Fishing a spinner in a river

[OldTimer]

As requested------

How I fish an in-line spinner (example: Mepps Aglia) when casting in a river:

I suppose these lures are one of my favorite all round river lures.

Your thoughts and methods may vary – please share them……………

Mepps are best IMO. I do not like Panther Martins much (they twist lines badly). Blue Fox makes a cheap knock off but lately the quality has slipped and the weighted core isn’t – but these cheaper lures are great for exploring new spots and discovering the snags before you put the expensive stuff out there.

Silver and Red/White I find most productive………… After that the Comet Minnow is good.

#0, and #1 are for pan fish, mooneye, small stream trout and such.

#2, and #3 are for larger trout, bass and walleye.

#4, and #5 are for pike and Muskie or lake trolling and really aren’t for the river.

Squirrel Tail dressings are nice but bare works fine.

Use an improved clinch knot to attach them.

Being right handed I prefer fishing a river with the current coming from above me and to my right… so I’ll describe things using this setup positioning. (Just reverse all when fishing the other way around)……………… So straight upstream is 12:00 to my right, and I am facing the far bank which is at 9:00, downstream is to my left at 6:00.

Casts directly upstream at 12:00 are low percentage. You’ll have to reel like a mad demon to get enough relative velocity to make the spinner blades rotate in the water moving toward you. Plus – the spinner will hang up A LOT!

Casting downstream is a waste of time - the lure will ride way too high due to the current madly spinning the blades.

I fan the area in front of me concentrating my casts from 8:00 to 11:00 with most being at 10:00 to 11:00. My selection of targets is based on the various slips, sloughs, and current breaks (rocks, logs, bars, riffles to drop offs) I see in front and to the right of me.

**

It’s all about reading the water and making a classic spinner presentation to the holding fish…. The lure drops in the water above the fish’s position…… you reel immediately – just fast enough to get the blades spinning well and still let the lure sink a bit till it’s just “ticking the bottom” once or twice on each retrieve cycle…… the lure travels to/through the holding area……. and at about 7:00 – it sweeps a bit and then begins to travel back upstream toward you.

Take time to read the water……. and then get in a good position (close enough, and at a good angle) - then fan cast,… not before.

In most wade-able rivers or small streams the classic larger aglia (French) blade is suitable. On SLOWER currents or deeper river runs you will find that the longer willow leaf blades are more suitable.

Most fish don’t take a spinner softly – it’s usually quite aggressive. A “snatch and run” hit.

After a while of doing this you will get a sense of what is happening on the end of your line…… You will feel the ticks on bottom…… You will learn how to vary your retrieve speed to keep the spinner in the strike zone , yet not snag bottom …… You will be able to distinguish when your lure is fowled with weeds……….. Much to your chagrin you will learn the difference between a snag hook up and what a hard hit by a fish feels like………… But there is another thing: ---- sometimes suddenly you will feel nothing – just like the lure’s been cut off – REEL QUICKLY & SET THE HOOK HARD, a fish has woofed the bait and is swimming towards you!

Fishing spinners in a river can get expensive due to snags and resultant break offs. Removing one of the trebles (I take off the welded on wire) or replacement with single Siwash cuts losses. Both Mepps and Blue Fox have models that come with, or have, Siwash replacements.

That’s all……. Hope it helps…………

Cheers,

OldTimer

[onwind]

if there is a picture to illustrate the positions, it will be great!
Do you use swivel when you use inline spinner?

[MuskieBait]

The good positions are detailed quite clearly in OT's article.

"Being right handed I prefer fishing a river with the current coming from above me and to my right… so I’ll describe things using this setup positioning. (Just reverse all when fishing the other way around)……………… So straight upstream is 12:00 to my right, and I am facing the far bank which is at 9:00, downstream is to my left at 6:00.

Casts directly upstream at 12:00 are low percentage. You’ll have to reel like a mad demon to get enough relative velocity to make the spinner blades rotate in the water moving toward you. Plus – the spinner will hang up A LOT!

Casting downstream is a waste of time - the lure will ride way too high due to the current madly spinning the blades.

I fan the area in front of me concentrating my casts from 8:00 to 11:00 with most being at 10:00 to 11:00. My selection of targets is based on the various slips, sloughs, and current breaks (rocks, logs, bars, riffles to drop offs) I see in front and to the right of me."

I would suggest using a swivel for spinners to reduce line twist.

[rich_ace_G]

Panther Martins size 1 & 2 for trout (any kind) - single hooks work better for trout.
Rooster Tails and Black Fury #3 - Pike.

[OldTimer]

I rarely use swivels on smaller spinners.

Here’s a few things I do to get rid of, or reduce line twist tangling problems:

I would imagine many of you if on a lake have done the speed dragging of your bare twisted line behind the boat to “unspin” twisted lines.

If you’re wading a river do the same thing using the river’s current – just remove your lure – open the bail and let out about 10 or more yards than your longest cast – the water will pull the line downstream and the drag of the current will untwist the line – takes only a few minutes. Giving a bunch of long sharp tugs on the line will speed the process.

You can do a partial job of minimizing twist if it gets real annoying if you are bank fishing and can’t let line run down the river – but have a clearing of about 30 to 40 yards long available on shore. Just hook your lure on a tree branch or such, open your bail and walk away in a straight line at least twice as long as your longest cast. Give the line five or six sharp tugs then rewind it in (you just spread the twist out along the line – cutting the problem by at least 50%). Not the best fix but can reduce the cursing when it gets bad and make things manageable.

The above tricks also help solve the problem of line getting too loosely wound on your reel when spinner fishing.

Or - On a weekend at home– do a version of the above on a local soccer field to actually reverse the line on the spool. Tie it to the goal post – walk the line off to nothing towards the other goal post, or around it (use a towel on the post to protect the line here) and back as necessary – cut it off – walk back to the other post tied end, then tie it on and wind it back on the spool. What’s neat here is that future twisting will actually be reverse to that on the line. This trick is also great for extending the life of old line by putting the seldom used backing on top.

Last option – carry a loaded spare spool for your reel.

Cheers,

OldTimer

[Eli]

Good read, OT, and I agree that the Mepps spinners are far superior to all others. The only exception is that Panther Martin spinners will spin perfectly when retrieved with the current (on upstream casts) which makes them worthwhile to carry as often there will be an area just upstream from where you're standing but is unwadeable.

One of my best angling experiences involved a light rod rigged with a #2 silver Aglia...cast into the gin clear water of Great Slave Lake for giant grayling...

[mrclownprince]

Thanks for the tips on untwisting line. Will save me cutting and re-spooling.

[MichaelAngelo]

Great read OT, thank-you.

Has anyone experimented with dressing their spinner hooks up with hairs and other material?

[OldTimer]

I did for a while add face to face stacks of guinea hen feathers (the more heavily spotted ones) on #3 size Mepps - the muskoka bass seemed to like it but they tore up quickly.... but still produced.

[MichaelAngelo]

(05-25-2013 02:55 PM)OldTimer Wrote:  I did for a while add face to face stacks of guinea hen feathers (the more heavily spotted ones) on #3 size Mepps - the muskoka bass seemed to like it but they tore up quickly.... but still produced.

Little did man know that the secret to his fishing success was in the guinea fowl



edit: or should I say... "on"... the guinea fowl? Where does the animal end and the outside begin... duh duh duh...