T
Tinker
15 lb leader is overkill for almost all steelhead conditions.
Do your research before you head out since there aren't many streams with summer steelhead on the coast. Other than that, be super stealthy since the water will likely be very low and clear, i.e. hide behind tree trunks, don't walk, crawl , etc.
No wonder I've been completely skunked so far! Fifteen is the lightest I've used. I'm throwing heavy cable towards them! I'm very comfortable with light gear, and it's how I've always liked to fish until someone started giving me their opinion about 8lb being much too light for steelhead. I don't remember that I asked then how many they'd caught...
I wouldn't worry about 15 lb. leader if throwing spoons/spinners in winter....
Also, keep in mind that both Herzog and Davis in their spoon/spinner books respectively also mention that with hardware, line size doesn't make much difference in attaining steelhead strikes, regardless of conditions. I believe Herzog goes so far as to claim to never use less than 15 lb. for spoons.
15lb is never necessary in any conditions around here. 10 is my max summer or winter. Even if the fish aren't leader shy (I think they can be) 10lb or less is just easier to fish.
15lb is never necessary in any conditions around here. 10 is my max summer or winter. Even if the fish aren't leader shy (I think they can be) 10lb or less is just easier to fish.
I noticed you are located in Port Orford, in that neck of the woods, the Rogue and Umpqua systems and their tributaries are going to be the only systems with actual "runs"of summer steel. There may be some strays in some of the other systems, but they won't be there in numbers.That could explain your struggles....
There are some good sized searun cutthroat down your way. I wonder if that might have been what you saw. That season is coming right up.
It may be true that fish don't care about heavier line when fishing hardware but keep in mind that a spinner or spoon will fish differently with 8 lb leader than it will with 15 lb leader. Keep that in mind when changing up from winter to summer.