Brown/Steelie Questions

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Hey Everyone.

 

I had a few questions about fishing for steel and browns...

 

Are spoons effective at catching them? Also what about J13's, I seem to hear alot about that lure.

 

I caught a female chinny this year and harvested the roe. I've never tied roe bags before but I've seen a few videos on how to do it.

 

Do you absolutely have to use roe bags? can you not just put a few eggs on a hook? (yes I'm a noob)

 

Going to hit up a few tribs today, and probably my fav spot at the harbour...

 

Thanks for the help everyone.. I apppreciate it...

[mbosh1980]

I was wondering about the jointed rapala myself...I got a j07 in firetiger I want to try, though I may switch out the trebles for some single hooks. I know a possible WR brown was just taken off a shad rap not long ago...

Try searching the Ontario out of Doors website for steelhead/brown articles...I find they are helping me, although I'm still looking for my first fish.

http://www.ontariooutofdoors.com/fishing/t...D=38&a=read

 

Hopefully the steelhead guys can help more than I can.

[BillM]

If you are hitting the tribs, your best bet will be to run your bait under a float... You don't have to use roe, but a lot of people do with good success. You can run worms (real or plastic) little white crappie grubs/tube jigs, steelhead jigs, etc etc..

 

Basically throw whatever you want. When they aren't smacking bags chucking hardware is a great idea. Cleo's, spinners, etc etc..

 

I don't think I'd be chucking a J13 while up river, but at the mouth I'm sure it would work fine..

 

Also, leave the trebles on it... Your hook up percentage will be alot better then switching to siwash hooks.

[craigdritchie]

Steelhead and browns are even more receptive to lures than chinooks are. If you're casting off a pier or fishing a huge, deep river like the Niagara, spoons and Rapalas work well. So do spinners and Flatfish. Try fishing piers by casting a no. 3 or 4 Mepps, or a F7 Flatfish with a couple of big split shot about 18 inches up the line. Or, fish with bait either on bottom or under a float (roe, a worm, or a three-inch emerald shiner). They all work.

 

In the rivers, stick with drifiting with a float, or tossing spinners, as per Bill M's advice.

 

You don't absolutely need to use roe bags. People tie loose roe into bags because it's difficult to impale the eggs on the hook otherwise - like chicken eggs, once you puncture that protective outer cover the liquid insides run right out and you have nothing left. You can treat the eggs to make them more rubbery, so they will hold on a hook, and there are all sorts of ways to do this. Do a google search on curing roe and you'll find lots of info. Tying them into bags is the simplest and most convenient way to fish them, however. That's why everyone does it.

 

By the way, check your PM.

[MJL]

I've caught a few steelhead with jointed rapalas (about 4-5 inches long I think - not sure the exact model) and various other crank baits in the past in the rivers. There's one guy I run into on a couple of my local rivers who only uses minnow baits and spinners all season and catches lots of fish. There's one guy named Henry who fishes the Ganny a lot and makes his own beautiful wooden minnow baits and catches tons of fish with those (I lost the only one he gave me to a big chinny ). I'm still learning more about how to effectively fish hard minnow baits (I'm more of a spinner guy when it comes to lure fishing) but I think the key is finding the right lure for the depth you are fishing. A lot of the time I'm casting upstream (often almost straight upstream) and retrieving with the current to get the lure down to depth. Bring lots of lure with you as most will end up in log jams and snags.

 

You don't need roe to catch steelhead

 

Hope this helps.

[mbosh1980]

thanks for the replies about the rapalas. I will leave my trebles on.

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Thanks for the tips/info so far guys... I greatly appreciate it

[hendrix]

first of all thank you for this thread, lots of useful info for noobs, and being one of them i have a question:P

should i use a thin invisible leader if i am casting spoons or spinners? i hear steelhead can see very well, so this might seem like a good idea?

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Heading out to Hamilton Harbour now to try my luck..

 

If anyone wants to hook up give my cell a call 519-209-3095.

 

I'll be the guy with a green fishing vest on + Steelhead hat

[tributaryhunter]

depending on the water conditions, if it is very clear i would recommend using a invisible leader with lures, sometimes changing leaders can be very effective depending on if theres alot of fishing pressure,

[raptorfan]

Well, the best way to find out is for us to hit up a trib tomorrow and try our luck buddy. C ya in the morn

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Well, the best way to find out is for us to hit up a trib tomorrow and try our luck buddy. C ya in the morn

 

 

Giddyup!

[Twocoda]

if you dont want to tie your eggs in bags then youll have to hard boil them and dye them to your desired colour...( i use Kool Aid for dye)....use this method if the water is crystal clear and you want to run singles...or you can buy some jens eggs .... tieing isnt hard at all ...buy the kerchief and spider thread and your good to go (various colours)...dirtier the water the larger the bags....if hamilton harbour is your location i would shoot for 5 or 6 eggs per bag

 

 

to the person wanting to run a leader line for chucking body baits.....i say no ...unless you have an extremely deep pocket to replace your loses...straight 8 in any clarity of water will turn fish for you ...( if you present the lure correctly) switch up speeds....they are predators )

 

Good Luck

[fishinguypat]

go in the evening to a highly fished place and ask how the bite is and what people are using and such..i find its the best help