Spinner and Spoon Fishing For Steelies

trunwfisherman · 12-07-2003, 02:23 PM

I absolutely love fishing spinners and spoons over bait for steelhead. One of the best spoons i have found to be extremely effective for steelhead is the #114 50/50 dicknite spoon. Its half chrome and half brass drives these guys nuts! I also enjoy fishing vibraxes for steelhead, the vibrating is a great attractant for them metalheads. lets hear some stories of you catching steelhead on spoons and spinners. And share some of your favorites! :smile:

magic-rod · 12-07-2003, 03:00 PM

On the West fork of the Millicoma last year, I was way fishing with a number 5 green vibrax, not the chartruese but dark green, I call it mean green, and I was fishing below this falls and it dumped into a pool, people familiar with this river know it as Henrys falls. right off the drop there was a little bit of water, and I kept working that drop because I knew there was a fish, I just knew it, I made about 15 passes and usually I would move on, but I knew I hadnt made it just right, finally drop it in there, and hammertime, I see chrome shakin deep off this drop, dont think anything of it, then it takes off and comes out of the water, and I start freaking out because I am all alone in the middle of nowhere, I have the biggest steel of my life on, and I have 8 lb. test to the spinner...safe to say, I could have landed that fish 10x over with a partner, finally get it into a little slip on the bank and tail it, just about cried, I hadnt ever held a steel that big, I guessed it to be in the 18 lb. range, no scale :depressed: but it felt so good to catch that fish, it was my biggest steel to this date, and thats one I will always remember. It was a big native hen too, which made it that much more beautiful. only regret is by myself with no camera, no one to share it with but god himself. hope you all beleive me, you know how fish stories go :smile:

iwanttofish · 12-07-2003, 03:46 PM

Oh go ahead and tell em where to get the fish. Is is a great river to fish. I have been up and down that river in the summers when I was akid I use to think I knew every rock and crawdad on that river. On of the more exiting places to go is above the girl scout camp and just down that little hill to the water. My grandparents lived up there she past away about 8 years ago and he past away last week. I have some great memorys from the west fork. I have caught and released many more fish than I can count up there. I most likly wont be getting back up there very often. So take care of that river its making a good comeback.

Mike [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

magic-rod · 12-07-2003, 03:52 PM

I will take the BEST care of that river, and if you ever feel like an adventure to the old stomping grounds, let me know, glad to walk the river with you......

iwanttofish · 12-07-2003, 03:54 PM

Do you live up the west fork.

Mr. Shannon O'Brien · 12-07-2003, 04:02 PM

The little cleo with craw scent on it has always been a super spoon.

My spinner is a cheap ol' bud spinner with a colored strip of tape on the blade.

I would buy bud spinners at .99 a piece at Bi-Mart and use them for new waters, so I wouldn't lose my expensive lures. Had lots of success and stuck with it.

magic-rod · 12-07-2003, 04:05 PM

Grew up in Coos Bay, live in georgia now playing college baseball, think about steelhead season everyday!!!!! Dont know how much you love it till its 3200 miles away... :depressed:

iwanttofish · 12-07-2003, 04:13 PM

I understand. I am in portland and dont get down there to much but it is a nice place. My cousin is up at the seven mile marker. My grandfather lived at the six marker. :grin:

SpinnerMan · 12-07-2003, 04:16 PM

Bach in the early '70s (When the fishing was great for steelhead :grin: ) I was spinner fishing on the Nestucca. I caught a fish and landed it and about 20 minutes later had another one on.

There was this guy fishing below me and when I got the second one on he came up and was talking to me while I was fighting the fish. He said he had never caught one before and had been fishing for two years without any luck.

Just as I landed my fish a steelhead started jumping out in the middle of the river. This guy says "Hey I think I have him on!" He runs down and picks up his fishing pole and starts fighting the fish! The fish comes off because he never did set the hook! Talk about bad timing!!!

I wonder if he ever caught one?

SM

magic-rod · 12-07-2003, 04:20 PM

What are there names, I know a few people who live up on the river.

iwanttofish · 12-07-2003, 04:33 PM

Huppi's Tom, Millisa, Fred

All Wet · 12-07-2003, 05:56 PM

I've had good luck with 2/5 oz chartruse and brass little cleos and black #4 blue fox.

SHOUGALNITE · 12-08-2003, 12:10 PM

I have had best luck with #3&#4 blue Bluefox spiners.

Dragfreedrift · 12-08-2003, 01:09 PM

Spoons! A great topic to be talking about. I've had great luck using the Bill Herzog BC Steels in 2/5 oz. They are expensive, so make sure you use a Siwash hook to minimize snags.

I absolutely clobbered them a few years back fishing in Central Washington rivers in the fall.

Had several 5+ fish afternoons. Spoons rock!

HC

Wreckless · 12-08-2003, 02:14 PM

1/2 oz Green Steelie, I buy them by the card when I find a great sale.....My friend John ( who loves to drift fish) says, "oh don't put that out there, that's cheatin'".

The strike as the lure swings through the hole will make your heart skip.

These things work like Donuts to Homer Simpson on the NF Nehalem!! oops I actually gave some info that someone can use......sorry (sarcasm) [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img]

Fishfeet · 12-08-2003, 03:55 PM

Try 1/4 oz gold Thomas spoons w/1-2 ought siwash hooks! Work very well in low clear water situations.

Fishft.

BentMetal · 12-08-2003, 06:42 PM

Well, I'm still in the learning stage of spoon fishing but I've had some good success with hooking fish. I just replaced my reel, as my old reel was gumming up and losing me several fish.

Some of my favorite times are early spring in the Willamette Valley rivers . . . a cold day one time and all the guys throwing the typical summer rig of a small corky on a long leader go home, and I got the hole right where Wiley Creek on the S. Santiam dumps in all to myself, and wham! the most savage strike I've had yet on a spoon (a Nickle little Cleo, before I discovered silver plated lures).

I've also had a chinook or a big steelhead pry off the gamatsu siwash hook one time (you know, where you bend down the eye on the siwash to split ring), and another big fish hit so hard he put teeth marks into my Little Cleo.

I'm starting to take up spinner fishing as well, but am just starting on that.

I'm no expert, but it is sure fun.

lucky strike · 12-08-2003, 07:54 PM

Little Cleo's rock!!

rola76 · 12-08-2003, 11:41 PM

Spoon fishing rocks!! I like Little Cleo and Rainbow Plastic spoons. Caught lots on the Cowlitz and Klickitat, both winters and summers.