summer metalheads.

[bionic_one]

Float and Jig is easy. Just try to figure out the water depth, make it so your jig is ~6-12 inches from the bottom, and float it next to the bank and in slower moving areas. To me it seems most steelhead are looking for an easy place to swim and rest, instead of swimming right up the middle of the deepest channel like Chinook.

Edit: Also, for everyone, please don't release hatchery fish

[kzoo]

Jens-
That is fantastic the dedication/addiction is great I work in Redmond and am able to get up to the Sky by 6pm on most occassions. Last week went 4 times I am definately addicted I gues I have some work to do on my dedication if you are the standard setter. I however have only limited once so I gues my game needs more work than just dedication and addiction.

I love the Sky, you are lucky. Are you primarily a drift fisherman?

Jens- Up until last winter season all I have done is either drift or use spoons. I am trying to learn this float and jig deal and see a definite advantage to it in low and clear water especially around big boulders. I have yet to catch a fish this way though. Oh well guess Ill just keep casting and trying different things till I figure it out. Any tips are always welcome.

I was going to write the samething about drifting! I've never caught a steelhead drifting gear, I've tried at Reiter and I seem to lose a lot rigs. I eventually get fed up and use my float and jig. I thought the drift gear would be ideal in the deeper water.

Stand back! Gringo is on fire! PM him and ask him "WHAT IS YOUR SECRET!".

[jens]

I will add: BRAID. And use PowerPro. Braid floats and once you can get down getting your drift drag free, you will catch fish and more of them.

[chefjake99]

I will add: BRAID. And use PowerPro. Braid floats and once you can get down getting your drift drag free, you will catch fish and more of them.

OK so Im just gonna put down my set up and if anyone has any suggestions or ideas to it let me know.

I have braided line to a bobber stop then a bead then bobber then another bead then another bobber stop. Tied to a 1/2 oz in line sinker. I start with 7-8 ft. of 8Lb flourocarbon leader. I have 1/8th and 1/16th oz jigs. Typically I have started the day with lighter colors such as the pinks and peaches then to the orange and reds then to the purples and blacks. Thats basically it in a nutshell. I have also tried tipping the jig with a small piece of pro cured prawns. I appreciate everyones help I'm sure this is just a matter of practice, patience, and more casts.
Tight Lines gentleman.

[jens]

I will add: BRAID. And use PowerPro. Braid floats and once you can get down getting your drift drag free, you will catch fish and more of them.

OK so Im just gonna put down my set up and if anyone has any suggestions or ideas to it let me know.

I have braided line to a bobber stop then a bead then bobber then another bead then another bobber stop. Tied to a 1/2 oz in line sinker. I start with 7-8 ft. of 8Lb flourocarbon leader. I have 1/8th and 1/16th oz jigs. Typically I have started the day with lighter colors such as the pinks and peaches then to the orange and reds then to the purples and blacks. Thats basically it in a nutshell. I have also tried tipping the jig with a small piece of pro cured prawns. I appreciate everyones help I'm sure this is just a matter of practice, patience, and more casts.
Tight Lines gentleman.

1/2 inline sinker is too heavy IMO. I use 3/8oz inline as well as 3/8oz float. I will even go w/o any added weight and downsize to a 1/8 float. I have only fished that system once and from what I gather, the lighter the better. How long is your rod? Be careful with that Fluro, it nicks hella easy. I change it after every fish just to be safe. I am not much of a tipper of prawns, but the grocery store ones are just as good. I don't like how the prawn makes the jig drift. Once you see a fish hooked, copy what that guy/gal was using and run it in the same exact drift and try and match the depth. Where there is one, there is two or three or four.

[curado]

NO FLOUROCARBON

[bionic_one]

You don't need the bobber stop UNDER the bobber, just above it.

[jens]

NO FLOUROCARBON

Why? My group, we all use it.

[chefjake99]

I will add: BRAID. And use PowerPro. Braid floats and once you can get down getting your drift drag free, you will catch fish and more of them.

OK so Im just gonna put down my set up and if anyone has any suggestions or ideas to it let me know.

I have braided line to a bobber stop then a bead then bobber then another bead then another bobber stop. Tied to a 1/2 oz in line sinker. I start with 7-8 ft. of 8Lb flourocarbon leader. I have 1/8th and 1/16th oz jigs. Typically I have started the day with lighter colors such as the pinks and peaches then to the orange and reds then to the purples and blacks. Thats basically it in a nutshell. I have also tried tipping the jig with a small piece of pro cured prawns. I appreciate everyones help I'm sure this is just a matter of practice, patience, and more casts.
Tight Lines gentleman.

1/2 inline sinker is too heavy IMO. I use 3/8oz inline as well as 3/8oz float. I will even go w/o any added weight and downsize to a 1/8 float. I have only fished that system once and from what I gather, the lighter the better. How long is your rod? Be careful with that Fluro, it nicks hella easy. I change it after every fish just to be safe. I am not much of a tipper of prawns, but the grocery store ones are just as good. I don't like how the prawn makes the jig drift. Once you see a fish hooked, copy what that guy/gal was using and run it in the same exact drift and try and match the depth. Where there is one, there is two or three or four.

The rod is 9 1/2ft I would like to get another rod that I can designate one for drift and one for float. When the budget allows I will buy a longer one for float fishing. The prawns I am using are store bought then I cure them in kosher salt and sugar and then pro cure borax. I use them mainly when drift fishing and have done very well with them. I agree about using them though when floating that they make the jig drift strange. Thanks for the help guys. I will be up there tonight, thursday, friday and saturday night. I will continue my fishing focus on float fishing until I catch one and start to feel more confident in this method then I will start mixing it up depending on the water and conditions.
-Tight lines:rambo:

[curado]

i have never had good luck with flourocarbon. check out some of the stores around u that sell rods u can pick up cheap float rods like i did 20 bucks for a 75$ rod

[Gringo Pescador]

I will add: BRAID. And use PowerPro. Braid floats and once you can get down getting your drift drag free, you will catch fish and more of them.

OK, now I have a question - I have seen in other forums people ranting about braided line in the rivers, cutting other peoples line, etc. Then last winter I was up at reiter with some others from this site, one of em using braid, he came to me and said the guys on either side of him were not talking to him directly, but talking to each other about how only ###holes use braid.

I've heard it works better because it floats, but have hesitated, 1st because I am there to fish, not argue and fight and 2nd, because I am (now)doing ok without it.

What are you all's thoughts...

[bionic_one]

1. People complain about braid because they use mono that isn't as strong as the braid, so who wins in a snag? The braid.

2. People complain about braid because they use mono and figure that braid breaking off in the river is somehow more of a pollution problem than mono.

3. People complain about braid because it's the cool thing to do.

4. People complain about braid because they use mono, always used mono, and something (or old and now new with better materials) can't possibly be better than their mono!

5. People are dumb.


If someone is complaining about their line getting cut by braid, they need to learn how casting order in a river works. (refer to #5)

[curado]

braids great. but like said guys get reallly pissy if u use it.

[spokey9]

AMEN Bionic_one!!!!!!:cheers: I love my braid in certain applications an get tired of others complaining.

Chefjake99 try puttin a healthy dose of powered krill in with ur shrimp when they're curin up, i get a lot more takedowns fishin shrimp that's been krill'd up. Still strike out a ton but i can't blame the bait, thinkin the hooks might be past the experation date:-"

[curado]

try this put little bits of perrywinkles on to ur jigs. summer runs like them

[Gringo Pescador]

Regarding braid - Those are basically the answers I figured. But thanks for clarifying!

Also, for everyone, please don't release hatchery fish

Why not?:-k

[curado]

because you are suppose to keep all hachery caught fish

[richardvw]

i have never had good luck with flourocarbon. check out some of the stores around u that sell rods u can pick up cheap float rods like i did 20 bucks for a 75$ rod

I second the looking around for cheap float rods. I just got 10'6" float rod on sale for 40 dollars at wholesale sports.

[kzoo]

First, I like using mono it floats well enough and I don't like braid because of the non stretch factor, it could rip the hook out of fish, this is at least my experience bass fishing. If other people use braid around me, it doesn't bother me, everyone needs to be curtious and organized when taking their cast to prevent getting tangled.

Second I found using a bait caster you can really have more control when float n jig fishing,

Third when any type of fishing, you should feel comfortable with the rig. I've always fished with a 9.5' pole, I lost a couple of fish one time because of an extremely long distance hook set with slack. I decided to go buy a 10.5 ' the next time out and found the rig to be out of balance and extremely hard on the wrist, I returned the pole next day and kept with my 9.5 ft pole. Just paid more attention with the slack in future.

Well, that's my 2 cents for steel head fishing, I've only steelhead fish for a few years now, but I can see why it's addicting.

Not sure what's wrong using fluorocarbon, I've been using it since I started steelhead fishing, I would assume you want something transparent to the water and abrasive resistant.

[fishnislife]

This thread is on fire. Best thread so far this year. A lot of chit chat, but within the chat is some of the best information I have seen anywhere. Thanks guys for the quality info and positive feedback. I think anyone who reads through all this will no doubt feel they can go out and hammer some fish. All this talk has got me itching. Can't wait to get out there.





fishnislife