Fishing spinners for steelhead?

[younggun]

I am new to the whole spinner concept, i do fish blades underneath a float very often but i dont know how to cast and retreave spinners for steel. I could just go out and chuck and wind in, but it seems there is a technique to it, does any one want to express their thoughts on the topic?

[Fast- eddy]

Mavrick,care to chime in on this one?    When it comes to tossing bladed metal,I would recomend his advice and technique.I have watched him many times and he knows his SH**T...........

[Todd]

Three techniques that I employ...

1.  Toss it up, and reel it down.

This is my favorite one, especially in relatively low summer flows...you can keep the lure in front of you, so you don't spook the fish, you can guide it in and amongst the boulders, and you can watch the fish chase it down.  Good shiat.

2.  Swing it.

Depending on water depth, toss it anywhere from a bit upstream to 45 degrees downstream, and let it swing...reeling just fast enough to keep the blade spinning, not reeling at all if it spins on its own with the ambient current, or reeling to keep it off the bottom if it's tapping too much.

3.  Tumble it.

Fish it almost like drift gear, or a spoon tumble...toss it 45 degrees up, and mainly let it drift around...pick it up when it hits the bottom, maybe even jig it a bit while it's drifting...absolutely deadly on coho.

That's enough to burn a lot of days fishing with spinners.

Fish on...

Todd

[west98671]

Best advice I could give would be to retrieve SLOW!  You should feel the bottom pretty often, so switching to a single point siwash hook will prevent snagging your spinner in the rocks as often as a treble.  The other thing would be color.  Fish black spinners in clear low water with the sun on it, but go for a dull brass or gold in greener, deeper water.  Use a flashy silver blade in deep off-color water.  Switch it up until you find something that works.

[younggun]

thanks guys, should get me started on the right path, what spinners (models/makes) do u guys use?

[BigCohoTom]

I mostly make my own using old Pen Tac [Jed Davis -Seattle] components.  I will probably switch over to RVRFSHR when they run out.

[Mr. Diapers]

I actually would like to know more about building and using blades under a float...

[west98671]

I got the rvfshr spinner kits - awesome spinners and they're CHEAP!

[younggun]

Mr. Diapers, its stupid easy to both build them and hook fish on them. Components: 2 split rings, two #8 or #10 barrel swivels, a colorado or french blade is sizes 2-5, and a siwash or octopus steelhead hook.

Steps:
- Thread both the hook and a swivel onto one split ring
- Thread the other end of the barrel swivel onto the other split ring
- Thread the blade, onto the 2nd split ring (farthest from the hook)
- Thread your 2nd swivel onto the split ring above the blade

And presto u have a blade setup. Fish them just like u would a normal spinner just either under a float or bottom bouncing them. I like to set my float about 6 inches shallower than the depth of the water and just slightly hold back and it gets the blade barely spinning (use bigger blades #4,5 for this, bigger blades take more resistance to spin and they spin slower, smaller blades will be spinning fast)

(Photo taken from bentrods.ca, i hope u dont mind me taking the photo rod. Check his site out, awsome site, good articles and great products)

I like blades in sizes from 3-5 in genuine silve and brass, i have used copper and not really a  big fan of it, i also have caught quite a few coho on nickel  but the silver really lights the place up. My buddy cody uses #4 and #5's all the time in alot of water conditions and nails fish, i like the bigger stuff when the water rises and colours up a bit, but he'll fish them in any condition. Blades work for lots of species of fish, i've hooked coho, chinook, steelhead, chum and trout on them. And supposedly cody's hooked a sockeye.

[Mr. Diapers]

Awesome info.  Thans YG!

I am off to buy some parts as we speak...

[younggun]

no probs, its what i do. They get an instant reaction out of fish just like pink worms, if a fish is gonna hit the blade its gonna hit it hard and in the first few casts. Work a run fast, and either switch baits or move. In a big run i'll spend mabey 25 minutes tops if i'm just running and guning, meaning fishing blades or worms and just go, go, go through places. I fish for early steel like this.

[Winter_Run]

I agree that often the fish hit the blade first few casts but that doesn't mean they wont hit it after that. I got alot of fish on blades this year and alot of the time you really need to work the run long enough for the fish to get pissed off enough to hit it. I have done best fishing blades deep and holding back especially in fast choppy runs where the blade will bounce off big rocks. Just my 2 cents

[Chum Man]

my preference is to swing 'em if i'm working through typically drift water, bouncing them off the rocks or keeping them just slightly above.  i only really do the "toss and reel" if i'm fishing a slow, deep pool or eddy with wierd current.

i'll have to try a little of that blade-n-bobber thing this fall for low water coho, looks deadly!

[younggun]

ya like winterun said u work the run, but because u have the tension on the blade and its swinging, instead of making 6 casts from in close to the far bank to cover the water you make 2. Sometimes fish will hit the blade right away, but in some cases i've seen the fish just slide back down the run bellow the blade until they are pressured to either hit it or leave the run. (ways field) I also like the big rocks thing, because it gives the fish a sense of security so they're agressive, but it also gives the fisherman confidence, to know that there is an agressive fish in a piece of water is a good thing. (stick run right above ways field) Another thing with blades, u'll be amazed at how big an offering a steelhead will hit, alot of guys use the #3, 4's, but a steely will hit both a #5 colorado or french blade like its nothing.

[Winter_Run]

LOL you have watched them from Way's? They were probably already sitting in the tailout. Your sniffing some good glue and I am wondering where I can get some.