How to Fish Spinners for Steelhead Trout
Steelheads are one of the favorite targets of anglers because they can grow huge and are delicious to eat, and anglers everywhere prefer big catches that are easy to locate. Most expert anglers prefer to catch these creatures using spinners because of their distinct lure presentation. Now, you might be wondering how to fish spinners for steelhead trout.
Generally, anglers catch steelhead trout with spinners because of their endless feeding and aggressive behavior due to hunger. Using spinners involves choosing a good strike zone, throwing the spinner upstream, reserving space for banking, and keeping the bait at the bottom.
Fish spinners are exciting gear most beginner and professional anglers prefer for a more successful catch. In this blog, you’ll learn all about the process of catching steelhead trout using spinners, as well as knowing how to choose the best gear for your angling needs. Let’s dive in!
Are Fish Spinners Good for Steelhead Trout?
Steelhead trout love to swim and spend their time in fast-flowing rivers, especially when they search for food. With this, spinners are effective fishing gear to catch these creatures within a five-foot depth or less. Most anglers prefer using spinners because they feature high vibration frequencies that effectively catch steelhead trout.
Generally, steelhead trout often hide in pockets behind creeks or rocks where the current is commonly diverted. One of the most useful pieces of advice in using spinners is to maximize your time in your chosen strike zone to allow the spinner to stay longer at the bottom.
Additionally, spinners are more suitable for steelhead trout when you are familiar with the swing and cast method. Using this method entails casting the spinner upstream, making it drift together with the flowing river, and then swinging it in a direction towards the bank.
Note that the stronger the river current, the slower you need to retrieve. Steelhead trout respond better when twitches and changes in direction combine with your retrieve.
What Are the Best Techniques When Fishing Spinners for Steelhead Trout?
Methods of catching steelhead trout continue to evolve until today. For your best angling experience, here are the best techniques and fishing tips you can follow:
Choosing A Strike Zone
Steelheads are creatures without arms, so their main method of eating their prey is striking hard. This is the main reason why spinners serve as the best bait for these creatures. Your spinners spin and vibrate as water flows downstream, allowing the steelhead trout to see the gear visibly.
In choosing the best strike zone, look for water pockets behind creeks and rocks. These are suitable hiding places for steelhead trout, especially when the water flows rapidly against these obstacles.
Throwing The Spinner Upstream
After locating a good strike zone, throw your spinner upstream to allow it to flow downstream along with the water current slowly. As the water moves, the spinner will continue to go down until it hits the river bottom. This time is actually the best time for the steelhead trout to strike.
Save Room for Banking Anglers
If you are using a boat while angling, make sure that there is enough space between the bank and the boat. You should remember not to anchor at the hole’s center, allowing the bank anglers to fish from the bank.
Keep Your Bait At the Bottom
Don’t forget to keep your bait or lure at the river bottom. Doing this will give you a better chance of catching large steelhead trout. Then, gradually move your bait downstream until you’re sure that you have covered the entire run.
Once a bite is felt, it’s best if you don’t immediately aggressively set the hook. Helpful advice is to reel in firmly and instantly to hook the steelhead.
It’s also important that you do not scare away any other steelheads in the area when you’re landing. You must remain as quiet as you can when landing the trout.
Be Patient at Every Water Pocket
If your casts are unsuccessful, you should not lose hope and be patient by not moving too soon. It’s best to stay longer at specific parts of the water pockets. Doing this will also help you understand and master the river as well as the best spinner technique that will work effectively for you.
Additionally, if you patiently fish from one pocket, you will be more successful in catching more steelhead trout traveling faster from each pocket.
Try Bobber or Jig Fishing
Another successful technique in catching steelheads is the bobber or jig fishing method. This technique uses a vibrantly-colored jig dangling under the float and is cast upriver. After casting it, the jig is allowed to drift through areas holding different schools of fish.
Even though steelhead trout commonly hang out near the bottom of the river current, they are more likely to become attracted to the colorful jig. Certainly, they will move aggressively until they can get ahold of it.
What Kind of Fish Spinners is Good for Steelhead Trout?
With several kinds of spinners available, the following are favored and are famous among beginner and professional anglers:
1. Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner
According to most anglers, the Blue Fox Classic Vibrax Spinner is the best choice. Many experienced professionals have caught several steelheads using this lure than other spinners in the market. What makes this one of the best is the high-frequency vibration that this lure can produce even under deep water depths.
Another advantage of the Vibrax Spinner is the wide range of vibrant color options you can choose, allowing you to attract steelhead trout better. It is also an excellent choice of lure to catch other fish species such as bass, salmon, pike, musky, and more.
2. Panther Martin FishSeeUV Salmon & Steelhead Spinning Lure
Another anglers’ favorite is the Panther Martin FishSeeUV Salmon and Steelhead Spinning lure. It’s designed specifically to catch steelhead trout, especially with its heavier, larger, and more durable construction. This spinning lure allows you to cast it to further distances due to its larger size, giving you an opportunity to spot and catch huge steelhead trout.
In addition, another important feature of this spinner is its colorful rooster trail, covering the treble hook. The hungry and territorial steelheads will certainly become aggressive and irresistible with the spinner’s brightly colored salmon egg on its body.
3. Yakima Bait Wordens Original Rooster Tail Lure
Yakima Bait Wordens Original Rooster Tail Lure is a timeless classic for catching steelhead trout. It features a sleek design that allows it to be cast in far distances where you can catch smaller and younger steelheads and even cutthroat trout sizes. This spinner also comes in bright colors to attract steelheads and other creatures.
4. Mepps K7 Alaska Bonanza Kit
The Mepps K7 Alaska Bonanza Kit is a price-worthy kit of several spinners. This kit comes with six steelhead-sized lures in vibrant and attractive colors – red, orange, and pink. Each spinner comes with a single hook, and there’s no need for you to switch these hooks when fishing in a specific protected area.
What Size of Fish Spinners Are Good for Steelhead Trout?
In normal water conditions, the larger the size, the better and more successful it is to catch large steelhead trout. Generally, sizes 9 to 18 are good starting points for catching these creatures, especially when angling in turbid water. If you desire to angle in the clearest waters, smaller sizes of the spinners should also be good.
How Do You Rig a Spinning Lure for Steelhead Trout?
Rigging a spinning lure to catch steelhead trout is an easy knot-tying process, needing the following:
- Rod and a matched reel
- Spinnerbait
- Monofilament fishing line
Attach the spinning lure to the monofilament fishing line using a Trilene knot. The Trilene knot ensures the strength and integrity of the fishing lines. Feed the fishing line’s free end through the spinner’s eye. Pull the line up so that there is a five to six-inch line extending past the lure.
Ensure that you are not pulling the line too tight, and the two loops should be accessible and open because they will be used later. Wrap the line’s free end for three turns around the main fishing line.
Turn the free end down and feed it towards the two loops you initially formed during knot tying. You can moisten and tighten the knot around the spinner’s eye. If there is an excess line, trim it using a sharp pair of scissors.
Wrapping Up
Steelhead trout serve as gems to catch because they are aggressive and are always on the lookout for food. The vibrant colors and high-frequency vibration of spinners make them effective lures in catching these creatures.
When catching steelhead trout, you must always choose a good striking zone in the water pockets behind rocks and creeks because these are the best places where the trout hide, especially when they are hungry. As a general rule of thumb, the size of your spinner lures should almost be of the same size as the steelhead trout. The larger it is, the farther distance it can travel downstream, making it more successful for you to catch them at the river bottom.
