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[Fish Assassin]

It can be extremely frustrating for a beginner to learn how to use spinners/spoons effectively.

[bigblockfox]

once you dial in it in it can be a ton of fun on light tackle. for me alot has to do with water speed and depth.

[Flytech]

Mr. Rod Toth that is   

Hah!

[Hambone]

Watching an experience angler swing a spoon and get fish is a huge help in learning this technique and realizing that it can be deadly. Seeing it done in person helped me considerably when targeting steelhead. It's certainly not something you'll master in a day! I have since read Herzog's book and it's a great read also for anyone learning.

I don't get out fishing nearly as much as BentRod, ED or TrophyTackle.....  But copper is my favourite for steel and copper/orange for coho.

[spoiler]

Dan,
 I'm shocked by your statement about using spinners for Coho in the Vedder! Spinners are my go-to on the Vedder and after fishing it steady for the last 47 years I have had a lot of practice.
When I was in my late teens and had lots of time to fish I averaged 250-300 Coho per season and that was before the hatchery was in place. 95% of those fish were caught on spinners.
I am a big fan of Mepps and Blue Fox and carry a large selection of sizes and blade colors. I still fish the Vedder now but never as hard as my younger days. Last fall my best morning was 22 Coho and I rarely fishing later than 11:00am

[Every Day]

Dan,
 I'm shocked by your statement about using spinners for Coho in the Vedder! Spinners are my go-to on the Vedder and after fishing it steady for the last 47 years I have had a lot of practice.
When I was in my late teens and had lots of time to fish I averaged 250-300 Coho per season and that was before the hatchery was in place. 95% of those fish were caught on spinners.
I am a big fan of Mepps and Blue Fox and carry a large selection of sizes and blade colors. I still fish the Vedder now but never as hard as my younger days. Last fall my best morning was 22 Coho and I rarely fishing later than 11:00am

That's super interesting, maybe it has to do with the area of river we are fishing (like my previous example from last weekend, upper river it was all about spinners, lower was all about spoons). I typically fish the Vedder down low, and although I've tried, I don't have luck with spinners but hammer them on spoons right after.

Overall numbers for a year doesn't mean much to me, for me it's about staying consistent each trip and getting at least half a dozen fish or more. For me to be consistent, I need to change techniques and what I'm using based on rivers - meaning I no longer use spinners on the Vedder, UNLESS what typically works isn't working for some reason, then I'll change it up. We can throw numbers around all we want, the past 2 years my best days on the Vedder were 12 coho in 3 hours (last year), and 32 coho in 5 hours the year before. I only fish the Vedder 2 days per year now for coho, always on Thanksgiving weekend when I'm home, so I definitely wouldn't claim to be an expert on that river any more - but I do know the nearly 100 coho I've hit in the 6 trips I've made the past 3 years were all on spoons (correction - maybe 10 on colorado blades, half dozen on twitched jigs).

So, since you do so well on spinners, mind sharing what colours work and sizes, or is this just another one of those numbers contests people seem to like to have on here.

[spoiler]

not a numbers game at all, just trying to explain how effective spinners have been for me over the years. I think the fact that I focus on frog water for most of my Coho fishing has a lot to do with the success rate. I know when you started fishing the Vedder because my son and I used to watch you drag home White Springs down Canterbury that were almost as big as you!
As far as what blades / sizes I use it depends on water clarity and height. Low, clear water I will use a brass or copper #2 blade. As the water colors up I will go to silver and a #3 blade.
A #3 Blue Fox with a silver blade and Fluor. orange body is a good high water choice as is a Mepps Aglia #3 silver blade. I will also change spinners starting at first light as the morning get brighter. When the river gets almost unfishable I will go up to a #6 blade and neon colors and still catch biting fish.
although I sing the praises of spinners for Coho I did catch my personal best on a spoon a couple of years ago. it was a 22lber on a gold Iron head spoon casting out of a boat in San Juan bay. I also caught a 19, 18.5 & 17lb that day, not one bite on a spinner! Next time you come home look me up, my house backs on to the Rotary trail.

[troutbreath]

Gibbs had a batch of Silvex back in the day that were supposed to be brass coloured but ended up having a copper hue to them. Outfished every other lure most times. Bought up everyone of them I could find. Even found some in Woodwards in Port Albernie when I couldn't find them over here anymore. Sadly there all gone now. Trolled them on the lower Vedder out to the Fraser. Always liked the way the fish would hit them, just go wild for them. Now just use my own Colorados and some Mepps and Dickie type lures.

[Every Day]

Yea, I target frog water on the Vedder as well. Looks like I may have to do some more experimenting with spinners there. I just always go back to spoons as they work so well for me now.

Beaches are generally like that as well - very rarely a spinner bite, lots on spoons. Normally I find smaller spoons work best, but at times the larger spoons or spinners work too, just depends what mood they are in.

Funny about your largest too... That massive one (biggest coho I've ever seen) that Kitty and I got last year was on a spinner, by far a personal best. Biggest on a spoon has been in the 16 range. Most rivers on the island it seems to coho prefer spinners on a 10 to 1 basis, with some daily exceptions.

[spoiler]

I remember seeing a picture of Kitty's fish. How many pounds would you estimate that one weighed?

[Dr.spey]

Just a heads up wholesale in Langley has a good selection of trophy tackle in stock I just grabbed a bunch and am very impressed with the quality of their products. 

I've been out twice with them and have been landing more coho than when I was chucking the old bluefox, they also come qith a wicked sickle hook. Great bang for the buck!

[A Frayed Knot]

These aren't really spinner or spoons, but I figured they kinda fish similar to them, I wondered if anyone has tried bingo bugs at all? I saw on youtube they were fished under a fly rod, but I wondered if anyones had any success or tried them this year on the rivers? Been curious, so I picked up a couple from Army and Navy but it doesn't look like I will get a chance to swing any.