oclock and then pausing as he reeled the line in slowly (about 3-4 cranks of the reel)....and repeating. As far as colors, I've had the most success with metallic blue. Caught a few summers on pink bell with silver blade. Also the tiger orange blade with orange bell did well when those summer steelhead first make their way into the river and are very aggressive. When you are spot fishing and can see the steelhead, try throwing the spinner about 10 feet past where the fish are and reel the spinner slowly so it gets within about 3 feet of their face. Many times they will absolutely attack it or follow it for awhile. both produce a heartpounding experience. Good luck.