The Steelhead Angler

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Learn How to Become a Better Steelhead Angler

Do you want to learn about steelhead fishing, well the next several post will take you through the steps you need to know before you head out for the river.

We will be discussing what equipment you will need from the right rods, reels, lines, and baits. We will also discuss some of the most successful ways we have found to catch these sometimes frustrating fish.

Have you ever wondered why you can stand next to some one fishing the same hole using the same bait and casting into the same seam, and have them pull steelhead right out from under your nose. Well we are going to do our best to show you the techniques that we know work and have produced steelhead regularly for us.

Follows us as we discuss why many steelhead angler become frustrated at the sport and learn what you can do to become one of those seemingly lucky anglers that can catch fish while every one else is struggling just to get a hit.

My partners and I have been fishing for this magnificent species for over forty years now we have learned many tricks and patterns over this time that produce well for us and we are going to share them all with you.

For the serious steelhead angler we ill discuss drift fishing techniques, we will also show you how to use a more relaxing plunking technique that produces steelhead, we will explain them all. Learn how we set-up for float fishing which is probably the easiest to learn and even the most product method of catching steelhead today. We are going to share with you as much information as we can remember and after over forty years of steelhead and salmon fishing there are some items that we have not used for years but we believe will still produce fish when used. We hope to pull from our minds some of the first tactics we used for steelhead and we will be trying them again to see just how productive they still are once we can get back on the river. (Right now, here in Idaho the recent cold spell has pretty much iced us out.)

We will even tell you where you can find these fish around our area, and for those of you that just can not wait for the ice out we will tell you a couple of place you can try if you want to get out on the river soon. You may want to bookmark our site so you can follow us at least for the next couple of weeks while we discuss these steelhead-fishing techniques.

Stay tuned for Updates soon.

In the Northwest, the rise and fall of river water levels more then any other factor determines the number of winter steelhead that are on the move. It will influence where they will be located, and determine which fishing method will produce the best results.

Float Fishing: Usually the best way to fish in low and slow moving river currents.

Being able to feel when a steelhead strikes is the secret to catching steelhead not only in the Northwest but also through out their range. However, a growing numbers of steelhead anglers are finding success by switching to their eyes. Float fishing will out-produce any other method when stream water levels are at their lowest and the water is crystal-clear. When fish hold in slow-moving water, it is extremely difficult to drift fish these area effectively. Float fishing is also a good way for fishing current edges or seams. These edges are a favorite place for steelhead to rest during their upstream migration.

Baitcasting reels combined with 9-to 10-foot medium-light or medium-power rods are the most popular. You may find that a spinning reel works better under certain conditions such as when casting light rigging. In addition, although monofilaments work, the super-lines, such as Fire-Line, float and make line mending easier. (Mending your line means that when the river current starts create bow in your line you pick up the line to remove this bow.)

You also need a selection of steelhead floats (long, thin types work best), split shot or egg sinkers, single hooks ranging in size m 2/0 to 2, and an assortment of jigs or baits. Although you can use cured salmon or steelhead egg clusters, many anglers employ a steelhead jig (this becomes necessary in crystal-clear water), or a scent-enhanced imitation egg cluster, steelhead worm or shrimp when the river has a little color.

When rigging, position the float so your bait rides two-thirds of the way to the river bottom. Since these fish typically lie in water five to eight feet deep, this will position your offering within easy reach, yet reduce hang-ups. Remember that fish cannot see below them.

Side Drifting or Back Drifting: from a boat is a good technique when fishing a river with medium to low flows.

Where boat access is available side, drifting is a popular way of presenting your bait. Anglers make parallel casts upstream of the drift boat or jet boat, while the operator backs the craft downstream at the same speed or a slightly slower speed of the river this way the line maintains an upstream angle.

Because you are moving with the current, it will typically take a small amount of weight to keep the bait near bottom. Many anglers employ a three to five shot slinky, one to three split shot or an inch of 1/8-inch pencil weight. Baits include small egg clusters, a drift-bobber like a Corky Drifter, and scented steelhead worms are becoming popular as well.

To facilitate easy casting and cushion the blows from hard-fighting fish, 9- to 10-foot light- to medium-power rod and reel outfit. You will want to use 10 to 12 pound monofilament line and 24 to 40 Inch fluorocarbon leaders the fluorocarbon lines are harder for the fish to see. When a steelhead hits, the bite is normally quite hard and requires little or no hook set. Using this technique the steelhead hook them self when they take the bait. You can just lift the rod up and start playing the steelhead.

Drift Fishing: This technique works best after rains when rivers are falling.
This drift fishing presentation works best in higher river flows; this is a good method to use when river levels are dropping after a rainstorm when the river starts to come back to a fishable condition. These conditions are when the winter steelhead is often the most abundant and mobile. The more fish you have on the move the better your chances of getting your line in front of ones nose.

Fishing from shore or a boat, you cast your rigged outfit, consisting of weight, 18 to 24 inch leader, drift bobber, imitation egg cluster or shrimp, across and slightly upstream. Since steelhead lie on or just off the bottom, use just enough weight so the rig taps the bottom every few yards. You do not want you bait to drag the bottom for two reasons one is that fish cannot see below them and the second is that if you are dragging the bottom you are going to be snagging all the time.

You will want to hold your rod tip about 25 to 30 degrees off the water and follow along you need to see and feel what is happening. Despite the fish’s strength and size, you can expect a bite to be nearly imperceptible. If your rigging stops or hesitates, or you notice that, your line makes a sudden yet gentle swirl set the hook hard.

Use a medium-to-medium-heavy, eight or eight ½-foot rod; combined with baitcasting reels and 10 to 15 pound line and do not forget the fluorocarbon leaders for this technique.

I was finally able to make a trip down to the Salmon River Saturday November 29, 2008 and had a great time. While I have missed the main push of steelhead that migrates up the Salmon River, I did manage to catch a couple of nice Steelies.

Steelhead fishing at Riggins is always a hit and miss type of deal you never know when the wind is going to blow. Saturday was a perfect day for fishing though, overcast with high clouds and not a single breeze. The river was crystal clear, I would have like to seen some color to it but this late in the year, and with no rain, it was what I was expecting.

With the clear conditions of the river, my fishing partner Randy and I both knew that it was going to be tough to get the steelhead that are leery to hit. Therefore, we both decided to try jig fishing for them. As it turned out we made a good choice and we both had fair success with this method.

I tied on a 1/8 ounce jig with a black body and orange head and since we have fished this spot for years, I knew I needed to be about six and a half feet deep so I adjusted the bobber stop for that depth. Randy who had just come back from fishing the Clearwater a couple of days before was setup and ready to fish so he was the first to get his line wet. He was using the same type of jig but with a white head.

As I turned to walk down to the river, I hear Randy say there he is, his second cast tied him into a nice buck steelhead that was thirty inches long and may have weighed nine or ten pounds. Since it is getting so, late into the season, head did not perform any of those famous aerial acts for us but it did give him a good tussle. Well maybe this clear water is not so bad after all ten minutes into the day and we have a steelhead on the bank.

We continued to fish for the rest of the day and while fishing is not what I would call hot it was productive we were getting a hit about every hour or so and ended the day with hooking into six fish. Yes Randy did out fish me this trip he hooked four to my two, I will make it up the next time we get a chance to go though.

While as the weather continues to cool off and less and less steelhead angler brave the conditions I find that steelheading will remain fair until we get the spring rush as the steelhead again start moving into their spawning grounds. If you want to be able to have the river mainly to your self these next three month are some of the best times to head out. The Steelhead will remain in the river and as long as there is no bottom ice, you will be able to hook into them every now and then.
Until next time!