Winter Steel

[Gringo Pescador]

Last year, I didn't get any winters...
This year my catch rate (catch vs outing) is at 50% this season so far!:cheers:

[cudaman]

there was 3 of us we released a bunch could,ve kept 2 more but my buddies have been doing this since october so there freezers are full. they got me away from muskie fishing finally .Now i see why they tried to get me to hang up my glidebaits and get back to my roots .man salmon taste good

[kzoo]

Cudaman, I hear ya on river fishin. I bass fish quite a bit, but I'm fishing rivers more and more every year. Maybe it's the idea of keeping salmon/steelhead vs the catch and release for muskies and bass.

Awesome catch btw.

[crankbait42]

I hit the Bogachiel today and it was not as good as I thought but I was able to get my first winter steelhead of the year! even if it was the smallest steelhead I had ever seen! lol I let the little guy go.

[natetreat]

I've got a couple of those this week. It's BOBBER DOWN!!! oh, wait, huh. My first of the season was a baby like that.

[mallard83]

Got one like that on the Wallace last year. Gets the heart pumping for about half a second until you realize you can lift it out of the water by the line.

[natetreat]

The wallace seems to get a lot of Jacks and mini steel. I've never really caught that many jacks until I moved up here and the wallace is full of 'em. It's weird, I hope that means that the bigguns are coming next year.

[flinginpooh]

I thought if they was under 20" they are called rainbows regardless if its a sea run or not. Didnt know they called them jack steelhead.

[natetreat]

yea, they're rainbows, but they're obviously sea run. I don't know what to call 'em, they're just mini-trouts.

[cudaman]

I thought i was the only one who caught these smallish steelies i,ve caught 3 on the green this year beautiful little things i just wish they,d get bigger

[mallard83]

yea, they're rainbows, but they're obviously sea run. I don't know what to call 'em, they're just mini-trouts.

They're called failures of the state hatchery program.

The Rogue is the only river to get 1/2 pounders and they actually fight and are native.

[natetreat]

Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.

[bionic_one]

Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.

They can still be hatchery fish. The reason you see emergency regs sometimes say "must retain first 4 hatchery steelhead..." is because steelhead have a high tendency to not actually return to the hatchery and procreate wherever they want in the river system.

Anyone heard if the Wynoochee has fish yet?

[donman]

Crankbait, nice fish. Glad you came out of there with something. This weekend should be real good with the rain they've had, more fish should have pushed their way through.

[jens]

Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.

They can still be hatchery fish. The reason you see emergency regs sometimes say "must retain first 4 hatchery steelhead..." is because steelhead have a high tendency to not actually return to the hatchery and procreate wherever they want in the river system.

Anyone heard if the Wynoochee has fish yet?

Talked to some peeps, just a tad bit early. January is when they fish it hard.

[natetreat]

I was at the Snoq today for the first time, and watched as guys pulled fish out from under me all day. I guess when you know the river and where they are and what they want you're more likely to get fish. I wouldn't say it was red hot, but the fish were there.

[mallard83]

The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.

[scott080379]

The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.

right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ;)

[mallard83]

The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.

right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ]

Just trying to make a point.:thumright More power to ya, and have fun with the crowds.=d> Just sayin.

[scott080379]

The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.

right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ]

Just trying to make a point.:thumright More power to ya, and have fun with the crowds.=d> Just sayin.

never had any crowds right below the big eddy.....out on the big rock. at most one or two other fishing that spot.