If You're Using The Correct Steelhead Spinner Shape...

By Nestucca Valley Sporting Goods & Little Nestucca Deli

• ...Your steelhead spinner blade won't pull too hard
• It won't seem like you're using too much weight to reach the desired water depth where steelhead hold
• You won't need to retrieve your steelhead spinner faster than you want to... to keep from dragging the bottom
  
• Your spinner blade won't spin wildly in the current, no matter how slow you retrieve
  
  

You'll learn how to choose the correct steelhead spinner blade shape based on water type, technique, and more.

“What about choosing the correct spinner blade color or finish?” We've got that covered as well.

When steelhead spinner fishing conditions are like this on one of my favorite rivers...

It's not too difficult to determine your correct spinner blade shape!...

It's pretty easy to figure out where the fish are lying in this gin-clear steelhead stream

It's pretty easy to figure out where the fish are lying in this gin-clear steelhead stream

Let's Compare French, Colorado and Willow Leaf Spinner Blades

• French:  “What type of steelhead spinner blade is the most popular?”  It's the oval-shaped French blade.  The ones I've used are fairly flat.  They'll push a lot of water, but not as much as a Colorado-style blade.
  
  Rotation is fairly close to the wire shaft, including a lot of flash, while producing a thump, thump...which is especially ideal in low light or murky steelhead spinner water conditions.  Cuts through the currents exceptionally well.
• Colorado:  A wide, rounded blade that pushes a lot of water, ideal in low-light and murky steelhead water.  The blade rotates around the shaft at about a 50-degree angle.
  
  Most of the blades I've used are flat (vintage) or somewhat dished.  Creating maximum vibration and lift, they shine in slow-moving water.  The metallic Colorado spinner blades produce a lot of flash.
• Willow Leaf:  The Willow Leaf is long, narrow, and spins tight to the shaft.  It won't produce as much vibration as the other steelhead blades.
  
  "Do the Willow Leaf steelhead spinner blades produce as much vibration as the Colorado or French blades?”  No, but they offer minimal water resistance and plenty of flash.
  

My Willow Leaf spinner blade is wider than the common narrow-bladed type...

This steelhead and salmon spinner blade performs well in varying water conditions

This steelhead and salmon spinner blade performs well in varying water conditions

All three steelhead blade styles might be:

• Cupped at the tip
• Dished
• Slightly creased down the middle

“Ok... how do I know which steelhead spinner blade to use according to my technique and water type?”  We broke this down for you...

Fast and Shallow Summer or Winter Steelhead Spinner Water

Use a blade that's wide without a cup.  A thicker spinner blade will help slow the rotation as well.  If the water is super-fast, use a narrow blade... although you might not be spinner fishing in productive steelhead water.

Fast and Deep

I prefer to use a narrow steelhead spinner blade that's not cupped...

...to cut through the currents and reach the desired depth.  A thicker blade helps.  If your wide blade is getting deep enough, it's probably pulling too hard.

Slow and Shallow Spinner Water

Use a wider blade... possibly a fairly large size to catch more water.  A thinner blade will not sink as fast as a thicker spinner blade.

Slow and Deep

I prefer a wide, thin (lighter) blade, which will enable me to retrieve slowly, feeling the thump, thump of the spinner blade (important).

“Quick Fish Pockets”

“What if I'm fishing tight or small steelhead quarters and have a limited time for my presentation?”  Unless the water is fairly shallow... use a narrow, thick blade.

Casting Straight Upstream and Quickly Retrieving Your Spinner

It's best to use a wider, lighter blade in most situations unless the water is deep and fast, which would require a narrower, and heavier blade.

Retrieving Back From Straight Downstream

This water is probably out of the bite zone and slower, so use a wider, lighter blade.

Casting Your Steelhead Spinner Upstream and Drifting Your Blade Until its Downstream From You

I tend to go for a wider, lighter blade most of the time.

Casting Slightly Upstream and Across or Directly Across and Retrieving Cross-Current

I use a narrower thicker blade in most steelhead spinner fishing conditions.

This is my favorite retrieve, which I use most of the time.

Straight from Jr's (owner of Hebo Outdoor Shop) spinner box...

This French spinner blade is my favorite shape for steelhead fishing

This French spinner blade is my favorite shape for steelhead fishing

Casting At a 45 Degree Angle Downstream and Retrieving Your Steelhead Spinner Slowly

A narrow, thin, or thick blade is preferred.

Casting at a 45 Degree Angle Downstream and Swinging

Most times... I'll use a blade that is fairly wide.

Making Spinner Adjustments Streamside

To keep the lists from getting too long...

The productive steelhead spinner fishing holding waters and techniques described above are a general summarization...

...according to the most popular techniques and holding waters we enjoy most.

Make your evaluation streamside.  For instance...

If I cast downstream at a 45-degree angle... my spinner will tend to float up because of the water resistance.  However, if the steelhead holding water is shallow and slow-moving, it will sink quickly.

After spinner fishing from the bank since the 60s...reeling just fast enough to feel the slow, throbbing rotation of the spinner blade is best.  The techniques I've described above are based on this productive, deadly steelhead spinner fishing approach.

Blade Finish

“What is the best steelhead spinner blade finish?”

Don't spend all day searching for the hot lure color... spend all day fishing with the correct spinner blade finish instead!

Now You'll Instantly Know What Shaped Steelhead Spinner Blade Works Best!

Using the proper steelhead spinner blade (and spinner) will increase your steelhead catch rate.  Hopefully this article will help you make the correct choices quickly and easily.  Worth noting...

• A great fisherman, fishing with the perfect steelhead blade, will not catch fish if he's not fishing in steelhead holding water.
• A great fisherman, not fishing with the best steelhead blade type but fishing where the fish are... will out-fish the other guy.

Time spent on the river and being prepared also add to your success.

Have fun and remember...

I never leave my dog at home.  Take your dog fishing with you... she'll cheer you up when you get skunked!...

My dog is wondering why I'm not catching anything :-)

My dog is wondering why I'm not catching anything :-)

Nestucca Valley Sporting Goods and Little Nestucca Deli                                     

31020 US 101 Hebo OR 97122                                                                                      

Phone:  503 392 4269

Frequently Asked Questions

How Come My Spinner Blade Won't Spin Properly?

The clevis might be bent.  Or, perhaps it's too small or the wire shaft is too thick for the clevis hole.  I do not recommend the folded clevis...I learned this the hard way from my own personal experiences.  I only use the metal stirrup clevis. 

Match clevis size with spinner blade size.  Make sure your blade shape/size matches the water conditions you are fishing.

Can I Change Spinner Blades Without Changing Spinners?

Yes.  Use a steelhead spinner with a quick-change/snap clevis. You can swap spinner blades without changing out your spinner.  However, this plastic spinner clevis can become brittle over time or wear out.

Using a duo-snap to swap spinners, instead of changing out the blade, is my preferred choice.

What Size Steelhead Spinner Blade Works Best?

This depends on the steelhead water conditions you're confronting.  I suggest you carry sizes 5-2.  I use sizes 3, 4, and 5 most of the time...#4 and #5 more than any other. 

I use Size 2 spinner blades more often in low, clear water...especially fishing for summer steelhead in the sunshine.

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