Maybe this is the week!

[GoGreen88]

Been heading out every Friday the last oh I'd say 6 or 7 weeks, hitting the Clackamas, South Santiam, Siletz, & Salmon rivers in this time period. Still on the search for the elusive first steelhead! Tried bobber doggin, switched to drift, was just introduced to bobber n jig so I am going to test that out on the North Santiam ths week! I can honestly say the more I don't get a fish, the more and more I want to go fishing! Anyways just wanted to say hi! Just joined, got bit by the fishing bug back in May bad and I just can't get enough. Looking forward to the fall chinook run as well

 

[C_Run]

Welcome. Sounds like you have a positive attitude which is important. Hope it doesn't take you as long to get your first as it took me....talking years here.

 

[rogerdodger]

welcome to OFF!

and I like your approach, as Lee Trevino once said "The more I practice, the luckier I get"....the first 3 Kings that I fought, 2 of them big ones, each found a different way to get away and by the third, I was having "Situational Turrets" (credit to Jigs for that term) that was not improved later when I checked my GoPro and had video of the whole deal- a great fight and a messed up netting...but then my wife and I finally boated a big King last September and have not looked back....keep at it and enjoy the fight and also losing fish and also getting fish...cheers, roger

 

[rum runner]

keep it up siletz has fish but with the low clear water u need to have a fail proof sniper crawl and trust in your light gear to get to them. i think im going to head up there this weekend good source is sayn i should make the drive....

 

[GoGreen88]

That seems to be the only thing that has me questioning myself, is my setup! Someone recommended bobber and jig so Ill give it a whirl but I haven't had much luck drifting I tend to look A LOT of hooks that way. Won't be making it back to the siletz until the fall run, will be hitting north and south santiam and clackamas. Just gotta find something that works for me I guess!

 

[rum runner]

think small and dark... 1/16 1/8 oz micro jigs in red,black,purple,blue under small floats clear or the small thin wood ones and 8 lb test with a nice 8-9 foot light spin rod and fix the float to ur line. use tiney swivles if needed but for summers up there i like to tie it all into the main line because of the light line and less stuff floating through the water spooking fish. good luck out there

 

[dozer365]

First OFF. Welcome!!! Aboard!!!
Not to sound like a know it all. But can I suggest u pick two or three styles and practice.
And exploring new rivers is great. And a huge part of the excitment of fishing. I'd encourage u to do some more exploring. But too also start trying to determine ur home river. Fish the same drift at least once a month. Get to learn a little section of a river. I like the mouth or top of a river. For instance. On the clack. I've learned cross park down. And Mciver up. Has helped me feel much more confident that I'm fishing where there are fish. The clack has been really tough for me lately. But as soon as it drops down to 58-59 degrees it should heat up. I know where fish have been. But maybe my army crawl needs some work. Only got 1 out of like 50-60 steel I've spotted in the last 6 weeks. Frustrating and compeling at the same time.

 

[eugene1]

I can honestly say the more I don't get a fish, the more and more I want to go fishing!

Yep welcome to OFF!

Good advice from the others, but just want to say don't explore too many techniques until you get one dialed in with a hookup. Getting started in a new area can be rough, but try to learn from the locals what works in a certain reach of the river and hit it hard.

Anyway, welcome to my world!

Best,

 

[GoGreen88]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the help and advice! Sadly, most of the fisherman I have spoken to on the bank are not keen about talking about fishing oddly, maybe they don't want to help me I do not know, but they are very talkative about everything else hahaha.

 

[eugene1]

That's normal, what I meant by "learn" is just observe. Where are they casting, standing, what are they using for bait or lures, and so on.

Best,

Thanks everyone, really appreciate all the help and advice! Sadly, most of the fisherman I have spoken to on the bank are not keen about talking about fishing oddly, maybe they don't want to help me I do not know, but they are very talkative about everything else hahaha.

 

[madasahab]

like the rest of the northern coast, the Siletz is basically **** poor for summers... They didn't seem to show in any kind of numbers this season...but cutthroat are around and Kings are coming...

 

[GoGreen88]

So I hear this "Reel it til you feel it" referring to bobber fishing. Obviously you don't want to just set the hook with a bunch of slack I get that. Buuuut when I "feel it" after I have "reeled it" haha, do I then set the hook?!? beginner fisherman problems ahahah.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

I never reel down and then set the hook. But I don't have a lot of slack line either. Steelhead can pick up and spit out your bait/lure in a heartbeat. Chinook on the other hand I reel down and set the hook like a bass fisherman!