Fishing for Steelhead is one of the most fun species of fish that you can fish for. All sorts of people can be found fishing for the elusive Steelhead. These fish are difficult to catch. They are an old and wise Trout that have managed to live long enough to journey to the ocean and return upstream to spawn. They don’t get to be old fish by biting any old bait that drifts by. These fish can be very hard to catch. Sometimes no matter your skill level or type of bait, you just won’t catch them. The Pacific north - west is one of the better places to fish for Steelhead. The best place in the world to fish for Steelhead is in Yakitat Alaska. The place is really something to see. The fishing is as good as it gets. You can go for Steelhead or Silver Salmon. The Situk River is just outside of Yakitat. This place is very wild and pristine. The bears have been known to cause a lot of problems. Guided trips are available but fairly expensive. If you can afford it, it’s the trip of a lifetime! You can fish for the Steelhead with roe, flies and even worms.

Steelhead do have a run and it makes a difference when you fish for them. There is a Winter run and a Summer run. During the Winter run, the Steelhead are not as aggressive and therefore more difficult to catch. The Summer run is when you want to fish, when they start heading up the rivers. They are very aggressive and will nail all sorts of baits including live bait, soft plastic baits, lures, roe and flies. They will remain in the river until the Fall. In the Fall they will spawn and head back to the ocean. Steelhead will do several cycles like this during their life. This is what allows some Steelhead to get so large! Salmon on the other hand will go up the river in the fall, spawn and die. You should do some research before fishing for Steelhead. Some rivers are better than others. Some baits work better in different rivers. Fishing for Steelhead is an art. It is best to learn how to fish for Steelhead by an experienced angler. Guides are a wealth of information. You’ll learn a lot if you take a guided trip down a river in a drift boat. It’s an experience that you’ll remember for a lifetime.

How To Fish For Steelhead

There are many ways and techniques to fishing for Steelhead. I recommend using roe, shrimp, lures, plugs, worms or flies. You may have to try all of these baits and see what they may be interested in that particular day. Steelhead are notorious fighters, so you’ll want to have a good fishing set up. Get a good quality fishing pole and reel. I would suggest 10 lbs. line and make sure to set your drag right. These fish will snap your line, if your drag is not set right! You can also fish for Steelhead using flies and a fly rod. This method of fishing takes years to learn and lots of patience.

I usually fish from the bank of a river while fishing for these species of fish. Make sure to use a good fishing knot when tying your hook on to your line. I use a regular fisherman’s knot. Then I’ll place my colored hot shot, split shot sinkers about 18 inches above the hook. You can use all kinds of different set ups for weight. Then I decide on which bait to try first. For Salmon and Steelhead I’ll usually try roe. There are several types of roe. The best roe is fresh cured real roe. If I don’t have any on hand I’ll use Exude Egg Clusters or Berkley Egg Clusters . I’ll place two of these egg clusters on an orange, #2 Eagle Claw Pro - Series Hook. You have to make sure that you have enough weight in your line to ensure that your bait is drifting on the bottom of the river. Now I’ll put some Salty Shad or Sardine flavored Basswax directly on the bait. Now you find a good deep hole and cast above the hole, letting the bait drift along the bottom though the deep hole. Repeat this cycle casting in different places upstream. If there is a fish in the hole, you’ll have a good chance of catching him with persistence and patience! Always read the fishing regulations in your state to see what sorts of hooks are allowed in your area.


Some More Rivers Where You’ll Catch a Steelhead

California
Smith River
Klamath River
Sacramento River
Feather River
American River

Oregon
Chetco River
Rouge River
Willamette River
Elk River
Dechutes River
Illinois River
Umpqua River
Mckenzie River

Washington
Snohomish River
Skagit River
Stillaguamish River
Snake River
Olympic Peninsula
Cowlitz River
Columbia River
Lewis River
Hoh River

Alaska
Situk River
Kenai River
Karluk River

British Columbia
Kalum river (Home to World Record Steelhead @ 42 Pounds)
Skeena River


Guides & Outfitters

Dennis Dickson, Flyfishing
PO Box 295
Arlington WA 98223
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Z-Boat Lodge River Guides, Ltd
1778 Sleeping Beauty Lane, Terrace, BC Canada V8G 3Z6
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Bob’s Piscatorial Pursuits Alaska / Washington
PO Box 1207 Soldotna, Alaska 99669


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Building The Ultimate Tackle Box

► Rod & Reel
► Tackle Box
► Fishing Hooks
► Sinkers
► Stringer
► Berkley Soft Plastic worms
► Live Night crawlers / worms
► Gerber, multipurpose knife
► Swivels
► Small Net
► Basswax crawdad scent
► B.A.N.G crawdad scent
► Panther Martin Lures
► Klawdad
► Exude Egg Clusters
► Berkley Egg Clusters
► Fly’s
► Soft Rubber Crawdad bait
► Extra fishing line, 8 to10 lbs
► Waders, if you use them
► Fishing License & State fishing Regulations
► Microlight Flashlight
► First Aid Kit with bee sting and snake bite kits
► Cellular phone
► Camera (So you can take a picture, before you let that monster go!)
► Compass
► Map of the area
► Small inflatable raft or tube
► Your kids or Grandchildren


Thanks for the read,

© 2005 Joe McMaster

Recommended: Yes

Recommended Line/Rod Weight: 10 To 12 Wt
Recommended Lure/Bait/Fly: Roe, shrimp, Lures
Region Where Found: North - West U.S & Canada
Flavor: A delicacy
Recommended Tackle: Flyfishing
Recommended Line/Leader Weight: 6 To 12 Lb Test