Steelhead Hook Size??

[Swim Shady]

My co-worker T-Jet and I are having a discussion on “what is the best size hook to drift fish steelhead.” We hit the Santiam system hard for native winter runs and drift fish almost exclusively. Last year I though I read that hook size for Steelhead/Salmon in the Santiam was #1/0 or larger. Can't seem to find this rule in the 04 regs, but perhaps the rule did not really exist last year. So the question is.. What is the preferred hook size for winter Steelhead drift fishing? We use eggs, sand shrimp and colored Prawns. This year I am going to try Spawn Sacks with a smaller presentation of eggs. I personally prefer the smaller hooks #2,4's but any input would help.

[Radke]

For a while I thought bigger is better, started using 1 & 1/0 sizes. Ran out of my stock, found a box of #2's I still had from a couple years back, so started using them. Hooked about the same number of fish, but they weren't coming unbuttoned as often. I keep track of how many fish I hook and how many I actually land from year to year. What I found is that with #2 hooks, I land about two out of every three, but with a #1, I land about 50% at best. When I am not using spinners, I usually just drift yarn, hardly ever bait. For what it's worth, my .02.

[David Johnson]

There are a ton of varieable so it's hard to give just one answer to "what's the best size"

There's a little discussion about it on this Thread

It depends on drift bobber size, how high you want the rig to float, if you are using a lure, if you want the fish to take it deeper.....

[Swim Shady]

Thanks for the link to the other thread, very helpful. Guess I was not too far off in using the smaller hooks.

[SHOUGALNITE]

Size 1&2 gamakatsu for drift fishing. 1ot 2ot for diving bait.

[Chromaflage]

For winter fish, I use 1/0 VMC straight point. For summers, it depends on water conditions and what I'm using for bait/lure. Sometimes I'll go down to 6 or 8 for summers if i'm fly fishing.

ORS

[driftphish]

size 1 and 1/0.

some brands differ a bit in size.

[riverraider]

I use size 2's. One puffball and a cluster of eggs. Might use a bigger egg cluster in low vis water conditions, but always a #2 hook. Obviously , I'm talking steelhead here.
For salmon its always a 3/0.
Besides, this way I can buy my Gami's in the 100 packs, and always have 25-30 leaders tied up and ready.

[Mikeymoto]

Depends on water conditions, but I have done real well with #4's abd #6's. I did pick up some #8's and #10's, boy are they small but they hook and hold in the corner of the mouth. But there have been times when a 3/0 has brought home the bacon too. MM

[GOT2FISH]

I thought I was the only one! I recall at one point in time the North Santiam was 1/0 or larger this year I read the regs and couldnt find any info on it, so I called ODFW and ask them if I could use #1 size hooks they couldnt answer the question [Salem Office On Silverton] So I called OSP and they refered me to a Senior Trooper in Oregon City two days later he called and siad there were no special notes on the north so size doesnt made as long as you follow the rules under genaral regs. Hope this helps.

[KingFisher85]

I use lots of #4s but every now and then I'll jump up to a #2 if I run out of 4s

[RichH]

For winter fish I use 2/0 while driftfishing unless the water is extremely clear and then I may go as small as 1. When sidedrifting bait I will fish as small as size 2. I don't lose many fish once they're hooked but I tend to fish bait alot.

[Fish Hawg]

A red Owner size 1