Skunked... again...

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So I'm 0/8 on outings to Caledonia....

 

I don't know what I could be doing wrong.

 

I had 1 hit today, missed it, and a second later, the guy beside hooked on, faught for 10 minutes and lost it.

 

A nice one, probably around 24-25" did a nice little U jump about 3 feet from me. It was pretty cool.

 

I was drifting roe bags.. I probably had my sinkers and floats setup wrong.

 

Can anyone who fishes the Caledonia dam alot help me out with the best rig to use? I am starting to get very demotivated.

 

:(

[StoneFly]

What was the guy beside you using? thats the beast way to learn, observe

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I "think" he was using worms.

 

I think i remember seeing him last week using what looked like Gulp Alive minnows... he hooked into one then too.

 

I've tried spinners, roe bags, single eggs, pink worms, dew worms, charteuse worms...

[BillM]

Is your lead long enough? Jigs are deadly also...

[fishinguypat]

try a longer lead with less shot? and go down as low as you possibly can with the fuoro...maybe even 4lb...i feel your pain buddy ...i really do

[mbosh1980]

i sympathize. If i get out this week, im foregoing the floats and getting back to what i know...throwing hardware. Picked up a pink/black flatfish I'm going to try out. And by try out I mean snag and lose on a rock.

[pikeie]

ive never fished there... but latly whats been working for me when the bite is tough, is to switch up to bottom bouncing. i know is not as "graceful" as float fishing, but it works great! ive been using a 3 way swivel with about a 3-4 foot lead to a roe bag, and then a 6-8 inch droper line to a 1 ounce pencil sinker. cast out up stream a little and when u start ticking bottom everyonce in a while u know u have enough weight. the hits can vary alot! some times u wount feel anything but the sinker stop moving, other times i find it feels like a walleye hit all u feel is a tap and then the best is when the fish almost rips the rod right out of your hand haha.

[FSNmachine]

We got skunked yesterday as well in that spot. Lots of people out there and only saw one fish landed. We tried roe and worms.

 

Some idiot left a rod with a float and worn in the water and no one around. I yelled around asking whose it was and everyone shook their head no. I reeled it up and left it. It is illegal to leave your rod unattended.

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Is your lead long enough? Jigs are deadly also...

 

I was using 12lb mono, then a micro swivel, to 6lb fluro (Berkley Vanish).

 

I had about 3-4 feet of fluro leader.

 

The shots arent supposed to be on the fluro right?

[StoneFly]

I was using 12lb mono, then a micro swivel, to 6lb fluro (Berkley Vanish).

 

I had about 3-4 feet of fluro leader.

 

The shots arent supposed to be on the fluro right?

 

lose the 12lb,...8lb is plenty, lose the berkley, see other threads about leader material. 3-4 ' of leader is excessive, with no shot on it, think of what will happen,...shot will sink faster than your bait....these are all the trials and tribulations,....TALK to the guys on the river, the guys landing fish and the guys holding CP's will usually know whats up.

[[email protected]]

lose the 12lb,...8lb is plenty, lose the berkley, see other threads about leader material. 3-4 ' of leader is excessive, with no shot on it, think of what will happen,...shot will sink faster than your bait....these are all the trials and tribulations,....TALK to the guys on the river, the guys landing fish and the guys holding CP's will usually know whats up.

 

How much leader should there be?

[steelie hunter]

I've heard its been pretty slow there lately, and if you only seen one fish landed of the many anglers there, it must be slow. The fact that it hasnt rained since when? also might make the conditions less favorable as well. Keep at it, it can only get better!

[BillM]

I was using 12lb mono, then a micro swivel, to 6lb fluro (Berkley Vanish).

 

I had about 3-4 feet of fluro leader.

 

The shots arent supposed to be on the fluro right?

 

 

3-4ft of leader is fine, but it really depends on what type of water you are fishing.. ditches out east I'd be running 18-24inches or so..

 

Also, you can put dust shot on your leader, no law prohibiting that

 

If you aren't getting hits, change up your shot, leader length, etc until you do..

 

You'll never catch fish if your presentation isn't infront of their noses...

Edited November 16, 2009 by BillM

[laszlo]

Clearly I'm not an accomplished Steelheader but one thing I have learned over the last couple months is that big water

is way harder then narrow rivers where the deeper pools are well defined. The area to cast at just screams at you.

Also when these smaller rivers are surrounded by beautiful forest it makes for a better experience then standing

at a dam with 20 other fisherman.

 

I know the Grand very well since I grew up in Caledonia and still fish there all summer for walleye and smallies.

As a beginner myself in the Steelhead department, I will only hit the Grand once I've figured out and had success

on smaller rivers that are well known for big Steelhead runs.

 

I guess the only advantage there right now is that it hasn't rained for a while and the Grand is huge!