Summer Run Steelhead fishing below Bonniville Dam

8salmon · 07-26-2005, 09:04 PM

Summer Steelhead fishing below Bonniville around Ives and Pierce Islands. Whats the best lure to use and how deep of water should I anchor 10 - 15 ft? I have experince anchoring
in this area for sturgeon and shad fishing.
Any feedback would be appreciated. :smile: :smile:

Thumper · 07-26-2005, 09:15 PM

June Bug spinners.

bankhog · 07-26-2005, 09:21 PM

What's a june bug spinner? Is that a joke?

ampersat · 07-26-2005, 09:57 PM

You still trying to get rid of those June Bug spinners, Thumper? :smile:

Just google up "june bug spinner" and you should get a good idea of what to look for.

Thumper · 07-27-2005, 05:35 AM

http://www.angler-al.com/

8salmon · 07-27-2005, 06:23 AM

So Thumper, that's the lure of choice for you. I went to the june bug web site and checked it out.
Thanks. Heading out this morning for the mouth of the Cowlitz.

reeldick · 07-27-2005, 07:32 AM

If you would have gone to the ifish picnic last Sunday you would have had the opportunity to pick up a couple of "June Bug Spinners" for a small donation to ifish.
That bait has been around for years and catches about everything.

Thumper · 07-27-2005, 08:26 AM

The beauty of the June Bug spinner is that, because of the stand-off piece, it will spin in almost zero current. And because of the fixed angle of the blade, it does not try to "fly" in fast current. It is amazing to make them up in weighted (casting) versions and throw them into a tailout. Instead of lifting up at the end of the drift they dig in. Weird.

The disadvantage of the June Bug is also related to the stand-off. It can be crushed by a large fish, thereby sometimes making the spinner a "one-fish" lure.

Gary Krum introduced these to me way back in the 1970's for fishing the fast water below Bonneville, and we marketed about 24,000 of them a year in both casting and trolling versions to dealers all around North America. Kept the kids out of trouble.

The blades come in nickel (or optional silver plate) and in genuine 24K gold plate. The gold with green or red beads is especially deadly on salmon, steelhead, walleye, pike, etc.

Ah, memories.

Fish mojo · 07-27-2005, 11:13 AM

I see they come without the hook. Do you bend on a siwash or split ring to a treble? How do rig for walleye?

Thumper · 07-27-2005, 11:54 AM

I would buy the blades from Worth, paint some, then make them up using a wire-forming jig or pliers. Gary Krum used to make his own with pliers, and he claimed that his were better than ours cause they were less perfect and wiggled around more. He was probably right. :depressed:

Old MAn River · 07-28-2005, 05:34 AM

Okay, what color and what works the best?

I was thinking red or orange but thats just me

I could just buy 2 of each!!

or have jokester
buy 1 of each