A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Well, the run is winding down very quickly here. Luckily, I have a river up north that will continue to hold some Steel until about the first of May.
Here are only a few of hundreds of pictures. Would love to share some pictures of friends but don't really have permission to put their faces out there on the internet.
First in the new boat, gorgeous hen.
Hen Chromer.
Nice buck with some shoulders on him.
Two for the smoker.
Another high-water Chromer.
This is why we do it. If you aren't addicted to Steelhead fishing one time and your hooked.
Perfect.
Very nice silver hen.
Today, my favorite day all season. My father's first time ever out Steelheadfishing (after bugging him for 3 years) and he went 1 for 1 on his first Steelhead. Way to go dad! All I wanted all season was for him to hook into one, and he managed this buck like a pro.
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RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Looks as though you had a great time fishing for them.. We do not have them here though.. Have you tried them with a fly rod? I am sure it would be a blast to catch them that way as well..
RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Phil From Maine
Looks as though you had a great time fishing for them.. We do not have them here though.. Have you tried them with a fly rod? I am sure it would be a blast to catch them that way as well..
I have not yet tried them with a fly rod. Many people do and I see them catch few fish. A lot of the fly fisherman seem to look down on spin fisherman (or so it seems), and I just don't have the urge to do it. I don't have the expenses to purchase the gear and I really like float fishing.
On the other hand, I am really looking into purchasing a centerpin. I do not know if you are familiar with the concept but it is very interesting and a great way to fish Steelhead. I wish I had the time to explain but you may want to Google it and learn more about it! It is great.
Quote:
ORIGINAL: Chuck7
Beautiful Pics man..
Lots of questions..
a.Is a steel head a salmon or trout?
I believe they are in the Salmonoid Family.
b.Is it a name of a species or a nick name ..some of those look like rainbows to me.
These fish are lake-run Rainbow Trout. All of these fish reside in Lake Michigan and travel up tributaries to spawn. Thus, the short window of catching them. They begin staging in the rivers around December, but don't get heavy until mid-March and leave after spawning around the first of May.
c. How long is that spinning rod..or is it a spinning reel on a fly rod?
It is a custom made spinning rod specifically for Steelhead fishing. I have two, the one pictured is an 11 footer. I also fish a 10 footer, pending on my method of catching for the day.
d. What kind of bait was you using?
Early morning in colder temperature these fish hammer little feather jigs tipped with waxworms. Very similar to what you would use as a Crappie jig. When the sun comes up or the water temperature rises the fish really begin feeding on the fish eggs (spawn) that is floating down the river. I will take a few hens out of the river I catch and tie up my own spawn bags. The ones bought from the stoers are very fake. They are boiled to "take out disease", and cured so they last longer. They are much less effective though.
e. Do you eat them..thye look great..
They are the most beautiful fish I catch. The pictures don't do justice. They are not very good table fair, but smoke Steelhead isn't bad. Nice cherry wood and a very hours in the smoker and they are pretty decent. On the grill, ok, but there is much better table fare out there.
I'd rather catch them any day than a bass..
f.What size line do you use for them..?
Main line I use around 10 high-vis line. This has backbone and allows you to see the line and mend easily. I was use a barrel swivel and approximately a 3/4 foot leader (pending on the depth fishing) with either 4 or 6 pound fluocarbon leader (pending on water clarity).
G. Is that private or public property?
Salmonoid All public access here. Knowing me, I like to get away from people though so I know areas where I can talk a mile or so and see few guys a day. Around the parking areas people are lined up hoping to catch a fish.
C7
If you think you have ever witnessed picky fish, you should check out these things. If things aren't perfect, they will not budge. If you find the ticket your in for a fight!
__________________ ...on the water or in the woods...
RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Thanks man,
The confusion, [8D]you remind me of another young man on here ..he is from Maryland..and I was born in Maryland and did not think we had fish like that in Maryland..You are from Michigan so that clears up everything..LOL
RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
No problem C7, those were all great questions. I think it is very cool how far these fish travel. Some of the fish I catch travel, I would guess, 75 miles to the point of where I catch them. Nature is beautiful.
__________________ ...on the water or in the woods...
RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Update on this morning.
Dropback Hen on ChartruseJig and Waxworm and a Fresh Male on a Spawn Bag. Had another fish on a nearly to shore and it took a long hard run and the rod went limp. I was confused and knew I had a good hookset. The fish broke the hook clean in half. Oh well, 2 for 3 on the day.
__________________ ...on the water or in the woods...
RE: A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
Buckhunter... Great post and beautiful pictures...
I love fishing for steelhead, but unfortunately I have to drive 2-3 hours to access good streams, so I don't go as often as I would like...
Hooking a biig steelie in a small stream on a fly rodis as close to hand-to -hand combat as I've ever come while fishing...
I use a 9 foot Loomis Graphite , rigged either with a spinning reel when I'm fishing spawn sacks, or a regular tapered floating line when fishing flies...I've had good luck with white wooly buggers and various egg patterns such as sucker spawn...
My favorite streams are Lake Erie Tribs near Erie, Pa, such as Elk, Walnut, and others... On these creeks it's common to have 20-30 hookups per day when the water is right..
I don't kill a lot of fish, but I do keep one now and then and I find them quite good when broiled, or especially, smoked...
A few pictures from the past few weeks [steelhead]
.. Have you tried them with a fly rod? I am sure it would be a blast to catch them that way as well..
