I've been messing around with this lately.

The setup from top to bottom:

Barrel swivel
Split ring with Colorado blade
Barrel swivel
Swiwash hook

I'd like to hear from those who fish blades under floats what your perfered setup is? such as do you like to run an inline weight or do you rig it like drift gear with a snap swivel and a slinky or lead, and then a leader to your spinner? Also, what is optimum leader length? And how bout blade size? I assume #4 and #5 will cover most situations. And who makes a good Colorado blade with genuine gold or silver plating?

I can fish a weighted spinner just fine but what I like about fishing the Colorado blade under a float is that it allows me to essentially walk the spinner down slots that are below me as opposed to swinging out of them.

Split shot of various sizes in descending order from large to small (top to bottom) will give you a nice balance. Use the same length leader as you would with a jig and float. Try Jann's Net Craft or Cabelas for bulk blades (under Walleye gear). Tight lines,

Cool. Thanks. I thought pen tac had Colorado blades too but last time I looked I just saw French blades and some other kind.

I know Rags knows a thing or three about this but he's been MIA here for a while.

The Mark Anderson summer steel special.....

You mean the first bite jig guy?

Yes...He does a similar thing...sells the components on his site as a package. Bobs in Longview his a blade or two as well.

I'm not sure why someone would go to all the trouble of assembling the fo spinner then adding split shot to the line when you could just fish a small spinner under the float. But that's just me. I'll stick with bait or jigs under my floats.

We spotted a dude fishing a spinner under a float years ago and laughed at him. Actually as long as the blade moves then it should work. I like to use spinners with hollow pencil lead bodies to get it down fast or a 3/8 oz body especially in faster water.

I've been wanting to try "little shaver" thin bladed spoons under a float for steelhead. Last summer, trout loved them under an indicator with a fly rod. Haven't considered a spinner under a float yet though, might have to try that out also.

Drew,

First it starts with a jig below a float. Then a few split shot strategically placed here and there. Before you know it you're experimenting with shot line patterns, attaching in-line colorado blades, sneaking your wife's nail polish to paint eyes on trout beads and even resorting to the occasional dropper with a meticulously tied stonefly nymph pattern; and all for a fin flipping smolt.
Before you even realize it, you've crossed over to center pinning with it's $1000 custom reels and hand crafted rods with no hope of ever going back to retrieve your bait-casting plug-pulling innocence. Get a hold of yourself young man and snap out of this madness you're embarked on before it's too late.

haha Mooch...I know, I know. I've already got a pin rod sitting at the ready. Just need a reel but haven't wanted to drop the coin on one yet. To me, the Colorado blade under a float is a good change up to present to fish that have seen a lot, especially when you're fishing near hatcheries. It's just something I want in my arsenal and as with anything I fish I'd like to be able to fish it with confidence which is why I'm asking for the ins and outs of the setup.

See that presentation on the Vedder quite a bit.

+1 to Jan's netcraft

Same. BC guys hold the float back a bit for most presentations. It's deadly. I watched a guy tail a 40+" with a teeny tiny brass blade with giant hook last spring.

Look at Gibbs offerings and copy their setup. Gibbs cost a ton but they have the right design.

Thanks guys. I'll check out Jan's netcraft and Gibbs. I'm looking to assemble a bunch for summer run mostly.

Yep, go spend a day up there at Lickman Rd. or Allison Pool and pay attention. Those guys know what their doing up there.

3.5-4 is about the perfect size with 5's making a occasional appearance. I use split shot and rig it just like i would any other float fishing setup.
16-24 inch leader with big split shot to smallest. I had Rob at R&B paint me up a ton of blades and they rock... White with pink dot and hot pink with charteuse tail are the chit. Ill put up a pic later.
You hardly loose anything and its effective. As said before. Go to the Vedder and youll see tons of pin setups with blades under floats.

Heres a good article:
http://www.steelheaduniversity.com/floatnspin.html


Holding back on the float and walking it downstream is a deadly technique. You can cover the water throughly and effectively. I put on a clinic for a few guys (15+) at Reiter this year who pounded the water all morning. Came in got my depth/presentation dialed in, about a foot and a half off bottom and slowly walked it downstream getting my 2 fish in a about 15 minutes. They where laughing at the setup at first, (fools) and after they wanted to know where/how to do it...
Like most i got turned on to the technique after going to BC and watching a guy clean house in front of me doing it. After about 10 minutes of him explaining it to me and a few blades i had a good bearing on what i needed to do. I had ran the usual stuff under my float with nothing to show for it. Couple casts later i had my first player. It works...

thanks guys. I was looking at NetCraft and they sell the Hildebrandt Colorado blades. They look like the way to go, although I wish they came in a genuine silver plating. I'm only seeing nickle and gold. Gold is ok but I'm not too fond of nickle. A true white Matte silver plate on a Colorado blade would be money!!! like that really dull matte silver offered by R&B spoons. that finish killed it for me last year. The attraction radious is off the charts with that finish.

And Rossiman. Please post some pics. Those blades sound killer.