WHY MY SPINNER LURES ARE SUPERIOR
TROLLING SPINNERS:
I manufacture two basic spinner models, plus a unique shrimp spinner. These are very effective lures for salmon and steelhead. Note: Because of their light weight, these lures do not cast well. These are trolling lures.
I use deep cup Colorado Blades exclusively, as they easily spin in very little current. All my wire lures include a 100# crane swivel.
I use Gamakatsu Big River hooks exclusively. Big River hooks are forged, making them very strong. Most importantly, they are scary sharp.
I prefer the Big River hooks because they have a longer tine length than treble hooks of the same size; an important feature when fishing in barbless waters. However, I can manufacture lures with the hook of your choice upon request.
WHY I DON’T OFFER LURES WITH TREBLE HOOKS:
There are several reasons for this:
1. It has been my experience that I get better hookups with a single hook than with a treble.
2. If a fish has only one tine of a treble hook in it’s mouth, it can pop it loose simply by closing it’s mouth.
3. Twice, I have unintentionally killed a wild fish when using a treble hook. Two of the hooks of the treble were hanging outside of the fish. The fish rolled, and the line got snagged, which locked the gills shut. By the time I beached the fish, it was dead, despite my best efforts to revive it.
4. When releasing wild fish in a selective catch and release area, single hooks do much less damage to released fish than treble hooks.
Last fall, I introduced the Steelhead Special, a trolling version of the very successful Top Prop plunking/trolling lure. The lure body is much smaller at 1.25”. Testing on the Snake and Clearwater Rivers last fall and winter proved it is a very effective Steelhead lure, out-fishing all other types of spinner lures on our test boats.
I also manufacture two additional spinning lures: The Snake River Special and the Rainbow Blade. These catch salmon and steelhead equally well.
The latest addition to my spinning lure family is the Snake River Mini Special. The is a smaller version of our best selling Snake River Special. At an overall length of 3.25”, it is the ideal size for late fall and winter steelhead.
I also manufacture a Prawn Spinner lure with a single Gamakatsu Big River 3/0 hook. This lure has a unique integrated barb, which locks the shrimp in place so you don’t have to tie the bait to the lure. This lure is very effective on Steelhead and salmon.
To install the prawn on the Prawn Spinner, simply unlock the barb, insert it into the shrimp head first until it exits the shrimp in the middle of the bend, then re-insert the barb back into the lock.
I recommend you use gel-type scents on the backside of the lure blade, and a small piece of shrimp, tuna or other oily fish on the hook as well for maximum results. While my lures are primarily designed to attract salmon and steelhead, I have received excellent feedback from fishermen who have caught pike, muskies, walleye, plus large and small mouth bass using these lures.
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