Which Spinners & Plugs for Deschutes' Steelhead?
The Right Spinning Hardware & Color Can Improve Oregon Fishing Odds
Aug 26, 2009
Successful steelhead fishing is never a sure thing, whether a fisherman chooses flies or hardware. For those choosing spinners and plugs, the right lures and the right colors can make a difference.
The Deschutes River in Oregon
Flowing north from central Oregon, the Deschutes gathers water and momentum as it reaches the volcanic rock sluices near its junction with the mighty Columbia River. Relatively shallow, the river is too wide and swift to cross on foot. Nevertheless, fishermen can access the lower 15 miles by bicycle or foot, as well as by boat.
Guides provide first class fishing with drift boats from Mack's Canyon, 25 miles upstream, or with jet boats that fish upriver from the mouth at the Columbia. A campground is situated on the east side of the mouth, and plenty of accommodations are also available in nearby The Dalles. Walking trails exist on both sides of the lower river, and the one on the east side is excellent for fishermen with bicycles.
Summer steelhead enter the river from July into December, providing some of the most exciting fishing in the state. Fly fishing is popular, but spin fishing is also permitted, and those who choose to use spinners and plugs might just catch more fish. As with flies, lure and color selection often determines success.
Recommended Spinners for the Lower Deschutes River
Whether hand-made or purchased, simple spinners work well, provided they are the right size and weight. Possibly the best choice are Classic Vibrax spinners made by Blue Fox. Blue Fox makes a variety of spinners and spoons, but the 2-part Vibrax spinner with its low frequency sound vibration is a proven lure on the lower Deschutes.
There are dozens of choices of Vibrax spinners in a variety of styles, colors and weights. They're all hard to resist, and persistent fishermen should experiment as they have time, but those with limited time might want to start with those that others have found successful.
Most of the lower Deschutes should be fished with size 4 spinners, weighing 3/8 ounce. Slower than normal water can be fished successfully with size 3, weighing 1/4 ounce, and faster water can accept size 5, weighing 7/16 ounce. Size 4 is the single best choice.
The Vibrax spinners come with a treble hook attached and a separate single Siwash hook. Either can be effective, although the Siwash hook appears to be preferred by veteran steelhead fishermen. In either case, the barbs should be filed off, which will improve hookups and better protect native fish.
Recommended Plugs for the Lower Deschutes River
Plugs should be deep-diving, in order to get them down in the swift current. There are a number of steelhead plugs widely available, including Hot-Shots, Wiggle-Warts and Bombers. Possibly the most effective are the Heddon Tadpolly and Clatter Tadpolly. Unfortunately, these are in limited supply with few of the color choices that used to be available. Even so, they are productive enough to warrant purchasing and repainting, if necessary.
Tadpollies are sold with twin treble hooks attached. These hooks should be removed and replaced with one or two single Siwash hooks, sized larger than the supplied treble hooks. Again, all hooks should have the barbs filed away.
Recommended Colors for Spinners, Plugs and Hooks for Deschutes Steelhead
Lure color can be critical. Conventional wisdom among steelhead fishermen calls for bright colors during bright sunny days and duller colors during darker days. Success on the Deschutes, however, might have more to do with basic color selection than with bright versus dull.
If a lower Deschutes fisherman could carry only one lure, the right color choice almost certainly should be metallic blue. Metallic blue, alone or in combination with silver or red, is clearly productive, and productive to the point that many fishermen use it exclusively. It is not the only productive color, however, and fishermen should carry other choices as well.
Recommended Vibrax spinner colors include Silver/Chrome Blue, Silver/Chrome Purple, Bleeding Silver/Chrome Blue (and Chrome Purple), Silver/Fluorescent Green and Silver/Fluorescent Yellow. Coordinating hook color with the primary spinner color may also produce more fish.
Recommended plug colors are metallic blue, metallic green or black and silver. The only choice currently available for a Tadpolly that is close is the black and silver "Herringbone" pattern. There is a Tadpolly with bright blue and red that is not a bad choice, but one should consider re-painting a standard Tadpolly solid metallic blue. Again, the Siwash hooks could also be matched in color.
Successful Summer Steelheading on the Lower Deschutes
Proper choice of spinners, spinner weight, plugs and colors can all make a difference when trying to hook elusive steelhead. There are other important considerations when steelhead fishing the lower Deschutes River in Oregon, as well.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
