Steelhead fishing

verysweepy · 12-05-2003, 03:40 PM

Something I thought about today while out fishing, everybody is all about steelhead fishing when they get up into the rivers and streams but what about when they're out in the ocean? Does anyone target steelhead out in the ocean like they do salmon? Do they have the same habits as salmon as far as what they do out in the ocean? Just curious because I can't recall seeing any post about fishing for them in the ocean.

SciGuy · 12-05-2003, 03:50 PM

Its rare to catch steelhead in the salt. There are a few places where migrating steelhead concentrate as they move around a point. I've caught a few, 15 or so years ago, at Bush Point using a spin-n-glow in front of a hootchie. They'd often hit just before you brought the rig out of the water. I'm not sure if that fishery is still alive.

Thumper · 12-05-2003, 04:12 PM

Ooooh, this is a great thread. I am anxious to see more inputs.

Flatfish · 12-05-2003, 04:21 PM

A friend( Johnny the self proclaimed Worlds Greatest Fisherman) used to troll the ocean commercially. He says you catch a few, but not many. But they never targeted them. Usually Silvers and Chinooks.

I would think you could figure them out if you put in your time. But why would you want to catch a Steelhead when there are Cohos around?

Mark and the self proclaimed wonder dog.

verysweepy · 12-05-2003, 05:05 PM

I was just curious because eveyone gets so worked up about them when they get here, me included

SteelieSteve · 12-05-2003, 05:14 PM

I've read a few articles in Salmon Trout Steelheader about tidewater bobber fishing. Never seen anyone do it in Oregon.

Uglygreen · 12-05-2003, 06:02 PM

I saw one onthe Cutting table at Depoe bay - guys who caught it said they thought it was a funny looking Coho. Said they got it on a herring. Wildhawg was wih me, and it was a bout a 6 lb clipped steelhead for sure.

UG

dawhunt · 12-05-2003, 06:36 PM

Isn't there an old fort up near Seattle or Puget(spelling) Sound where they fish off the bank for steelhead
in the sound (ocean)and do pretty well ?? I think they use hootches and spin glows :whazzup: I believe i read where they cast into the surf and the steelhead will often chase the lure right up to the beach.
Bob :whazzup:

[ 12-05-2003, 07:38 PM: Message edited by: dawhunt ]

Mikeymoto · 12-05-2003, 09:04 PM

I've heard that they use squid for bait up in Willaby??? Washington. Not sure that is the correct name but I think it may be close. I read a article a while back in STS about it, or maybe it was in a Bill Herzog book, but I do remember it was squid that they took more readily. If I find any more info I'll post it. MM

River · 12-05-2003, 09:53 PM

The old fort mentioned may be Fort Casey. It is on Whidbey Is. in Washington. I know they catch salmon from the beach but I don't know about steelhead.

I have been there several times but always at the wrong times for good fishing.

SciGuy · 12-06-2003, 07:23 AM

It think "the fort" is Fort Warden up by Port Townsend...also a good place for catching salmon off the beach.

DanS · 12-06-2003, 12:10 PM

The steelheading can be hot at times at Ft. Casey on Whidbey, but there are only a couple places around the Sound were they have much success. The standard setup is a drift rig, with a snap swivel and pencil lead, and a leader with a hootchie squid, bead, and Spin-n-Glo on top of the squid's head. Cast out, let sink, reel in, drop,...... reel in, drop.

We've caught steelhead from time to time in the B-10 fishery, but I don't think they school up in numbers like salmon do so it would be harder to target them.

If you figured out how to successfully target steelhead in saltwater areas (and learned us up on the how-to)........we would all bow down in praise.

[ 12-06-2003, 01:15 PM: Message edited by: DanS ]

trunwfisherman · 12-06-2003, 11:08 PM

Steelhead in the salt dont feed on the same things as salmon normally would in the salt. However, steelhead and salmon both eat shrimp and squid. Youll find that coho and chinook are both dominate species of salmon, the steelhead since it is in the trout family is not dominate. If you have ever noticed when you fish chum steelhead 99.9% of the time will be behind the fish feeding on the eggs.Thus you will not find steelhead schooled up with salmon.

SciGuy · 12-07-2003, 06:27 AM

Oh yeah, its all coming back to me. Here are a couple of links:
http://www.steelheader.net/steelhead..._steelhead.htm
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getawa...00/fish13.html

verysweepy · 12-07-2003, 10:54 AM

Thanks for all the replies, it just got me wondering because you never hear about steelhead outside of the rivers and streams, makes you wonder what they do out there in the salt for a couple of years. Another question I had was if steelhead can spawn and then return to the ocean why do they put excess steelhead into the local lakes? I'm thinking because there hatchery fish but wasnt sure.