Steelhead Gear

[fishinggeek]

Went to the local trib to kil time. Tried those baits no one wants to talk about , and went 0 for 2. Those buggers are a handful. I don't want to buy any specialized gear, as I'm more of a warm water angler. Any recommendations on rod/reel/line that I should use that isn't specialized (i.e. that I might already own)?

[capt bruce]

Most fish have finished spawning and are heading back to the lake to spend the summer , so spinners , spoons and cranks should work now as fish are hungry after all that sex stuff ,NO CANDIES lol meat is what they want lol hehe

[Stoty]

Any rod/reel will work.

Just depends on your skill level.

 

If your an average angler, then a medium action 7'0 spinning rod will do you just fine.

If your an above average angler then go with something a lot lighter, like a 5 1/2 ' ultra light outfit with 4-6lb line!

[fishinggeek]

Thanks Stoty and Capt Bruce! I'm a poorly skilled angler, so I'll stick to the medium spinning. Maybe I'll try spoons and cranks after the ones in the tribs are totally gone. I didn't go far, but they seemed to be there and was surprised at the 0 for 2 given I was only there for a little while.

[Stoty]

Thanks to your post, I am heading out once I get home from work! hahaha

 

"But hunny, the guys on the website said the fish are still in the stream......."

[Burtess]

If you plan on fishing them a bit in the tribs spring and fall, or throwing hardware off the piers I would invest in a 9-10ft med/light or light action rod that you can use with your present spinning reel. The longer rod will certainly help you with control in the tribs. over a 7ft'er. You should be able to find something around $100 that will do the trick.

 

Burt

[fishinggeek]

Stoty good luck! I only tried a couple of pools in a close trib, so I didn't do any scouting. Burtess, thanks for the tip, but $100 sounds like an awful lot. This is the first time I've ever tried steelheading, so I'm not sure if I'll stick with it. Just wanted to see if some of the tips here worked and it was a good day fishing. I was thinking of increasing my line strength, or else seeing if my odds improve.

[Gravyboat]

Here's a suggestion. As mentioned, invest in a longer spinning rod. 8'6"-10'. If you can find one on sale, pick up a St. Croix Wild River rod. They're and awesome rod and you won't be disappointed.

 

You can use the longer rod for the tribs, for peer casting, or if you have a boat (or buds who do), drifting the Niagara. Also good to have for casting slip floats. In fact, if you're shore fishing a lot, it'll quickly become your rod of choice.

[Stoty]

I should use that isn't specialized (i.e. that I might already own)

 

I agree that a "noodle" rod is the way to go, but he asked what to use that he might already own.

 

Cancel the fishing for tonight, something came up.

[kingofthesteelhead]

I have three different Browning six rivers rods from Bass pro shops that were not that pricey. I have a 91/2 and 101/2 footer that were on sale this summer for 49.99 US and a 13 footer I purchased in the Toronto store for 119. These rods are awesome for their price range. They are also good for panfish-crappie and perch fishing,that is the two smaller models.

[MJL]

6'6" - 7'6" medium action rod matched with a mid-sized reel loaded with 6-8lb mono. The perfect rod for casting spinners in small to medium sized rivers for steelhead. A rod with a soft tip and a beefy butt section would be ideal IMO.

[bowshep]

Flat Fish lures in silver or black. If you can find them the Skunk flat fish is the old timers fav. ... in the rivers keep them small but heavy enough to cast... keeping the drag way down on the reel so you can hand feed it through the Holes and tighten it up when the fish is on. Well so l have heard... lol

 

Ken

Edited May 7, 2008 by Bowshep

[fishinggeek]

Thanks for everyone's helpful info! Sounds like I'll start with my walleye gear, and perhaps next season if I still want to play in the game, I suppose I might consider a $50 rod. This board rocks!