huzzsaba Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Wondering if live bait like minnows are useful for catching steelhead or do they stop feeding when they come to the river mouth and into rivers? if live bait is worth trying, is there a certain type and size ? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 The guys in PA use minnows all the time. Pretty weird seeing them with their little minnow bottles walking the river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freshtrax Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 We use em on the niagara over the winter and catch everything under the sun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landry Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 I once got schooled on the Catt by an American using minnows. He slayed them. I cAn honestly say that that is the only time a Yankee steelheader outfished me in NY. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 (edited) Thanks! I will give it a try! Edited November 7, 2015 by huzzsaba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris.brock Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 You can"t beat live meat, especially this time of year. The hoity toity center pin heads are likely going to sneer at you, if so, screw them it's your river too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhioFisherman Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 In the fall here on Lake Erie vast schools of Emerald Shiners congregate along the rip rap and break walls at some of the river mouths. Those same areas seem to be where steelhead also congregate before entering the rivers. I used to keep a steelhead a year in the fall for a dinner, when I cleaned them they were full of emerald shiners, small shad, and small perch. The lures I used to catch the steelhead, white tubes, small chrome and black crankbaits, and jigs with a white twister tail imitated baitfish. It stands to reason minnows should work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Yes! As Dave alluded to the use of minnows is much more common Stateside, although it's hard to understand why. Up here I've been using them for many years, mostly in pier or estuary situations. (I never walk a river with a minnow bucket). No one does it up here. There have been times on certain busy piers where everyone is either drifting roe or flies and I've had to be ultra secretive about what I'm using so as not to educate 100 other diehard steelheaders. I guess the secret is out now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch01 Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hey, I wanna give this a try. How do you guys fish them, on a jig? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Hey, I wanna give this a try. How do you guys fish them, on a jig? Can't speak for anyone else but always under a float lightly hooked through the back on a light wire hook. Clear water is best as a steelhead will home in on a wildly dancing minnow from a long ways away. The hits are usually pretty savage. I've found it's often more effective to run a pretty shallow lead as well. Much more effective than drifting the minnow close to the bottom. In general about halfway to the bottom seems about right, sometimes even shallower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 You can"t beat live meat, especially this time of year. The hoity toity center pin heads are likely going to sneer at you, if so, screw them it's your river too lol. I try to stay away from the crowds but I will keep that in mind if I catch anyone staring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Salties were a deadly weapon back in the day when I used to fish the tribs. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Salties were a deadly weapon back in the day when I used to fish the tribs. S. Yep, forgot about the salties. Don't know why but on some rivers I fish, usually late November early December, salties sometimes outfish everything. Easy to carry around too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 I know I seen a stretch of river where minnows were jumping about and right after,there were some big swirls and splashes. No dought they were chomping on them minnows. I have also heard of some guys using gulp finness minnows, under their floats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manitoubass2 Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Wow fish eat minnows? Lol of course they will work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Wow fish eat minnows? Lol of course they will work lol I knew that. Wasn't sure if steelhead stop feeding like salmon since I read somewhere that they stop eating when they are migrating up river. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misfish Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 lol I knew that. Wasn't sure if steelhead stop feeding like salmon since I read somewhere that they stop eating when they are migrating up river. Dont believe everything you read, OR, told. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 7, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 Dont believe everything you read, OR, told. Sure thing! Im still learning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirCranksalot Posted November 7, 2015 Report Share Posted November 7, 2015 as I understand it, most of the bows enter the river in the fall to eat with a minority coming in to spawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch01 Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) Can't speak for anyone else but always under a float lightly hooked through the back on a light wire hook. Thanks Mike. That's not much different than how I like to fish walleye. Edited November 8, 2015 by Dutch01 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) So tried port dalhousie yesterday and no luck with minnows. its a tough place to fish for sure and the water clarity was not the greatest. Saw many fish surfacing, light brown color so I'm guessing they were brown although a few seemed to look like bass by the way they were swimming along the wall but it was hard to tell at night. Edited November 8, 2015 by huzzsaba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
solopaddler Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 So tried port dalhousie yesterday and no luck with minnows. its a tough place to fish for sure and the water clarity was not the greatest. Saw many fish surfacing, light brown color so I'm guessing they were brown although a few seemed to look like bass by the way they were swimming along the wall but it was hard to tell at night. Current is strong there, 90% of the time it's a reaction bite. Many of the regulars bottom bounce there very successfully with large streamers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 8, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 (edited) Current is strong there, 90% of the time it's a reaction bite. Many of the regulars bottom bounce there very successfully with large streamers. Sure is. I haven't seen any place like port D. the current is one of a kind. Bronte and port credit is a little more fisherman friendly and water is much clearer. Edited November 8, 2015 by huzzsaba Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtess Posted November 10, 2015 Report Share Posted November 10, 2015 Not live minnows but imitate them.... try larger bass sized white tubes (3 to 3.5") on a 1/16 to 1/8oz tube jig head and bottom bounce them through runs on the smaller flows (Bronte etc) . This works really well for fresh fish. Burt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzzsaba Posted November 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2015 Not live minnows but imitate them.... try larger bass sized white tubes (3 to 3.5") on a 1/16 to 1/8oz tube jig head and bottom bounce them through runs on the smaller flows (Bronte etc) . This works really well for fresh fish. Burt Thanks for the tip. I will try that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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