Author Topic: Columbia steelhead 101 (Read 5365 times)

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **on:** July 15, 2009, 12:27:37 PM »

OK guys here is the skinny on the fish in the big river, dont take this as the only way to do things but it has always worked well for me to the tune ofover 200 steelhead a summer..... The steelhead in the columbia typically run in 10-20 ft of water, personally I look for 10-15.. thats my favorite zone, anywhere you find this depth you can find steelhead. However in some parts of the river there may be many paths thats are of that depth, thus spreading out the numbers of fish. I try to locate areas that have these depths close to shore. Steelhead are a bank hugging fish by nature and when you can isolate travel lanes in a huge body of water.... the fishing can be good!! River mouths are great areas in the big river, the mouth of the cowlitz and lewis are the two best IMO.. I tend to fish the gorge below the dam, it has everything I look for, and it is also where I grew up bank fishing for summer steelhead. if your a bank guy, below bonny and around cathlamet are the best areas to hook into good numbers of steelies from shore.

The gear- from the boat or the bank my gear does not really change.... I like a rod at least 8.5.... I use 9ft lami classic glass rods from both boat and shore, they have a great action, and a good back bone. I like the longer rods in the boat so I can spread out the lines just that much more, running 6 rods in heavy current can get tricky. from the boat I use 30lb power pro main with 15lb maxima leader, I use Okuma reels but any salmon/steelhead baitcaster will be just fine. From shore I use 20lb main and 15 lb leader.. both mono.

Set up- I use small swivles for the dropper and main line, I use 2-3 large beads to seperate the 2. The dropper is from 1.5-3 ft depending on the depth and current

from that I use a 4-6 ft leader with either a small spin/glo or small orange spinner, I use a double 2/0 owner hook set up with about 1 in between the hooks.

The key to this fishery is sizing down the baits and more importantly the bait/scent itself..... bait is the key IMO... 2 years ago on the bank myself and 3 buddies landed 26 steelhead.... 3 of us were using bait, one was not, we all fished the exact same part of the water and the 3 of us that had bait landed 23 of those fish..... thats about as much proof as I need. The bait I use is a red/pink coon prawn.... I cure my own but the store bought works just as well... I also use a variety of scents, I rarely ever put one in the water without scent on it, but they do work without it as well. I start by taking the back hook through the top of the back

Then I begin to wrap the bait and lay the front hook facing up o the head of the prawn, I then wrap back to the tail and make sure the bait is laying flat on the hooks..

then toss it out and wait until the rod goes down!! Here are a few of my fav scents I like to use and a pic of my sled..... hope this helps and hopefully I can get some of you guys out for this great fishery!!

tlbradford · « **Reply #1 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:33:16 PM »

Great write up. Thanks for sharing your tactics. I hope it helps out some members on here to land some steelies.

huntnphool · « **Reply #2 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:43:12 PM »

Outstanding write-up and detailed picks Paul

Good luck guys, make sure you take cameras with you and let us know how you do with this info.

tlbradford · « **Reply #3 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:48:33 PM »

Have you ever tried a three way swivel at the first point and then come off with a dropper, a bait hook, and a plug as the upper bait. I have used that set-up when plunking or using a planar on the Cowlitz. That was always a winter run set-up though. If the current is too strong you need a huge weight to keep it in place. That is the downside.

jackelope · « **Reply #4 on:** July 15, 2009, 02:52:50 PM »

are they anchored on the bottom? so you just cast and let it sit?

good stuff.

buckhorn2 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 15, 2009, 03:11:18 PM »

Thanks for explaining and showing the set up it was nice you had time to do it. I have to go to rasbos barbeque and then out tuna fishing but if I have time I would like to make a trip with you. Hope they keep coming all summer for you.

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 15, 2009, 03:44:03 PM »

Quote from: jackelope on July 15, 2009, 02:52:50 PM

are they anchored on the bottom? so you just cast and let it sit?

good stuff.

yes the weight needs to be sitting on the bottom, otherwise your not fishing effectively.

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 15, 2009, 03:45:14 PM »

Quote from: tlbradford on July 15, 2009, 02:48:33 PM

Have you ever tried a three way swivel at the first point and then come off with a dropper, a bait hook, and a plug as the upper bait. I have used that set-up when plunking or using a planar on the Cowlitz. That was always a winter run set-up though. If the current is too strong you need a huge weight to keep it in place. That is the downside.

I have not tried that, the current is always very fast, its almost to fast to even get a K8 to fish right.

fishcrazy · « **Reply #8 on:** July 15, 2009, 06:14:35 PM »

Good write up. That should be all a guy needs to get started. That same set up can be used to troll or back troll. I have seen several ways of putting the hooks in them and getting different rolls.They have their places. Those shrimp have really turned the fishing world upside down the last few years. I love how a guy can cure them up and soak them in yer fav stuff and they soak it up so well.

Kris

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2009, 08:34:33 PM »

You are right the set up for trolling spinners is the same, thats great in the mouth of the cowlitz

WDFW Hates ME!!! · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2009, 09:48:03 PM »

Nice write up paul... I like to use just the tail and i run just a single hook. I use the 80-100 count shrimp or the rays, in pink. I like to use the smaller baits, i take my egg loop and wrap it under the prawn tail to hold it to the hook, i used to use elastic thread but it is now a waste. Just use the egg loop.

At the dam i run bright S-N-G's in green or orange Mylar wings.
Down river i run blue with mylar but this year Orange tiger with Black wings has been my go to. I have taken home a fish every trip this year.

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:03:38 PM »

I love the tiger with black wings, or the black/white clown, Its all about the bait IMO.... if thats good I dont think it matter what color you have..... just my

h2ofowlr · « **Reply #12 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:33:37 PM »

Good write up. I use a very close set up to what you showed. It works good. I think I had 1/0 hooks the last set up. Fishing the Lewis or Cowlitz I down sized the hooks to a #1 or 2.

mossback91 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 15, 2009, 10:42:52 PM »

are you sure that really works hoyt?

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 16, 2009, 09:28:18 AM »

ya I think so

cohoho · « **Reply #15 on:** July 16, 2009, 10:27:00 AM »

Good write and pics, makes it a bit easier for folks like me that have never fished for Steel heads... One day I'll have to give it try after I master the Sturgeon of course....

WDFW Hates ME!!! · « **Reply #16 on:** July 16, 2009, 10:50:05 AM »

Coho i will be fishing next weekend from the bank if you would like to go...

cohoho · « **Reply #17 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:42:21 AM »

Love to but looks like we are scheduled to head to Lake chelan for that weekend, friends have a house and they invited us out for boating and jet skiing. Me - I'd rather go fishing and exploring, but heck some wet RR might be just the ticket. The following weekend, hey what you doing?

fishunt247 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 17, 2009, 12:50:25 PM »

Hoyt--
I'm running a single hook- 1/0 Gamakatsu- running the hook through the meat and out the front of the head without a SpinGlo or spinner. I've experimented with the double hook set up similar to how you showed and ended up just hooking them with the upper hook anyway. I don't miss many bites, but how often do you hook a fish on just the back hook alone? With the single hook, the shrimp stay curled, spinning and waving from side to side. Do yours have action when they are straight as well? Also, sometimes I have an issue with the hoods on the shrimp popping out. Would a few wraps of thread keep that from happening? Thanks.

fishcrazy · « **Reply #19 on:** July 17, 2009, 08:07:54 PM »

Sometimes they don't like it spinning and twirling around.

A4effort · « **Reply #20 on:** July 20, 2009, 08:17:36 AM »

Great write, thanks for sharing with the pics, for some of us vitual learners!

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #21 on:** July 21, 2009, 02:35:34 PM »

Quote from: fishunt247 on July 17, 2009, 12:50:25 PM

Hoyt--
I'm running a single hook- 1/0 Gamakatsu- running the hook through the meat and out the front of the head without a SpinGlo or spinner. I've experimented with the double hook set up similar to how you showed and ended up just hooking them with the upper hook anyway. I don't miss many bites, but how often do you hook a fish on just the back hook alone? With the single hook, the shrimp stay curled, spinning and waving from side to side. Do yours have action when they are straight as well? Also, sometimes I have an issue with the hoods on the shrimp popping out. Would a few wraps of thread keep that from happening? Thanks.

I use 2 hooks due to losing quite a few fish on a single...... today we landed 6 in about 2 hours..... 4 of the 6 were on the back hook only..... thats enough for me!

fishunt247 · « **Reply #22 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:47:40 PM »

Alright, thanks

fishcrazy · « **Reply #23 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:52:26 PM »

I allways try and run 2 hooks when running bait. Especially eggs. Gotta love a ball of eggs with the stinger hanging out. Why not double yer odds if you can.

Kris

Hoytstaffshooter83 · « **Reply #24 on:** July 21, 2009, 03:57:45 PM »

Thats my thought on it, why not increase your chances?

fishunt247 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 23, 2009, 09:11:40 PM »

It's just that I don't fish my shrimp straight like you, but curled like they come. So if I ran two hooks, keeping them like that, I guess I could just leave the trailer hook to dangle. A 1/0 hook covers nearly a whole shrimp, but maybe I'll experiment with the two hook system.

fishcrazy · « **Reply #26 on:** July 23, 2009, 09:30:17 PM »

fishhunt,

Are you running them curled for steelhead on anchor? Or are you running them while trolling for salmon? I would tend to run them with a curl for trolling for Salmon and uncurled and not spinning when Back trolling or on anchor.

Kris

fishunt247 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 23, 2009, 11:36:00 PM »

Curled while anchored for steelhead. Landed 9 in an hour and half Wednesday evening. Hooked 14 this morning, landed ten of those. Three came off before my dad realized he must have bent his hook oddly earlier in morning and fish kept coming off, until he changed leaders. I've fished them curled like that for steelhead since I was 9, back in 1997, and can't argue with it's success. Seems to me that it is quicker to rebait this way as well, instead of two hooks and wrapping it. But hell, maybe that way hooks more fish, I don't know.

fishcrazy · « **Reply #28 on:** July 24, 2009, 08:08:23 PM »

Fishhunt,

I always like to see other things and ways of doing things. One more thing to try for me when I get my boat going. Their is never a wrong way of doing things. LOL Just different ways. I was taught to run them straight when on anchor but now I will have something els to experiment with.

I am always trying new ways of doing things.

Kris

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Author Topic: Columbia steelhead 101 (Read 5365 times)

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