Fishing for Steelhead with Hardware

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Hey everyone.

 

What is the proper way to fish for steelies with hardware?

 

I've read that you should cast upstream and slow retrieve enough to keep the slack off and just enough to spin the blades.

 

Is there a better way of doing this?

 

Can you cast down stream to the bottom of a pool and retrieve through it? or will that spook the fish.

 

I havent had any luck with roe bags at night, hence why I'm asking, and it gets dark at like 4:30, and I work till 5 so that effectively eliminates fishing in the light

[splashhopper]

Hey everyone.

 

What is the proper way to fish for steelies with hardware?

 

I've read that you should cast upstream and slow retrieve enough to keep the slack off and just enough to spin the blades.

 

Is there a better way of doing this?

 

Can you cast down stream to the bottom of a pool and retrieve through it? or will that spook the fish.

 

I havent had any luck with roe bags at night, hence why I'm asking, and it gets dark at like 4:30, and I work till 5 so that effectively eliminates fishing in the light

 

 

I cast spoons and spinners upstream and get the slack out of the line asap... keeping the rod tip high as the current brings the lure in front of me... then slowly lowering the rod tip to keep pointing at the lure.... as I feel the lure slow its action on my rod I then start to slowly reel the line in... intermittently...letting it rest...

 

This method worked great for me last year....

 

But this year,,, no matter what I try... no chrome for me

 

 

 

As for night fishing being done due to your work schedule..

 

Get a float with a spike at the top of it.. then attach a light to it.... when the light starts glowing UNDER the water... set the hook bro...

 

 

I LOVE night fishing with a lighted float

[[email protected]]

I cast spoons and spinners upstream and get the slack out of the line asap... keeping the rod tip high as the current brings the lure in front of me... then slowly lowering the rod tip to keep pointing at the lure.... as I feel the lure slow its action on my rod I then start to slowly reel the line in... intermittently...letting it rest...

 

This method worked great for me last year....

 

But this year,,, no matter what I try... no chrome for me

 

 

 

As for night fishing being done due to your work schedule..

 

Get a float with a spike at the top of it.. then attach a light to it.... when the light starts glowing UNDER the water... set the hook bro...

 

 

I LOVE night fishing with a lighted float

 

I bought a few of the little glow sticks to attach, but the kind that glows brighter doesnt fit on my raven floats. And the mini sticks get too hard to see.

 

[splashhopper]

I bought a few of the little glow sticks to attach, but the kind that glows brighter doesnt fit on my raven floats. And the mini sticks get too hard to see.

 

 

Might have to get a different float for night then

 

I find the green mini lights hard to see if there is a lot of light pollution around....

 

Try and find red ones... even a blind guy like me can see those babies

[[email protected]]

Might have to get a different float for night then

 

I find the green mini lights hard to see if there is a lot of light pollution around....

 

Try and find red ones... even a blind guy like me can see those babies

 

I didn't know they made red ones! lol.. Ill have to check for those.

 

I think I'll go out for a couple hours tonight.. have hockey at 9:30 though.. cant hurt to get 2 hours of fishing in first on the way there lol.

[richyb]

CAST....REEL....JERK.....REEL....JERK .... oops thats my paddle fishing method.

[Paully]

I usually cast down stream and let the current do the work... landed many this way, seems to work for me..

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I usually cast down stream and let the current do the work... landed many this way, seems to work for me..

 

 

Do you just let it sit in the current and keep the line tight? Or do you retrieve?

[splashhopper]

Do you just let it sit in the current and keep the line tight? Or do you retrieve?

 

When I am bringing it back upstream...i reel very very slowly and let it pause and flutter to the bottom... then reel again

[MJL]

For my own spinner fishing, I prefer casting upstream (preferably straight upstream if possible) and retrieve with the current or just enough to feel the spinner blade working. With this method, you can control the depth at which you fish the lure much easier. When you take a standard weighted spinner (like a Mepps Aglia, Vibrax, Panther Martin, etc) and cast it downstream, the lure will tend to rise up in the water column as you retrieve it (It may rise out of the strike zone). Light spinners (like the Vibrax) will tend to rise up on their own if you just hold them in the current. I find the down and across method works best in shallower runs and riffles as opposed to long deep pools or runs.

 

Considering the spinner blade shape is pretty important as well in deciding which spinner to use at what depth and in what current. In slow froggy water or in medium speed current with little depth, I probably would choose a spinner with a Colorado blade because it turns the easiest when you retrieve and you can slow roll them in close to the bottom (great for winter spinner fishing). For deep faster runs, I'd choose something with a willow type blade like a Mepps Aglia Long or a double loon. It takes more effort to crank them in and get the blades turning but they don't tend to rise up on the retrieve. For fishing water between super froggy and in super fast current, French blade spinners are the ones I use the most. Mepps Aglia and Vibrax use these type blades. I use Mepps quite a bit when fishing the classic long, smooth moderate flowing pools. I class panther martins by themselves because they have an elongated type blade like a willow leaf but turn quite easily on the retrieve. Pick a size suitable for the conditions and most likely you can find a way to fish them. I normally carry a bunch of each type of spinner and switch up to different styles during the day.

 

If you're float fishing and want to try spinners, no problem...Pick up a few spinner blades, clevises and beads and thread them onto your line below the float. Fishing unweighted spinners can be deadly in winter. Rig up your float rod as you would for fishing roe, jigs, pink worms, etc except thread on the Spinner blade + clevice a bead and then tie on a hook at the end of your leader...I find bulk shotting works best in most cases. Cast across and downstream and swing the spinner across the river towards shore...If you're fishing in a spot with some current, you can just hold back on the float a little to get the blade to spin...If not you may need to raise the rod tip or crank the reel a little to get them to turn. Spinner fishing is highly addictive - you may never get used to the way steelhead smash them

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Might have to get a different float for night then

 

I find the green mini lights hard to see if there is a lot of light pollution around....

 

Try and find red ones... even a blind guy like me can see those babies

 

I bought a red one, one of those chinese ones for $5, and I broke it trying to turn it on lol...

 

Lost 2 spoons and I didnt have the right size floats for the bigger glowsticks

 

Does anyone know anywhere to buy them online? (The red ones)

 

 

For my own spinner fishing, I prefer casting upstream (preferably straight upstream if possible) and retrieve with the current or just enough to feel the spinner blade working. With this method, you can control the depth at which you fish the lure much easier. When you take a standard weighted spinner (like a Mepps Aglia, Vibrax, Panther Martin, etc) and cast it downstream, the lure will tend to rise up in the water column as you retrieve it (It may rise out of the strike zone). Light spinners (like the Vibrax) will tend to rise up on their own if you just hold them in the current. I find the down and across method works best in shallower runs and riffles as opposed to long deep pools or runs.

 

Considering the spinner blade shape is pretty important as well in deciding which spinner to use at what depth and in what current. In slow froggy water or in medium speed current with little depth, I probably would choose a spinner with a Colorado blade because it turns the easiest when you retrieve and you can slow roll them in close to the bottom (great for winter spinner fishing). For deep faster runs, I'd choose something with a willow type blade like a Mepps Aglia Long or a double loon. It takes more effort to crank them in and get the blades turning but they don't tend to rise up on the retrieve. For fishing water between super froggy and in super fast current, French blade spinners are the ones I use the most. Mepps Aglia and Vibrax use these type blades. I use Mepps quite a bit when fishing the classic long, smooth moderate flowing pools. I class panther martins by themselves because they have an elongated type blade like a willow leaf but turn quite easily on the retrieve. Pick a size suitable for the conditions and most likely you can find a way to fish them. I normally carry a bunch of each type of spinner and switch up to different styles during the day.

 

If you're float fishing and want to try spinners, no problem...Pick up a few spinner blades, clevises and beads and thread them onto your line below the float. Fishing unweighted spinners can be deadly in winter. Rig up your float rod as you would for fishing roe, jigs, pink worms, etc except thread on the Spinner blade + clevice a bead and then tie on a hook at the end of your leader...I find bulk shotting works best in most cases. Cast across and downstream and swing the spinner across the river towards shore...If you're fishing in a spot with some current, you can just hold back on the float a little to get the blade to spin...If not you may need to raise the rod tip or crank the reel a little to get them to turn. Spinner fishing is highly addictive - you may never get used to the way steelhead smash them

 

Thanks for the tips