S
SailCat
One thing you might consider (particularly once you've re-stocked your arsenal) is casting quartering upstream rather than straight across. In this manner, the lure is "fishing" as it passes in front of you rather than once it gets into the 'zone' downstream.
And the main thing you can learn from Jed Davis' book, is that Jed Davis really loves him some Jed Davis. But some of his theories are pretty darned sound. I don't think he's the end-all, be-all of spinner fishing (like he believes), there's definitely solid info.
Couldn't agree more. Spinners are more effective when cast about 45 degrees upstream and swung through the drift that way. Spoons are much better for fishing the areas downstream from where you are.
As far as "what size," there is no answer. Every situation is a bit different. The whole "well, I caught one on a brass #4, so those work" is not a sound approach. Water levels haven't approached anywhere near summer lows yet. With some color in 50 degree water, your shiny #4 might just be the ticket. Fish that in late July/August, and it's probably not going to be a very productive day for you.
And the main thing you can learn from Jed Davis' book, is that Jed Davis really loves him some Jed Davis. But some of his theories are pretty darned sound. I don't think he's the end-all, be-all of spinner fishing (like he believes), there's definitely solid info.
I applaud any accomplished spoon fisher. I'm comfortable 'feeling' what a spinner is doing but I haven't figured out how to get that same degree of tactile contact with a spoon.
Thanks for this thread. I went earlier this week and applied my newfound knowledge. Everybody else was drifting and nobody was catching. I found a promising boulder away from where everybody else was fishing, swung my modified copper spoon -muted to reduce flash- parallel to it and slowly backed it into the current break when a nice 27" steelhead slammed it. I'm becoming a believer in the metal.
Does anyone have a Jed Davis book lying around they want to sell?
Finally got a steelhead with a spoon. Wish i had figured out how to fish them sooner!
Chez, as the OFF Spoon Guru, does a steelhead hit a wobbler as they do a spinner? In my experience, they will either stop the latter dead or hit it like a train., ergo my remark above regarding no doubt about it.