Winter Steel

[natetreat]

I just got back from the Oly Pen, and it was really fun. Got two out of the bogachiel, when the river was blown, only five of us were out there.

[scott080379]

I just got back from the Oly Pen, and it was really fun. Got two out of the bogachiel, when the river was blown, only five of us were out there.

The bogie is a great river to fish even when it is blown out. I wish I had the time and funds to fish more right now........pics Nate?

[natetreat]

I just got back from the Oly Pen, and it was really fun. Got two out of the bogachiel, when the river was blown, only five of us were out there.

The bogie is a great river to fish even when it is blown out. I wish I had the time and funds to fish more right now........pics Nate?

sorry for the picture quality, my pops was trying to work the camera, which was fancy and technical, and the fish started to freeze in the trunk of the car :bounce: one was a 17" jack and the other was a 27" hen, not big enough to weigh, but still fun to catch. Yea, when it was blown there was only on place to really fish up at the hatchery, most of the fish were in the hatchery creek, probably 400 to 500 fish, and a bobber and jig with a shrimp tail worked great. We fished the whole stretch when we first got there with not a bump, but these other guys were catching them like crazy from the handicap ramp. So we went up there after they left. Then on sunday, everybody shows up because the river starts to drop and I didn't like it so we tried to get to our other river but the road was closed. Bummer. People need to PICK UP THEIR TRASH! Sorry, it was a long drive for nothing, had to vent a little. Nothin to brag about fishwise, but winter steel is winter steel and the meat was bright red and chrome fish are always fun. Broke in my new loomis and curado!

[scott080379]

Yeah Don and I fished the ramp last year when it was pretty blown. I did hook inot one though pretty early that day down river though.

not a bad day though.......so what other river where you trying to get to and did you happen to stop by the sol at all?

[natetreat]

We were trying to get to Goodman creek. We stopped to check out the sol, but it was pretty high and I'm not familiar with it so we didn't fish it. We went to the salmon and the hoh for a bit, then ended up hooking a coupl firetrucks on the hump.

[jens]

Atta boy! Nic pics

[crankbait42]

Thanks Jens!

[bionic_one]

I'm really hoping to get out there soon and that this rain/snow doesn't blow things out for Monday.

[racfish]

Thats the beauty of Steelie fishing. I went out last weekend and fished the high murky waters of the Green. I did get about 5 Imagibites.I even set the hook twice on a branchthat hit my line. I didnt catch anything but I still had the best time just getting out there. It rained and rained . I perciveered and stuck with it. To me thats the love of fishing for metal.

[natetreat]

Thats the beauty of Steelie fishing. I went out last weekend and fished the high murky waters of the Green. I did get about 5 Imagibites.I even set the hook twice on a branchthat hit my line. I didnt catch anything but I still had the best time just getting out there. It rained and rained . I perciveered and stuck with it. To me thats the love of fishing for metal.

has the green been getting many fish? I love fishing that river, but haven't had the chance more than once to get out there. The snoq is the closest to me so I end up there in the freezing snow.

[bionic_one]

has the green been getting many fish? I love fishing that river, but haven't had the chance more than once to get out there. The snoq is the closest to me so I end up there in the freezing snow.

Sorry dude, no luck for you on the Green

Action: Close the Green River to fishing.

Species affected: All game fish.

Locations and effective dates:

from the 1st Ave. South Bridge in Seattle upstream to the South 277th Bridge in Auburn will be closed to all fishing on Jan. 16, 2011.
from the 277th Bridge in Auburn upstream to the Tacoma Headworks Dam will be closed to all fishing on Feb. 1, 2011.
Reasons for action: The 2010-2011 forecast of wild steelhead returning to the Green River is well below the spawning goal. This action will reduce the incidental hooking mortalities of wild steelhead. Puget Sound wild steelhead populations are listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act.

Other information: The river is scheduled to reopen to fishing on June 4, 2011. Regulations for the fishery will be listed in the 2011/2012 Sportfishing Rules Pamphlet.

Information Contact: Aaron Bosworth, District 12 fish biologist, (425) 775-1311]

[Steelheadman12]

Yesterday ended up 2 for 3. Jig and sandshrimp tails will do it everytime. The big one was 29inches long 15inches around. Little over 8lbs the other a smaller fish about 7. Nate. Man stick with the Snoq and if you are complaining about the snow you shouldn't be steelhead fishing. LOL

[mallard83]

Nothing

Some people just see it as snagging/flossing fish.

Or just feel that true steel headers should use spoons or float eggs and jigs.

Me don't care, I prefer to catch them on spoons but some waters just aren't ideal for spoon/spinners or floats, so I will drift all day.

getting personal are we?

Not getting personal, he's just telling the truth. I know that your avatar is probaly of a salmon but lets be consistant. That fish was obviously flossed in that color water.

No offense, or so, but learn how to drift and you would realize that most drift caught fish are not flossed. Other than in muddy/Puyallup water.

Drifting takes waaayyy more skill than watching a bobber go down. Feel rather than sight.

Both techniques take fish either way, so who cares.

[RiverChromeGS]

Some people just see it as snagging/flossing fish.

Or just feel that true steel headers should use spoons or float eggs and jigs.

Me don't care, I prefer to catch them on spoons but some waters just aren't ideal for spoon/spinners or floats, so I will drift all day.

getting personal are we?

Not getting personal, he's just telling the truth. I know that your avatar is probaly of a salmon but lets be consistant. That fish was obviously flossed in that color water.

No offense, or so, but learn how to drift and you would realize that most drift caught fish are not flossed. Other than in muddy/Puyallup water.

Drifting takes waaayyy more skill than watching a bobber go down. Feel rather than sight.

Both techniques take fish either way, so who cares.

I hate it when people say drift fishing is flossing. It can be, if your using a 10 foot leader and a tiny ass piece of yarn. Some people do it all the time. But i have been accused of snagging WHEN I WAS DRIFT FISHING EGGS??? Even when i was drift fishing the Vedder in canada, an ******* canadian came to me and said to get out of canada because i was snagging steelhead because i didnt have a bobber. I was drifting shrimp and eggs. Drift fishing is how the old timers use to fish, bobbers barely existed back in the days of the skagit. Bobber fishing is easy, anyone can just cast and let line out. Drift fishing if different, its for expert fishermen. True steelheaders are not those who use floats and jigs, those are the new steelheaders who see all the other noobs doing it. Dont ever accuse a drift fisherman of snagging unless you know for sure.

[NathanD]

[quote="mallard83 I know that your avatar is probaly of a salmon but lets be consistant. That fish was obviously flossed in that color water.

[/quote"]
That is an ignorant statement . just because your fishing skills are not expanded enough to know how to fish when the water is colored up don't try tell others how they caught fish, if you let them tell you, you may learn .I am not at all telling you to learn to floss. what I am saying is fish bite bait in brown water if you put it in front of them.Some of the most successful fisherman I have ever met prefer to fish in brown or colored up water and they let the fish come to them since they are not spooked.

[mallard83]

That is an ignorant statement . just because your fishing skills are not expanded enough to know how to fish when the water is colored up don't try tell others how they caught fish, if you let them tell you, you may learn .I am not at all telling you to learn to floss. what I am saying is fish bite bait in brown water if you put it in front of them.Some of the most successful fisherman I have ever met prefer to fish in brown or colored up water and they let the fish come to them since they are not spooked.

Actually that is an ignorant statement. There is colored water, and there is just plain blown. His avatar is blown and flossed, no doubt. Colored water, yes fish along the edges, blown, go home. Go to any river except flossfest Puyallup when it has zero vis and puking and count the fisherman. ZERO.

Just making a very successful point that drift fishing is not flossing for experienced river fishermen.

[natetreat]

I absolutely love fishing high water. Most of my fish this year came from high water. All but two came from drift fishing. Argue all you want about whether or not it's flossing, or if flossing is bad, but I don't care. Drifting a corky and yarn, or a corky and bait, or just bait is the same thing that float fishing is. It's an imitation of something that a fish would eat, or bite territorily, and they are meant to look the same. Drift fishing guarantees that your presentation will be in the strike zone no matter the depth of the water, your lure will follow the contours of the bottom and put your gear right in the fishes face. With a bobber and jig, your gear will remain at the same depth, even when the bottom drops off, or rises up. But you can fish slower runs un impeded by bottom snags, you can fish longer drifts and you can put more weight on when you need to be able to cast far distances with light tackle. But you can be screwed up by wind pulling your gear off the bottom, drag from the current can push your bait in front and up away from the fish, large amounts of line out mean that you can lose hook setting power and quickness and jigs are twice if not more expensive than drift bobbers or yarn.

I think that the argument is silly. Drift fishing does not equal flossing, but flossing usually is done by drift fishing. But you have to consciously decide that you're going to floss 'em, use longer leaders and sneaky presentations to get your line through the fishes mouth, which is counter intuitive to the way that drift fishing actually works, so drift fishing does NOT equal snagging or flossing. Sure, there are a lot of flossermen out there, but they aint breaking any laws as long as the don't retain foul hooked fish.

When I'm fishing I carry two rods, one for drift fishing faster pebbly bottoms, and a float rod for slower seams or fishing holes where everybody else is bobber fishing. But steelhead fishing is 90% fishing and 10 percent catching, and I enjoy the tactile stimulation of knowing exactly what cover, what pebbles, what sticks and slack current spots live under the murky depths that are under the water. Bobber fishing has a relaxed detachment to it, where I feel like I'm relying on that float to do the fishing for me. I get a sense of disconnect from the fishing and I find it hard to have confidence in my presentation if I don't know the water well. I am more than aware of how productive bobbers are, but to say that a "true steelheader" will use a bobber and jig is a fallacy. A true steelheader will fish what the fish are biting. A true steelheader will stand waist deep in sub zero water, defrosting icicles from his guides every three casts, wake up at 4 in the am to get to the spot that he knows will hold fish at the water level that the river is at and will make 200 casts in gorgeous scenery without hooking a single fish just for the one cast where he'll do everythign right and have the chance to battle with a wily wild powerful native fish, just to bring it to shore to snap a quick shot and release it to the murky depths to live on another day.

If you respect the fish, and you respect the sport and think rationally about it, it doesn't matter what method you use to catch them. You use what works and what is more fun and engaging to you. It's like saying the only way to get to Seattle is by taking the train. Simply not true.

[bionic_one]

Weird. I swear Buzz Ramsey talked about drift fishing and bobber fishing when I met him at steelhead U seminar. I guess he's not a pro anymore? Todd Girtz must not be a pro either, actually man, all those guys at the steelhead U seminar must have been wannabe hacks.

Well let me go cry myself to sleep since I fish with bobbers and I'm a noob.

[mallard79]

[/quote]
That is an ignorant statement . just because your fishing skills are not expanded enough to know how to fish when the water is colored up don't try tell others how they caught fish, if you let them tell you, you may learn .I am not at all telling you to learn to floss. what I am saying is fish bite bait in brown water if you put it in front of them.Some of the most successful fisherman I have ever met prefer to fish in brown or colored up water and they let the fish come to them since they are not spooked.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!

FUNNIEST STATEMENT EVER!!!

His fishing skill aren't expanded enough! ROFLMAO!

I would put mallard83's skills against yours anyday and under any water conditions. I have seen him pull fish out of conditions 99% of fishermen would never even consider fishing. He Limited his first day of steelhead fishing ever! No it wasn't drift fishing or flossing or bobber fishing, it was plunking in way less than perfect conditions! What is there to learn about flossing, pretty simple method of catching fish (notice I said catching not fishing). If you were to look into his vest or pack for a day of fishing you would see that he has just about every method of fishing and condition he could encounter covered. He and I learned from several well known local fishermen and have taught each other things we have learned along the way. We are both still learning and will always be learning. I have no problem with flossers.......they don't know any better and/or don't have the skillset needed to truly FISH. To each his own in my mind. However...I have NO use for SNAGGERS, and yes I do see a difference between snagging and flossing, but that is just me.
By the way... his last fish was caught in "colored" water.

[mallard83]

If you respect the fish, and you respect the sport and think rationally about it, it doesn't matter what method you use to catch them. You use what works and what is more fun and engaging to you. It's like saying the only way to get to Seattle is by taking the train. Simply not true.

Well said. I fish every method there is. I just personally don't agree with people that say drifting is flossing. Nothing personal. Just pure ignorance.