Northwest Fishing Reports

Don't laugh at me. Seriously. I have never been steelhead fishing in my life, and I want to start now. I have the rod, reel and line nessecary to catch them, but I am clueless when it comes to fishing the lures and where to fish in rivers. Can anyone help? Also, I have read in a book that steelhead are in rivers all year, but more in the summer and winter. Is this true or not?

Well, it is true that there are steelhead in rivers all year, but your chances of hooking one in the "off-season" really arent that great. And now what I need to know to helo you out is what kind of rod/reel combo you have and how far away are you willing to travel to catch a metalhead.

I have a spinning medium salmon rod and reel combo, so I think I am fine there. I sorta had my mind set on one of the Snoqualmie forks, but I will travel within 50 miles of Redmond. I have read books about steelhead, but I just need some real-person experience about where on a river to fish and bait etc.

My best advice is hire a good guide. Well worth the money. You will learn more in one day with him than you will in one year on your own. I know that they are not cheap but its money and time well spent. I fish alot for steelhead but if move to a new area I always fork out the money for a local guide to show me the river and best holding spots. Good luck and welcome to some of the most frustrating fishing there is IMO.

i think fish4brains is right. but if you're cheap just find a spot on the bank somewhere where other people are fishing and watch them. ive always used (i think anyways, i dont have a package around here to look at) 1/0 octopus hooks tied to about a 3' leader with a corky. then to my main line i just put the end of the line through the hole on a snap swivel and put a small bead below it(good slip sinker rig, the bead is to keep the two swivels from getting stuck together) and tie my main line to the leader. i always use pencil lead so i can cut specific sizes for different river flows, or you can buy a slinky weight kit, or pre-molded weights, and just snap it onto the snap swivel. sorry if that was confusing, i think i confused myself

iPodrodder wrote:I sorta had my mind set on one of the Snoqualmie forks, but I will travel within 50 miles of Redmond. I have read books about steelhead, but I just need some real-person experience about where on a river to fish and bait etc.

The forks of the Snoqualmie are a no go...
as there is no Steelhead above Snoqualmie Falls.

I fish for Steelhead below the falls in several different areas...
if you would like to meet up and learn how to fish the area...
click on my email button at the bottom of this post.
I'd be more than glad to find one more fishing buddy for the Snoqualmie.

: )

and follow the regs on the Snoqualmie very closely...
I see Game Wardens on a regular basis up there.


tc,
Road

Roadkill wrote:

iPodrodder wrote:I sorta had my mind set on one of the Snoqualmie forks, but I will travel within 50 miles of Redmond. I have read books about steelhead, but I just need some real-person experience about where on a river to fish and bait etc.

The forks of the Snoqualmie are a no go...
as there is no Steelhead above Snoqualmie Falls.

I fish for Steelhead below the falls in several different areas...
if you would like to meet up and learn how to fish the area...
click on my email button at the bottom of this post.
I'd be more than glad to find one more fishing buddy for the Snoqualmie.

: )

and follow the regs on the Snoqualmie very closely...
I see Game Wardens on a regular basis up there.


tc,
Road

Meh....that webpage is off my reading list. It told me that one of the forks had steelhead in it. Thanks.

I fished the snoqualmie last sunday with no luck. I need to find more lures that will help me out. Does anybody have any suggestions. I have tried the Skykomish, Snohomish and the Snoqualmie so far this year...caught a few nice trout but my focus is steelhead!

fishunt83 wrote:I fished the snoqualmie last sunday with no luck. I need to find more lures that will help me out. Does anybody have any suggestions. I have tried the Skykomish, Snohomish and the Snoqualmie so far this year...caught a few nice trout but my focus is steelhead!

The Snoqualmie has selective gear rules right now...
so I like to use a Number 4, blue fox...metalic blue spinner.
with a single wash hook...with the barb ground down.

Just make sure that you pinch the barb down or file it completely off...
or the Game Wardens(3 of them) will give you a ticket!~
I got a ticket last year because they said I didn't pinch the barb down good enough!~
My first ticket ever fishning...btw.


I'm going up to the Skykomish this next week...
I'll use Corkie and Yarn with eggs mostly...
might try a spinner and a jig and float.

Did you happen to see any Kings in the Sky when you were up there?


tc,
Road

Thanks Road....Ima have to pick up some new lures because nothing I used even compares. I did see one man pull in a 9 lb king on the Sky. Pretty interesting too!

Do you guys know of anywhere else to fish on the Skykomish on the bank besides right off of Sultan? I just started fishing for Steelhead and have been down there twice. Want to try some other places as I havn't seen anyone land anything in Sultan near the boat launch.

green anygood yet?

Fished the green twice this year only trout up there now, last steelie I got there was 2 years ago lol fish all netted out usualy

What about drift fishing for steelhead. It almost will always work on a steelie took me three years to got my first steelie of drift gear it took my father three years and it took all of his fishing buddies three years to get there first steelie drift fishing. So if your not willing to put in the time then you arent going to catch very many.
Spoons is my only method for when they close bait. Normal stell-lee spoons work very well. cast upriver and reel as little as posible to keep it in the strike zone. steelhead like it at the bottom of the river. The best part about fishing with spoons is that often the fish will hook itself. I usualy put a 2#-5# hook on the spoon and de barb it. Even if you are drifting bait the mortality rate is very low. If you know how to land a fish smart you can use as low as 10# mainline and 8# leader for spinning reels and 12# mailline and 10# leader for levle wind reels.
The best advice I can Give you is to be agressive thehardest part of steelheading is finding the fish. Dont spend all your time in the same few holes, and whatever everyone else is useing try and use something difrent. If everyone is drifting egg clusters in a crowded river use a spoon.
If you need a guide go to the quinalt tribe and ask them to guide you. That river has a larger rune of steelies and is well worth the drive and they will let you keep two steelie's They will help you learn how to drift from shore to. Not just from boat.
Good luck! Catch a trophy for me.

fishunt83 wrote:I fished the snoqualmie last sunday with no luck. I need to find more lures that will help me out. Does anybody have any suggestions. I have tried the Skykomish, Snohomish and the Snoqualmie so far this year...caught a few nice trout but my focus is steelhead!

Silver or bronz steely spoon will take steelhead it's the only artificial I will trust that if there is a steely in that certain hole that I do have a fair chance of hooking it

epidemic wrote:Do you guys know of anywhere else to fish on the Skykomish on the bank besides right off of Sultan? I just started fishing for Steelhead and have been down there twice. Want to try some other places as I havn't seen anyone land anything in Sultan near the boat launch.

i like to use pink, orange, and sometime black spoons....and black jigs