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nwkiller
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Some really great tips for catching Steelhead on spinners......
want to CATCH FISH ON SPINNERS?
Throwing Spinners NWK style
with KndCustomTackle.net Sprockets
A lot of anglers think Cast and Retrieve when they here Spinner fishing. Although that will get you fish, it is only one of the major styles of throwing hardware. In my eyes there are THREE methods to fishing spinners.
... FIRST, is the Strait Cast-
The strait cast is where you cast strait out in front of you. this method is broken into to styles.
One is where you cast and then begin to slowly retrieve your hardware. this will make your lure stay up in the higher portion of the water column, you will get fish doing this but mostly just the most aggressive fish. This style will have the least chance of getting snagged because there is so much force against your spinner that 90% of the time it just washes over stuff. (EXCEPT FOR TREES AND BRANCHES)
The second style is the strait cast swing. cast out, reel in your slack and close your bail. The river current will swing your lure farther down in the water column therefore covering more water. Doing this style will not only get angry fish to strike but will also get closer to the fish that are just wanting to hold for an easy meal. This style brings great chance that you will snag. When trying this style drop down to a size smaller lure that you are using for all the other methods.
SECOND, is the Vertical Cast-
The vertical cast is where you toss your lure strait up river close to the bank and retrieve it fast enough to keep up with the lure and river flow, thus keeping the lure up off the bottom. This is more of an advanced cast and can result in many snags. This method can only be used in the proper spots. doesn't work well with people above you on the bank and doesn't work well in less then two foot depths. Using this style will get the reaction biters to take your gear, which means the angriest fish....Think about it when a lure or bait is moving slow past a fish, it has time to decide whether to take it or pass it on to the next to decide...where as when you are retrieving your lure at a fast pace, they have a split second to decide if it wants it or not. We have pulled 15# fish out of two feet of water, dont under estimate where a fish will hold. This method is also best to fish a ripple that is really close to you on the bank, just walk down river and Vertical Cast it.
THIRD, and most used and effective spinning methods to catching fish is the Drift To Swing
The drift to swing is a cast that helps you grid the water your working. this style covers everything in between the vertical cast and the strait cast. I like to start with a cast up and across to the max, the farthest line where fish can lay. as soon as your lure hits the water, you begin to slow reel feeling out the bottom and where the big rocks are while the water pressure pushes your line. While your line is being pulled through the water, you lure is being pulled behind. The lure will be running strait down river for some of the time and spinning slowly until it reaches that center point where it kicks out to the swing. A lot of fish will hit right in front of you when your lure is just reaching the point of swing....Repeat this style across the entire river...you know you covered everything when you are back to a vertical cast.... In deeper water when you cast you would let your lure fall before closing your bail and retrieving. The whole point is to feel bottom. Obviously this can result in a lot of lost tackle, but you wont catch fish without loosing some hardware.
How you hold your rod is very important in spinner fishing.....theyway you hold it, steers the lure up and down and can also shorten the lengths of your drift. For instance while doing the strait cast you want to hold your rod pointing up river and pointed down toward the water. This will make your lure begin its swing and keep the lure below the surface. When doing the vertical cast you want to hold your rod strait out, then the lure will not fall any quicker then it will rise. When doing the drift to swing cast there are a few different styles, I my self like to use two. One is pointing your rod tip more down river and tip pointed toward the water, this will help you get down low and stay down and will give you a longer drift before reaching that point of swing. The second is where you keep your rod strait up, this will give you a better chance to not get snagged and also to make your lure do something different..sorta flutters more.
These methods are used during proper water conditions...if the water is too fast you wont get down low enough and your lure will fly right by any possible contenders.....if the water is too slow then it makes the drift sweep cast very tricky, the water wont push you line and lure, most of the time your lure will just come right back to you....which is the most ineffective way to spinner fish.
There are tons more tricks to it, but I can't share them all. Some of them took years to learn and some are just plain family secrets....use these tools and throw your own twist on it, you will be pleased with the results.
Chris Blanchard
