27 inches took my virginity

[tonym]

I'll be honest today started out pretty messed up.
This morning around 1am I was car camping on Britenbush with my girl when a big jacked up bronco stops next to us and honks their horn. I wait a second thinking it would just leave but when I popped my head up a tall skinny redneck wearing no shirt and overalls(I put this on my life it's true) is running around the back side of our car trying to steal our camping chairs. He saw us, jumped back in the truck and took off. Called Marion and reported it then moved to a new spot in case any sort of retaliation were to happen. We didn't get to sleep until like 4am.
My plan was to wake up at 6am and fish my way back to Salem but when 6 came around I decided I needed another two hours.
First spot we hit was packsaddle and I'll be damned if that place doesn't look like it should be packed with steel. I ended up getting my new kastmaster(found at walling pond :dance stuck on a rock but I couldn't wade all the way to it. Luckily there was a couple of kayakers putting in and one was able to free my new favorite lure. On the way back to the rock I was fishing from my sandal came loose and floated away from me so I had to barrow my girl's flip flops which were far too tight and like walking on ice as I'd wade down the run. Packsaddle ended up being a bust.
After that I was feeling kinda tired and dishearted so I decided to only make one more stop before heading home. Stayton. Got my lure wet under the bridge but didn't catch a damn thing until a local pointed me in the right direction. After a little driving I hit the spot I was told about. Five casts in and BAM! ray: Thank you Jeebus! Fish on and it felt like I had hooked a horse. I don't know how long the fight was I felt like I was jacked up on speed. I couldn't believe how big it was. I've spent my whole life fishing nothing but trout until this year when I finally hooked into some bass, carp and sturgeon but none of them compare to steel. Finally landed the cow and discovered that my fish tape only goes up to 22" but this beast was 27"

My first steelhead

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

Hell yeah! Thats a sweet first one! You get it on the kastmaster?

 

[tonym]

Yeah. I didn't bring my float pole and heard kastmasters were good for steel. Plan was to use it till I lost it then go home but those lures are really versatile so I was able to keep it from getting snagged even in really low water(except that big rock...). Never used a kastmaster or even knew what it was until about three weeks ago when I found one in the bushes. I am really impressed by how well it casts and it has brought in trout better than any lure I've ever used. Rooster tails used to be my go to lure but not any more.

 

[rippin fish lips]

Nice first steelies! Kastmasters... catch fish but i don't like the action they give.

 

[tonym]

A lure could do the mockaraina n sing beauty and the beast but I'd still use it if it catches fish.

 

[SeanC]

Congrats. They are a blast to catch. My daughter and I can't get enough of em.

 

[rippin fish lips]

but I'd still use it if it catches fish.

Amen! but i just can't seem to pull my self away from little cleos and thommy spoons. Got 1 fish on a #3 blue fox silver body with blue blade and yellow dots on it (steelie killer.. or fish killer) KND sprockets catch a lot of fish to, Got my 2nd fish on a thomas bouyant spoon 1/4oz, 3rd came on a 1/4oz brass cleo, 4th came on a rainbow cleo 1/4 oz.

Not braggin about it, but just giving you some general ideas of a few good lures if you start to lean into it more now (unless you have been fishin hardware most of the time).

And i just wanted to let you know, that the steelies are startin to love little cleos a lot right now.

 

[halibuthitman]

Amen! but i just can't seem to pull my self away from little cleos and thommy spoons. Got 1 fish on a #3 blue fox silver body with blue blade and yellow dots on it (steelie killer.. or fish killer) KND sprockets catch a lot of fish to, Got my 2nd fish on a thomas bouyant spoon 1/4oz, 3rd came on a 1/4oz brass cleo, 4th came on a rainbow cleo 1/4 oz.

Not braggin about it, but just giving you some general ideas of a few good lures if you start to lean into it more now (unless you have been fishin hardware most of the time).

And i just wanted to let you know, that the steelies are startin to love little cleos a lot right now.

this is interesting, I never use cleo's definitely would not ever cast a thomas buoyant or remotely consider using a kastmaster... but they all produce, my 3 go to spinners and my go to 3 spoons are never mentioned on the forum by anyone.. really goes to show how important confidence is as apposed to the offering. and if you think the blue bladed blue fox kills em, you should try the green and yellow blade... murderous!

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

this is interesting, I never use cleo's definitely would not ever cast a thomas buoyant or remotely consider using a kastmaster... but they all produce, my 3 go to spinners and my go to 3 spoons are never mentioned on the forum by anyone.. really goes to show how important confidence is as apposed to the offering. and if you think the blue bladed blue fox kills em, you should try the green and yellow blade... murderous!

Pot o Gold Lil Lightening Spoons?

 

[rippin fish lips]

this is interesting, I never use cleo's definitely would not ever cast a thomas buoyant or remotely consider using a kastmaster... but they all produce, my 3 go to spinners and my go to 3 spoons are never mentioned on the forum by anyone.. really goes to show how important confidence is as apposed to the offering. and if you think the blue bladed blue fox kills em, you should try the green and yellow blade... murderous!

Confidence and offering (presentation) ... is ofcourse most of it when fishing, They say colors really don't matter.. but i am a firm beleiver in them. I know every lure will produce.

" my 3 go to spinners and my go to 3 spoons are never mentioned on the forum by anyone"

Could that be because you made those lures your self, just like the spoons you made when you asked us what colors pruduced or worked best for us?? And even if they are lures that you buy in the store and they don't get mentioned, why does that matter? Im just givin dude some ideas of what has been working in the low clear water lateley (from what i have seen).

I will never get rid of my bouyants, cleos, or blue foxes. I have the green and yellow and green dot one, but havent had no takers. What's wrong with these lures? It's what i prefer to use right now, other ppl are using them and catching fish so why don't i just share it?

 

[halibuthitman]

I think your reading me wrong, theres nothing wrong with any of those lures, obviously they are catching. as for why I don't use them.. I have effective lures I already dig and Ive gotten tired of the ole' got one of every lure in the book. I use rainbow pot o golds, pen-tac, and R&B spoons almost exclusively... I can't believe anyone catches steelhead with a kastmaster.. but they do.. but I have to wonder if the fish was kinda like the guy who asks every girl in the bar to go home with him every night, eventualy someones gonna take him up on it. I have seen good evidence that virtualy anything can catch a steelhead.. I agree with you on color, steelhead love the taste of paint, my comment was simply trying to state that its interesting that we all have our go to lures.. but we rarely have our go to lures in common. By the way congrats to the o.p on his first steel... nice fish-

 

[eggs]

Why is everyone all defensive on the forum lately?
HH wasn't trying to rub you..
Nice catch...

 

[tonym]

I have two little cleos one looks like a rainbow trout and one looks like green n gold jewels. Fish love to follow them but I've never caught anything on a spoon. I've talked to people who have never caught anything on a rooster tail yet my river trout rig is a rooster tail and 2lb line on an ultra light. Could be rigging since I don't use weight or it could be technique. It's also possible we all have different preferences because we come from different areas where the local fish have different tastes.

 

[dtikey]

good job tonym and way to stick with a crappy day glad it worked out for you

 

[capblack]

congrats on the steel, but you should have used that kastmaster on the hillbilly that was jacking youre chairs!!

 

[jabs67]

Very sweet 1st steel!!!!!

 

[ChezJfrey]

Excellent fish! Congrats on the first.

And Hitman, you were only 1/3 correct that your 3 'go-to' spoons have never been mentioned...I have mentioned at least once that R&B are spoons that I often use and have even posted a link to their spoon page for reference in some thread here somewhere

 

[rippin fish lips]

my comment was simply trying to state that its interesting that we all have our go to lures.. but we rarely have our go to lures in common. By the way congrats to the o.p on his first steel... nice fish-

I did read it wrong haha. But yeah it is interesting about our go to lures rarely being in common.

 

[rippin fish lips]

It's also possible we all have different preferences because we come from different areas where the local fish have different tastes.

yup Very nice first fish tho! Did as hit the kastmaster hard?

 

[tonym]

It hit like a car. I heard steel were soft biters so the bit of jigging action I used prolly set the hook right away starting the fight instantly. Does anyone else jig their lures? I find it really helps when fish are tight lipped.