Runs and Riffles  Are usually formed by obstructions such as boulders
and downed logs in the water. Look for deep areas with a moderate current . Fish will hold on the bottom of the river in runs behind large rocks and towards the tails of the run

Tributaries Directly above and directly below tributaries , weather they are spawning streams or not are great places to find holding fish . The tributary offers cover and fresh oxygenated water for fish on a long spawning run.

Cut banks and Cover When water is high and fast fish will hug the bank to avoid debris traveling downstream they will also take cover under cut banks and low hanging trees and use these places as favorite feeding areas because of insects dropping off of grass and tree branches .

 Heads of Pools  Like tributaries these areas of the river offer oxygen rich water for fish, and are staging areas for fish traveling upstream . It also offers an opportunity for fish to feed on bugs that have been dislodged from underwater stones by the churning water .

Presentation:

Quarter across ~ Cast your lure across the stream either slightly up or downstream allow the lure to sink for a few seconds before you let the bail of your reel click over do not begin reeling automatically , your lure will be carried downstream by the current and will begin to swing back towards your bank, this is generally where the fish will follow and strike your lure . When your lure begins to near the bank you can slowly reel you line in to retrieve the lure , fish will strike on the retrieve as well so go slow but keep your line taught and keep your lure from snagging the bottom .

Upstream ~ Presenting a lure by casting upstream can be tricky , but is effective for getting your lure to a greater depth and for avoiding spooking wary fish by standing upstream of them . Cast your lure upstream and flip your bail over immediately begin to reel your slack in , you must keep your line taught in order to keep your blade spinning but you don't want to go to fast because you want the fish to follow your lure and chase it down .

Heads of pools ~ You can stand on a rock point and cast your lure into a rapid going into a pool do not let your bail over right away , you want your lure to drift down into the pool . Begin to reel in slowly , try to keep your lure close to the main current along the seem formed by the choppy water and the softer water . Be vigilant, sometimes fish will hit the lure after following almost all the way back to you , these kinds of strikes are hard and can take you by surprise .

Lure Selection: As a general rule it is good to use silver blades for low light and cold water temperatures . Black blades are best for bright sunny days and gin clear water, and brass blades are good in many kinds of conditions . In high, colored water they provide contrast so they are more easily seen by fish , and in low and clear water they can be used on an overcast day when a little extra flash id needed .

When it comes to choosing colors there is a lot of conflicting information and different ideas . Here's what works for us . We use brightly colored lures with chartreuse and bright pinks, blues and greens for Coho in the fall . I have had some success spin fishing for fall Chinook with very dark lures like the purple steelhead and stealth bomber . If you are targeting steelhead some good Metalhead lures are the silver demon (silver on silver) , the patriot , Bleeding egg , steelhead green (green body, black blade) We also use our Low and Clear lures with a lot of success for summer and late winter steelhead , My favorite is the green beast with a brass blade , Eric usually runs a double trouble or an orange bomber . All of our Trout lures work well in most situations , try lures with more contrast for rainbows i.e. black stonefly or golden stonefly , and lures that imitate baitfish for cutthroats , Brookie and Who's-ya-crawdaddy . For very large trout try our size 4 Metalheads in the blue flame or brass and black patterns

Our lures come in different weights to cover a large variety of river types and conditions . In the smallest rivers and creeks we use Berzerkers in size 1 or 2 as well as size 2 Low and Clears . In medium size streams we use lures ranging from size 3 to 4 , and in very large rivers or in heavy current we use number 5 spinners , reserving the size 6 for special situations such as casting into the Columbia river from the bank . Here is a list of the weights of each size of lure : Berzerkers sz. 3 ~ 1/8 oz. , Baby Berzerkers sz. 1 ~ 1/16 oz. . Low and Clear sz. 2 ~ 1/8 oz. Low and clear size 3 ~ 1/4 oz. Metalheads sz. 2 and 3 are the same as low and clears , sz. 4 ~ 3/8 oz. sz. 5 ~ 1/2 oz. and size 6 ~3/4 oz.

Must Have Gear : Fishing with a spinner and a spin rod is the easiest as far as set up and amount of gear you will need. You can keep a few simple items in your home or truck and be ready to fish anytime.

Rod : A good spinning rod has plenty of power in the but up through the the bottom end of the tip section ,but has a good swinging , lever action in the top third of the tip for launching lures . You don't want a noodley spinning rod for lure fishing because it will make it difficult to set a hook . You also want to steer clear of overly stiff rods , even for salmon fishing because your casting distance and sensitivity will be compromised . A strong butt section will take the brunt of the force from a large broiling salmon and bring him in without your rod breaking .You can use a very light rod for trout , fishing with an ultra light set-up can be a lot of fun .

Reel: You don't have to go overboard on an expensive reel but the saying "you get what you pay for " still holds water . Look for a reel in the $50-$60 price range , test the reels action ,make sure to flip the bail over and make sure it flips back smoothly. Look out for any wobble in the spool while the reel is spinning . A reel with rear-drag and instant anti-reverse will function the best. Shimano makes some very good reels in the $20-$30 price range if you are looking to spend a little less .

Tackle: A box filled with various lures. You will want to have lures to match the conditions and time of year you will be fishing. Be sure to have a variety and at least two of everything . Always bring plenty of swivels , we use barrel swivels . You can also put some spoons and little plugs in your box just in case .

Lines: Monofilament is the way to go with spin fishing techniques . We use 4-6 lb mono for trout , no larger than 10 lb for steelhead and for Silvers and spring Chinook we generally use 12 or 14 lb test . On rare occasions we use a 20 lb braided line for fall Kings with a heavy monofilament leader , the only reason for this is it spools off of the reel in tighter loops and casts further than a bulky monofilament.