Steelhead on the Mckenzie

[Bgunder]

Hi guys I am new to steelhead fishing and have been trying to catch one since the winters were down on the slaw.I have fished the Mckenzie all my life for trout but want to step it up a notch and was just looking for any advice on spots for steelhead on the mac.Like where is this hatchery hole I keep hearing about?

 

[Troutski]

Walk through the hatchery and stay on the road, you will find a group of fingers... This is the honey hole for this area, tight lines and be safe, those rocks are very slippery (don't ask how I know, I just do:redface: )

Chuck

 

[rippin fish lips]

Where have you been caching your trout? Lately the trout have been laying in the slower water. Fish "Walkin pace water" wth pool, riffles, rocks/boulders. Fish under cut bank and grass patches, Summer steelhead hold in the weirdest spots... When the water is low. Late in summer on hot days, early morning is best. Get those casts in before other ppl show up, that way when ppl show up, you will be the guy on the water longer s u have a better chance. But that is not always the case.

Wit the weather patterns lately, warm/hot days, the fish are starting to stage up in water raingind from 2-4 feet. If you are banking it, and fast water, wt a nice pool on the bank side, fish th pool. Castin te currestand let the presentation swing into the pool. then jig it back.

Summer steelhead and trout hold in the same waters. Yo should keep fishing the holes you have been fishing, but "covor more water" by swithcing the areas you fish up every 1-2 trips. Steelhead are alway movin, The are known for swimming up streem then back down only to make a u-turn and go back up. I have seen the same fish do circles in and out of 2 tail outs.

One thing i have learned over the last 3 years of Steelheading, is fish the "fishy" looking water, If you smell fish in the air at a hole that looks good, fish it. The most important thing IMO, is to fish the waerthat looks appealing to you.

Ohh yeah... If you wake up in the morning and you see a lot of "dew" on the ground or frost on stuff, go fish.

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

drive through the hatchery to the gravel road and drive as far down there as permitted. park and walk down river until you see a huge boulber bluff on the left side of the river where the water splits and goes around it. walk past it to where the water shallows up and cross, then walk back to it just on the other side and bottom bounce a sand shripm from the deep water into the shallow and you will nail both nookies and steelies there. get there early before the boats make their runs through there. if you are already there the boats likly will not fish throught it. if they do then go all renegade on their asses and cast into their boat and they will leave. i have done exceptionally well in this drift. good luck fishing.

 

[hobster]

This is a good thread. I just fished for steelies the 1st time this last winter and landed 11 after many hours of trying to figure out the bite. Now i'd like to get into summers but i know nothing about the Mac when it comes to steel. I've fished a couple of rivers where i had no idea where to go and hooked steelies which gave me a lot more confidence with reading water. Being a painting contractor i hardly have time in the summer but this year i'm gonna make time! I've been having a blast fly fishing for trout this spring so it's kept me happy (for now). I've heard once you hook into steel it'll ruin trout fishing for you but i disagree, i still love it and the challenge of fly fishing. Hopefully i'll get into some steel this summer but if not i can't wait till next fall/winter!

 

[joem]

DO NOT DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this is about as stupid as i have heard. you start casting into boats, and it will get ugly fast. the hatchery hole is the spot were the second hatchery creek comes in. theres a rock pile the people fish off in the middle, some sand banks on each side of the and at the upper end the creek comes into it. the boats fish this hole and they will usually stay there along time. dont be like the other people and cast over the lines. wait your turn, the lowest buy in the hole cast first and then just works its way up. when the water gets lower this hole will be hard to fish cause people will be wading out in it all over the place. the pressure hole becomes a snagging hole latter in the year with people floosing them. the pressure hole is below the 3 dike but above belknaps rock. its a long gravel bar and will get to be shoulder to shoulder later in the year. i would suggest going up there finding were people fish and either fishing there or finding a spot that you like and can fish, the fish have to go through one spot to get to the other. as far as fish constanly moving, they like to hold. they dont always move. they lay behind rocks under trees and as said before some weird places. put in your time get to know people and you will eventually catch a fish. it took me 2 years to get my first bobber and jig steelie you just have to stay presistant at it and it will happen. good luck

 

[dtikey]

so does this mean you are crossing the private land to get where you want to fish???Thats not cool advice because it is posted there and above high water mark.We used to be able to fish from bank down around there until a-holes strat problems with landowners and leaveing trash.Probaly not cool to cast into boats either like joem said.Good way to get your a$$ kicked in a hurry.I know lots of the bankies and boaters up there and they wont put up with that stuff.

 

[Willyspu]

dtikey, Great comment. The gravel road past the fisherman's parking lot is a private road for several homes and a ranch. I know the home owners and the ranch owner. the problem comes in when people park their rig on that dirt road and block the owners access in and out of their homes . . . not cool. If you notice, at the first house there is a red gate. Once enough people pass through the private road and screw things up the owners get pissed and close that gate. The owners like to fish as well and are cool with people fishing around there as long as they respect the private property. Bank fishing is fine, don't leave a mess, park in the parking lot only and stay off the private property and then everyone can fish. This all gets especially bad during Salmon season.

As far as where the fish are, they all have to come up that entire river. The eventually go up the creek and into the hatchery, but you are as likely to find them all over down river as right by the hatchery. You might try some of the lower pressure areas around Hendricks Bridge, Leaburg Boat Landing or Greenwood Drive. Bye the way, fish that return to the hatchery are re-released down stream again. The hatchery would prefer that you keep the fish. They are just like any other hatchery fish, non natives and there for your enjoyment. Tight lines!

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

im not going on private land and never have blocked the road i park at the end and wade down river. it been at least 4 years since i have been able to make it over there and it was never posted before on the river. and the whole casting into boats comment, come on ppl have a sense of humor.

 

[rippin fish lips]

And that is the tricky part, it doesn't have to be posted on the (land) next to the river. If you are wading in water that a boat can manuver in, your legal, but once you step on that one piece of land, you are illegal. From what your post seaid, it looks like you were trespassing. Not tryin to thrash ya

 

[Lowell Life Fisherman]

good job making it sound like that tho.

 

[radiation]

As long as your in the water or in the high water area then it's all tight lines and fish on. My rule of thumb is to leave it better than you found it!

 

[bran_man]

Exactly radiation. It's really not hard to bring a plastic grocery bag with you in your pack to put your garbage in.They even have garbage cans out there! The farthest you have to bring your trash is back up to the road where the receptacles are... I know for a fact that not only do other anglers don't like seeing trash laying around, but I know the hatchery workers HATE seeing that laying around....

 

[joem]

i hate seeing it and some times picking it up can lead to a reward. im not talkin cash. but i was putting my fish in the water to keep it cool and keep the crows away and seen some worm containers. i thought ill just stuff thse in my bag and take them home. thinkin to my self how some people are so dumb for leavin stuff like this giving anti fishermen and wemon a reason to make it illeagle. but i picked up one and it felt heavy, opened it up full thing of worms. made me happy cause i was out. and back to the antis not to steal thread im just pointing this out, if i seen all the trash i do and wasn't a fisher myself i would probebly not want people fishing.

 

[dtikey]

Im not tring to get on anyones case either all I was doing was asking a question.Sorry if it came out different but I will say im glad to know you were kidden about casting into boats. I have seen it before on rivers and seen boats come to the bank and get down with the bankies so yes I did take you seriously. I am more into protecting what little access we have for bank fishing now and would hate to see someone take you seriously and not no better because there is lots of inexpierenced people on this site triing to get into salmon/steelhead for the first time.If you dont want people tring to correct you when you dont say your joking at first then dont say it at all.Just saying!!!

 

[plumb2fish]

You can not get out on Belnap rock from the bank without tresspassing on Terry's land above the high water mark.. Up until 3 years ago, this was not an issue.... As long as you packed out your trash and were respectful, you were allowed access.....That changed when someone threatened the land owner when asked to clean up their trash and to not use his yard as an outhouse....now if you are caught above the highwater mark on the bedrock corner...prepare to talk to a state patrol or county sherriff and be cited for trespassing. It is posted at the top of the hill "Private Road No Trespassing" as well as all over in the trees near the river.
There are usually several garbage bags hanging in various spots along the bank placed there by those of us that fish the area a lot in hopes that people will at least have the courtesy to put their trash in them instead of on the ground. Bring an extra bag with you, pack out a full one and toss it in the can near the outhouse...karma is a good thing when fishing.....

 

[Bgunder]

Thanks for all the input guys I am confident I will get my firts steelie this summer on the Mac and although this thread went a little off subject by the end I am happy to hear that there are other people on the river who clean up after themselves.If anyone ever wants to hit the river sometime let me know.I work at the Cabela's in springfield so I always have the resources to go.(Probably too much fishing stuff if theres such a thing

 

[plumb2fish]

Bgunder,
Sorry for getting off topic....The hatchery hole you are asking about, if you know where the adult steelhead trap is located....continue past the trap and pull into the first parking area on your right. Follow the trail that is directly behind the picnic table...you will walk along a cyclone fence next to the separator pond. You do not want to fish off of the second "jetty" below the hatchery creek(outflow from raceways and trap)...fishing right where the creek drops in to the river or anywhere other than the previously mentioned " second jetty" ...the reason you don't want to fish off of this rock point is that you will spook holding fish and have no way of landing something if you hook up....my suggestion is to go up and observe the way the guys up there are fishing ....ask some questions of the ones that are not obviously snagging and then decide what type of technique you plan to use and find a place up there where that technique will not interfere with the others fishing the hole or run and rip some lips.....