HOW-TO fish SPINNERS for Salmon - ULTIMATE Guide

Have you ever heard the phrase "The tug is the drug" ? Because that is all about feeling the bite when it happens. Not after your float goes down, or your downrigger clip pops or your line stops, or rod tip buries in the rod holder. When you are casting and fishing a spinner, you are directly connected to the lure and when that salmon bites, the feeling is electric and like none other!
The sad thing is that most have a few spinners in their tackle box, but only break them out rarely. Maybe, they had that one experience that one time of tossing a spinner out to some salmon and getting bit, but they don't know how to repeat the experience.
This video is your ultimate HOW-TO reference to spinner fishing for salmon! We cover the spinner cast in excruciating detail, we talk about heavy body vs light body spinners and techniques. We cover spinner selection, construction and rod selection for tossing spinners.
We also take a spinner fishing for salmon newbie and in one recorded instruction session he catches his first spinner salmon!
You can catch salmon on spinners too!
Here are a few amazon links I refer to throughout the video (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay the same price regardless)
Spinner rod selection:
Light action rod for size 2-3 spinners: amzn.to/3Q2iVdM
Medium rod for size 3-5 spinners: amzn.to/3telws9
Heavy rod for size 4-6 spinners: amzn.to/48HfeRZ
Spinning Reel:
amzn.to/46SLGzp
What I spool with for spinner fishing:
amzn.to/46Az5Ax
Light body spinner:
amzn.to/3POtJLs
Heavy body spinner:
www.northforklures.com/
Spinner components: These look good, but I haven't used them yet.
www.firststrikelures.com/spin...
Spinner fishing and river fishing for salmon resources:
pnwbestlife.com/river-fishing...
pnwbestlife.com/river-fishing...
Spinner fishing books:
Spinner Fishing Bible: amzn.to/46gKx4r
Next best spinner book: amzn.to/3ZECGLM

[@BallinRiceBowl]

In my fishing crew I am proud to say that Spinner fishing is my specialty and favorite way to target Salmon 🎣🤙🏽

[@PNWBestLife]

Love it! I’m the same way. Kind of cool knowing you can make that cast and BAM fish on!

[@ag8782]

Size 4 blue Fox with a hoochie has been a coho killer for me. Such a fun bite!

[@PNWBestLife]

Size 6! 😎

[@ag8782]

@@PNWBestLife I’ll give it a go. Thanks!

[@adamnoga-styron7882]

Very informative! Good reminder to get more spinners!

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks!

[@jaykuang2264]

Very comprehensive and helpful!

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you!

[@masamunesword]

By far my favorite way to fish salmon is with spinners.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yes, for sure! How’d I do covering the topic?

[@masamunesword]

@@PNWBestLife Did a great job and I even learned a few new things, mostly about how to make them myself. Seems like they have a lot of parts in common with squid jigs so that's neat.

[@PNWBestLife]

Ohh, interesting! Also, someone messaged me and said first strikelures is where the rvr fshr components went. I have to check it out still before I update the description.

[@jondoe-br8se]

I was out for 5 minutes today and caught a nice coho with a Panther Martin spinner. That's pretty much all I use for salmon and trout.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yup, That's spinner fishing! One cast baby!

[@rsfyproductions69420]

Never caught a salmon with my own techniques or without people setting everything up, yesterday I went out with a rooster tail on the local river and got slammed on my 2nd cast! Fish came off in about 10 seconds but it’s nice know I can catch now I just have to get out more.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yes! Anything to increase confidence! You gotta get out when the coho salmon are running though, can be incredible when they hit it!

[@evgenyzubatov1113]

Great video, thanks for posting it! Thanks for explaining the actual drift and reeling technique, now I know why my spinners were swinging faster towards the bank when I casted upstream, I just need to keep the rod tip downstream. :) I was looking for torpedo-shaped spinner bodies and could not find them around. Did you buy them online or somewhere local?

[@PNWBestLife]

I originally bought them at rvrfshr.com, but that's no longer running. Checkout www.firststrikelures.com/spinner-components they look like the same components, and I do know they still make the rvrfshr spoons.

[@Boonci]

This is pretty poggers 👍

[@Gandolf0p]

This comment is pretty poggers 👍

[@PNWBestLife]

Pog champ!

[@fdl362]

Here is a video idea friend, try fishing salmon with a buzz bomb and twitch it.

[@chadatkinson79]

When you fish a wicked do you want to feel the weight drag once in awhile, or are you trying to keep it just off the bottom the whole time? I caught several coho recently dragging my weight while retrieving, but it made it hard to tell exactly when I got a bite.

[@PNWBestLife]

I want to hit bottom once tbh. I don’t want to bang constantly, but I know how to adjust slightly so I’m just above bottom after I hit it once

[@brianjohnston4207]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2bWdK2lbMZ0gZYsi=xMYe6n8BDmpeH--D

[@brianjohnston4207]

I needed some new spinners anyway and wanted to give these a shot so i ordered 12 from North Fork in size 4. I got the box set so i think you just get random colors but forgot to ask if they come with single point hooks though.

[@PNWBestLife]

All mine came with single point hooks.

[@brianjohnston4207]

I left a message on the website after I placed the order and Dominic personally texted me back at like 9pm with responses to my questions. They all come with single point hooks. He also explained how they are similar in weight to a vibrax but are a little smaller due to denser bodies. So far I'm impressed with the communication and customer service from North Fork and I'm looking forward to getting these spinners out on the water.

[@PNWBestLife]

Absolutely! Yeah same size heavy body spinner will be heavier compared to vibrax

[@kashfiqbal]

What sort of water would you use light body spinners in? I’m reevaluating my box for next fall, and I have a bunch of blue foxes that have never touched a fish. I’m wondering where I should be using em

[@PNWBestLife]

I like to use them in classic drifts with walking speed water maybe 4-7 ft of depth. If it’s too fast you have to reel too fast to keep tension when reeling downstream after casting upstream. If it’s too deep you may have to reel too slowly to keep it in the middle of the water column.

[@kashfiqbal]

To make sure I am reading that diagram correctly, I should cast my blue foxes around 2 o clock upstream, point my rod directly in front of me, and reel just slow enough to get that blade spinning? One final question: If I start reeling too soon, is there a risk I won't let the spinner sink into the strike zone? @@PNWBestLife

[@PNWBestLife]

Yes, that’s correct! There is some risk, but that depends on water depth. You may be able to just start reeling and it will be in the zone. Coho and steelhead will both chase a properly presented spinner above them in the water column

[@MrBento12345]

I’d love to built and fishing with spinners after watching your video 😊. I seems could not find the company that sell the kits. Could you let me know their website. Thanks!

[@PNWBestLife]

I don’t have a great spinner components recommendation, but i know there are a bunch of companies who make them.

[@PNWBestLife]

Ok, I checked out these guys and their components look identical to the rvrfshr stuff, just a bit more expanded: www.firststrikelures.com/spinner-components

[@nicholasyebra1988]

The first half of the video I thought you were a different personi thought you were lief from pnw fishing

[@PNWBestLife]

😂 that’s funny

[@kyleoden3015]

Ive been running my spinners on a guide select cranking rod at 7'10 medium powe moderate action which works quite well. I also like my medium light 8-15 lb 8' north river rod. Honestly i spend most of my time targeting coho with twitching jigs but ive been running spinners more and more. Picked up a handful of those north fork spinners and they're fantastic. Thanks for the video.

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks! Yes, love North Fork lures spinners! Also, I prefer a slightly longer roe or spinners so i can mend and reduce line/current interference, but shorter works too. I love using my GLX ultra light with coho, because they have a really hard time shaking the hook on that rod and it's fun!

[@jondoe-br8se]

I was out for 5 minutes today and caught a big juicy coho. Panther Martin silver spinner with the feather dressing. That's how I catch them all. They grab it real quick

[@hooks4nooks]

You mean the rod glx 4-8 lb., is out matched for a Chinook. Meaning the rod is more than likely too wimpy for a Chinook. I think you accidentally said it the other way around. Peace!

[@PNWBestLife]

Doh! Yeah, 4-8 lbs can’t really handle a chinook too well, 😂

[@hooks4nooks]

Yeah, I wouldn't even be talking about Chinook, or some Coho for that matter, holding a 4-8 rod in my hand. I was just pointing out your words came out wrong and to a newbie you may have confused them by saying what you did. Just trying to help you....

[@PNWBestLife]

Yup, thanks!