How long to get that 1st steelhead?

T-Jet · 12-03-2003, 08:07 AM

Just wondering how long it took you folks to get into that 1st one. I was lucky! 12 years old, first cast with a watermelon corkie and yarn and 10 minutes later I had a 12lb hen on the bank of the Clackamas River! Waders full of water due to the holes I put in them rolling around in the sticker bushes at home! I will never forget that fish! Little did I know the amount of money it would cost to persue this endevour! I have a friend that I have fished with for many years. I have put him onto silvers, chinook and pretty much anything that swims......but to this day, he has yet to pull the hook from his own steelhead! I have fished Eagle creek with him and watch him long long release, rod break, even get his fish on the bank to have the leader break and the fish flop back into the water! The fish Gods have frowned on him! Just wondering if anyone else has this black cloud over them.

DF · 12-03-2003, 08:11 AM

Too Long, I got the chance to land a few last year when fishing with a friend of mine on bobber and jigs. But have yet to land one by myself of eggs or a corkie...didn't land one at all last year :depressed:

Day Late · 12-03-2003, 08:14 AM

I'm usually the only one to carry a net down to the rivers edge. Damn near gets worn out every year from those "mind if I use your net" guys. Don't mind though if it keeps them from losing a nice fish like your buddy experienced. Keep casting!! :smile:

Day Late

Fishfeet · 12-03-2003, 08:22 AM

That was lucky! It took me 4 yrs of freezing me buttocks off before I latched into one. Don`t know what kept me chasing them. Got one in one of my old favorite spots the day after Turkey day. First cast with a 1/4 oz. gold Thomas, the lure had barely sank out of sight and a nice little late summer hen vaulted head high. I hadn`t even gotten the slack out of my cast yet! She jumped at least 8 times! What a hoot! She had a little bit of red on her gill plates, but still in great shape. I tried to grab her tail to revive her, but she was gone so quick I didn`t even see her move! I was the only only person around on that stretch, it was beautiful! Later, Fishft.

Radke · 12-03-2003, 08:34 AM

I hooked (and lost) one my first season. Took me two more years before I actually put the fish on the bank. Got him at the pipeline hole on the Sandy the day before christmas 1973. 12.5 pounds of pure silver, used a pink pearl corkey. Next day went down and caught two more. Next week caught 7 more. Seemed like once I got my first one, they started coming real easy.

Rauly · 12-03-2003, 09:22 AM

First cast 1977 Kilchis River at ther Park. Launching the boat. Green corkie and orange yarn.

Rauly

Kentucky Hog Hunter · 12-03-2003, 09:27 AM

Moved to Oregon in July of 1992.

1st Steelhead, NF Nehalem below the hatchery in the winter of 92/93.

Orange corkie & chartreuse yarn... Hee Haw, was the Hillbilly happy or what. Remember it like it was yesterday.

Fishfeet · 12-03-2003, 09:41 AM

Radke, I know what you mean man! After catching the first one, they DO seem to come quicker and easier! Anyone else experience that??

Nice goin` all! Many tight lines this winter! Got my first Steelie of the winter the day after Turkey day, a little 6 lb.late summer hen. Man, one of the best jumpers I`ve gotten in a long time! Caught her in my favorite river, on a 1/4 oz Thomas lure, first cast! Musta thrown it directly into her yawning mouth! Hadn`t even gotten the slack out from the cast and she went airborn! What a kick in the pants! Let her go do her thing, she earned it. Later all, Bob.

silverhead · 12-03-2003, 09:50 AM

I feel extreemly lucky, last year was my first year searching for stealhead and I landed my first on the second trip ever. I was on the Clackamas using a sandshrimp and corky. I ended up with four for the winter and one summer a few weeks ago.

GOT2FISH · 12-03-2003, 10:02 AM

I started in Apr. of 99 and got my first Oct 13 at 13:00 fished the same spot and watched everyone else catch them it was realy hard and very disapointing but after the first its all been good.

Beaver1 · 12-03-2003, 10:15 AM

Took me until early in my second season. Fished the Alsea for the first year and nothing. But, december of the next year on Eagle Creek, I got a 8 pound buck on a single pink corkie.

snit · 12-03-2003, 10:20 AM

1st one, 5 years old plugging in the Columbia with my dad (1975).

1st one driftfishing was on the 4th cast, on the Snoqualmie River (under the Falls) on a #10 spin-n-glo. A 6# hen summerrun, that I let go. It was a scabby summerrun that I caught in the winter. I was 11 years old.

The next season I filled a card driftfishing on the Skykomish. The begining of a tremendous addiction!!!

FallRiverGuy · 12-03-2003, 10:38 AM

I was still in High school and no one to show me the tricks so it took 2 years to get my first slime rocket.

trouttroller · 12-03-2003, 10:40 AM

14 years old, been fishing them with my dad since I could hold a pole but was a usual kid steelhead fishing. Intense fishing fo about a half hour then rest of they day throwing rocks and making my dad mad because I was throwing rocks in the water. Finally 1975, Trask river,
Dam hole, first half hour, on pink pearl corkie on a over sized spinning rod caught a 12 lb hen. No more throwing rocks ever since. I can't seem to stop to eat lunch when I steelhead fish now. May miss one coming though. I remember it like it was yesterday. Thanks for the post.

Fishfeet · 12-03-2003, 10:55 AM

Jeez it must be my age showing. :whazzup: I just told the same story twice on the same thread. :grin: Does this happen to anyone else? Bob.

fishbait · 12-03-2003, 12:30 PM

Started around 1963 at 8 yrs old fishing with my uncle and dad, as near as I can remember it was my third year for my first fish landed. Man I do remember how cold I got, perhaps I was more interested in making a fire than fishing..... Didn't steelhead fish much from Jr High through High School, then when I went back at it I averaged about one fish for every 3 or 4 trips for that first year or two, then I got serious, paid attention, got smarter and started catching....

SandyRiverRon · 12-03-2003, 01:09 PM

About 4 hours......Oxbow Park...tailout of Hosner on a nickel Steelie...she almost took the rod out of my hand hitting that spoon in a Kamakazie manner.....second one took a little longer.

traskriverhouse · 12-03-2003, 01:44 PM

It was a "turkey day" drift boat trip with a friend on the Wilson in 1979. A beautiful 8 lb hen did a "tail walk" through the bend below Al's store. I pointed it out to my buddy, not knowing yet that it was on my rod. It was a year later that I caught my first bank steely from Drift Creek (Siletz). That's the one I fell down in the stream but still landed. Wet, freezing, all alone, exhilerated!

lost_sailor · 12-03-2003, 01:57 PM

About 4 years

STRIKE ZONE · 12-03-2003, 02:12 PM

I started @ the age of 12 hooked a few but never landed any until I was 18 years old,about 6 and a half years.I'm now 36 and have thousands of $$$$$$$$ invested into this fishin thing.I wouldn't change a thing.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

notaclue · 12-03-2003, 04:05 PM

It took me probally about 8 trips over three months. Couldn't find any thing around here so I made a trip down to the Trask. Landed the first one that I hooked into using a #3 silver spinner. The very next cast, fish on, but not so lucky with that on. I was so excited after the first one I didn't want to fish any more. Just wanted to drive home and tell somebody.

notaclue

Steelie Ben · 12-03-2003, 04:45 PM

I got all of you beat. I fished with my dad from the age of about 6 on up till high school and hooked only one winter on the sandy, right at Dabney park, only to loose it. I didn't hook up and land a steelhead until my Senior year when a good buddy started going out fishing with me. It was the mouth of Eagle Creek on a Abu Garcia rod and a 5501 reel. It was cold as a well diggers nose out and raining sideways but I woudln't trade that experience for anything. Have landed several more since but none can hold a candle to that first one.
SB

Salmo Gairdnerii · 12-03-2003, 06:23 PM

I first started to fish for steelhead in 1971 on the Alsea River. Hooked my first on Ten Mile Creek south of Yachats in December 1973. Landed my first steelhead in Feburary 1974 on the Siletz, pearl pink okie with pink yarn. Putting in the time was well worth it.

FishinTechnician · 12-03-2003, 06:24 PM

Caught my first one, a 6 lber on the Wilson on my first steelhead trip, at age 9. My older brother and his buddy decided to let my younger brother and I tagalong on this particular trip. To this day I can't imagine why. They dropped us off at a wide turnout and told us we better be in that hole when they got back. I think the name of the hole was "Ming Creek Drift". Does anyone know of a hole so named on the Wilson? Anyway I hooked two and landed the one. When my brother and his buddy returned later in the day they hadn't turned a fish. My younger brother (he was just 7) and I pounded that water to death. Our tackle consisted of Quick Finessa spinning reels and Horrocks-Ibbotson rods and hand me down Okies and and little scraps of yarn. That was back in the late 50's and I'll never forget it.

Old Coot · 12-03-2003, 06:56 PM

Amateurs, all of you! Started fishing for steelhead when I was 12, 1n 1959. My first trip was a cold and miserable day on the Wilson. I hooked and lost a fish. Kept trying, though! And trying. And trying. My next hook-up was in 1991, only 32 years later! Tried for them every year in between. On the up side, I got really good at netting other people's fish.

But, I will never forget my first success outsmarting the clever ironhead! My wiley calculations that resulted in that fish were the stuff legends are made of. It was during an early October Nestucca chinook trip for my dad, in '91. I was at the oars, just below the 101 Bridge, where the river funneled into a long fast and shallow channel only about 10 feet wide. I had reeled in my chinook rig, which was a an orange Spin 'n Glo the size of a big tangerine with a healthy gob of eggs, and hung it over the side so the eggs wouldn't mess up the boat. With the rod tip just over the gunnel of the boat, the Spin 'n glo bounced on the surface of the river, right at the waterline of the stern. I eased into the run canted sideways, so close to the left bank that my anchor bracket was hanging over dry land and suddenly there was this tremendous crashing and thumping on the bottom of the boat - "Hit the rocks," I thought, just as my rod started slamming around. A piscine version of the village idiot had rammed into the bottom of the boat,knocked itself silly, and upon exiting eaten the bouncing Spin 'n Glo. :shocked: A nice summer run of about 12 pounds, I turned it back to go spawn more idiot biters.

My second steelie took a gob of eggs while I was after September salmon, the third hit a plug on the Santiam on the Memorial Day, while I was after springers, the fourth-and-last took a little black spinner while I was trout fishing with my son. I was using a Bingo Bug rod and that fish was about 10" longer than the rod.

After 44 successive years of trying, I still have not caught a steelhead while steelhead fishing. I have witnesses. Maybe it's my personal hygiene? Salmon like me, but when it comes to steelhead, it's getting hard to keep that positive attitude going. [img]graemlins/eek13.gif[/img]

But, this winter will be the one! Right? [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]

[ 12-03-2003, 08:00 PM: Message edited by: Old Coot ]

Streetwalker · 12-03-2003, 11:03 PM

Late 80's After few years of poundin it hard, got my first one on the Wilson & then 8 more within the next month. After knowing what it felt like, I knew how many I had missed prior to that. Now its just instinct, you swing at em before you realize your getting bit.

rola76 · 12-03-2003, 11:09 PM

I'm 27 years old (born in '76), but my dad got me "hooked" when I was only 8 years old. When the Yakima River use to be open, I'd go down with him during the winter run and we'd get our two usually within an hour. We fished eggs, and I remember hooking my first on an old brown Fenwick w/ a spinning reel.

Since then, I've turned into a "monster" as my dad says!!

Tilla · 12-03-2003, 11:13 PM

Took me about 12 minutes, but that second one, now that was a different matter.

Otolith · 12-03-2003, 11:37 PM

Hooked one on my first outing, caught one on my second. Both on the Sandy in Oxbow. Both on a pink/chartreuse corky and yarn combo with some shrimp scent.

William · 12-03-2003, 11:40 PM

Took me two years before I caught my first one. I still remember it very vividly. It was a winter steelhead on the Nestucca at the preachers hole and I caught it on a metallic blue corkie, chartruese yarn and a prawn tail. Not only my first, but my second one came soon after, on the same set up. Now I at least hook one every trip out.

Motofish · 12-03-2003, 11:43 PM

Two years for me. It was my first time in a drift boat bouncing eggs with the "Mole Man".

Motofish · 12-03-2003, 11:45 PM

Two years for me. It was my first time in a drift boat bouncing eggs with the "Mole Man".

SKP · 12-03-2003, 11:52 PM

Fished for steelhead for the first time on the Siletz in November of 1986 and caught nothing. Second time was March of 1987 on the North Santiam and caught nothing. Third time was May of 1987 on the North Santiam, and hooked but lost a springer drifting garbage store bought eggs. I had it on for only a minute (didn't know to set the hook, just kept reeling and tightening my drag [img]graemlins/dork.gif[/img] ), but that minute of fight hooked me for good. It was absolutely awesome

! I fished twice or three times a week the summer of 1987 for springers and steelhead on the North Santiam, and didn't hook any more, but I'm sure I had bites, but didn't know it at the time.

Caught my first silver out of Depoe Bay in September 1987, Caught my first fall chinook at 27 pounds just outside the jaws of Tillamook Bay in October 1987.

Oh, back to the original question, I got excited there

. My first steelhead was caught on Three Rivers in November of 1987, an 8 pound summer steelhead air born rocket! :grin: I landed the first one, then went to another spot on Three Rivers and lost four more the same day. Now I know the bite, and that I didn't even set the hook on many bites like that in the summer of 1987.

:grin: SKP

Fishfeet · 12-04-2003, 07:22 AM

Good story you old coot!! :grin: This is the year for you to nail a steelie while actually trying to. See ya on the Santiam.

Fishft.

KNOPHISH · 12-04-2003, 07:35 AM

I started fishing for steelhead about 20 years ago & it did take a couple years to get the 1st one. But I would go out in the cold cuz my buds always seemed to get em. Just the plain ole corkie & yarn. I did what a rookie would do & try to copy their color, leader length, slot to cast to but could never get the feel of it. They always said to set the hook when it stops, it may be a rock or it may be a fish. Still no luck. After a cold morning at Reiter with no fish for me & all my leaders lost I tied on a Pixie spoon & 1st cast behind a rock I got nailed. Small one but sweet & I was hooked for good. Finally got the hang of that corkie & yarn thing too.

T-Jet · 12-04-2003, 08:15 AM

Hey Old Coot! Send me an e-mail and lets see if we cant get that skunk off ya! Im in Salem too. Winters on the Santiam can be tough but the summer runs are easy!

FishSniffer · 12-04-2003, 09:49 AM

I was first introduced to metalheds in December of 91 at the ripe age of 33. I was visiting the relations of my then fiance. Her brother and cousin took me to what is now Fishermans Marine in Oregon City and I bought a suitable rod and reel which were later absconded with. We fished the Clack for several days and I never saw one, but having been a fisherman since age 4 I was determined and made annual trips to the rivers.

A year ago a friend of mine took me out for a drift on the McKenzie and we had a fish on every fifteen minutes. But I never boated one.

I finally moved to Oregon this year and I have to think it was a present cause just after my 45th birthday I landed a nice 9 lb buck on the S. Santiam in what is now my favorite little run. I've lost several since but I'm determined. Maybe today will be the day!

SciGuy · 12-04-2003, 10:02 AM

6 years (8-14 years old). What made me stick with it is beyond me.

SHOUGALNITE · 12-04-2003, 10:05 AM

The first time I went out for steelhead in a boat I caught about a 12# winter native in the first hole diving shrimp about 5 years ago. The first steelhead drift fishing off the bank, occured on my second outing in December the following year.

River · 12-04-2003, 02:26 PM

I hate to admit this but I think I am in second place after Old Coot.

About 7th or 8th grade I saw a steelhead caught and landed at Boardman Creek on the SF Stillaquamish in Washington. I talked to the guy and he showed me his all brass Wonder spoon and told me how to fish that hole. I tried it and hooked one! But that was before I understood about setting the drag properly. I thought you had to tighten it up or the fish would just keep taking out line and get away.

After that I didn't hook one or catch a steelhead for the next 20+ years NF Stilly (by Darington, Wa.). I fished a lot too. Some years I was going once a week. But in those days I was determined to fish with cheep equipment. That was a mistake.

It was another 12 years after that before I started to be consistent. Ouch.

A lot of failure. But I stayed with it. I do fairly well now. Search on "Catching Leaves" for the story about what changed it for me.

Oh yea, I think that using slinkys helped too. To me there is a greater contrast between the feel of a rock and a fish. That helps.

SuperT · 12-04-2003, 07:16 PM

OK, time for either the laughing or the sympathy to come rolling in...

I started steelhead fishing when I was 14, I've probably hooked a dozen of them, but I have yet to land one. Oh, yeah, I'm 31 now.

Old Coot · 12-04-2003, 10:17 PM

T-Jet, what a gentleman! Thanks

River and Super-T, I'm starting to like you guys!

tag-a-long · 12-05-2003, 06:13 AM

I have been fishing for thirty four years. I got my first and only last year on the N. Santiam.

SteelieSteve · 12-05-2003, 09:38 AM

It took me 2 winter seasons to get my first bright fish. First season I hooked 3 or 4 downrunners. First bright fish was a Sandy fish in '79. Once you find where the fish hold or travel you will hookup more often. Best advise I can give is pick a river with good hatchery returns and use good quality gear. Best drift rig ever is the pink pearl corkie/pink or orange yarn and good eggs. It takes time to learn the feel of a biting fish so give yourself a good chance by going to a river with good runs,nearly any North Coast river. 2 of the best ones no longer have hatchery returns, the Trask and Nehalem. They will give up a few strays but are not hatchery released rivers.