Spoon fishing for steelhead

[brandon4455]

i have some tear drop spoons to use but i have no idea how tyo fish them . ive only fished spoons for trout in lakes and ponds and have had luck with just a steady retrieve.. how do you fish em for steelhead?

 

[Throbbit_Trout_Slam]

Think Drift Fishing

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

slow retrieve

when i get better at ill let you know more lol

think ill start buying the pot o golds more since their a little cheaper then other brands.

 

[OnTheDrop]

that there is a " Steely" hooked my first steelhead with one drift fishing with it make sure its hitting the bottom thats how I hook them. I dont use them much just just like he said think drift fishing

 

[brandon4455]

thanks everyone, so just like you do with spinners for coho ? you drift them along the current? sounds good to me.

 

[capblack]

yep cast and drift like your drift fishing, if there not hitting the bottom a couple times per drift, there not low enough.

 

[troutdude]

All of the above. Go low n' slow...much like a spinner. I know you don't want to lose 'em...but, if you aren't losing a few on each trip...that's an indication that you're not fishing deeply enough. (same w/ spinners)

 

[halibuthitman]

that there is a " Steely" hooked my first steelhead with one drift fishing with it make sure its hitting the bottom thats how I hook them. I dont use them much just just like he said think drift fishing

actually its a pot-o-gold steelhead spoon............. I gave it to him.

 

[brandon4455]

my dads cousin uses pot o gold spoons for stocked steelhead in town lake. he's caught a lot of fish on them. i was excited whren i saw that rainbow on the package..i was like.. SWEET POT O GOLD!! lol

 

[STIKTIME]

Don't forget to let it swing all the way across the river!!!

 

[DirectDrive]

You don't just slowly reel it in.
You don't just let it tumble like you're drift fishing.

Your fishing in current...you have to operate it.

At the start you do nothing but get to depth.
Then you crank it slowly as you swing to maintain the thump, thump, thump and try to tick the bottom every now and then.
Understanding and maintaining thump, thump, thump is the key to using this spoon or any steelhead spoon for that matter.
As your spoon moves into the money part of the swing where maximum water pressure is hitting the spoon you have to push line to keep the spoon down and thumping. You do this by freespooling or back-reeling.

If you let your spoon get hit by too much pressure (failure to back-reel or freespool) the spoon starts to spin (turn over) and gets pushed up out of the strike zone. Spinners have to be managed the same way.

 

[GungasUncle]

DD is right on - and this doesn't just apply to steelhead fishing - any time you're fishing flowing water with spoons, large or small - this is probably the best way to do it for any fish.

 

[rippin fish lips]

You don't just slowly reel it in.
You don't just let it tumble like you're drift fishing.

Looks like i dont gotta type much now! cuz i was just about to type all of that up and post it. I love fishing spoons like this in fast water and everywhere! That is really well said my friend!

 

[youngbuck307]

DD hit it on the head! I can tell when a spinner is fishing just right u feel correct amount of thumps at the right speed and a tick of the blade hitting tops of rocks now and then... Spinners and spoons fish the same way for the most part seems like spoons run deeper to me though.. Can also toss them upstream and fish them back down to u... Have a buddy who only fish them this way and kills a lot of fish doing it!

 

[halibuthitman]

D.D gave the basics pretty good, on smaller water you can work any seam or cut bank, log jams or any inticing water from upstream, just jig and work it in there.. Bill Hertzog will tell you not to cast upstream and reel down, and I have to wonder how many fish that has cost him cause Ive slayed the steel on a down hill retrieve. you can also roll them down stream in a drift manner ( don't try this with treble hooks ) you can also take some lead and a spreader and back bounce them in the big deep slots. Don't give up on a spoon if it starts to lift or spin.. sometimes this is what makes them go bazerk, always complete the swing and let it hang for a minute, then a slow retrieve for the first couple feet in case you have a stalker- If you lose those spoons.. I have more- Good luck Brandon

 

[troutdude]

You also want to fish spinners every bit as deep and low, as you do with spoons. Otherwise, you're not in the strike zone. A main reason that I make my own spinners, is because I lose many of them by fishing them properly (i.e. deep). I don't mind losing them as much, when they only cost a buck or so to make.

I wish that I could make spoons as cheaply.

 

[madturtle]

I have used some spoons I got from Oregon Rod Reel and Tackle made by R&B lure co. They work great and come in a wide variety of sizes and colors.

 

[brandon4455]

D.D gave the basics pretty good, on smaller water you can work any seam or cut bank, log jams or any inticing water from upstream, just jig and work it in there.. Bill Hertzog will tell you not to cast upstream and reel down, and I have to wonder how many fish that has cost him cause Ive slayed the steel on a down hill retrieve. you can also roll them down stream in a drift manner ( don't try this with treble hooks ) you can also take some lead and a spreader and back bounce them in the big deep slots. Don't give up on a spoon if it starts to lift or spin.. sometimes this is what makes them go bazerk, always complete the swing and let it hang for a minute, then a slow retrieve for the first couple feet in case you have a stalker- If you lose those spoons.. I have more- Good luck Brandon

thanks brad. you should make a boook bro. your good at explaining sutff, and i can't stoop laughing because yuou said slay the steel/. i keep thinking about im quitting steelhead LOL.

 

[nativefish]

that spoon you got there works better in shallow water due to is rather wide tear drop shape. During the swing portion of your "drift" it will rise to the surface much faster than an oval shape. Its kinda fat and catches a lot more resistance from the current. I prefer more oval shaped spoons with a more of a bump in the narrow tear drop rather than a large concave shape and believe it gives them a better thump in the water rather than a roll if you understand what im talking about. Also i read somewhere if you are having trouble getting to the bottom, its not as simple as adding more weight, rather changing the length or shape or thickness of the metal that the spoon is stamped out of. I have never got anything to hit on that tear drop steelie but got a handfull of fish on R&B's you can put together yourself for pretty cheap, little cleos, and rivr fishers. My favorite color is the 50/50 silver and gold. Also i heard if you purchase a nickel plated spoon, due to nickels metalic properties it looses about 95% of its refectivity a once it gets down a couple feet under water.... So a silver plated one that costs a little more than nickel is well worth the extra dollar. I have never sprung for the expensive B.C anglers but I must say they look like an amazing shape. Once i start loosing a few less i might have to upgrade. Anyone have experience with these B.C spoons? and sorry for the typos....

 

[DirectDrive]

A "BC Steel" spoon is the Herzog spoon based on the Little Cleo design.
When someone says "bent metal" it is probably this design they refer to.

Not affiliated with BC Angling Post.

RVRFSHR has a rendition.