Steelhead winter pattern

[motorek]

Hello,
I am new to this forum. Still in MI, but I am moving soon to WA. I already had opportunity to fish in the Sky river. This time I will recide probably in Arligton.

I am planning to fish for winter steelhead.

My question is about the winter steellhead location. How they behave in water during winer? Do they have a similar location as in the summer? I know that they stay in "deep holes". Do they go close to spawning areas and stay in deep holes or stay in the lower river?

Regards

[kzoo]

Hello,
I am new to this forum. Still in MI, but I am moving soon to WA. I already had opportunity to fish in the Sky river. This time I will recide probably in Arligton.

I am planning to fish for winter steelhead.

My question is about the winter steellhead location. How they behave in water during winer? Do they have a similar location as in the summer? I know that they stay in "deep holes". Do they go close to spawning areas and stay in deep holes or stay in the lower river?

Regards

Welcome to the site motorek! Where in Michigan are u from? I'm from Kalamazoo.

I can't help too much of the steelies. I'm still a beginner. There's a few guys on the site who are die hards. Couple guys to PM are Mallard and A9.

[mallard83]

Do you plan on fishing from a boat or from the bank? this is important in order to best direct you.

And also, steelhead don't only stay in/prefer deep holes. They can be caught most anywhere, it just depends on conditions.

[swedefish4life1]

Long seams inside or outside they love the tailouts:-# and big nates press the harder flows and waters If the flows are mayor there smack on the edges!
Last pic a 25lber buck in 1999 pig upper Skykomish lama hole lived right off her:-$ and Noel with a (20 lb pig hen nate):bounce: right before the Wallace flats pic and release we made fishing and hunting news on that /Bait divers and shrimp to finish 5 fish day all hogs.

[motorek]

Kzoo - I am from Detroit area, Royal Oak.

I will fish from a bank. Very helpful would be information how to read water and where to look for winter steelhead.

[mallard83]

Kzoo - I am from Detroit area, Royal Oak.

I will fish from a bank. Very helpful would be information how to read water and where to look for winter steelhead.

Basically if it looks fishy cast to it. Fish seems where fast and slow water come together. Anything that creates a disturbance in the water flow such as a boulder or log. If the current breaker (ie. boulder or log) is in slow/soft water fish the upriver side of the object. If the current break is in faster water get your pesentation in behind the structure.

Float fish slow water and drift fish the faster stuff, you can plunk in spots also. There are three main river conditions and they are low and clear, average flow with good color or high and puking (dirty). The best time to go after pretty much any river fish, salmon or steelhead, is when the river is dropping back into shape after a hard rain or a warm spell that melts mountain snow. The best river color to fish is an emerald green color on most rivers, however I do fish a couple of rivers on the peninsula where the river runs a tea color at it's prime.

Look for winter runs more so in the slower to medium paced water and the summer runs in a little bit swifter water than the winters. If it gets really hot during the summer and the river temps go up look for fish in the slower deep pools. If fishing for winter or summer run and the river levels are up (with not too much color) then the fish will be on the move and fishing the riffles, runs and tailouts will be key to success.

The most common and usually the best colors to use for winter runs are pink, orange, red, white, and purple or any combination of these colors. Jigs, corkies, yarn, rubber worms, plugs, spinners, spoons, and bait are the most common lures for steelhead. For bait the best thing to use is eggs, sandshrimp or prawns.

Don't get to discouraged if you are not successful on your first, second or even third time out for steelhead. These are finicky fish and are sometimes pretty difficult to get to take. They don't call them the fish of 1,000 casts for nothing. There is nothing better than hooking into an angry steelie hell bent on destroying your tackle.=p~

[motorek]

Thanks for yours help. I am already in WA. I am trying to explore the Still river, so far I get two Coho, these fish are the first salmon I ever caught

Heppy New Year and good lock on the water!

Motorek