Non Biters

[MasterCaster]

Ive got a friend that wants to go try and catch a steelhead this week and I know where there are MANY summers hideing if you want to call it hideing lol
just below BigCliff is full of summers right now but they arent biting one guy caught one on a jig today but that was all I heard of. It was in the middle of the day and that may have something to do with it. Im gonna try early and late the next few days and see if it makes a difference. Ive caught fish there in the evening before but they never seem to bite very good. Any advise on how to "trick" em into biting? Anyone here fish for em there often? Sure is alot of fish up there for them not to be hungry. images/icons/confused.gif images/icons/wink.gif

[Hookset]

Summers like bait and are hungry most of the time. However, when the sun is bright on the water, they're not going to be active, or least as much. I've always had my best days fishing at first light and late in the evening when the sun drops and casts shadows on the water.

Bait of choice in no particular order are, fresh cured eggs, sand shrimp and crawdad tails. You could also apply a little scent, like shrimp or craw/anise. I like using long 36", 6 or 8lb leaders, size 2 to 4 hooks and light lead. The lead should only tick bottom every so slightly. Floats would work great for this type of fishing. Don't add any yarn or lures like corkies etc., this is ala natural fishing, very simple and basic.

Remember, your feeding them breakfast or dinner. All you have to do is show up at feeding time.

best of luck,

Gregg

[First Bite]

Jon
Great information given above. What has worked for me over the years is to use small jigs, ie; 1/16th-oz or smaller tied on a size 1 or 2 hook in darker patterns such as red or black. If bait is allowed, add tiny thumbnail size baits such as crawdad tails or sand shrimp tails and thread them onto the jig. I'll also drop down to 6# test and use the smallest floats that I can easily cast. You'll usually find more aggressive fish in the faster water that leads into a drift. Next time out on the river look for water that has some cover to it and you just might find a biter. Good luck.
Mark


www.firstcastjigs.com (http://www.firstcastjigs.com)

[chuck 'n' duck]

Jon: The summers are starting to become increasingly difficult to hook this time of year. With low water and bright sunshine, you will be hard pressed to find biters. Just as hookset said, you need to switch tactics. Don't think that the regular flourescent colored drift bobbers, whole sandshrimp, large marabou jigs or even #4 or larger spinners will do the trick anymore. Sure, you will still hook the occasional suicidal steelhead with these methods, but if you want to increase you success this time in the summer, you need to try something different. If you are bobber and jig fishing, try natural colors, such as browns, blacks, red, mute orange, or even olive. If you are spinner fishing, focus on the fast water at the head of runs with small (#3 and smaller) spinners. For drift fishing, try darker corkies like black or purple. If you are drifting bait, try a very small cluster of eggs, or a crawdad tail with no corkies or yarn. Also, it is important to remember that on many streams, such as the Santiams, you must have a #1 or larger hook if you are fishing bait.

Also, don't target steelhead that have been pooled up for long periods of time (at least until we get a good rain). Find steelhead that are in the faster runs. They should be more willing to bite.

Good Luck,

CnD