First Steelhead!

[JacobK]

Well lets start off with a bit of a story.

I never fish river systems at all in MI because we're blessed to have so many lakes. I never intended to start Steelhead fishing but the cabin fever started to get a hold of me & bass season doesn't open for a few months. A buddy of mine offered to show me the ropes for a few hours in the morning before he went to work and i took the offer. I met him up at the local river and he showed me how to set up a float rig and gave me a few lures. He fished with me for a bit until he had to go to work but we didn't catch anything. I hooked one after my buddy left to go to work and it came off to my disappointment > :(.

Not knowing how to fish a river & casting randomly without a purpose PLUS losing my first steelhead wasn't much fun so I went home and researched a bunch, stocked up on a few lures from BPS and went back the next day with confidence!

Well whattya know, all that research done gone and paid off, on the 3rd cast I hooked one & off she went! The fish took me down stream about 50-75 yards & I fought it for a good 20 minutes before it got into the net! It had to be the most intense 20 minutes of my life!

I was floating a powerbait trout worm with a 6lb fluorocarbon leader with 40lb power pro as a main line.

Well enough talk, heres the pictures! my first steelhead, a 27" hen.

1st Steelhead by J.Kue, on Flickr

[Dwight Hottle]

Nice steelie Jacob. They are always just plain fun to catch.

[Lund Explorer]

Nice fish!  Hope you got a good supply of fresh spawn saved from her.

[J Francho]

I got into it for exactly the same reason - winter goes by much faster if you're fishing

Congrats on your 1st fish.  They are great smoke cured.  I do a teriyaki and spicy mango marinade for mine.

Next thing you'll need.....centerpin rig.  Once you go to the darkside, you never come back!  8-)

[JacobK]

Nice fish! Hope you got a good supply of fresh spawn saved from her.

Thanks, she actually dropped a majority of them before & right when i landed her. but i managed to get a few.

I got into it for exactly the same reason - winter goes by much faster if you're fishing

Congrats on your 1st fish. They are great smoke cured. I do a teriyaki and spicy mango marinade for mine.

Next thing you'll need.....centerpin rig. Once you go to the darkside, you never come back! 8-)

I saw a few guys using centerpin rigs, but i cant justify one for the small crowded river that I fish, we simply just can't drift that far. I'm planning a custom rod in the 10' range and a stradic ci4 3000 though! that way the ci4 can see double duty for bass too.

do you guys prefer stouter rods or wet noodles? I think I'm gonna have my custom rod built like a bass rod, i'm not too keen on the light actions.  ;D

[J Francho]

It really depends.  The 10' rod I use for small creeks is mod-fast.  I've used a faster, bit I prefer them for spoons and other baits you move with the reel.  My 13' big water rod is a giant, slow slob, bends all the way past the handle on a big fish.  Very good at protect light leaders.

As far as using pins for short drifts, it actually better.  Most assume the pin is for the long drift, but its more about control of the float, and the bait below.  There really isn't any other way to be so connected to the flow of water in a pool, especially when its a deep, slow pool.

This fish was caught in a pool only about 10' long, and 4' wide.  My recent report in Other Species is from the same hole, though the water was down at least a foot. 

The only thing inhibiting you from using a centerpin is you.  You can get a decent Okuma for less than $150.  Mine is going on two seasons, and showing no signs of wear.