Winter steelhead presentation

[William Charles]

Hey everyone,

Now that duck hunting season is over I'm switching gears and heading back to fishing. I just re-upped a bunch of gear for steelhead, all the way from pink worms to Blue Fox Spinners.

What has everyone else found successful for the steelies this year?

I'm currently rigging up my line for a normal steelhead approach, slip float, slip weights, leader, pink worm jig.


How is everyone else catching fish?

 

[Hookset]

I have said this before in a different thread but the pink warm has not worked for me. I tried fishing it numerous ways and no luck. I have been catching with the nightmare worm jig.
Good luck

 

[C_Run]

I had one good season with the pink worm and then not much luck after that. What's up? I do carry one hardware rod for spoons and spinners and another longer jig rod for jigs. I have been a pretty poor drift fisherman. Whatever works and you have confidence in, stick with that.

 

[hobster]

Whatever works and you have confidence in, stick with that.

This is most important. Don't second guess your setup if they are not biting and don't fish cautiously. Especially with spinners, you will loose some but you got to get them down in the zone.
So far this year I have hooked a couple on spinners, only 2 on a bead, and most drift fishing a corkie with eggs. Water is clearing and dropping next week, i'd go with bobber and bead, nightmare jig, or a #3 blue fox.

 

[Hooked Up]

Don't second guess your setup if they are not biting and don't fish cautiously.

I'm trying to add spoons to my arsenal. Awhile ago ChezJfrey gave me some instruction and turned me onto Bill Herzogs book. C_Run helped me refine my presentation and I enticed my 1st fish, albeit a 8" smolt. Much more confident than before.

 

[Rusty]

Bobberdoggin' yarn balls and eggs has been my go to lately. Switching occasionally to a bead. Saturday, on my favorite coastal stream, I was following behind my buddy who was floating jigs. In a few hours he lost one at the bank and I landed 2. Two take downs on the bead yesterday morning. It has definitely upped my confidence in the whole doggin' thing. Okay let's call it float drifting.

 

[Casting Call]

Spoons/beads seem to be the hot ticket this time of the steelhead mid-winter runs. Tony

 

[hobster]

I'm trying to add spoons to my arsenal. Awhile ago ChezJfrey gave me some instruction and turned me onto Bill Herzogs book. C_Run helped me refine my presentation and I enticed my 1st fish, albeit a 8" smolt. Much more confident than before.

Chez knows his stuff. I have only been fishing spinners/spoons for steel for a few years but I feel I have been honing my craft. I hook most drift fishing them, just slightly touching bottom once in a while letting the blade flutter, then letting it swing. It is a great technique to add to the arsenal indeed!

 

[Hooked Up]

Chez knows his stuff. I have only been fishing spinners/spoons for steel for a few years but I feel I have been honing my craft. I hook most drift fishing them, just slightly touching bottom once in a while letting the blade flutter, then letting it swing. It is a great technique to add to the arsenal indeed!

I'm about 50/50 between jig and drifting for my catches. Want to feel one slam a spoon right a runaway train! It'll happen.

 

[Hookset]

This season I have been trying something different to work on other styles of fishing. I start the day with what I feel most confident in which is drift fishing a corkie and yarn or bait. Once I have landed a fish, I will spend the rest of the day fishing other styles. I believe this will increase my confidence in these other styles and make my catch days increase in the future.

 

[William Charles]

Thanks everyone for your input! I only landed one steelhead this winter, now onto Spring Salmon! Let me know how y'all do this spring!

 

[C_Run]

I'm about 50/50 between jig and drifting for my catches. Want to feel one slam a spoon right a runaway train! It'll happen.

So, did you have any success with spoons? I tried real hard with jigs and lost most of my jigs. Never got a bite except with spoons this season. I went with a friend last week and, of course, he hooks a fish on a jig in the first minute!

 

[Hooked Up]

So, did you have any success with spoons? I tried real hard with jigs and lost most of my jigs. Never got a bite except with spoons this season. I went with a friend last week and, of course, he hooks a fish on a jig in the first minute!

I snagged a sucker fish in the back on the retrieve, that's my only spoon action. Haha, of course your friend did! That's the way it goes sometimes.