Steel Slayer,

I have yet to give steehead fishing a try myself and I will this winter. I have learned that there are 4 main styles of spoons that are used:

Fat Tear Drop - shallow runs, 1.5-4' deep or very slow water
Oval - moderate to fast flow, 4-10' deep
Classic - mid-pool drifts, mod - fast flow 4-12' deep
Elongated - very deep or fast water, also great for jigging

I am not a genius nor am I a pro but I got this from THE MAN himself, Bill Herzog (through reading his book) this awesome information.

Sorry that I do not know what size split ring to use but if I were to guess I'd say somewhere in the 2-4 size range. Bill does recommend for a 2/5 oz spoon (oval or classic shaped) a 1/0 or 2/0 single hook.

When I give steelhead fishing a go later this year, I plan on using spoons first but I'll also have some corkies type tackle with me just in case.

Lastly, if you have the time, you might want to read his book, "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead." I found it to be a very good read and most informative, especially for someone like me who's going into this solo. Good luck!

--IslandTrucha