Winter Steel

A place for readers to talk about river fishing in Washington.
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Matt
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by Matt » Wed Dec 22, 2010 5:53 pm

Dollys are a lot of fun to catch and always a surprise. Nice lookin fish there dood.
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crankbait42
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by crankbait42 » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:44 pm

dmangler69 wrote:Nice pictures everyone. Been dealing with a cold myself. No offense Crank but most fish I have seen posing for pictures they are always looking down.
What do you mean, Like alive? Those things hit the bank and the stick is in my hand ready to whack:eye: I have lost too many fish screwing around trying to get a live shot, and not caught enough to ever get over those fish#-o So when a hatchery fish gets near the bank the length of its life can be counted in seconds:cheers: and I dont take the hooks out until it is well dead and away from the river...

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crankbait42
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by crankbait42 » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:47 pm

flinginpooh wrote:Double hooks? Oh man. I tried doubles before and had more bottom snaggings. Lost 2 hooks every time. That lasted 4 set ups then no more of that crap. Thats like 25 cents a set up lol.
I just started doing it, I do lose more setups it seems, but my hook to land ratio went way up. Since i started using them I have only lost one steelhead and caught 12. And alot of them come on that back hook and a few get both buried which is always nice haha

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crankbait42
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by crankbait42 » Wed Dec 22, 2010 6:49 pm

But what dmangler brought up is something I have been thinking about. Everyone says fish can only look up. Well why is everyone I catch looking down?

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kzoo
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by kzoo » Wed Dec 22, 2010 9:24 pm

You're slaying them Crankbait! Keep up the hot streak man! When you're hot, your hot!

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natetreat
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Wed Dec 22, 2010 10:52 pm

crankbait42 wrote:
flinginpooh wrote:Double hooks? Oh man. I tried doubles before and had more bottom snaggings. Lost 2 hooks every time. That lasted 4 set ups then no more of that crap. Thats like 25 cents a set up lol.
I just started doing it, I do lose more setups it seems, but my hook to land ratio went way up. Since i started using them I have only lost one steelhead and caught 12. And alot of them come on that back hook and a few get both buried which is always nice haha
I'll second that. When I pre tie my leaders I like to have them with double hooks, because solid hooksets are more than fifty percent increased. I figured it out while I was fishing for chum (on a river with no selective gear rules) I was fishing a single hook and I'd get bumps, have the fish on for a bit but it'd shake it off. When I doubled the hooks like that I brought in forty fish in a day. My arms were SOOOOOOper tired. For some reason they stick l ike velcro in the fishes mouth, better than a treble hook or fancy hooks.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by scott080379 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 7:03 am

I used some double hook setups last year, only for salmon though. I lost a lot more gear but yes you seen to get more hook ups and get more fish into the bank. I'm not sure why I stopped using them, might have to go back to using that setup. Oh that right, I thought the hooks they used on all the pretie stuff for double hooks were crap. They seem to be dull and bend or break easier, I will just have to tie my own.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by bionic_one » Thu Dec 23, 2010 8:32 am

crankbait42 wrote:What do you mean, Like alive? Those things hit the bank and the stick is in my hand ready to whack:eye: I have lost too many fish screwing around trying to get a live shot, and not caught enough to ever get over those fish#-o So when a hatchery fish gets near the bank the length of its life can be counted in seconds:cheers: and I dont take the hooks out until it is well dead and away from the river...
My last one was pulled in right in the middle of the Wynoochee, there was no accessable bank, my netter couldn't paddle hard enough to get back up to me quick enough, and I was standing in waste deep water. Thank god the jig was hooked solid and I had my gloves on, I grabbed a fistfull of steelhead jaw and it was done.
Lee

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jens
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by jens » Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:04 am

Are you running bait on that double hook rig? From what I have read only certain rivers allow this. I see guys doing this for Salmon, but for Steelies? and not using bait? I am just curious of the hardcore Steelheaders on here who would even use such a thing.. bait, yes, but as a drift rig??

Caught this fish in July, but not looking up.
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by Bodofish » Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:12 am

I've run double hooks for 40 years, bait and no bait. We also used trebles till they were nixed. Twice the pleasure while reeling one in.
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by scott080379 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 9:49 am

Jens, drifting for steelheads is no diffrent than drifting for salmon. Even die hard steelheaders drift for steel. yes i would prefer to use spoons and bait but in some cases it's not ideal.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by jens » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:14 am

scott080379 wrote:Jens, drifting for steelheads is no diffrent than drifting for salmon. Even die hard steelheaders drift for steel. yes i would prefer to use spoons and bait but in some cases it's not ideal.
Dude ya think? I know what drift-fishing is Scott. I have found that rig many times this year on heavily fished rivers -cough cough- Skok/Cow for Salmon.

For Steelhead? and even my good friend Pooh is questioning this rig and I consider him a master drifter...I just don't get it. :-# :-#
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Matt
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by Matt » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:20 am

side drifting out of a boat and the double hook rig with 2 size 2 hooks is a great setup. I have never messed with dole hook rigs from the shore though, and wouldn't unless I was flinging bait.
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by scott080379 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 10:20 am

okay guess I was confused...you don't get the double hook setup?

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by flinginpooh » Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:21 am

No Scott he has fly fisher eliteist syndrome. He had a banner year with bobber and jig. But cannot drift for steel. He feels that drifting now is snagging fish. I like Jensen but I dont like his view on this at all. Its just that though, its his view. Really anyone that knows fishing knows whats up. People stuck on fishing one style will never hook fish on every river under ever circumstance. You need to be adaptable to the river. Hes stuck on spoons cause they are easy to fish easy to feel a strike. Or bobber and jig, easy to see a strike. Drift fishing unless you have the expiriences on the drifts yor fishing might not be as easy to tell if its bottom or weeds or line or maybe a bite. Besides flossing to me is fishing. I use scent to lure the fish close and when I feel a bump its on. Mine are in the mouth. Not the head or the gills and I might add both are legal. But the mouth solid hooksets in the toungue or the corner of mouth. I had a few in the upper mouth. Thats what I do thats how I catch em, but I get em even when the water is too high and too murky for Slobbers and wigs.

Dont get mad at me Jensen Floss a fish. Im heading out to glowball. My dad wants to fish tonight. Been awhile since I fished with him.
Last edited by Anonymous on Thu Dec 23, 2010 11:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
More fish please!

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jens
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by jens » Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:13 pm

flinginpooh wrote:No Scott he has fly fisher eliteist syndrome. He had a banner year with bobber and jig. But cannot drift for steel. He feels that drifting now is snagging fish. I like Jensen but I dont like his view on this at all. Its just that though, its his view. Really anyone that knows fishing knows whats up. People stuck on fishing one style will never hook fish on every river under ever circumstance. You need to be adaptable to the river. Hes stuck on spoons cause they are easy to fish easy to feel a strike. Or bobber and jig, easy to see a strike. Drift fishing unless you have the expiriences on the drifts yor fishing might not be as easy to tell if its bottom or weeds or line or maybe a bite. Besides flossing to me is fishing. I use scent to lure the fish close and when I feel a bump its on. Mine are in the mouth. Not the head or the gills and I might add both are legal. But the mouth solid hooksets in the toungue or the corner of mouth. I had a few in the upper mouth. Thats what I do thats how I catch em, but I get em even when the water is too high and too murky for Slobbers and wigs.

Dont get mad at me Jensen Floss a fish. Im heading out to glowball. My dad wants to fish tonight. Been awhile since I fished with him.
I am glad I finally got you to admit you are a flosser!! Not sure how you think I am stuck on 1 style of fishing. I have caught Steelhead on Jigs, Spoons, a pink worm, on eggs, on coon shrimp, and sandshrimp, not 1, not 1 single fish on drifting a corky/yarn.
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by Bodofish » Thu Dec 23, 2010 12:24 pm

flinginpooh wrote:No Scott he has fly fisher eliteist syndrome. He had a banner year with bobber and jig. But cannot drift for steel. He feels that drifting now is snagging fish. I like Jensen but I dont like his view on this at all. Its just that though, its his view. Really anyone that knows fishing knows whats up. People stuck on fishing one style will never hook fish on every river under ever circumstance. You need to be adaptable to the river. Hes stuck on spoons cause they are easy to fish easy to feel a strike. Or bobber and jig, easy to see a strike. Drift fishing unless you have the expiriences on the drifts yor fishing might not be as easy to tell if its bottom or weeds or line or maybe a bite. Besides flossing to me is fishing. I use scent to lure the fish close and when I feel a bump its on. Mine are in the mouth. Not the head or the gills and I might add both are legal. But the mouth solid hooksets in the toungue or the corner of mouth. I had a few in the upper mouth. Thats what I do thats how I catch em, but I get em even when the water is too high and too murky for Slobbers and wigs.

Dont get mad at me Jensen Floss a fish. Im heading out to glowball. My dad wants to fish tonight. Been awhile since I fished with him.
Nice!!!!
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 3:01 pm

jens wrote:
I have caught Steelhead on Jigs, Spoons, a pink worm, on eggs, on coon shrimp, and sandshrimp, not 1, not 1 single fish on drifting a corky/yarn.


#-o WOW!!! That one's to easy.[lol] [flapper]

[confused] Ignorance is bliss.:sunny:
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by curado » Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:29 pm

he is just jealouse that he sucks at drifting and sangs bottom to much lol
If it looks fishy, Then fish it, If it dont look fishy, fish it anyways. <')}}}}><

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Thu Dec 23, 2010 6:38 pm

curado wrote:he is just jealouse that he sucks at drifting and sangs bottom to much lol
Those freshwater Rockfish are a real pain sometimes. lol. [lol]

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