Matt,

1) I don't know what Jed Davis is high on, but I've found blue and green to be very productive colors. Choose your spinner according to water conditions.....silver blade in murky water or low light, brass/copper/gold blade in clear water or bright light. Black seems to work well in just about all conditions. Picking a spinner color is like picking the right corky, though, it's not an exact science and making an educated guess is what you'll be doing.

2) You might find a fish there if it was deep enough to conceal the fish from above. Fish definitely prefer cover, either above or below the water's surface. They also like broken current and arent as likely to be found in a place that doesn't offer rest or cover.

3) Male and female steelhead

4) All fish fight different. Some are turds. Some will kick your a$$. The fish you hooked may have been dueling for territory earlier, or you may have hooked it in a location that made it not want to fight. You never know.......

5) Don't pass up seams, especially if you are float and jig fishing. Fish like these locations for the reasons you describe, so don't pass them up.

6) I don't carry two rods. Sometimes I regret it, but if I'm bank fishing I don't want to have to lug another rod. Sometimes I'll wind up fishing a technique that my rad and reel aren't ideally suited for, but that's what you have to deal with if you are busting brush. If you are on a piece of water you have faith in, fish every nook and cranny. Steelhead can sometimes be found in a piece of water just big enough to soak your head in. Some days you may not have to probe everywhere, but when the fishing is tough, you need to explore all the water available. If you could predict where every fish would be, you only have to make a few casts a day. Once again, it's making an educated guess.

7) Ummm. I'll pass because I didn't want to have to think too hard. Use your search engine, there's plenty of data out there.

Hope that helps some. Good luck.......