Steelhead set ups

[FishingThePacNW]

Hey guys i was wondering what your guys steelhead setups were im trying to catch my first steelie this year!

[natetreat]

What do you mean? Boats and lures, or rods and reels?

[returnofthefish]

Im lifting two pound dumbells three hours a day on each arm. Its to replicate the thousand casts one makes when steelhead fishing. Just kidding bro. Did you watch the Green River video Nate and Mike made? Theres a bobber and jig that you can go with. Or bobber and eggs like fishenfreak. Or you can even cast spoons. I would read the old reports fromt the river that you plan to go to and check out if the reports list methods use to catch steel.

[RiverChromeGS]

I caught 80 steelhead last year and 26 already this year on this setup:

Wrap Around Dink Float. Long enough leader to be ticking bottom with your weight, adjust weight due to water conditions and depth. 3 foot leader, number 1 hook. Little piece of yarn, pink flame or chartreuse, and EGGS. Never used anything else. Maybe a shrimp instead of eggs sometimes.

[luisdabeast206]

do you notice that your hook up ration is better, when using size 1? I tent to love size 2...

[Mike Carey]

do you notice that your hook up ration is better, when using size 1? I tent to love size 2...

I learned to use size 4 for side drifting, although size 2 is fine. I've never used anything bigger than size 1 on steelhead. (for drifting that is).

[bestee1]

fishenfreak is there a way you could possably post a photo of your set up, just to see exactly how you have it rigged or maybe you could pm me. I have been trying hard but have not had any luck getting a steelhead yet. I appreciate it very much

[RiverChromeGS]

i never go smaller than a number 1 for steelhead. Many people say that smaller, number 2 and 4 hooks are better, but for me, i lose much more fish. The reason is because if a big fish makes a fast run or hard headshake, the smaller hooks dont go in the bone or flesh of the mouth as deep, so it can literally "rip" out of the fishes mouth. Of course theyre gonna stick um good sometimes, but when i have a 10+ pound fish on i like to have my hook buried in bone deep so that when it does those headshakes 5 feet from shore the hook is deep enough in to withstand the pressure. Since using number 1's and even 1/0 for steelhead, i have lost VERY few. I am 26-31 this year, mostly using 1/0. The hook get buried so deep that I bend my hook with my pliers when getting it out of the corner of the mouth. AND YES they will sometimes spit the bait because they feel the hook. It happens because of my larger hooks, ive seen them spit it out after eating it in clear water this year. But i usually am on top of my gear and when i feel the bite, i hit them hard, and they rarely come off.

15 pound maxima chameleon mainline and maxima ultragreen 10 pound leader.

With that said, here is my setup. leader is twisted on table to fit in the frame so its longer, about 3 feet between hook and weight. And remember what i said, adjust weight size and bobber height so that you are lightly ticking bottom all the time. More snags this way, but steelhead sit on the bottom, and when they are picky they WILL NOT move up in the water column to eat, but will take some bait that drifts right past their face. Ticking bottom with a bobber rig like mine has let me outfish 95% of people on every river i fish, such as vedder and cascade. Heres yesterdays rig. Add eggs or shrimp and your ready to roll.

[flinginpooh]

So basically you are just drifting eggs and using the bobber as a strike indicator? Im just curious I dont usually fish with a bobber at all. I try it but am too impatient. I like to drift so I can feel it better. Maybe if I try this way Id feel it and Jensen would think I was cool cause I used a bobber lol.

[Kockmandoo]

yeah the bobber helps you to fish in snaggier areas because the bobber helps it move along. as far as a strike indicator goes, we are always tight with our bobber so we can feel the weight ticking bottom and when a steely grabs it, we feel that too. its awesome. its almost like getting the best of both worlds. bobber fishing and drift fishing.

[Mike Carey]

very innovative hybrid set-up. Do you lose many floats doing that?

[RiverChromeGS]

So basically you are just drifting eggs and using the bobber as a strike indicator? Im just curious I dont usually fish with a bobber at all. I try it but am too impatient. I like to drift so I can feel it better. Maybe if I try this way Id feel it and Jensen would think I was cool cause I used a bobber lol.

Yes dude its actually EXACTLY like side drifting. With my technique i always keep my line tight or semi-tight so i can feel the bottom and the bites, just like drifting. My bites i usually just feel and dont even pay attention to the bobber. But you wanna know why the bobber is 10x better than drifting? Cause it keeps a straight line and doesnt swing in, so you can fish a seam all the way down perfectly, knowing where your gear down below is fishing the whole time. AND its snags up WAYYYYYYYYYY less. Like its the same as drifting but longer, straigher drifts and less snags. Just keep your line tight to you bobber and feel um, it works great.

[RiverChromeGS]

very innovative hybrid set-up. Do you lose many floats doing that?

A few, but not that many at all what-so-ever. Most of the time the hook snags, so the leader breaks. if the weight snags, line usually breaks below bobber at knot, but yes you will lose a float every other outing or so.

[bestee1]

fishenfreak- thanks for posting your setup. I am just learning how to river fish and i was having a hard time picturing how you set your rig up. I just have two probably stupid questions, how much eggs should i use (do I cover the whole hook?), and you use a boober stop above the dink float right, and adjust it according to the depth of water you are fishing. Any bit of knowledge you can share is extremly grateful

[RiverChromeGS]

YEs you must adjust the bobber length to make sure you are always in contact with bottom, you should be able to feel that if you keep tight like i said. But i use a wrap around float, so you wrap the line around once and go back through, making it easy to slide if you want, but stays in place while fishing! And i use about medium size baits for steelhead. Dont wanna go to big, nothing bigger than a ping-pong ball, i usually go quarter sized.

[natetreat]

I think it's relevant to mention that the leader holds the eggs with an egg loop, many novice fishermen don't know this knot.

[Mike Carey]

I think it's relevant to mention that the leader holds the eggs with an egg loop, many novice fishermen don't know this knot.

yup and the older you get the harder it is to tie!

[RiverChromeGS]

True good call, you gotta have the bait loop tie or your bait literally is unfishable.
And i hear you mike, lol my dad has trouble tieing gear nowadays because he cant see as well. ha

[Gringo Pescador]

I think it's relevant to mention that the leader holds the eggs with an egg loop, many novice fishermen don't know this knot.

yup and the older you get the harder it is to tie!

Magnified reading glasses from the dollar store. I got a pair in my vest, tackle box, truck, etc...

[Mike Carey]

I think it's relevant to mention that the leader holds the eggs with an egg loop, many novice fishermen don't know this knot.

yup and the older you get the harder it is to tie!

Magnified reading glasses from the dollar store. I got a pair in my vest, tackle box, truck, etc...

I'm also noticing some loss of hand dexterity.