Steelhead Question

[The Splash]

 I know conditions are a huge factor, but if you had to pick one way of fishing them what would it be? Float? weight with a leader bouncing spawn? Artificial?
 Just wondering opinions?

[DR.SPECKLER]

my fav is a couple splitshot and a number 8 diachi egg hook with fresh tied spawn and drift fish it.second is the same setup but put a float on and drift it into the snags like downed trees.

[Bucketfiller]

Slip sinker, 2 feet of leader then a wobble glow with a small trebble. I catch all my steelhead this way.

[C P]

Its a dieing art but I really like plug fishin out of our drift boat. You want to talk about some hard hitting agressive fish. Then again its always fun to hook into a nice chromer on the drift rod.


This was a nice steelie from the driftboat last winter.


Nice steelie from this past fall caught it drift spawn.

[Redbone]

Nice pics Shooter... In the Grand like that I always have to use a bobber to keep the spawn off the bottom.  Way to many snags. 

[C P]

I never use bobbers...cant stand them...

[Bgreen02]

about when do the steelhead start running through? I've only made it out once and got skunked. Hoping a better year this year.

[DR.SPECKLER]

you can get a steelhead any season around allegan county spring fall early and late winter and then the skamania steelhead in the summer.but mid march and april are good.

[C P]

In the river you can catch steelhead November through April pretty steady. Once spring rolls around the rivers start to load up with more fish so you might have better luck then.

[Mr.Vexilar]

pends on where im fishin.... If im in the Grand its all spin tackle and bobbers.  I HATE bottom bouncing... but its a good way to line catch fish.......
me and my bud with a double down below 6th street.

When thing heat up and the fish get a little further north good bye spin tackle... THen its time for the real deal.  My own hand tied flies on a 9.5 ft 8wt Sage Fly Rod.
Me with a fish on the fly

me with another fish on the fly.
nother fish on the fly.

me with another GREAT chrome hen.
Same settup for fly rods as spin rods.  Indy fishin with a 10ft tapered steelhead leader, tie in another 2 ft leader of mono to your first fly, then another peice of mono to the 2nd fly, with a few split shots.
Flyfishing is like bowhunting.  A whole COMPLETELY different challenge.  Im hooked for life, aint nothin better!

[SquirrelHunterJay]

flys all the way,  unless fishing holes then its wax worms

[fishfreak]

Nice pics. Never tried fishing steelies but it sure looks like I'm gonna have to give it a shot!!!!!

[Mr.Vexilar]

Definatly Freak! Its a ball!! Im after em EVERY DAY from April until mid June.  Sometimes hook so many steelies my forearm gets sore.... Still dont ever get sick of it.....Thats when ya kno fishin is good!

[flagguy83]

I bobber fish. it covers more area that way and I limit 8 times out of 10 works good for me anyway. Just have to have the right river with the right drift. When there on the beds I fish with a fly rod or throw spawn at them.

[Bgreen02]

i am close to clinton river and know they come up by yates and few parks along the way. got a good pair of waders to keep warm and dry. just look for deep holes?

[The Splash]

 When using a bobber, do you only use spawn? Also, I've seen a few videos on youtube and an Infisherman episode (I believe?) where they caught steelhead on pink plastic worms. Ever do this in Michigan?
 Thanks so far and ahead of time for the helpful replies. I want to put some effort into steelhead fishing and only have minimal experience.
 Oh yeah, Spawn and yarnball. wouldn't you just use spawn for the smell and taste? Is the yarnball only for fly fishing? I'll be spin fishing only. Also heard a lot about the egg sucking leech. Spin fishing too? With a sinker a few feet up of course so you can actually cast it.

[SquirrelHunterJay]

When thing heat up and the fish get a little further north good bye spin tackle... THen its time for the real deal.  My own hand tied flies on a 9.5 ft 8wt Sage Fly Rod.
[

8wt seems a little heavy for steelies. got to go with the light wt. gear.  i usually run a 4 or a 6 wt with 4lb leader.  when fishing has been tough and fish are spookey i have even caught them on 2lb

[DR.SPECKLER]

When using a bobber, do you only use spawn? Also, I've seen a few videos on youtube and an Infisherman episode (I believe?) where they caught steelhead on pink plastic worms. Ever do this in Michigan?
 Thanks so far and ahead of time for the helpful replies. I want to put some effort into steelhead fishing and only have minimal experience.
 Oh yeah, Spawn and yarnball. wouldn't you just use spawn for the smell and taste? Is the yarnball only for fly fishing? I'll be spin fishing only. Also heard a lot about the egg sucking leech. Spin fishing too? With a sinker a few feet up of course so you can actually cast it.

sometimes steelies are so agressive ya can use yarn balls on your spinning tackle.just get the assorted color yarn rip some off  and feather it on the hook or try multi colored like pink and yellow.somedays where i fish thats all they hit.but its hard to be fresh spawn.i use spawn with a bobber also.

[Bucketfiller]

When the water is up, use wobble glows. i don't see many people fish that way, but I do well. Catch most of my steelhead that way. Anybody here fish that way???

[Mr.Vexilar]

i usually run a 4 or a 6 wt with 4lb leader.  when fishing has been tough and fish are spookey i have even caught them on 2lb

     That is wierd that you say that???  The lighter the rod the harder it is to work and control your fish b/c they can overpower the back bone in a 4, 5, or 6wt rod.   Its either 7 or 8 wt rods for steelies, all guides use em and check with any fly shop they'll send you after a 7 or 8 wt rod if you're looking to salmon or steelhead fish.

I will be throwing wobble glows today bucket.  River is a little higher and we're headin out, so im gonna try the wobble glows.

[flagguy83]

I use a small jig and a waxworm under a bobber. every now and again I will use spawn. I use the yarn balls when there on the beds. something to make them mad.

[SquirrelHunterJay]

     That is wierd that you say that???  The lighter the rod the harder it is to work and control your fish b/c they can overpower the back bone in a 4, 5, or 6wt rod.   Its either 7 or 8 wt rods for steelies, all guides use em and check with any fly shop they'll send you after a 7 or 8 wt rod if you're looking to salmon or steelhead fish.

it may take a little longer to land but its more fun i think.  now for the salmon i use an 8 wt. Ive talked to glen up at great lakes and he has told me 6 for steelies and 8 for salmon

[bc boy]

i do the best in the spring with plugs and bottom bouncing fresh spawn or roe. my plug rods are 6.6 ft abu garcia levelwind thy have good drag systems. i also have two more for bouncing spawn.we fished the joe this morning and went 4 for 5. water is real dirty next weekend will be cleaner.

[Mr.Vexilar]

it may take a little longer to land but its more fun i think.  now for the salmon i use an 8 wt. Ive talked to glen up at great lakes and he has told me 6 for steelies and 8 for salmon

Yea i know Glen and all those guys personally.  They set my rod up for me.  i could see using a 6 or 7 for steelies, but wouldnt go any smaller than that, specially in a small stream with lotsa brush... Now a 5 wt on muskegon would pry be alright, have more room to manuever your fish and you can stand to lose some control of your fish on bigger water.

[Bucketfiller]

Yea i know Glen and all those guys personally.  They set my rod up for me.  i could see using a 6 or 7 for steelies, but wouldnt go any smaller than that, specially in a small stream with lotsa brush... Now a 5 wt on muskegon would pry be alright, have more room to manuever your fish and you can stand to lose some control of your fish on bigger water.

Yeah I know those guys at Great lakes to. Glen is a butt hole!! Steelhead, I use a 8 wt. In bigger water, when the water is low and have to use lighter line ill go to a 6 WT. Anything under that is to light.

[Mr.Vexilar]

Yeah I know those guys at Great lakes to. Glen is a butt hole!!

  Never had a problem with any of those guys... I've been around there since i was 8 yrs old. From what i gather from those guys they kind of tend to match personalities with the people that come into the store.  Course i've been around there for so long and spend quite a bit of money there and help them out with river and fish info.

[Bucketfiller]

  Never had a problem with any of those guys... I've been around there since i was 8 yrs old. From what i gather from those guys they kind of tend to match personalities with the people that come into the store.  Course i've been around there for so long and spend quite a bit of money there and help them out with river and fish info.

None of then Really know a lot on local rivers. They tell ya what ya want to know, sell you stuff. I think Glens shows are funny, see him real in 6 inch trout, lol!

[Mr.Vexilar]

I think Glens shows are funny, see him real in 6 inch trout, lol!

  LOL!! FUnny you bring that up. We ALWAYS mock em when we're fishin dries, trout comes up and takes the fly.... "Subtle Subtle Take!!!" lol.  Glens not a steelie fisher so whatever he knows about the steelie fishin comes from the guys like me who are on the river daily.  He'll tell ya a lot about trout fishin, the river flows, and water temp/clarity.  Bob fished the Rogue a LOT for steelies, we fish some of the same holes, he knows more about the steelie bite than Glen.

[Bucketfiller]

  LOL!! FUnny you bring that up. We ALWAYS mock em when we're fishin dries, trout comes up and takes the fly.... "Subtle Subtle Take!!!" lol.  Glens not a steelie fisher so whatever he knows about the steelie fishin comes from the guys like me who are on the river daily.  He'll tell ya a lot about trout fishin, the river flows, and water temp/clarity.  Bob fished the Rogue a LOT for steelies, we fish some of the same holes, he knows more about the steelie bite than Glen.

Dude, Glen, BOB, Fred, Ben...... JOKES! I've been going in there for years. They don't fish much at all. Just get reports. I go in there and here them talking to yuppies who think they are trout fishermen, trying to sell them everything in the shop. I here Ben is doing something else now. Anyway, I could tell you more about them. There just salesmen

[Mr.Vexilar]

Yea Ben is a sales Rep for Simms.  He fishes quite a bit, i see him on the water quite a bit.  I see Bob on the water quite a bit also.  I havent seen em in there this year but they had a younger guy from GVSU workin for em last year.  I fished with him a few times last year also.