yak2you2
2010-01-21 11:01:29
Last couple of springs I've noticed subsistence nets will catch steelhead in the saltwater, so you know they're there, But never a one on troll gear. I went through the same area pulling around herring and hootchies with rods, caught a few kings, but no steelhead.
15 years I've been a commercial troller, and a sport fishermen for a lot longer than that, never caught a steelhead in saltwater, seems kind of odd. Not that this is a bad thing, it's one less thing for us to be blamed for if the stocks happen to go down. I've caught every other species there is at one time or another. No Dolly Varden either. The rivers here are lousy with dollies, and in-river they will attack absolutely any lure that hits the water no matter the size or color, but again, never a one trolling in all this time.
I have heard of the odd steelhead being caught, but it's very rare. Anybody have any thoughts on why? Don't tell me it's because they won't eat herring, I've pulled them out of their guts before, and as fanatic as steelhead fishermen are, if there was a way to troll them it would already be going on somewhere, but you never hear of it.
The only thing I can think of is that it must be line sensitivity, I might buy that for steelhead, but not dollies.
Salty
2010-01-22 02:06:31
Yak,
I have caught lots of Steelhead over the years. Mostly on a fly rod in streams in SE but also in Oregon and Washington. Also have caught some Dollies, mostly as a youngster at the mouth of whichever stream was closest but lots in Petersburg Creek.
I have also caught a few Steelhead trolling over the years and lots of dollies. I fondly remember catching a Steelhead on the top coho spoon on my float bag. I just got a hold of the leader which was pulling down hard, like a halibut or big Chinook, when the leader went slack, I kind of groaned but then that darn chrome brite creature came somersaulting out of the water so high I almost lost my grip on the snap. After a bit of an adventure getting that bundle of energy conked and onto the boat I managed to get a good look. About 18 pounds, thick bellied, probably bound for a Skeena tributary. I brought it to the scow in Kalinin Bay where the fish buyer smoked and canned it. Boy was that a sweet firm taste delight.
I never have understood why we don't catch more Steelhead trolling. Perhaps we are going too fast, they are leader shy, don't like the gear, etc. I do know the gillnetters say they are often in the top few meshes.
Tomorrow those darn virgin bowpoles catch something.
SilverT
2010-01-22 04:43:56
Yak,
I have always wondered why we didn't catch more in the salt, as well. When I was a boy, we caught a couple of steelhead per season on #3 pink manistees w/black dots, miles from shore. As I remember it, we only caught one on a different lure in five years of fishing. I always wanted to try a manistee in a river. Dad always ran 60# with the spoons. The sport guys fish in the salt for them successfully from the beach, quite a ways from the river mouths. They use a spin-n-glo in front of a pink hootchie. This might indicate that they start to run tight to the beach even when they are some distance from the spawning grounds when they get in the mood to head for the river.