Columbia Steelhead day 1

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

Thanks! I've got to try that, sounds like a blast!

YAWN.... Dude if you have never been steelhead fishing, try to book a float trip up on the peninsula. I know anchor fishing is productive, but you will never do it again after a day floating the bogi, queets, ho, the duc, etc. Not trying to jack business from anyone, but you can't even compare the two styles of steely fishing.
MS

Thats your own personal  I also have fished every river I can think of and I still come back to the summer runs on the columbia, you cant consistently hook the numbers of fish you can on the C anywhere else.. the cowlitz, grand ronde etc are great and you certainly can have 15+ days, but its not the same, plus for me drifting/back trolling  is not as fun and relaxing as sitting on anchor, we dont lose gear, your not casting every  20 seconds and you can relax and FISH...... thats why I enjoy it so much.....

[MuleySniper]

Thanks! I've got to try that, sounds like a blast!

YAWN.... Dude if you have never been steelhead fishing, try to book a float trip up on the peninsula. I know anchor fishing is productive, but you will never do it again after a day floating the bogi, queets, ho, the duc, etc. Not trying to jack business from anyone, but you can't even compare the two styles of steely fishing.
MS

--I fish all the forks area rivers and Fish the Columbia more then most and I know guys that would take summer run fishing on the Columbia over any other fishery anyday of the week and visa versa. In the winter I fish with my forks guide buddys and in the summer they fish with me, They have as much fun fishing with me as I do with them! There both killer fisherys!

No doubt they are both killer fishery's. The Columbia is arguably a better summer run river, I wasn't trying to say it wasn't. My opinion was more on the style of fishing. All I'm saying is Id rather walk banks in Forks and maybe have a few hook-ups over sitting anchored boat to boat reeling in cookie cutters all day. Thats all!  Actually, any day on any river is better than being at work.
MS

[Antlershed]

the fishing is great right now and only 1500 fish a day are going over the dam

 Hey Hoyt, where do you think these fish are heading?

i would guess  amlot are heading to the snake system, along with the clearwater, although those fish come in more in august, along with every other trib above the dam, john day, klickitat, wind river, yakima, grande ronde, salmon river etc...... hence why the fishing is so good

Yep, most of the bigger fish generally come through later in the summer, but not all. Biggest I have seen is 24lbs in September. You can definitely tell when you catch one bound for the Snake versus a Cowlitz hatchery doink (where I fish).

I wouldn't discredit this fishery. You get to relax, BS, and hook close to 20 fish a day. It may not take much skill like drift fishing, but it is still fun. The main problem where I fish, is how popular the fishery has become. It means getting on the water at 3am to fish by 6.

[tmike]

In my opinion any steelhead on the end of my line is a good steelhead, no matter how it gets there. If I was bragging I would have told you about getting LongTat his first 4 steelhead using 3 different methods. If you know him that's no easy task  Sorry Dave. Another place I've never caught one but want to is on the Klick.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

the fishing is great right now and only 1500 fish a day are going over the dam

 Hey Hoyt, where do you think these fish are heading?

i would guess  amlot are heading to the snake system, along with the clearwater, although those fish come in more in august, along with every other trib above the dam, john day, klickitat, wind river, yakima, grande ronde, salmon river etc...... hence why the fishing is so good

Yep, most of the bigger fish generally come through later in the summer, but not all. Biggest I have seen is 24lbs in September. You can definitely tell when you catch one bound for the Snake versus a Cowlitz hatchery doink (where I fish).

I wouldn't discredit this fishery. You get to relax, BS, and hook close to 20 fish a day. It may not take much skill like drift fishing, but it is still fun. The main problem where I fish, is how popular the fishery has become. It means getting on the water at 3am to fish by 6.

My personal best is a 23lb from the kalama in september, the 7th be to exact, took a break from hunting mid day and whacked that monster....  the same thing goes with where I fish, I was on the water at 330 to get my spot to fish at 5 am.... it sucks but you cant argue with limits daily

[jackelope]

i'm gonna agree with muleysniper...i'm more in it for the experience than the number of fish(which could translate to...i don't catch *censored* ever...but i like the scenery  )...but with all the talk of crowding bank guys and arguments and stuff, i'm not into it.
it's definitely a great fishery, just not for me. most of the fun for me comes from navigating the whitewater in my drifter.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I am as well, the experience is awesome, I dont have issues with bank guys and the gorge on a sunny day is as goregeous as anywhere..... and then there is that hooking tons of fish thing, but thats overrated.... I also like a coastal stream  drifting as well, I love the washougal in the winter in a drift boat... I just really enjoy the relaxing fishing this offers you

[WDFW Hates ME!!!]

I fish summer steel to catch fish, it is to hot to worry about anything else. I do alot of plunking and we catch a ton of fish, i am doing it to fill the freezer with fish for the year. If i wanted to drift fish i could but i still don't catch as many fish doing that. Plus plunking is great for a 10 year old. he gets to play on the bank and then when a fish hits he gets to reel it in. 20 fish days are not uncommon.
I could pay someone 150 bucks to take me fishing but i can do some exploring and do it for free, try new things and find new spots. Summer runs on the big C are my favorite.

I have offered to take a few guys but no takers yet. Off to fish, talk to ya all later.

[tlbradford]

In my opinion any steelhead on the end of my line is a good steelhead, no matter how it gets there. If I was bragging I would have told you about getting LongTat his first 4 steelhead using 3 different methods. If you know him that's no easy task  Sorry Dave. Another place I've never caught one but want to is on the Klick.

Method 1 - Diving into the water with a knife between his teeth and stabbing it in the eyeball
Method 2 - Shooting it with a bow, cutting the gills out, and rubbing the blood on his cheeks like warpaint
Method 3 - Waiting quietly in the current, stunning a passerby with a karate blow to the back of the head, and submitting the fish with a variety of MMA moves.  

I will take any and all of the methods or rivers you guys have described.  

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I like the submitting the fish with a mma move

[tmike]

Were you with us when Dave did all 3 of those methods    I can't remember but my head sure hurt afterwards. Solitude or crowds they all have a place. I love a huge crowd on the river when I'm standing by myself hooking fish on another. Sometimes a good old meat run in is in order too.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

this fishery is the best of both, a meat run and a hell of a time

[LongTatLaw]

tlbradford....

you know...thats kinda a metphor for how I do things....but it really happened too

Ill agree, Tmike showed me how to catch fish any way there is! He could probably catch steelies with his bare hands!

I like the drift fishing (bottoms with sandies or eggs) but man does an aggressive fish that hits a plug fight like hell!  Seeing a fish that big go 5 feet outta the water a dozen times is tough to beat! I loved it and then went right back to bottom fishin'

I like being on a lonely river without a soul around!

Couple times Tmike and I went down the river it was rainy or maybe just luck but for hours it seemed like we were on our own private river that no one else knew about!

Thats the best to me!

That said...  someone take me big river fishin and change my mind!

[tlbradford]

I haven't done any of the offshore fishing that people talk about so much like bonefish, or tarpon or tuna, but for freshwater fishing I don't think summer steelheading can be beat.  As for my absolute favorite method for pure fun, it would be spot and stalk fishing for big fish in smaller waters.

[huntnphool]

Hey Hoyt, how about a in depth tutorial on how to fish this system, pics of rigs, lines, rods etc. It sounds like lots of guys would love to try it.