Steelhead Reports and Pics 2012-2013

[natetreat]

At least go 10 lb flouro then. Noooo way a steel could EVER be lineshy of 10 lb seaguar. Ever

I don't know about that Danny, I've fished some pretty darn line shy fish, especially on the Sky this summer. While it is true that steelhead are a lot less likely to be line shy then our Coho, when I dropped down to 8 and 6 pound fluoro we were hooking 10 a day when everyone else on the river was getting skunked. I wouldn't use six at the cascade in these flows though, no way that's enough drag to stop them when they want to hit that current, especially right there at the hatchery. IN the winter, I'm with you, I'm running 15/12 and for excessive flows I'm running 20/15. I hate losing big fish.

[Brat Bonker]

I have yet to lose a fish because of my line normally just how I play fish but I started babying more of my this year and using lighter everything but that is just on a few rivers not all. The cascade fish that I catch do not fight worth crap.

[Gringo Pescador]

I use either Seaguar or Pline floro. Under normal circumstances either 10 or 12#. I buy the big spools then have a couple of the small spools I tranfer to to take with me on the river. The ONLY time I would drop to smaller would be extremely low, gin clear water.
Also check your leader before the 1st cast and after every fish.

[Brat Bonker]

I use 15lb test p line for skok kings with my eggs but I just prefer to use lighter line, more fun of a fight too and I can still turn fish with my 6lb if you fight them right.
i do agree with changinging leaders after a fish, I have paid my dues for that a couple times.

[racfish]

BB I am with you on the changing of leaders and have had that sound of kerplink a few times. That is by far the worse feeling. Getting a fish tired out bringing it to shore and kerplink. The leader breaks . On bigger rivers I use 15 lb for main line and 12 lb leader. The Skookumchuck and smaller streams I use 12 main and 10lb leader. I tie all my own leaders. Both steelhead and salmon.

[Steelheadin360]

20# Green Tuf line Braid and 10 pound P=line CXX leaders, dropping to 6 punds if the water is clear. i like the braid because it floats and makes it super easy to mend your line when you are float fishing.

On another note, stilly is almost back into shape, probably gonna hit this afternoon!! Dad caught one this morning plunking right by Trafton at the river access, 12# winter hatchery. Does anyone else have that dad that always catches fish? drives me nuts sometimes....

[RiverChromeGS]

At least go 10 lb flouro then. Noooo way a steel could EVER be lineshy of 10 lb seaguar. Ever

I don't know about that Danny, I've fished some pretty darn line shy fish, especially on the Sky this summer. While it is true that steelhead are a lot less likely to be line shy then our Coho, when I dropped down to 8 and 6 pound fluoro we were hooking 10 a day when everyone else on the river was getting skunked. I wouldn't use six at the cascade in these flows though, no way that's enough drag to stop them when they want to hit that current, especially right there at the hatchery. IN the winter, I'm with you, I'm running 15/12 and for excessive flows I'm running 20/15. I hate losing big fish.

I was just about to mention the summer steelhead nate. Thats different. Water flows and color is the summer, and the fact that summers are usually a Lot more spooky make them lineshy. But, when i said thet aint lineshy i meant winter steelhead, 10 lb flouro is invisible and the chances of a winter steelhead passing up 10 flouro is next to nothing. But those summers can for sure be spooky. And as you saw from goodtimefishin hookin that monster just goes to show you that even in a hatch brat river you can still hook a monster, and i would feel really unsafe with 6 or 8 on a fish like that

[natetreat]

At least go 10 lb flouro then. Noooo way a steel could EVER be lineshy of 10 lb seaguar. Ever

I don't know about that Danny, I've fished some pretty darn line shy fish, especially on the Sky this summer. While it is true that steelhead are a lot less likely to be line shy then our Coho, when I dropped down to 8 and 6 pound fluoro we were hooking 10 a day when everyone else on the river was getting skunked. I wouldn't use six at the cascade in these flows though, no way that's enough drag to stop them when they want to hit that current, especially right there at the hatchery. IN the winter, I'm with you, I'm running 15/12 and for excessive flows I'm running 20/15. I hate losing big fish.

I was just about to mention the summer steelhead nate. Thats different. Water flows and color is the summer, and the fact that summers are usually a Lot more spooky make them lineshy. But, when i said thet aint lineshy i meant winter steelhead, 10 lb flouro is invisible and the chances of a winter steelhead passing up 10 flouro is next to nothing. But those summers can for sure be spooky. And as you saw from goodtimefishin hookin that monster just goes to show you that even in a hatch brat river you can still hook a monster, and i would feel really unsafe with 6 or 8 on a fish like that

Absolutely. I don't usually see the need to use anything less than 12 for leader in the winter. If you want to make the fight tougher, just don't put drag on the fish! But if you need to put the brakes on a big fish, 8 just isn't going to cut it. When I was using the light stuff, I knew that we weren't going to be fishing current and that we had plenty of room to play the fish. Using light tackle isn't about making it harder to get the fish in, it's only necessary when the conditions are right i.e. bright sun, vodka water.

[bigskyx]

I've been using 8# ultragreen for more than 20 yrs. I mostly jig/float fish and have landed hundreds of fish in the teens, one 20, never had an issue. I like the way the lighter line handles.

[rcthepirate]

I've been using 8# ultragreen for more than 20 yrs. I mostly jig/float fish and have landed hundreds of fish in the teens, one 20, never had an issue. I like the way the lighter line handles.

8 lb. ultragreen is pretty much my goto as well, but only because I prefer to use 10 lb. mainline. Seems to jive better with my setups than 12 or 15. Haven't really had any trouble landing fish on 8, and I've even horsed in (delicately) fish up to 15 lbs. on 6 in the summertime. But when all is said and done, I don't think I'd be hooking fewer fish (in the winter) if I was using 10, 12, or even 15 lb. leaders.

[spoonman]

I run 12# izor mainline and 10# izor leader but recently bought a spool of 10# seagar for when the water gets skinny. I have the utmost confidence in this setup for any thing from brat steelhead to chinooks, mostly because my rods are pretty light action wich allows for some shock absorbtion and I don't put the bolts to a fish after the hookset, it seems like if you don't tug em so hard at first then you can slowly wear them down of course it dosent always work that way.... I do run 20# on my rods I use for plugging since those fish usually blow up a plug so hard

[Brat Bonker]

I buy cheap line guys and yet to have a problem other than I might be spooling up too many times. I mainly use 12lb clear stren mono for main and either 6 or 8lb berkely vanish leaders. I might also use some Izor or Ande for my main but since I use my drift rod to both drift fish and cast spoons and spinners I like to have clear line. I like finesse fishing a little more effective and more fun, and again I would rather hook 10 5-6lb brats then 1 15lb pig because the odds are already lower to get one.
Bogy, skagit, cow- I use 12-15lb main and 10lb leaders
cascade, dungy- 10-12lb main with 6-8ln leaders
nooch, satsop-12lb main with 8-10lb leaders
skookumchuck- I don't matter the fish will bite braid to the hook as long as it has some stink on it.

[RiverChromeGS]

I buy cheap line guys and yet to have a problem other than I might be spooling up too many times. I mainly use 12lb clear stren mono for main and either 6 or 8lb berkely vanish leaders. I might also use some Izor or Ande for my main but since I use my drift rod to both drift fish and cast spoons and spinners I like to have clear line. I like finesse fishing a little more effective and more fun, and again I would rather hook 10 5-6lb brats then 1 15lb pig because the odds are already lower to get one.
Bogy, skagit, cow- I use 12-15lb main and 10lb leaders
cascade, dungy- 10-12lb main with 6-8ln leaders
nooch, satsop-12lb main with 8-10lb leaders
skookumchuck- I don't matter the fish will bite braid to the hook as long as it has some stink on it.

Well for those of us who are tired of hundreds of mini steelie brats and fish the spring for monster nates, we go heavier and more reliable brands. Yea i could use 2 lb test and land a 5 lb hatch fish, but you hook into a 20 lb nate on the vedder or at forks, you better have maxima and u better have 10lb or bigger. Those fish are unmatched by anything else

[Brat Bonker]

when I am fishing for nates it is a completely different story, I do not use anything less than 12lb test, I am just talking about hatcheries fish during prime to low condition.
I also do not fish for nates that much because i do not like harrassing fish I will not keep, I was shocked when there was over 60 native steelhead killed on the bogy last year, just stupid. If I do fish for nates I use barbless hooks, rubber nets and everything . I am not saying anyone on here keeps native steelhead but IMO it is stupid that someone would unless it was bleeding really badly that is why you can keep 1 a year.

[RiverChromeGS]

Oh yee then cheap crap is fine

[RiverChromeGS]

lil bit of steel for the books today, number 40 for the winter, my goal of 200 lookin pretty reachable!

[Brat Bonker]

Oh yee then cheap crap is fine

haha it aint crap if it works haha, only 1 line we have had a problem with and it was iron silk. I like my stren, I use it for main line and leaders for salmon.

[RiverChromeGS]

Oh yee then cheap crap is fine

haha it aint crap if it works haha, only 1 line we have had a problem with and it was iron silk. I like my stren, I use it for main line and leaders for salmon.

Not true, haha for example any old crappy car can get ya to work and back just fine, until the day it breaks down on the morning of an important meeting

[natetreat]

lil bit of steel for the books today, number 40 for the winter, my goal of 200 lookin pretty reachable!

HAhaha! I forgot I was supposed to start keeping track. 200 will be easy, you need to aim higher. Go for 300. Because you know we're going have those 20 fish days coming up.

[Brat Bonker]

I thought we were talking about fishing line not beater cars. I have yet to have a problem and would rather buy more quality hooks or jigs than line