Been a while....

Zak · Jul 25, 2023

I don't often say fuck, you might be be different.

Porter2 · Jul 25, 2023

The real Steelhead slayer of the early 80’s.

My Eagle Claw spinning w/Garcia Mitchell 300 all metal. And a single carrot plant to boot !!!

But that GL3 is a very nice rod. This one is glass.

Stonedfish · Jul 25, 2023

Where is @Wadin' Boot when you need him?
He can clear this up regarding what was said.

SF

Yard Sale · Jul 25, 2023

You guys quit that game right meow.

Tom Butler · Jul 25, 2023

Rob Allen said:
Spoons you can fish slower and deeper and they don't have to be spinning to work. That said I prefer spinners in summer and spoons in winter.
I also don't swing spoons I typically cast them up and across and reel them in just barely faster than the current to keep them deep plus I get a better feel for what the spoon is doing vs swinging.

Interested in what Evan has to say.

Evan B said:
No that's about how I fish spoons, too. I've gotten WAY more spoon eats while doing almost a dead drift through a slot and just barely keeping the tension on it. Where the "swing" seems to work is in tailouts. But I seem to miss a lot of those fish. They hit and don't seem to convert as well.

I'm just not a spinner guy when it comes to steelhead. Too limiting. The spoon can fish so much different stuff and the spinner just seems to not be quite right in a number of spots. Love spinners for salmon though.

When I lived on the west side, and some over here, I fished spoons quite a bit as you both mention. Like a fly, a spoon can be fish in many nuanced ways, more so than a spinner. When that didn't work it was usually tie on a rooster tail and be in business.

Hoofer · Jul 25, 2023

I’ve always thought I was just scratching at the surface on hardware technique — and probably have way too much ‘downstream’ focus. I just get in a pinch when I’m either (a) getting pissed at losing gear or (b) doubting whether I’m fishing deep enough. Jigs (especially in small canyon water) just make that side simpler. Not worrying so much about losing gear — $30/day isn’t too bad for a great time — would be a more rational approach. Maybe I revisit it this year.

But anyway: congrats on the bright fish!

clarkman · Jul 25, 2023

Thanks for the quick spoon tutorial.

I'm honestly kinda tired of fly fishing for them.

Evan B · Jul 25, 2023

clarkman said:
Thanks for the quick spoon tutorial.

I'm honestly kinda tired of fly fishing for them.

Yeah, I get you. I say it a lot, but I love fly fishing and I love steelhead fishing. I don't particularly love fly fishing for steelhead except for a few specific fisheries.

I do miss swinging scandi setups on upper Columbia tribs a lot though

Grandpa Jim · Jul 25, 2023

Evan B said:
It's been a very long time since I caught a bobber steelhead. Just about all mine in the last 5-6yrs have been swinging a spey or spoon.

My favorite way to fish OP steelhead is swinging a wet fly with a spey/switch late in the season when the weather and water are more pleasant.
With the WDFW closing the late fishery in recent years I've added swinging a spoon to my early season tactics. A tight line grab at least...
I use spinning tackle because I can usually flush any sand/trash off the reel and still have it function...don't have much luck doing that with a baitcaster. The baitcaster works great for dumping line and extending your drift/swing with spoons. I miss that with a spinning reel.
I use Herzog's "reel til you feel" technique. If the spoon isn't thumping then I slowly reel until it thumps.
Swinging a spoon will often pick up a steelhead after a swung fly, bead under a float, jig under a float or a jig/worm under a float generates no interest.