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Why Do I Suck at Stealheading This Year?


chickenhawk

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Okay, I am just having a heck of a time fishing the rivers for steelhead this year. Last year I landed well over 200 fish, this year I have caught a lake trout and 3 rainbows bout 1.5-2 lbs, nothin bigger......why does my float never go down this year? I've used salmon roe, rainbow skein, pink worms, natural worms, single eggs, and those little tube thingies. I've downsized my floats, my hooks, sinkers. Adjust my depth, bought new lead line, new swivels...and I still can't hook into a decent bow. WHY WON"T MY FLOAT GO DOWN???? Is there anything at all that I am doing wrong, or missing????? I am just getting sick of my float NEVER GOING UNDER THE WATER!!!!! lol PLEASE HELP.....anyone?

 

 

 

Hawk

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First thing I would consider is whether people around you are catching fish in those same locations? If so, then study what they are doing that is different from what you are doing and then employ those tactics.

Maybe your confidence is low and you need to hit a "slam-dunk" location for a boost? Niagara R...

Make sure you don't transfer foreign(human or other) scent to the bailt/lure.

 

At least you are catcing some fish! It's easy to go o-for when conditions are constantly changing like at this time of year.

Maybe your float isn't going down because you should drifting across the bottom without one?

Be persistent, don't listen to negativity and keep a log.

Spinners tend to work very well in the fall when the bite is tough.... adapt.

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A STEELHEAD???... no no no son!... you don't want a Steelhead, they're all skin and bones I tell ya... you want a SNOOK!... pay attention when I'm a talkin' to ya son! (the boy is about as sharp as a bowling ball)... now here's what ya do...

 

You may be stuck in a rut, using the same presentations on the same waters that have produced in the past.

 

You may want to consider changing presentations and downsizing, change colors, change sizes... give them something they've never seen before!

 

I know you're fishing where the fish are because you can see them... and they can see you too! Wear camo, blend in with your surroundings... be stealthy, wait a few minutes before you make your first cast when you get to the water... be bewy bewy quiet!... we're huntin Steelheads today.

 

No, I've never caught a Steelhead before... but I have caught a fish or 2.

Edited by GCD
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Other than one day where I slammed them, the rivers I usually fish have been dead this fall. Lots of browns to play with but no steel tuggin the line. My opinion? We got a couple of days of REALLY high water and they all shot upstream. There are lots of fish to be seen if you have a look up north, just cant fish em.

 

Low water levels and strange weather are messin with the fish. Some rivers seem to have really high returns this fall, others not so much. I think the next rain in this cooler weather should kickstart them, but im also prepared for a bad fall because my usual river doesnt seem to turn on untill the snow flies.

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Fish what your confident with. first off roe has been the worst bait for me this fall artificial have been working great lately (pink worms, flies , plastic, singles, ect). This falls has been really hit or miss more miss then hit. don’t let it get to you I use to let it get to me and it screws you up more just fish they will come trust me.

Edited by silvio
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You are going to wrong rivers at the wrong time! Out east has been good almost every time I get out. I refuse to post anymore since some remarks about pictures. The funny thing is I have had awesome days out east even this weekend and there are not many people around where I have been fishing.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for inviting more people to the east tribs, its not like we dont have enough already.

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I feel your pain I have had 12 trips now and only two produced fish and that totalled three fish. I have not seen many fish caught on roe either thie year. What gets me is the number of anglers versus the lack of fish and they don't go home either LOL. The comment about the fish shooting up river very early when the water was high is definitely true.

 

I never worry about not catching fish if no one else. If someone is catching and I am not I observe and adapt to what they are doing. The other day someone had a fish on and I copied exactly what he had been doing and nailed two fish that had to swim by over 20 lines to get to mine. A bunch of people switched to the same bait but didn't take the two minutes to retire and adjust how far they were fishing off the bottom....

 

The toughest part about this fall though has been relearning where all the deeper holes are as the high water this year and even reshaped the bottom of some of my favorite runs. As I keep telling myself while I am out there it beats sitting on the couch at home.

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They are a migratory fish...in one place one hour gone the next.When the water gets freezing temps they will stack in the deeper pools but right now its not nearly cold enough-a 1 pounder the other day was strong let alone a 7. I fished 5 pools perfect condition no one around and got 1 each pool. With a good rain not like this week there sould be more in the system bigger ones too IMHO

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Just a quick comment...

Generally speaking if you're faced with low, clear conditions there's always fish to be caught low down in the systems.

The deep, slow, winding seemingly featureless lower ends of the rivers close to the lake.

Rivermouths and piers are also an obvious spot.

 

Trust me they havn't all shot upstream, there's tons of fish staging at the moment...

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Just a quick comment...

Generally speaking if you're faced with low, clear conditions there's always fish to be caught low down in the systems.

The deep, slow, winding seemingly featureless lower ends of the rivers close to the lake.

Rivermouths and piers are also an obvious spot.

 

Trust me they havn't all shot upstream, there's tons of fish staging at the moment...

 

 

I KNEW I didnt make that up!

 

Has worked well for me in the past, water level is usually a little higher down at the bottom and changes with the lake. Dave (JDMLS) and I tried that out this weekend and were not rewarded but it definatly has been a trend I have noticed.

 

good info Mike

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