skunked and confused

[mikeseb]

Hey yall,

 

So ive decided to get into steelheading this year with some minor success. Ive been out roughly 10 times this fall and winter including the past four days and have spent hours researching steelhead online and have only managed to get into one fish but the fight lasted about 5 seconds and the hook came out lol. Ive been experimenting with plenty of techniques including drifting roe, worms, flies, and casting Vibrax spinners trying to fool one of these beautiful fish but I dont think im doing it right. Ive been experimenting with different lengths of line under the float and different shot patterns the past few days and still no success. I was talking to a guy down at the river the other day and he told me I was running too shallow and to move the float up about 18 inches, ( there was roughly 5 feet of line under the float). So he left and i moveed the float and continued to work the pool i was at, which ive seen plenty of nice chrome landed from. About 20 mins go by with nothing and another two guys are now fishing the pool with me, they cast out and boom first 10 feet of the drift hes into a nice male. After they caught a few more fish we chatted for abit about fishing and i asked one of them about my set-up and if it was correct. He told me i was running way to deep for the spot and to move my float down about 3 feet. So now im pretty confused here being very new to steelheading and being told two completely different set-ups to fish the exact same spot. The water was about 3-5 feet in depth and moving at a fair speed. So basically Im asking the big steelhead guys on the board, who have really inspired me to get out in search of winter chrome, how to determine roughly how much line to have below the float in certain depths of water. Im not asking for anybodys secret set up just a good way to judge how much line is needed in a certian depth of water. If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated and i cannot wait to post a report of these magnificent fish.

 

Thanks for reading

Mike

[Brettiop]

Everybodys opinions about how to rig up certain hole/run will vary,

 

But if i was fishing a run about 3-5' with water moving very quickly...ide get about 4-5 feet under the float and stack my shot close to the bait to make sure it stays near bottom. Every run is diffrent you just have to keep switching it up until something works...

 

Worst thing you can do is not put enough shot on to get your bait down deep enough....a big problem alot of people just starting out have, is the fact their bait is swirling around in the top 1/3rd of the water coloumn because they dont have enough shot. Get your bait down there and something will eventually smack it!

[BillM]

Faster water, bigger float, more shot to get it down quick. Like it was mentioned, you'll wanna bulk shot about 18-24inches above your bait so it gets down and stays down.

[mikeseb]

Thanks alot guys, i cant wait to get back out there and experiment with some different setups.

[davey buoy]

What works for me sometimes,find when your float hits the bottom(stuck or sideways) and lower the float in 6" increments until the float runs upright.As said earlier make sure your split shot is between 12 and 18" from your roe bag or whatever your using. Hope this is of some use. good luck.

[FieroLuke]

All very good tips

 

It also matters where you start your drift and how far you drift. You want to do it so that your bait stays in the strike zone as long as possible. Thats why center pin/ float reels are so popular.

 

You will also over time learn to read the water, where you start your drift and which part of the pool/ current you are drifting will make a big difference. Starting 6 inches over from the sweet spot in some cases will mean that by the time you get to the part of the pool where the fish are holding your bait could be 2-3 feet to the side and a foot too high caught in swirling current.

 

A good way to learn is to go out when the water is clear and practice drifting a variety of pools with different depths and speeds. Use a bright version of the bait you normally use and wear a pair of polarized glasses. Drift the bait through different parts of the pool, look at what the bait does in them. Start the drift at the top of the pool by the bank and work your way out see what it does. Then start a foot further downstream and do the same, its really interesting how small the difference is between a good drift and one that is not even close to being in a strike zone.

 

Water conditions (pea green being my favourite) and levels also make a big difference, checking the weather and hitting the streams at the right time will help increase your chance of success.

[DundasSteelheader]

I am a fellow steelhead noob, and the number 1 thing I have gathered so far is that if something is not working, you must try something new or change something. If you are not getting hits with a setup, change something about it, whether it is shot pattern, leader length, roe bag colour, hook size, roe bag size, etc. or change baits all together. I have had days where I drift a roe bag in a pool where I know there are fish 20 times, and not get a hit, then drift a bead through and get a fish the first drift. Also, if this pool you are fishing is popular and sees a lot of pressure, might be a good idea to lengthen up your leader and try not to spook the fish when walking up. Regarding your amount of float, while other guys might be hitting fish with a certain amount of float it may not work for you depending on your shot pattern or leader length. I have found that the best way is to put a lot of length, than if you are getting hung up or the float showing signs of dragging bottom, then move it up an inch or 2. Just keep repeating this until you find the magic height then you are set. Lastly, If you can, it would be a good idea to, if you can, find someone on the board willing to go out with you. This is a great way to pick up tips that will help you out big time, and also might point you in the right direction in terms of gear you should get. I personally learned everything I know about steelheading from my uncle, and my dad who combined have about 40 years experience steelheading.

 

Hope I helped

[BillM]

Another thing people tend to do is over think things... Steelhead aren't very smart, if you are in the zone, they'll usually hit. One of the things I see are guys fishing the wrong water and running their rigs way to shallow.. Biggest thing I've learned the last few years is reading water.. Once you figure out where they are, they are fairly simple to catch.

[kingofthesteelhead]

Right now the water is very cold and may be frozen on eastern tribs meaning that most of the fish are back in the lake.It is different than October and November when the water was a little warmer.A good warm-up or a warm rain will bring some fish in again.It may be different up north or stateside as they are larger streams.

[BillM]

Right now the water is very cold and may be frozen on eastern tribs meaning that most of the fish are back in the lake.It is different than October and November when the water was a little warmer.A good warm-up or a warm rain will bring some fish in again.It may be different up north or stateside as they are larger streams.

 

They'll hole up anywhere... I can't see them ripping back down to the lake if they've got decent holding water in the river.

 

And the past few weeks, even when it's been super cold, I've had fish come out of the water 3-4 times... They don't seem to care too much

[mikeseb]

thanks a bunch guys i really appreciate all this great advice none of my friends are big on fishing (although i try lol) and I dont have any family member who fishes either so I really dont have anyone to ask this stuff to but you guys are great!! I have been learning how to read water over the past few years and most of the tribs ive been steelheading I fish for bass in the summer so i know them quite well although its alot different this time of year. Dundassteelheader that would be amazing if someone could take me out and show me some pointers but i doubt that happening with all the pressure these fish see nobody wants to give up there spots, which is very understandable. I agree with you bill i saw a fish caught the other day that took to the air a few times it was pretty exciting to watch. Ill be out again friday and im hoping to get out a few days next week so hopfully i have a nice report for you guys lol Im also going to devote a little more time on the water to spinners as this is somthing im more familiar with. Thanks again guys, have a happy and safe holidays

 

Mike

[fishin jesus]

All the above is strong advice. The other important advice is to " don't give up" stay on the river and keep going back. everytime you go , when you leave try to learn atleast 1 new thing by watching the hardcore pro's . Don't be afraid to grill guys on advice....alot of it is feel aswell . Remember everytime you see a guy nailing fish , him/or her were once where you are now. I' remember being so fustrated I thought about quiting atleast 5 times........but once you get that first fish hooked and it goes airborn, you will more than likely be instantly addicted for life. Keep the bait down, and keep tryin!!

good luck

[BillM]

+1 most guys on the river are more then willing to give you a few tips...

[torco]

All good tips, it will come with time. Reading water can be learned in a book but it takes time on the water to apply that knowledge appropriately. When I use to float fish (i don't go often now) I found adjusting the shot pattern/leader lengths to be the first change I would make as Bill says they are not smart and they can ravenous feeders so its about getting the bait into there feeding lanes. Of course as the temperature drops they are more lethargic but a nice drift with your bait ticking bottom should see results.

 

Anyways it looks like with this relatively warm weather you still have plenty of opportunities to get into fish.

[mikeseb]

spent a few hours on a trib today and finnally got into some fish!! , I went 1/3 on the day but that one had my heart poundin as the drag screamed lol. Thanks again guys for all the advice, Im gonna try and get out again tommorow morning and hopfully get into some more fish.

[Flatbackdreamer]

spent a few hours on a trib today and finnally got into some fish!! , I went 1/3 on the day but that one had my heart poundin as the drag screamed lol. Thanks again guys for all the advice, Im gonna try and get out again tommorow morning and hopfully get into some more fish.

 

 

Awesome stuff!

 

keep it up