Your GoTo Lure

[THE REEL HEY_YALL]

Now, being fairly new to the PacNW and with a supposed steelhead season upon us, What is everyone's GoTo lure for Winter Steelies? Ya know, when you have tried lures, and then you reach into your magic hat to pull out all the stops. It's the lure when all else fails, and if the fish are there, then they will surely hit this lure? I want to see the interesting replies to this post. I don't have a goto lure yet, as I have not hooked a winter steelie yet. Summer runs yes, winter runs no.

[Tanner]

Bait Diver with a shrimp from the boat and a bobber and jig from boat or bank.

[Pilar]

Red gammie #1 or 1/0, pea sized piece of pink yarn, 18" 8lb leader with a slinker and black swivel and nothing else! Just ask Krystalflash about this one, he's a believer now!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~OR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1/2 stick, 12" fuse and blasting cap duct taped to a railroad spike. Noisy as hell but always works. Don't forget to throw it. Sometimes the fish land on the bank. Called a Dupont spinner or boom stick. Hey y'all watch this! Just Kidding!!!

The bend is your friend!

[Bait O' Eggs]

It has to be bait and preferably eggs, shrimp is a poor substitute for good eggs. They need to be drifted from the side of the hole. No yarn, no scent, just straight up eggs. The correct amount of lead for a consistant bottom bouncing drift and you are in 'em. No need to trick them into feeding or make them angry. Just put good food in front of them and they feed.

I have never caught a fish on a plug. Quite frankly dont think they work. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif It is a confidence thing. If you dont think they wont work, they wont. A couple years ago I started dabbling in plugs. Got a few hotshots and tadpollys for steelhead. I dont get to worried about my hook to landing ratio because, I cannot hook one. This season I have been concentrating on plugs. Plugs are amounting to at least 70% of my drift boat time and not a bite. I have drifted 5 rivers in the last 10 days and can only get a bite on bait, just like always. If I ever catch a fish on a plug, it will be put under glass and framed (the plug that is). I have taken plug fisherman fishing to make sure I was doing it right, I have tried at least a dozen colors. Even had a guide tell me it was his hottest plug on my line all day http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif So far I have just watched the pole tip wiggle a little. Maybe all that wiggling has got me thinking of other things, and not fish http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Go with the eggs, they work.

[This message has been edited by Bait O' Eggs (edited 01-02-2001).]

[winterkill]

Eggs and a bobber is a all time great, but if all else fails call em up on the telephone http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

[SandySteel]

It depends on the water. My first out of the box is always going to be my "go to" for the kind of water, my position to it, the water clarity, etc.

Here is how I usually go for drift fishing.
Clear water, single Jensen egg with yarn and slinky on 6lb line. Murkier water I go brighter and larger usually a corky with eggs. If I run out of options when I am drift fishing I try a spoon.

Slower water, the first out of the box is eggs below a bobber, (don't forget to add weight) then different color jigs.

Backtrolling the first out of the box is a plug. The kind I use is dependent on the water color. Clear water I turn to cop cars, clowns etc. Green water I like a silver and green or gold. My all time favorite plug is a 35 hotshot green on top and silver on the bottom. It also depends on the depth of the water for the size of the plug. In water that is under 8' I use a wee wart or a #30 hotshot. In deeper water I use a wiggle wart or a #35 hotshot. I have yet to try a tadpolly.

Sometimes I think I am too complicated in my fishing. I know of guys who do quite well but stick with one thing.

I read a book once that described the kinds of anglers as either hedgehogs or foxes. Hedgehogs know one thing and do it very well. They usually have just a few of the same kind of lure in their box (maybe in different sizes) Foxes know many things to try to cover many situations. They have oodles of different rods, reels, lines, lures, baits etc. Both are usually successful but in their own way.

I think I am a fox in the way I fish but would like to try being a hedgehog as it seems like I am incredibly weighed down with details and little bits of gear.

[First Bite]

My go to lure is one of my jigs. Pink and/or white is the ticket for me. This is always my first choice.
Mark

[smilesforu]

I am like sandy steel in choosing my lure. WATER FIRST. Then I go to my bag of goodies and try to match it with a proven lure. When i get bored I break out some strange thing I have made or bought and give it a try. Then Back to the proven to see if I missed something.... Found this to be a good way to test some new lures. There is a whole world of fishing lures/techniques that work. The key is to use the one that matches your current conditions and be flexible enough to try maximize your results. A foxy hedgehog http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

Tight Lines

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Marty M
Steelheader.net (http://www.steelheader.net/)

[kingofbacklash]

Drift fishing.....pink pearl corky or raspberry okie!
Bait fishing.....eggs, just like BOE I feel that plain eggs are best. A thumb nail size of egg cluster is all you need for best steelie results.


fearsnofish

[Fishin Magician]

Pink Pearl Corkie/ Shrimp

[drifter]

I must respectfully disagree with Bait O'Eggs. My "go-to" lure for steelhead is a pink glitter corky and a sand shrimp tail.

We did an experiment last year on a well known coastal stream for March natives. 21 fish hooked, 17 landed. Shrimp beat eggs by 50%.

Of course, I will use eggs when I have them. Who wouldn't? But, if I had to choose just one setup, it would be the above. Drifter.

[This message has been edited by drifter (edited 01-02-2001).]

[SteelieSteve]

Hey Pilar your boom stick oughta work everytime. LOL... I like pink pearl corkies a dab of eggs and a bit of orange yarn. But color depends on the water color too.
Tight lines!!!!

[HOGTIDE]

E G G S ! ! ! !!! Not little dime size (I wanna save my ammo) wimpy clusters or great lakes (we're sissys with out decent bait, tied spawn in a sack) eggs. Not Cowlitz (perfect recipe/perfect size and we're not gonna tell ya) eggs...but, big drippin', tidewater size, globs of ripe orange, splattering, slinging chinook roe! Don't worry, they can gulp it. Shoot..I'd cast the whole skein out there if it did'nt snap my light leader.

Anyway.....I use eggs.


Oh...as You might have guessed; Sometimes I run out of eggs early in the trip. Then, I use a small pink pearl corky.

[This message has been edited by HOGTIDE (edited 01-02-2001).]

[Hotshot]

! Always fish with confidence and with what you no works for you! everyone has there favorite plug!!! Mine is the one that has been Beat into submission! Its not always the color as much is the way it runs!!

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www.olympicpeninsulafishing.com (http://www.olympicpeninsulafishing.com)
check out Jim and Guys daily pics

[This message has been edited by Hotshot (edited 01-02-2001).]

[Sand Shrimp]

Pink pearl corkie or clown spin glow with white yarn and a sand shrimp tail with shrimp scent on the yarn.

[Greg]

Hey Pilar, your broomstick lure reminds me of a story a game warden friend from back home (a little south of the north/south dividing line) told for the absolute truth...seems a co-worker of his walked in on an old codger in the process of dynamiting his favorite hole on the river. When asked what he was doing, he replied "Fishing" and proceeded to light another stick, and toss it at the warden's feet. "You gonna stand there jawin' or are you gonna fish?" http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Greg

[Deleted User]

Flame orange small sized Birdie, chartreuse yarn and shrimp or eggs in slightly off color water in clearer water pink pearl very small spin-glo with white yarn. I like my drift bobbers to have a little motion to them.

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Bigstew-----
RT and I were separated at birth

[rags]

Rag and a shrimp tail. Two 20lbers last year!

[Deleted User]

As mentioned, it is always dependant on water conditions. For average flow and average green color winter steelheading the closest to a 'go to' lure for me is a small cerise/glitter corky, a taper cut peice of white 'Glo Bug' yarn with in the egg loop, and egg cluster (eggs that were specifically cured for steelhead fishing, including very small amounts of shrimp and anise oil). I still love to driftfish, but also get out the floats where appropriate. - RT

[Fish4Fun]

Pink or pearl pink corkie with chartreuse yarn and eggs. Next would be solid green or blue metallic hotshots.

[TH]

Clear water conditions---- a red puff ball #4 gamakatsu, maybe a little egg juice smeared on it for added flavor.

Green water -- pink/white areofly 1/0 gamakatsu and a shrimp tail.

Murkey water --- 3/8 rag, #1 gamie, with shrimp oil...

Long live the puff ball!!! http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif

TH
www.thcustomrods.com (http://www.thcustomrods.com)

[Fuzzybutt & Angel]

1/4 oz. Silent Approach "classic" marabou jig tipped with prawn meat, is my weapon of choice.
clear water: baby pink/white, pearl pink head

green water: all white, black head

murky green water: cerise/white, cerise head

murky brown water: cerise/ cerise head

Fuzzy www.silentapproach.com (http://www.silentapproach.com)

[Kwiky]

clear(ish) water: gotta jump on the bandwagon and go with the pink/pearl corkie and boraxed eggs.

murky(ish) water: flo orange corkie and a prawn tail. No bait leaves a bigger scent trail or is more durable. Close second is the same corkie with redd hott double stuff eggs.

Kwiky

[STRIKE ZONE]

My go to lure of choice in all conditions would be.Rag and sand shrimp with shrimp smelly jelly all over the rag.The color of the rag would be,Dark roe/baby pink and cotton candy.The smelly jelly is the paste type. Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

[Trick]

My favorite choice is a green Buzzbomb with a 3/0 treble attached. Put a pinch of yarn on the hook and put on a little anus oil or is that anise oil, I'm not sure because the only place I seem to hook them is in the anus??? I figure it must me the scent I'm using......now that I got your attention.

My go-to-lure for steelhead is a small hot pink corky with a size one gami hook and a small piece of white yarn soaked with shrimp scent. I've caught tons of fish using it. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif