Salmon/steelhead newbie

[Want2Fish39]

Hello everyone,

just got into fishing last year, had a blast fishing for trout, catfish, crappie, and also some bass! This year I want to expand into steelhead and salmon however... it’s very intimidating. I live in the Salem Keizer area currently, and do not own a boat. Do you guys have any recommendations to where I should try out as a newbie for some bank fishing (for salmon/steelhead)?

any tips would be appreciated! Thank you.

 

[Admin]

Welcome to the forum. Where did you fish for trout?

 

[Want2Fish39]

Welcome to the forum. Where did you fish for trout?

Ive gone to hagg lake, Detroit, and EE wilson. Going to go check out walling pond potentially next week!

 

[Admin]

Ive gone to hagg lake, Detroit, and EE wilson.

what about rivers?

 

[Want2Fish39]

what about rivers?

Never fished for trout in a river before haha

 

[pinstriper]

Never fished for trout in a river before haha

Start.

Read water and conditions, learn how to work your offering, find your access, then learn the difference between steelhead water, salmon water, trout water. The skills are mutually supportive.

From Salem, you've lost a lot of steelhead runs in the last decade or two, thanks to the furbags in Oregon City not to mention curtailed hatchery operations. But you have a lot of water to work between Salem and Detroit that is excellent learning ground that will set you up well to target steelhead in other locations.

 

[Want2Fish39]

Start.

Read water and conditions, learn how to work your offering, find your access, then learn the difference between steelhead water, salmon water, trout water. The skills are mutually supportive.

From Salem, you've lost a lot of steelhead runs in the last decade or two, thanks to the furbags in Oregon City not to mention curtailed hatchery operations. But you have a lot of water to work between Salem and Detroit that is excellent learning ground that will set you up well to target steelhead in other locations.

Thank you for the tips. I have 2 spots picked out. I think I will hit up the north Santiam and sandy river towards Portland! I read that the north santiam water is a little high at the moment so it isn’t very good. But sandy river is supposedly good right now for winter steelheads.

 

[pinstriper]

Thank you for the tips. I have 2 spots picked out. I think I will hit up the north Santiam and sandy river towards Portland! I read that the north santiam water is a little high at the moment so it isn’t very good. But sandy river is supposedly good right now for winter steelheads.

Good plan.

 

[Want2Fish39]

I have a size 6 panther Martin spinner... is that too small for steelhead?

 

[my2labs]

That’s pretty little.

I prefer 3,4 and 5s