winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Forum rules
Forum Post Guidelines: This Forum is rated “Family Friendly”. Civil discussions are encouraged and welcomed. Name calling, negative, harassing, or threatening comments will be removed and may result in suspension or IP Ban without notice. Please refer to the Terms of Service and Forum Guidelines post for more information. Thank you
Forum Post Guidelines: This Forum is rated “Family Friendly”. Civil discussions are encouraged and welcomed. Name calling, negative, harassing, or threatening comments will be removed and may result in suspension or IP Ban without notice. Please refer to the Terms of Service and Forum Guidelines post for more information. Thank you
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
scent only unless you have the jigs with the mini ruber bands on them
If it looks fishy, Then fish it, If it dont look fishy, fish it anyways. <')}}}}><
Team Fish Whore
Twisted Steel Guide Service
EGG GURU
Team Fish Whore
Twisted Steel Guide Service
EGG GURU
- jens
- Commodore
- Posts: 1257
- Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 11:55 am
- Location: In the woods away from the pollution
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I ran into Ray of Rays Bait Company yesterday at Wholesale Sports and he mentioned doing the rubberband thing to secure your bait. He said his son makes jigs with the rubberband already on them. Ray is top notch- very nice guy.curado wrote:scent only unless you have the jigs with the mini ruber bands on them
"One more......."
- kickerfish
- Petty Officer
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2007 4:53 pm
- Location: Yelm
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
OK folks, I get to leave the desert for some much needed R&R soon. Here is the situation: I will be home for the first two weeks of January and would like to get an opportunity for a steelhead. Where is the best place to go during those two weeks? I am in Thurston county and not looking to travel too far since I will be only fishing when my boys are at school. Family time is far more inportant since I haven't seen them in 7 months.
- bionic_one
- Captain
- Posts: 622
- Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:52 am
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Contact:
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Try the Bogachielkickerfish wrote:OK folks, I get to leave the desert for some much needed R&R soon. Here is the situation: I will be home for the first two weeks of January and would like to get an opportunity for a steelhead. Where is the best place to go during those two weeks? I am in Thurston county and not looking to travel too far since I will be only fishing when my boys are at school. Family time is far more inportant since I haven't seen them in 7 months.
Try your jigs without scent/bait first.
Lee
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Since you're trying not to travel far I'd say Blue Creek, Cowlitz, or maybe the Snoqualmie.kickerfish wrote:OK folks, I get to leave the desert for some much needed R&R soon. Here is the situation: I will be home for the first two weeks of January and would like to get an opportunity for a steelhead. Where is the best place to go during those two weeks? I am in Thurston county and not looking to travel too far since I will be only fishing when my boys are at school. Family time is far more inportant since I haven't seen them in 7 months.
- racfish
- Rear Admiral Two Stars
- Posts: 4701
- Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2007 4:11 pm
- Location: Seward Park area
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I use the floats and jigs but I must be doing something wrong. I havent had hits or even any takedowns. When I drift I usually feel the bottom and set on takedowns or when you think youre eggs are being mouthed. With jigs how do I account for the depth. Do I need to lose a few jigs to find the bottom? I guess the depth is the tough part for me to tell. Is it like drifting where I need to be dragging? I havent seen alot of Chromers comming out the Snoqualmie.Been some darker ones. Maybe late summer run fish. Id plunk the lower rivers in this low clear water.
Last edited by Anonymous on Fri Dec 11, 2009 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
When youre up to your rear end in alligators,its hard to remember that the initial plan was to drain the swamp.
- Snowbird2008
- Petty Officer
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Fri Dec 11, 2009 11:29 pm
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I found this one hanging around fall cityracfish wrote: I havent seen alot of Chromers comming out the Snoqualmie.Been some darker ones. Maybe late summer run fish.
- Attachments
-
- Sno._steelhead_1_11-30-2009.jpg (96.31 KiB) Viewed 2534 times
- code3daddy
- Petty Officer
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:33 pm
- Location: King County
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I'm going out to the Bogachiel this next weekend. Is there anywhere specific to go, special equiptment to use, or techniques to try. Im fairly new to stealheading and so Im kinda wingin it. I've read alot about floating jigs and using bait, but was curious to see if there are some other newbie techniques that have proven useful. Things to keep in mind?
- noclothes1
- Lieutenant
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Tue May 01, 2007 1:10 pm
- Location: Bellingham
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
"It's the failure that keeps me coming back"
- code3daddy
- Petty Officer
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:33 pm
- Location: King County
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Noclothes - that was very helpful. Thanks.
I also wanted to ask about hear. I have a strong 7'7" pole that I have been using all season. How important is it to go out and buy a stealhead 9 footer? I notice that Snowbird uses a longer pole, but can I get buy without it?
I also wanted to ask about hear. I have a strong 7'7" pole that I have been using all season. How important is it to go out and buy a stealhead 9 footer? I notice that Snowbird uses a longer pole, but can I get buy without it?
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
you don't need a long rod to catch steelhead. the long rod is only beneficial for distance and depending on the action and strength, can be beneficial in bringing in the fish faster so you don't fight it too long and exhaust it if you decide on releasing it.
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
It also makes line mending easier while drifting. If it were possible, I would try to get in the neighborhood of 8'-6"...just my opinion. Ugly Stik makes a good salmon / steely rod for around 65 bucks...but to answer your question, yes, you can get by with your 7'6".
Last edited by Anonymous on Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Mike Carey
- Owner/Editor
- Posts: 7689
- Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 10:56 am
- Location: Redmond, WA
- Contact:
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
You can, but there are definate advantages to a longer rod. Depends also on how you plan to fish. For example, if you're going to use a float, the longer the rod the better. I use 10 ft (at least until I broke the tip, now it's 9'6", LOL). Reason is this allows you to keep your line off of the water as the float drifts, allowing the bait to drift in a natural way with the current. A 7'7" rod would have a hard time doing that. About the only method that size rod would be effective at would be casting spoons and spinners, IMHO.code3daddy wrote:Noclothes - that was very helpful. Thanks.
I also wanted to ask about hear. I have a strong 7'7" pole that I have been using all season. How important is it to go out and buy a stealhead 9 footer? I notice that Snowbird uses a longer pole, but can I get buy without it?
Starter steelhead rods can run in the $40-50 range.
- Bodofish
- Vice Admiral Three Stars
- Posts: 5401
- Joined: Sun Apr 29, 2007 12:59 pm
- Location: Woodinville
- Contact:
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
It's not a 10 footer but I've fixed up a number of people up with these Eagle Claws. I keep a couple on the boat for spares as it seems someone is always breaking a rod. Hard to beat the price and they're quite nice. Spin or casting.
Flatlander Lures Eagle Claw Spinner
Flatlander Lures Eagle Claw Spinner
Build a man a fire and he's warm for the night. Light a man on fire and he's warm the rest of his life!
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I just got back from there today, dad and I lost 2 fish each. I was pisssssssed after losing that second fish, had to let out an expletive. Also remember to just try drift fishing if the other techniques don't work for you. At the rearing ponds just walk down the path until you reach the area that has really low water. Fish just above that area, it has a bunch of boulders that fish will hide behind. Also if you go down around that bend there's the mouth of the Calawah and fish hold well in that area as well. Hopefully the river isn't blown when you get there because it seems like it's going to be raining alot. Also there's the back road at the rearing ponds parking lot that leads to an area that's good for the Calawah to fish but you have to hike back in there too.code3daddy wrote:I'm going out to the Bogachiel this next weekend. Is there anywhere specific to go, special equiptment to use, or techniques to try. Im fairly new to stealheading and so Im kinda wingin it. I've read alot about floating jigs and using bait, but was curious to see if there are some other newbie techniques that have proven useful. Things to keep in mind?
- code3daddy
- Petty Officer
- Posts: 72
- Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 10:33 pm
- Location: King County
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Jbball50: Thanks. Thats helpful. So I have a pair of hip waiters, but my brother doesn't. Sounds like there will be plenty of shore access. Am I right?
So far, my shopping list consists of vibrantly colored jigs, some prawns lightly cooked, maybe some roe...anything else? I was going to use 15# braided line with 8# or 10# leaders. Will this be sufficient?
So far, my shopping list consists of vibrantly colored jigs, some prawns lightly cooked, maybe some roe...anything else? I was going to use 15# braided line with 8# or 10# leaders. Will this be sufficient?
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Yes there's alot of shore access, there's also a spot off 101 to the tall timbers area on the Bogey but I've never fished there. Sounds like you have enough bait to throw at them. I was using 12# on my line and I was just tying my jigs on directly onto the line. My dad used 8#. So your line should work, not exactly sure if you want to go lighter on the main line, Might try bringing another reel with lighter line just in case. I know another guy that was fishing by us said he was using 6# test for his leader so it should be fine.
- flinginpooh
- Captain
- Posts: 819
- Joined: Tue Sep 29, 2009 9:00 pm
- Location: bonney lake
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
Nice I just won a loomis G2 9 ft spinning rod for 74.00 off of ebay. Merry Christmas to me. I have to give my dad back his Fenwick soon so Ill need another strong casting rod. I got my eye on a lamiglas rouge river 8'6" will be my next rod then I should be done for a lil while. I cant wait to toss a jig and float on that. I know it wont bring me a bite but Im hoping I can feel them better then with my current spin rod that is not a good one. Its treated me decent but its not a good one. Oh and I was checking out some other sites and there saying the snoqualmie is producing right now. I seen some decent pics of some nice fish. Tight lines.
Last edited by Anonymous on Wed Dec 16, 2009 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
More fish please!
- bionic_one
- Captain
- Posts: 622
- Joined: Wed Jul 15, 2009 8:52 am
- Location: Tacoma, WA
- Contact:
RE:winter steelhead season starts the 1st
I would recommend a heavier braid. 30 or even 40#, otherwise when you mend your line it has a tendency to get all knotted up - then again, might not be as much of a problem with a 7ft pole.
Lee