Rigging the River Series with Bait
The Alaska River Series came into being after I received a number of inquiries about single hook lures. After talking to fisherman that were fishing a variety of places and conditions, I was able to zero in on a series and style of spinner that met a large percentage of the needs of these fisherman. The photo to the left illustrates how the River Series Spinners can be rigged with a couple different bait choices.
As we move through the remainder of this discussion on this style of spinner, I hope to give you the basics on the concept so that you might customize this type of spinner to meet a specific fishery that you regularly fish or might come upon.
The hooks I prefer to use on these spinners are an Owner brand, specialty single hook with a long shank and a round bend. Both of those attributes are keys in performance of the spinner. The long shank gives some separation from the blade to the bait without having to add a bunch of beads to the shaft. This reduces the overall length of the shaft, reducing the bending of the shaft and keeping the blade free spinning. The round bend and relatively wide gap help make placing the bait on the hook easier and makes it easier to keep the hook point free from being buried in the bait. The red color is also something that a number of seasoned anglers were very partial to--especially the guys that like using eggs with their spinners.
As we move through the remainder of this discussion on this style of spinner, I hope to give you the basics on the concept so that you might customize this type of spinner to meet a specific fishery that you regularly fish or might come upon.
The hooks I prefer to use on these spinners are an Owner brand, specialty single hook with a long shank and a round bend. Both of those attributes are keys in performance of the spinner. The long shank gives some separation from the blade to the bait without having to add a bunch of beads to the shaft. This reduces the overall length of the shaft, reducing the bending of the shaft and keeping the blade free spinning. The round bend and relatively wide gap help make placing the bait on the hook easier and makes it easier to keep the hook point free from being buried in the bait. The red color is also something that a number of seasoned anglers were very partial to--especially the guys that like using eggs with their spinners.
Getting the Spinner to the Fish
You can present these spinners in a couple different ways to the fish. A good number of fisherman like to run them downstream on a drift/troll type of method. With this method, you can either weight the spinner itself (see the diagram below on one method of weighting the spinner) or run a leader (4-5 feet) and run an inline weight or dropper with a weight. The idea with this method is move downstream fast enough so that the spinners trail behind the boat and you get some blade spin. You will also find that even a blade that is flip-flopping can be very effective as you work your lures down stream. The take can be pretty hard as the fish will be in full speed upstream mode and grab the lure. Many Alaska streams are picture perfect for this method as they are relatively snag free gravel bottoms and have nice even flow that allows for an even downstream run for a modified troll or even a side drift type of application.
Another method of fishing effectively fishing the River Series type spinner is to anchor up and lay the spinners out in the current on the edge of seems or in likely holding areas. The most popular method of rigging is with a 4-5 leader (some places longer, some shorter) with the lead attached to a dropper leader. The set up is then back bounced behind the boat until it is in the desired position and then it is either a hold onto the rod and wait for a bite or set it in a rod holder and await the bite. The amount of lead will be determined by the depth and flow of the water and how far behind the boat you want your offering.
Growing in popularity is the use of a diver in place of the lead dropper. You can run a 10, 20 or 30 foot jet diver by Luhr Jensen instead of lead in the previously mentioned method and have great success. If you use a dropper on the diver, you will have the ability to get the diver on the bottom if you want it there and have your spinner right in the travel zone of the fish. Whatever method of rigging you choose and whether you use bait or not, will be determined by the river conditions and characteristics and any regulatory restraints that may eliminate bait use. The bottom line is, fishing spinners in the manner I have laid out above is becoming more popular because the success rate has been high. As with any method, experimentation is critical to match the specific requirements of your fishery and to maximize your success.
Another method of fishing effectively fishing the River Series type spinner is to anchor up and lay the spinners out in the current on the edge of seems or in likely holding areas. The most popular method of rigging is with a 4-5 leader (some places longer, some shorter) with the lead attached to a dropper leader. The set up is then back bounced behind the boat until it is in the desired position and then it is either a hold onto the rod and wait for a bite or set it in a rod holder and await the bite. The amount of lead will be determined by the depth and flow of the water and how far behind the boat you want your offering.
Growing in popularity is the use of a diver in place of the lead dropper. You can run a 10, 20 or 30 foot jet diver by Luhr Jensen instead of lead in the previously mentioned method and have great success. If you use a dropper on the diver, you will have the ability to get the diver on the bottom if you want it there and have your spinner right in the travel zone of the fish. Whatever method of rigging you choose and whether you use bait or not, will be determined by the river conditions and characteristics and any regulatory restraints that may eliminate bait use. The bottom line is, fishing spinners in the manner I have laid out above is becoming more popular because the success rate has been high. As with any method, experimentation is critical to match the specific requirements of your fishery and to maximize your success.
Adding Weight to your River Spinner
The photos to the left illustrate one method of adding both weight and color to your spinner. Using 3/16" hollow core with hook tubing over the top accomplishes this in a couple pretty easy steps. Simply cut the size of lead you want being careful to keep it as straight as possible. I find using wire stripping pliers works well to cut the lead wire and leave the hole in tact. I do my best to straighten the wire before cutting it to the size I want. Then, cut some hook tubing (1/8") slightly shorter in length than the lead. In order to slide the tubing over the lead you will need something to aid the process. Many things will work--namely liquid dish soap. However, these are thick in nature, making them kind of a mess to use. I suggest watering them down a bit or, what I have found to be the easiest and most effective is foaming hand soap--the kind with the pump. Simply apply the foam soap or dish soap to one end of the lead and work the tubing onto that end and as you push the tubing onto the lead, the soap will help move the tubing into place. Then it is just of matter of sliding the completed body piece on the shaft. Adding a bead or two for color and for bearings is pretty essential as well.
The picture to the right, above, shows a completed spinner utilizing the lead/tubing body. The hook tubing is a bonus as the plain old lead will suffice but added color is always something that can only help you. Weighting this type of spinner can help eliminate the need for further lead (or divers) up the line so you can just flat line and use it as you see fit. It also enables you to have the option of casting and retrieving your spinner as well. And, even though there are literally hundreds of pre-made lure bodies out there, this method of adding weight is simple and substantially cheaper than that option.
The picture to the right, above, shows a completed spinner utilizing the lead/tubing body. The hook tubing is a bonus as the plain old lead will suffice but added color is always something that can only help you. Weighting this type of spinner can help eliminate the need for further lead (or divers) up the line so you can just flat line and use it as you see fit. It also enables you to have the option of casting and retrieving your spinner as well. And, even though there are literally hundreds of pre-made lure bodies out there, this method of adding weight is simple and substantially cheaper than that option.
2011 Season Success with the River Series
During the summer season, the river series spinners performed well on a number of streams throughout Alaska. The lower, relatively clear water on the Kenai made for great conditions for fishing spinners. There was only a few guys giving it a try but the one's that figured it out had some good success. The main conclusion I came to after hearing the input from fisherman on the river series is that there needs to be more colors made available in the series. The FB7, #5 B10 and colorado blades were all productive. The effectiveness of any one particular size blade seems to be directly affected by the current speed you are fishing. Methods included downstream trolling, back trolling, back bouncing and anchoring and backing the spinners behind the boat, just off the bottom. All of these methods were done both with and without the addition of bait to the spinner. With the input of my customers in mind, I am going to be expanding the River Series line to include more color and blade varieties. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have questions on the River Series spinners if you think they may work well for you on your river. Custom orders are not a problem as we try together to get those spinners that will work for you on your specific river.