Steelhead

[ibanez72781]

I thought I might try to get the steelhead section of this forum going a little.

I caught all my fish this season on jigs. Black with flash or white with flash (marabou). Most of the time using 1/32 or a little heavier. Some were bead/pin jigs and some were standard jig heads. I fish them under a clear float, use a 8lb main line, 4-6 lb fluorocarbon leader, and I add split shot according to flow of the water im fishing. I also fish them on a 3 way rig from shore on the niagara river.

I use a 9'6" rod with a Pflueger Supreme XT size 35.

I fish the Great Lakes Tributaries in Western NY.

Let hear from the guys/gals that fish for steelies.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Only a wannabe here but hope to jig steelhead someday. Jigs I've seen seem simple enuf, fluff & flash which works for most jig biting species with stronger hooks designed for steelhead. Since basic black & white work well enuf, I suppose fancy ties might be more artistic than functional?

Do the bead/pin jigs work any better than poured head ones?

 

[AtticaFish]

I was hoping to get over to Vermillion and fish the steel run for the first time this spring..... but very low water levels through winter and then very hig water levels and alot of spring rain pushed the run way back. Fish are in the river now, but not sure i will have time to make the drive over now.

Not sure if you saw this, but a member had made up some tutorials on making your own B/P jigs - Bead and Pin Jig Head - Two-toned Crappie Style

 

[Pup]

It's been a while now, but I used to travel to Michigan City, IN to do some fishing for steelhead, coho, browns, and kings. Here are a few photos. Please pardon my dink coho.

My wife's first steelhead. She's one-for-one.



My largest brown trout.



Well... it's still a coho.



Some of my "experimental" ties for steelhead appear below. Used Foxxfur (craft fur) and Schlappen feathers along with a little flash. All are tied on 1/8-oz. ball heads with #2 hooks.





I loved to cast 1/2-oz. and 3/4-oz. KO Wobblers off of the Michigan City Pier. Did a little float fishing there as well. The pier is located at the mouth of Trail Creek where it empties into Lake Michigan.

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Never fished for steelies,but have caught my share of rainbows and browns. I've been selling jigs on ebay for awhile and have a lot of regular sreelhead customers thar swear by the flashy nickle and gold plated buggers I tie in 1/32.Best colors are black,brown,olive,pink and combinations of these. They keep teasing me and send pictures of some huge steelies and browns so the 1/32 on a#6 is not to small and is strong enough to hold them.

 

[ibanez72781]

Excellent stuff guys!!! Great looking jigs, fish, and information.

I do like the bead/pin jigs a lot, but you never know what these crazy fish want. I cant tell you how many times i cast a black or white jig in a hole that should definitley have fish and not get anything, but if I tie on the opposite color i get bit on the first cast. In my expierience these fish are wierd, just have to find he color of the day.

If you ever have the opprotunity to fish for steel go for it. I will warn you though its addicting...

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Here is a few plated buggers that I tie for steelheaders out towards the east coast. The plated heads give off a little flash and a little angel hair is blended in with the marabou tail. Just a little flash is all you need.

 

[bombora]

Damn they are sexy jigs Junglejim. Seriously they are just perfecto.

 

[toadfrog]

Heck I never even seen a live steel head . Made a lot of lures for them though . You guys get all the fun .

 

[Hawnjigs]

Heck, I've never even seen a dead one. They're just big trout, right?

 

[AtticaFish]

They are rainbows that live in lakes or the Pacific NW and run up rivers to spawn. The steelhead/chrome name comes from their color when they are out in open water but they do get brighter colored (males sometimes get kype jaw too) when they run up river to spawn.

The ones in L.Erie area are not native to the lake - think they are a skamia (sp?) strain from upper Michigan if i remember right. They are a put and take resource in Erie... the DNR pretty much stocks them all since they do not spawn very well naturaly here. They do run up the rivers and attempt to spawn though.

...and yes they do get big!

 

[Jig Man]

Sounds like fun......

 

[LedHed]

The Steelhead on the west coast are rainbows that go to the ocean to grow and comeback to the same waters where they were born/stocked to spawn again.

Have to put Steelhead fishing on the bucket list...

 

[Fatman]

ibanez72781

Western NY huh!! you getting into Oak Orchard creek at all?? eighteen mile?? Burt Dam?? The Oak was home water for me the upper part of it ran behind my folks house.

Those are all nice looking jigs and they will catch fish.

 

[goodtimesfishing]

The only bad thing about steelhead fishing......once you catch steelhead, fishing for anything else is just not the same!!

 

[goodtimesfishing]

View attachment 9Here is a 18 lb steelhead I caught the other day on a jig that I made. It is always a good feeling when you catch awesome fish on jigs that you made yourself!!

 

[Fatman]

That is a PIG!!!!!! Those steelies are so fun to catch!!!!!!!!!

 

[JUNGLEJIM1]

Congrats, that's a really nice steelie. Looks like a male with that hooked jaw.

 

[AtticaFish]

Beautiful fish - congrats on the catch! So whats on the menu?

 

[Pup]

That's a nice one! Would be a wall hanger in my state (IN).