Drifting eggs for steelhead (and salmon) question

[johng]

Howdy all,

Well I continue my quest for my first adult sized steelhead... This is my second year chasing the silver ghost and am looking for tips/insight  from the group.

Basically I have found a nice piece of water and I know there are fish there.  Someone told me the way to catch them at this spot is to drift eggs through there.  So far I have just learned how to fish with a float and jig in rivers (and not very well since I have only landed one "jack").

My question is how to rig up for this?  I have bought a new drift rod and spinning reel but do I need to use the pencil lead weight attached to a snap swivel method on this necessarily?  I guess I am wondering can I effectively fish this water with just a leader tied to my mainline and a little bit of weight to get it out there?  My concern is if I do the pencil lead weight method I am going to be getting hung up on the bottom all the time...

Thoughts on this?  Does it really depend upon the water flow, structure, etc?  There sure is a lot to fishing in a river!!  I do have a good time out there generally and it is beautiful but I sure would like to catch some.

Thanks for any help you can provide.   

- John G.

[Tony 270]

A lot of what I've learned I've done so using Google and just doing a search. Can get good articles to pop up that way with illustrations to help out too.

[bowtech721]

do a little looking around on steelheaduniversity.com there is a ton of useful info on there.

[ML_Hunter]

Check out the link below.  I like the "Fishing with JD" sections for he shows a lot of good steelhead tips.
Baiting up with roe for steelhead
Good luck!!

[machine]

I hooked a couple by using a chunk of eggs on the hook without any weights.We could see the steelhead and would cast about 20 feet in front of them and could watch them take it.Not sure if this helps I'm just starting to learn myself.

[h2ofowlr]

Check water quality.  Clearer the water the lighter the line.  If I am side drifting I use about 36"-48" leader with a size 1 or 2 owner hook with egg loop.  Depending on water speed I run 2" of 3/16" lead, 1/4" or slinky weights work.  Place weight about swivel or top of swivel for drift down.
If I am running a bobber.  I do similar leader, tied to banana weight, which varies depending on water speed.  Then set my bobber stop according to depth.  Deeper water I will hook my hook on my reel or hook loop on rod and then run the bobber stop about 6" from the tip of my 9'6" rod.  It seems to work well.  If you don't have good bait try a jig with the tail end of a bubble gum pink work or a whole artificial pink worm.  They both work good.  Caught many steelhead using both.

[BigGoonTuna]

I hooked a couple by using a chunk of eggs on the hook without any weights.We could see the steelhead and would cast about 20 feet in front of them and could watch them take it.Not sure if this helps I'm just starting to learn myself.

that's "free drifting"(not to be confused with the side drifting or boondogging that some guys also call free drifting), just about the simplest form of drift fishing.  this method is very popular on the cowlitz for springers and fall coho.  the difference between doing it for salmon and fishing this way for steelhead is that you usually use a lot smaller bait for the steelies.  the salmon fishermen often use a golfball sized bait and 3/0 hook, and if necessary a split shot or two about 12" above the bait.  a long rod helps keep your line angle steep and therefore slows your presentation(the cowlitz locals use rods up to and over 13' at times).

the typical drift setup with pencil lead works better in faster water or with lighter baits(like a sand shrimp tail).  i've never been one to use long leaders, they just hang up more and are a lot harder to cast, and the fish don't really give a damn anyway.  most of the time mine are 12-24", tied to a snap swivel(no slider).

[Tony 270]

a long rod helps keep your line angle steep and therefore slows your presentation(the cowlitz locals use rods up to and over 13' at times).

Thats the truth. I have a 10'6" ML Lami for steelhead and that thing doesn't look like much compared to some of the 13'+ rods out there.

[tlbradford]

Take a photo of your run and we can give you exact answers on how we would fish it.  If you can drift eggs through the run, then you should be able to catch them on your jigs which you are comfortable with.  Summer steelhead are great because they will take all kinds of different things, but they will also ignore all kinds of lures or bait until you find the one that triggers a strike. 

Slower water take a look at the slinky's which you can add split shot to, faster water look at the tube and pencil weight.  You can even try plunking an egg sac in there, set your rod in a holder, and work on your tan.

[WSU]

There ain't much you can do with a drift setup that you can't do just as well with a bobber and jig.  Stick with the jigs, get that technique down, and then worry about changing it up.  You will do far better if you  master one technique before trying to learn others.

[cwuwildcat]

Sorry to sound like a noob on this question, but do these setups discussed apply to drift fishing from a river bank, from a boat, or both?  I'm thinking of getting into the steelhead/salmon game, and am trying to figure out where to start.  I live about 45 seconds from where the Puyallup and White rivers come together, and have thought about adding myself to the hordes that gather there.  Don't have a boat, so am looking into bank fishing techniques.

[WSU]

Both bobber and jig and drift fishing can be done from both a boat and the bank.

[BigGoonTuna]

on the puyallup you might want to hold off until late october when the river clears up, the crowds thin out drastically, and the big muckleshoot coho start showing up

[kbyers]

For the OP

Maybe it is just me, but I use pencile lead when I am drifting from a boat and slinkys when drifting from the bak.  If you have a problem hanging up on bottom with your drift set up you are using too much weight.  The nice thing about using pencile lead, one snip with some wire cutters and you instantly have less weight.

[Button Nubbs]

check out the forums at steelheader.net. lots of good fisherman and great info over there!