by Jason Brooks, March 03, 2016

I was quickly reminded why I should not take my lightweight super sensitive steelhead rod out with me for a day of late winter steelheading. The large fish took the six inch pink worm and turned to the fast water heading for the downstream log jam. Tightening the drag and pulling back hard on the limber rod the line came to its maximum breaking point just as the hook came free from the big fish. A large three foot plus flash of a deep red-side was all I had for a memory and reminder on why it is so important to change out your lighter gear for winter hatchery brats to stout rods and line for oversized wild fish. March means the end of winter steelhead season or the beginning of trophy steelhead season, it all depends on how you look at it.

For me big steelhead means rivers and streams that are quick to dump into the ocean. Where silver streaked dark backed fish flecked with sea lice came in during the last high tide and where they slowly make their way upriver until their sides turn red and dark spots freckle their tails. Within a couple of hours drive from Seattle you start into the land of steelhead, at the southern end of the Olympic Mountains and the heart of Grays Harbor. Reports have been coming in for several rivers here and the fishing in these river systems for the past few months have been outstanding. This means that for the guys like me that will head out in search of large wild fish there will still be a lot of hatchery origin fish making their way back downriver. I don’t mind catching kelts, or “downers” as we call them as it make for a fun day of fishing. Of course it’s the big fish I am after most.



The Humptulips River is one of my favorite fall King and early winter Coho fisheries but when it comes to steelhead I try and save this one just for March. Recent years have seen lower than desired hatchery returns for clipped fish and since the hatchery is about mid-stream for the journey of the wild fish anglers mostly concentrate their efforts at the Steven’s Creek complex. In March wild fish can be caught up to its forks and even beyond for the adventurous angler. Most though prefer to launch at Hanson Road, a large gravel bar with ample parking provided by WDFW which also provides some bank angler access. Then float down to Reyenvanns bar, a very long gravel bar where a bank angler could easily spend the entire day fishing. Others will put in at Reyenvanns and float to either Copalis Crossing or down to Humptulips Dyke Road though there is not much bank access here for the shore bound angler. In September and October in low water I will float from the Dyke Road put in to the highway 109 bridge for salmon but for March I don’t float this part of the river for steelhead as the waters are usually too high and this is deep slow water where Kings like to hang out but steelies will just move up and past all of this water as fast as they can.

The other Grays Harbors Rivers known for March fish are mostly ones that are part of the Chehalis River drainage, and this includes the Skookumchuck. The Skookumchuck is a small stream of a “river” that eventually flows into the Chehalis and is part of the Grays Harbor system though its headwaters isn’t in Grays Harbor. This steelhead stream is very productive in spring and usually has an extended season past the March 31st closure of other rivers (check the regulations before you go). One of the best things about the Skookumchuck is that it is a bank anglers river. You can get a pontoon down it with high water flows but there really isn’t a need as the upper area has public access and long stretches of solitude if you’re willing to hike a bit.



Of course the famed Cowlitz is prime in March for late run hatchery fish and you can also have a chance at an early spring Chinook that mostly show up in April and May. Reports from late February were that the Cowlitz with its three steelhead limit was fishing very well. In fact there were guides reporting boat limits by 10 A.M. on the good days. The Cowlitz is no secret and thanks to the WDFW cutting back the “A” run, early winter fish, the “B” run late fish are becoming even more popular. Expect a lot of company on this river during March. Blue Creek is the spot to go for both bank anglers and those with boats. But don’t overlook fishing from other access areas if stuck on the bank. Of course boaters have a bit more room to roam and once you find a pocket of fish you can usually pick up more than one in the same stretch as the steelhead seem to move in consistently during March.

Techniques vary from pink worms, spoons, plugs and other techniques. Personally I am a big fan of the pink worm and this is because I have been very successful in using them. As I stated at the beginning of this article it is paramount to upsize your gear as this time of year means big fish. Starting with rods I will break out my casting rod which is a North Fork Customs Series One 900. This rod is 9 feet in length with a line rating of 8-17 pounds and a medium heavy fast action. This means that the rod has a super sensitive tip but the power of the rod is medium heavy allowing me to turn or hold a large fish in faster water. For those that prefer to fish with a spinning outfit a rod that is 9 to 10 feet and rated for 10 to 20 pounds and has a fast or extra fast tip will help land the bigger fish. One thing that is vastly different when it comes to big wild fish versus hatchery fish is the bite. We are taught that the bite can be so subtle any little bump could be a fish but most of the time when a wild fish grabs your hook there is no doubt so those light limber rods that help feel the difference between a nibble and a rock aren’t really needed for this late in the year. It is more important to have the proper gear to land these big fish than to worry if you missed a nibble from a hatchery brat.



Braided line rated at 30 or even 40 pounds is almost a must if you want to land big wild steelhead but if you prefer monofilament then don’t go any lighter than 20 pound. For leaders I use Izorline XXX in 20 pound clear but I do keep a few leader rolls tied and ready with 15 pound test. Make sure you upsize your swivels as well with size 5 or 7 being on the smaller end and a size 3 being more than adequate.

Hook size needs to be adjusted accordingly as well. The smallest hook I will use this time of year is a size 1 with a 1/0 being my most common. One guy I fish with pre-ties several 6 inch rubber worms, mostly pink or some combination of with a large cheater or corky in a contrasting color and a size 2/0 hook. His motto is “Go big or go home” as he only wants to catch large fish and isn’t bothered by the fact that any small fish probably couldn’t get their mouth on the hook if they strike at his lure. Another buddy who is a jig fisherman began using a dropper and a bead. This set-up is pretty easy to fish. Simply tie on your jig to your float rig and then off of the bend of the hook tie on another leader with a bead pegged a few inches from the trailing hook.

If the water is low and clear then using just a plain bead pegged a few inches above the hook and either drift fished or bobber dogged is hard to beat. Again it’s good to upsize the bead to a 10mm or even 12mm. I prefer Hevi-Beads because they are made of glass or ceramic depending on the style and color of bead. This means that you can bobber dog them by having them on your leader and use a lighter weight. Last March a buddy and I were fishing a coastal stream and leap frogging with another boat with two guys fly fishing. Every time we saw the other boat they were fighting a fish. It didn’t matter if they were in front of us or behind us. At the take out I made it a point to strike up a conversation with them. I noticed they were using floating line with a large strike indicator and a long leader with a single bead about 3 inches from their hook. Simply put they were bobber dogging beads, but they wouldn’t admit that. This is a perfect technique for late winter wild fish as the hook often buries into the side of the fish’s mouth and has near zero mortality from the hook.



March doesn’t mean winter steelhead fishing is over it means that it’s time to target the big fish. Further up the coat some rivers stay open until mid-April but for those productive rivers of Grays Harbor as March wanes down so does the open season. This allows for escapement of wild fish and even allows the hatchery fish already spawned out to head back out to sea. Make sure to put away the limber gear and bring out the big stuff for the big fish. Don’t forget the camera too!