# tossing spoons for river/creek steelhead



## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

Hey all. Just curious how to fish spoons for steelhead in a river/creek. I've been googling all over internet, I keep seeing people say swing them through etc. That's confusing to me. All the rivers and creeks I fish are rather small and don't have much current lol. I tried casting slightly upstream and with rod high let current work spoon down...well....lure sunk to bottom instantly when I cast lol. Only time my spoon has action is when I reel in lol. I use Cleo's mainly. 

So if I ignore all that confusing info bout swinging etc. What about using Cleo's with the old fashioned cast out and reel in. Will that catch fish?


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

Go buy a few rooster tail spinners.....pink,gold, white/pink, throw in a few Mepps spinners.....They'll work a lot better than a heavy spoon...


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

That's a sexy bow!!!! Ya I do well on spinners. I got those mepps aglia e egg spinners in sizes 2 and 3. I do amazing on steelhead size 6 panthers. I got over 200 spoons 1/4 oz dying to try to catch something on them though as a change of pace lol. If the spoons don't work for me I'll just go back to my old faithful...the spinner . Also I've got big trout in little creeks on size 5 flicker shads and also j9 rapalas. That's fun. Tiny creeks. Just find a deep hole u can't see bottom in. Cast out slow reel back so u don't get snaggged up and bzzzzzzz fish on lol then ur making sure they don't run ya into log jams lol


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

J9 in a little creek I could jump across. Deep hole couldn't see bottom cast out simple slow retrieve so it just got a swimming motion boom side swiped it.


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## BDuff1234 (Jan 18, 2016)

To explain what swinging the spoon in the current would mean I will give you the following;
-Cast directly across the stream or angled across and downstream. 
-Then let the current pull the lure, and it will slowly or quickly swing across to your side of the stream (depending on the flow of the water). If there is enough current it will make the spoon flutter as though you are reeling it in as it swings across from the opposite side of the creek/river to your side of the creek/river.

Now if your creek/river doesn't have enough current to cause it to flutter as it swings across to your side of the stream, then I would likely recommend using other methods and lures.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

BDuff1234 said:


> To explain what swinging the spoon in the current would mean I will give you the following;
> -Cast directly across the stream or angled across and downstream.
> -Then let the current pull the lure, and it will slowly or quickly swing across to your side of the stream (depending on the flow of the water). If there is enough current it will make the spoon flutter as though you are reeling it in as it swings across from the opposite side of the creek/river to your side of the creek/river.
> 
> Now if your creek/river doesn't have enough current to cause it to flutter as it swings across to your side of the stream, then I would likely recommend using other methods and lures.


Ok thanks. Ya my rivers and creeks near me see lots of fish but not enough current. Even a 1/4 oz Cleo if I cast across me in what looks like current if I don't reel it just drops dead to the bottom lol.

Can't you just cast out and retrieve spoons in a river or creek?


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## BDuff1234 (Jan 18, 2016)

You could cast and retrieve it. You can even cast across or angled downstream and reel in slow enough to make the spoon flutter and you will still be able to get the "swing effect" as you slowly reel it in. 

If the spoon hits the bottom still or if you have to reel it in pretty quickly just to get it to flutter then I would say just skip the spoons as they're just not quite designed for this environment. 

But if spinners are working and you don't have the same problem with those hitting the bottom then I would recommend saving the spoons for a bit bigger water and go with what you know already works on this creek/river. But I can also understand the logic behind using all of the spoons you have. Maybe try some trips to bigger/deeper water to use the spoons.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

Ya


BDuff1234 said:


> You could cast and retrieve it. You can even cast across or angled downstream and reel in slow enough to make the spoon flutter and you will still be able to get the "swing effect" as you slowly reel it in.
> 
> If the spoon hits the bottom still or if you have to reel it in pretty quickly just to get it to flutter then I would say just skip the spoons as they're just not quite designed for this environment.
> 
> But if spinners are working and you don't have the same problem with those hitting the bottom then I would recommend saving the spoons for a bit bigger water and go with what you know already works on this creek/river. But I can also understand the logic behind using all of the spoons you have. Maybe try some trips to bigger/deeper water to use the spoons.


Ya as u see by my picture above I do well on the j9 jointed rapalas. Its weird a small drainage creek I can hop across and the fish slam a j9. You just gotta find the pools u can't see bottom in cast out reel slow so the lure is just making a swim action then hold on. The orange j9s do good for me


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

jay83 said:


> Ya
> 
> Ya as u see by my picture above I do well on the j9 jointed rapalas. Its weird a small drainage creek I can hop across and the fish slam a j9. You just gotta find the pools u can't see bottom in cast out reel slow so the lure is just making a swim action then hold on. The orange j9s do good for me


The brown I got in the above pic slammed my j9 in a shallow drainage creek.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

BDuff1234 said:


> You could cast and retrieve it. You can even cast across or angled downstream and reel in slow enough to make the spoon flutter and you will still be able to get the "swing effect" as you slowly reel it in.
> 
> If the spoon hits the bottom still or if you have to reel it in pretty quickly just to get it to flutter then I would say just skip the spoons as they're just not quite designed for this environment.
> 
> But if spinners are working and you don't have the same problem with those hitting the bottom then I would recommend saving the spoons for a bit bigger water and go with what you know already works on this creek/river. But I can also understand the logic behind using all of the spoons you have. Maybe try some trips to bigger/deeper water to use the spoons.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

Since jointed j9 rapalas work for me this time of year I will stick with them. I know come spring steelhead run I only catch them using a worm floated off bottom using a syringe and an egg weight with a 2ft leader. And also panther martins. Those two methods are the proven go tos for me in spring


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

jay83 said:


> Since jointed j9 rapalas work for me this time of year I will stick with them. I know come spring steelhead run I only catch them using a worm floated off bottom using a syringe and an egg weight with a 2ft leader. And also panther martins. Those two methods are the proven go tos for me in spring



Try a smaller sized x-rap in gold............they've been working,,,


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

wally-eye said:


> Try a smaller sized x-rap in gold............they've been working,,,


Well my orange j9 is on fire. I've been hooking up nearly every cast. And the casts I don't get a fish on I get follow ups. The other day alone I limited out on steelhead on a orange j9 in 15 mins. And not to mention last week that same orange j9 got me that beauty brown. I can't see myself switching when its still working phenomenal for me. Maybe if the action dies I will try the xrap


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## wally-eye (Oct 27, 2004)

jay83 said:


> Well my orange j9 is on fire. I've been hooking up nearly every cast. And the casts I don't get a fish on I get follow ups. The other day alone I limited out on steelhead on a orange j9 in 15 mins. And not to mention last week that same orange j9 got me that beauty brown. I can't see myself switching when its still working phenomenal for me. Maybe if the action dies I will try the xrap




They act entirely different in the current compared to a lake......gotta stay on them though...............


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

Use favorite spinner for river browns. Vibrax silver size 2 and 3. Work the creek methodically. Cast up stream and reel with current. Use heavy enough spinner to get down in the deeper holes. Silver is best color.....you want slow spin rotation. Should look like a strobe light... too much spin is not enough flash. Spinner fishing is harder than what most think. Your casts have to be perfect. That fish will hit on the first perfect placement. Wind up in a tree limb, and you blew it. Having a buddy with you can give that spot a second shot. For creeks use shorter rods. Always start casts short and work the water closest to you.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> Use favorite spinner for river browns. Vibrax silver size 2 and 3


As I've said to everyone I'm slaying browns and steelhead on orange jointed rapala j9 up creeks. If the fish ever get tired of my orange j9 then ya ur right a spinner is deadly. Don't forget the panthers!!


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## salmon_slayer06 (Mar 19, 2006)

For creeks go after a good rain. You want that river to get dirty and flowing. This will send every fish in that creek to the first spot that is cleaner and perfect flow. Most likely in the upper sections with gravel. So you must know the creek very well. When it's been dry the fish will probably drop back into main river or lower sections or into lake. Might not be the case all the time.. when water has dropped the upper sections will clear first and fish will move down. Staying with the perfect water can be done if you fish it everyday after a rain.


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## jay83 (Jun 24, 2016)

salmon_slayer06 said:


> For creeks go after a good rain. You want that river to get dirty and flowing. This will send every fish in that creek to the first spot that is cleaner and perfect flow. Most likely in the upper sections with gravel. So you must know the creek very well. When it's been dry the fish will probably drop back into main river or lower sections or into lake. Might not be the case all the time.. when water has dropped the upper sections will clear first and fish will move down. Staying with the perfect water can be done if you fish it everyday after a rain.


I don't see what that reply has to do with my topic I posted a pic of a beauty brown I got up our creek and as I've said five times now I've been HAMMERING steelhead and browns on my jointed rapala j9 up little creeks. Even as recent as yesterday lol. I know when to go lol and the fish are always up the creeks here because the browns r moving up them to drop eggs and the steelhead r sneaking up them to over winter in the deep pools. A lot of the browns I got were shooting eggs. So I released them quickly. Man u need to get in on feeling a trout nail a j9 up a little creek its a rush. Little creeks u can hop across pitch out down river and bring back thru pool. All of a sudden out of nowhere they side swipe it. I had a few rush up behind it. I think the j9 is working so well this time of year because the browns r aggressive defending there hens. And the steelhead and browns fighting over territories so they see this annoying bright orange thing wiggle by I think its getting killed out of aggression. And plenty of water always in this creek its spring fed so never dries up


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