Am I doing this right?

[ninja2010]

okay, i've been going out every weekend since the beginning of the year, and all i've got to show is a big, fat skunk. so i don't know what i'm doing wrong. i just can't find the fish anywhere. hopefully i'll find out here...

this is how i approach the river to cover as much water as i can. i fish with 2 rod setups: bobber and spinner. i start with the bobber rod, first cast always close in and i let it drift a ways, adjust bobber stop as needed till i'm about a foot or so off bottom. 2 floats later, i'll cast about 2 feet further out. and so on until i cast to the other bank, or as far as i can get my lure.

then i switch to the spinner rod, and start off close to the bank, quartering it in slowly as it bumps the riverbed once in a while. then i cast 2 feet further out, and 2 more feet until i hit the other bank.

then i take several steps downstream and continue the pattern with the spinner. if the water is clear, i space my spots a little further apart. i'll repeat this with the spinner until i get to the area at the end of my earlier bobber drift. then i switch back to the bobber rod and start all over again.

so i get a lot of casting practice and i think i'm covering the entire section of water, but i am not getting no fish.

am i doing this right? any advice would be appreciated.

 

[mikeredding]

okay, i've been going out every weekend since the beginning of the year, and all i've got to show is a big, fat skink. so i don't know what i'm doing wrong. i just can't find the fish anywhere. hopefully i'll find out here...

this is how i approach the river to cover as much water as i can. i fish with 2 rod setups: bobber and spinner. i start with the bobber rod, first cast always close in and i let it drift a ways, adjust bobber stop as needed till i'm about a foot or so off bottom. 2 floats later, i'll cast about 2 feet further out. and so on until i cast to the other bank, or as far as i can get my lure.

then i switch to the spinner rod, and start off close to the bank, quartering it in slowly as it bumps the riverbed once in a while. then i cast 2 feet further out, and 2 more feet until i hit the other bank.

then i take several steps downstream and continue the pattern with the spinner. if the water is clear, i space my spots a little further apart. i'll repeat this with the spinner until i get to the area at the end of my earlier bobber drift. then i switch back to the bobber rod and start all over again.

so i get a lot of casting practice and i think i'm covering the entire section of water, but i am not getting no fish.

am i doing this right? any advice would be appreciated.

It sure sounds like you are covering the water. Do you have anything tied on the end of your line?!!:lol: Just kidding

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Less than substantial returns, and a relative lack of experience make this year especially difficult for folks just delving into the Steelhead game. I will tell you this. Being able to cast to fish you can see, and noting how they react will dramatically flatten the curve. But keep at it, you are covering a lot of water, so the next thing is having fish holding in the water you are targeting.

 

[steelheadstalker31]

Sounds like your fishing the water well, just remember that steelhead only hold in 10% of the river. So, make sure your fishing that 10% and you'll get a bobber down in no time.

 

[metalmania]

I can see your a big fan of float fishing but if you want to try drifting I can show ya a couple of can't miss drift rigs and a few sweet spots that I can almost promise will produce one for ya after some practice.

 

[ninja2010]

well, i think i am fishing the right water. but i keep doubting myself coz i can not find the fish.

if someone wants to show me, let's go fishing!

 

[metalmania]

I'm always willing to show someone the ropes. If you would like to go out just tell me a day and i'll be more than happy to take you out.

 

[fishnquest]

Ninj,
I know just how you feel. I have been out no less than 3 times a week for most of the season, no fish to show for it.
I know the number of fish is down. B (my wife) and I went for a walk up the Little River on the coast here (think ft bragg, south), talked to biologists in the water. We walked three miles up the river. saw none. The biologists would only say "the numbers are way down".
Since I got back from Portland, I have been mostly fly fishing here on the eel with a friend. I just know I have been missing occasional bites here and there. One thing for me, I've learned, is mend the line. I was leaving too much slack on/in the water. I think fish are biting and leaving before I know they are there.:think::think::think:. I was doing the same with casting gear in portland and on the way home.
These fish are supposed to be stupid! what gives?
You're out there by yourself, trying to teach yourself how to fish these things, just like me. One day, we both are going to figure it out, then It'll be over. You know, once you got it figured out, just go get em. I'm about to make up my mind to stop going fishing, and start going to catch fish!!!:think::think::lol:
I'll go fishing with you anytime. It's time to slap em in the face with some tackle! Let's go get em.

 

[ninja2010]

hell, yeah. ripping lips was one of my main weekend activities... nowadays, it's casting practice (building biceps :lol and enjoying scenery.

your next trip up, we'll go fishing together. hopefully i'll step up the edjumacationing process so we actually find fish and enjoy some tight lines.

good luck out there.

 

[FishFinger]

Keep the faith Ninja, Last year I went every weekend for 3 months till I got my first winter steelhead. It was mid March...... Hey it's almost mid March again.... It's just a matter of time.

Fish with confidence.. Don't second guess yourself.. "Will" that bobber down and good things will start to happen.

 

[ninja2010]

i like that, "will" the bobber down. i do.

i think to myself, "bobber down, bobber down..."

or i say, "slam the spinner, slam the spinner..."

and sometimes it even slips out in actual words out loud. then i look around to make sure no one saw this crazy mantra chanting chinaman losing it. :lol:

 

[mgdguy]

Ninja - THANK YOU for starting this thread. I'm very glad to see that I'm not the only one. My confidence is back up now (a little) and I'm going to keep at it!

 

[fourgotten]

Keep the faith...

Keep the faith...

I know I am... that's all that I've got...

Since I got laid off, I decided to start steelheading in earnest this winter... I've been out at LEAST three days a week, and some weeks more than that... so far I've had one hookup on a spinner (which I lost 'cause I thought that it was a rock), one on a corkie (which I lost 'cause OF a rock), and one on a jig (which I can only blame on myself... I am pretty sure that my knot gave way... either that or my 12-lb leader broke... not 100%)...

I'm starting to believe that steelhead are really a myth that everyone propogates to screw with me and that they have built some fish-shaped robots that they remotely control to help backup that myth... but that's just my paranoia speaking...

Don't worry, though... our times will come...

 

[luv2fish]

Ninja...pm me...

 

[OneMore]

My advice keep at it and the fish will tell you if your doing it right. I think others may be right in saying perhaps you are fishing the wrong water. I also think its been a bad year for the steel. Now Im not a master steelheader or anything so take my advice for what its worth, but I have cought a few fish this winter.

 

[ArcticAmoeba]

Listen to the what the water says. If you are going out multiple occasions per week, and you fish the same water to no avail... That should tell you something. Steelhead are not smart, or mythical by any means. Once you find where they hold, it is lights out. It is the difference between 200 fish a winter, and none. Steelheading takes a little work to find them. They are like grey ghosts somedays. But there are always fish in the river, regardless of how bad the returns are. Keep after it.

 

[meluvtrout]

okay, i've been going out every weekend since the beginning of the year, and all i've got to show is a big, fat skunk. so i don't know what i'm doing wrong. i just can't find the fish anywhere. hopefully i'll find out here...

this is how i approach the river to cover as much water as i can. i fish with 2 rod setups: bobber and spinner. i start with the bobber rod, first cast always close in and i let it drift a ways, adjust bobber stop as needed till i'm about a foot or so off bottom. 2 floats later, i'll cast about 2 feet further out. and so on until i cast to the other bank, or as far as i can get my lure.

then i switch to the spinner rod, and start off close to the bank, quartering it in slowly as it bumps the riverbed once in a while. then i cast 2 feet further out, and 2 more feet until i hit the other bank.

then i take several steps downstream and continue the pattern with the spinner. if the water is clear, i space my spots a little further apart. i'll repeat this with the spinner until i get to the area at the end of my earlier bobber drift. then i switch back to the bobber rod and start all over again.

so i get a lot of casting practice and i think i'm covering the entire section of water, but i am not getting no fish.

am i doing this right? any advice would be appreciated.

I'm not sure what the Ninja policy says about this, but my suggestion will be going out there with friends rather than getting frustrated all by yourself. There's always something new to learn from others. New locations, new gear, new setup, new knots, new holes, new rivers etc etc. Watch how people fish! What they do to catch fish, where they cast, when they fish, what bait, what line they use. Observation is the key...

Just tag along with others. You'll be amazed how your attitude towards fishing is going to change...

Or the worst case scenario: You will have somebody to share your skunk with and go grab a drink afterwards!

Tight Lines...

 

[mikeredding]

Or the worst case scenario: You will have somebody to share your skunk with and go grab a drink afterwards!

Tight Lines...

:clap::dance::lol:

 

[ninja2010]

I'm not sure what the Ninja policy says...

ninja policy just got rewritten.

several kind folks here have extended offers of tutoring lessons, but being a weekend warrior, i had to turn em down...

but ancient ways will prevail, honor must be regained. the fish will be gotten.

 

[nw5785]

I will be going out to the siuslaw this weekend if anybody would like to come or meet up, let me know. i was thinking sunday