I try to avoid bunny strip and heavy coneheads since the are heavy and cast, as one buddy likes to say, like a "dead squirrel." (they catch fish just fine though). Therefore, I go to regular streamers more often. A few I have had luck with are the Lake Erie Shiner, the Montreal Whore, and the Cardinelle. I'm sure there are plenty more that kill. Some days I go realistic - other days gaudy works. Use weight or sink tip to get them near the bottom.
After seeing the back trollers clobber them one day on the Salmon R I tried an old smallie trick and started catching them too. Cast a streamer up and across enough to let it swing into a slot where they are holding. Keep mending the streamer to let it hang in the run where they are holding. Let it sit a few moments, then strip off a few feet to let it drift back a little making sure to mend to hold it the slot. Repeat as needed. Can work a length of slot with a single cast. Sometimes hanging a streamer in front of a fish will **** it off to strike - like back trolling a plug but with a fly rod and streamer. The other technique is to do a similar thing up against a cut bank. Keep mending to hold the streamer in the sweet spot along the bank. Swinging flies works better for me in fall and spring when the temperatures are good and the fish are active. Slowing it down and hanging the fly seems better in cold water. However, never know what will work so change up if it doesn't do it.
