An Awesome Trout

[stephensonswille]

This afternoon me and my girlfriend decided to head back out to see if we couldn't get a few fish on the ice. We were after walleye for the most part seeing as we hooked a fair amount the night before. (Don't worry not a walleye story) So we set the shack up and had the heater rolling. The area we were fishing is in spitting distance of where I steelhead fish so of course I had the car full of steely gear as well. Needless to say the current was calling my name so a walk to the car to grab my float rod and some salmon skein and I was ready to see some trout. I threw on a big ol' pink maribou jig and a golf ball sized mess of skein. Three drifts later and I was hooked onto a missile rocketing upstream in a flash. It's back rose from the water and the first thought was a late run salmon. So the heart settled just a bit. It turned downstream at me. I cranked on the handle trying my hardest to keep the line taught. Before I knew it the fish was getting the best of me. I palmed the reel trying to turn it back around. After several attempts the fish finally turned and tail walked like a sailfish out of the deep blue along the surface of the river. When in an instance I noticed it was not a salmon but a huge steelhead with a rosy cheek patch and a shimmering pink streak down the side. This was a major game changer for me. My heart began to redline knowing now that I had an awesome fish attached to the other end of my line. Little did I know just how awesome this fish was going to be. After what seemed like an eternity the fish was finally fatigued. I was finally able to get my hands on this beautiful steelhead. Which to date is my personal best steelhead that will be hard to beat while fishing the great lakes region. He measured 34.5" long and a girth of 21". The pictures don't do this creature justice. Really wish I could've got a picture of him once he came out of the water. His cheek patch and stripe were glowing on the dark background of this fish.
 

[P Meyette]

nice fish  never give up ,your off to a good season

[stephensonswille]

Thanks! Trust me giving up isn't going to happy. This male will be mounted next to another large male that I got ice fishing instead of open water. I'm also getting a repo done of a 33" female I released. All three will be mounted together on a gravel base like they are spawning.

[SALMONEMIA]

Awesome Fish! Great story! Nice job. That thing is a beast!

[stephensonswille]

Thanks. It sure put up one heck of a fight!

[WaynefromMaine]

   Wish we had steelhead in maine like that..   Gotta travel 9 hour's to get into fish like that..   Congratulation's nice trout..

[Whopper Stopper]

Balls! 

          WS

[ebour]

nice fish!!! interesting colors looks a lot like a salmon.

[stephensonswille]

Trust me I don't know what I would do if I didn't have steelhead. I caught my first one when I was 4 years old on my dad's boat and have been hooked since.  I've been down in Florida for a week and did some deep sea fishing but keep dreaming both day and night about seeing a float plunge under the surface from a big trout grabbing ahold.

[coldsteel]

awesome steelie man congrats

[stephensonswille]

nice fish!!! interesting colors looks a lot like a salmon.

Definitely dark but definitely not a salmon. I caught one a few years ago that was even darker yet.

[stephensonswille]

Thanks.

[Cub]

Beauty! Congrats!

[Ak4734]

Wow! What a fish.

[Maddog]

Now thats a trout!

[minnow1]

Thats a nice one