A bite or not a bite that is the Question

[Mute dog1]

I'm am a rookie to the sport of steelhead fishing and I'm looking for some advice on how to detect the bite of a steelhead. I under stand the bite is very lite and hard to detect. My brother caught his first fish Sunday and when I asked him how he knew he had a fish on he couldn't tell me. I have been doing alot of reading on this subject and fishing as much as possible any advice would be appreciated.
Mutedog1

[4Salt]

My best advice to one starting out, would be to fish floats and jigs, bait, pink worms etc...
If the float goes under.... set the hook!
It's definitely the easiest technique for the beginning steelheader to master, and is pretty darn effective. :smile:

[Jim]

Hey Mute,
The way that I have explained it for years...You feel your lead bouncing on rocks...rock...rock...rock...rock...pillow...rock. ..rock

If you didn't set the hook on pillow you missed it. Watch the good steelheaders, total concentration. Switch you mainline to 20lb Power Pro line and you will feel things much better!! Keep you leader the mono of your choice.

Tip up and quick set!

Jim[/LIST]

[O'City Fisherman]

The only other advise that I can give is watch your line. If your line stops for a second then set the hook. This might do two things. 1. You will learn the feel of how they bite. 2. You will catch fish also. Good luck.

[marky-sharky]

try to go with the least weight as possible. Hit the bottom only a few times through the drift. Less hang-ups and fewer decieving rocks. Your bait or corkie will still be in strike zone. I'm a young drift fisherman but this seems to help me detect bites easier. I aslo would have to agree with the worms also, the fish will hit those harder. Good luck!!!

[PEEPS]

Learning that I needed to keep my hook sticky sharp improved my catching success. Sometimes, I don't feel the take, but the fish has hooked itself enough that I can feel that 'alive' at the end of my line and set the hook properly.

[Trick]

Spinners and plugs like Hot-shots or Wiggle-warts will give you some vicious strikes that you would be hard-pressed to miss. I still drift-fish corkies and yarn and/or eggs most often but I rarely leave a hole without tossing some other artificials before I leave. Don't get stuck into using one method all the time and you'll be better for it.

[DanS]

Mute,

If you start out with a float......you're not going to learn that drift fishing bite. That's entirely up to you. Float fishing is very effective and in my opinion is the best way for a beginner to catch fish. Notice that I said "catch fish". That means you're not going to develop a feel for a drift fishing bite if you don't take the time to get a feel for what should trigger a hookset.

The descriptions above are pretty good, although drift fishing bites can feel different all the time. Sometimes it's a "peck, peck, peck" sometimes a tug, sometimes a slack line, sometimes a hard jerk. It all depends on what kind of water you're fishing, and who decides to sample your offering. The thing to remember is this: There is no penalty for setting back and whiffing, although it might cost you some gear (get used to it if you drift fish). The penalty for not setting the hook when a fish picks up is severe. You'll see him twist, flash once or twice, and send you packin' :shocked:

It all boils down to time on the water. If you spend some time in one place and learn what the bottom feels like, it will help you to distinguish between rocks, gravel, maybe a root, and a fish. When you get a hookup, try to think about what you just felt. Chances are if you feel that again, you should be setting the hook.

Now for the float fishing tips: Set your jig a couple feet off bottom, cast out, when the float twitches, wiggles, or sinks, set the hook. Ummm, that's about it. :grin: Kidding, of course. Jig fishing is just like drift fishing (don't let Herzog fool you :grin: ), some guys do it, and some guys do it REALLY well. The difference is, a beginner has a much better chance with a float (Float down = fish), because you don't have to "feel" the bite, you can see it.

Anyway, good luck. Pick your poison, I guess. I used to be a steady drift fisher, now I'm using floats and jigs most of the time. It's all good........ :grin:

[First Bite]

Lots of good advice given above. I remember asking the same question when I first started drift fishing. The first drift fish I caught, I felt a light bump and I thought it might be a fish. I set the hook and was almost surprised when the steelhead wents nuts. Over time you get a feel for the subtle difference between a rock and a take. Several years after I caught my first fish, I purchased a G Loomis rod and Curado reel (the best fishing gear investment I've made) The difference in sensitivity was unbelievable. Not only could I detect a light take easier, but I can feel the contour of the river bottom much better. If you are serious about fishing for steelhead, invest in the best gear you can afford.

One other thing that I do when drift fishing is to wait for the second bump. By this I mean if you feel what you think might be a take, slightly lower your rod tip to the water and if you feel the second bump, raise your rod tip, feel the tension and then set the hook. Do this all in one motion. If you raise your rod tip and feel nothing, then your offering is still in the zone. Sometimes a fish will mouth your bait once and then spit it out...but then take it again. Several times I've watched steelhead mouth a sand shrimp tail and then spit it out...take...spit...take...spit over and over. Finally after doing this several times, they will inhale the offering.

I love float fishing with bait and jigs more then ever but when the river is up and moving, I love drift fishing and feeling a steelhead mouth your drift fished lure is what keeps me coming back.

Mark

[Todd]

As your gear bounces over the bottom, it tends to feel like "tic, tic, tic", with a bit of sharpness to it.

As a fish picks up your offering, the "tic" remains, but is softer, like being attached to a rubberband with somone playing it very lightly like a guitar string.

That's about the best explanation I can give. It's one of those things that is hard to recognize, but once you do, you'll never forget it. It will become one of your favorite things in no time flat!

Fish on...

Todd.

[chuck 'n' duck]

When you are starting out, set the hook on everything that feels out of the ordinary while drift fishing. You may be setting the hook on alot of snags, but by doing this you will not miss any fish. As time goes by, you will get the hang of it, and be able to tell when you are getting bit.

CnD

[Mute dog1]

Jim, Todd thanks for the info. 4Salt, I have already picked up some jigs and floats and plan to give them a try this weekend. :smile: Thanks all