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Author Topic: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?  (Read 3040 times)

Animal Chin

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How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« on: February 16, 2012, 07:34:08 PM »

Do you use a float or no float?

Same method for unweighted or weighted spinners? (Is a colorado blade typically unweighted)

If using a float, how long of leader do you use, how far from float to weight? (say you're fishing in 4 ft of water)

Thanks.
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Stratocaster

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #1 on: February 16, 2012, 09:25:33 PM »

I usually fish Colorados with a float just like any other lure.  The only difference is that I use a shorter leader (12-14 inches) and thumb the spool a bit to make sure the blade is working.  Sometimes I would slowly swing the blade across the run to cover more water.  As for the distance between float and weight, just make sure you aren't dragging bottom just like any other lure.
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Animal Chin

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #2 on: February 16, 2012, 09:39:51 PM »

haha.. thanks Stratocaster. It was actually your picture today that got me interested. I fished all day today as well, without a bite. I figured it would be good to have something completely different from bait/jigs/worm etc. The water and day just looked so fishy, there had to be fish in that river today.
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Stratocaster

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #3 on: February 16, 2012, 10:01:17 PM »

I usually fish bait most of the time but after a while they get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.  I knew there were fish in there so I decided to change things a bit.  I use a colorado because you can fish it under a float with pencil lead.  Takes less than a minute to switch lures.  Its always a good idea to go through a run with some hardware.  You can cover a lot more water this way.
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Fish Assassin

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2012, 12:00:42 AM »


 (Is a colorado blade typically unweighted)


Unweighted
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FlyFishin Magician

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2012, 08:13:47 AM »

I usually fish bait most of the time but after a while they get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.  I knew there were fish in there so I decided to change things a bit.  I use a colorado because you can fish it under a float with pencil lead.  Takes less than a minute to switch lures.  Its always a good idea to go through a run with some hardware.  You can cover a lot more water this way.

Yeah - I knew you would hook a fish when you were debating about whether to put on a blade.  I bet that fish followed your blade as well.  I can see how well you covered the water on the swing!  Nice job!
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Geff_t

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #6 on: February 17, 2012, 02:51:38 PM »

I fish spinners under a float and hold back a bit too make it slowly swing threw a run, this way like others have said you can cover the water alot quicker then with bait. I use both weighted and un-weighted. If the run has a sudden drop in the run then I will fish a weighted spinner so that I can make the spinner just drop right down when the drop occurs. If the run is pretty much a nice straight flat looking run then use the un-weighted. Another advantage to the weighted is that you do not need alot of lead to cast and to get it to the depth that you need.
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firebird

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Re: How to use Spinners for Steelhead?
« Reply #7 on: February 17, 2012, 05:13:44 PM »

Besides swinging across the bottom end of a run, I will fish a spinner on a float on the other side of a current by casting upstream and, through a combination of retrieving and drifting, essentially drag the spinner downstream. In other words, the spinner is upstream of the float. It takes some practice and the drifts are often short but when the fish aren't taking baits or imitations, it sometimes does the trick. This allows you to cover more water with a spinner.
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