Bassmaster Steelhead!?!?!

[Willow Drifter]

Has anyone used bass tactics in pursuit of steelhead? I got my hands on some of the new Brads Lil Wigglers and some of these things have steelhead written alllll over them. My thought are just basically use them like a bass plug and cast from the shore and retrieve in just like the Fancy Bass Pros do.

I am also thinking these will kill the pinks and cohos up here.

Soooo....how many of you cast plugs for steelhead? Any secrets or tips you can offer?

Thanks!

[Wreckless]

It'll never work .

Actually I used to cast Hot Shots into large slack water pools full of Coho and they'd eat 'em.

We use the Crawdad colors for big trout too.

[10 more minutes]

We picked up a few summers drifting the clack for silvers, casting plugs into deeper holes & pockets.

[Laserman]

I consider myself a student on all forms of fishing. Many techniques from other types of fishing can be applied to Salmon and Steelhead fishing.

I was able last year to increase my strike ratio by over 300%, simply by modifing a tactic used by tuna fisherman on the East Coast. It also helped me get 3 of the largest Salmon I have ever caught out of the Columbia River System (2 chinook over 50lbs and a Coho that could of been a new State Record)I say this not to bragg, but to stess the importance of always trying to improve your fishing abilities. Other fishiery's tactics can help.

Watch Those Saturday Morning fishing programs. You would be surprised on what you can learn.

[ChuckDog]

Spinnerbaits for steelhead have never worked... And the silvers stay as far away from them as they can get...

[JohnB]

Here is one straight from the BASS guys - saw it first in a Sports Afield magazine, I think. Rig your hook to the plastic worm with a rubber band. It makes both ends wiggle/bounce and attracts the fish. I fish this under a bobber.

This is a #2 barbless Gamakatsu and a 3" Yamamoto worm.



[ 01-23-2004, 05:53 PM: Message edited by: JohnB ]

[Willow Drifter]

JohnB - I love that one. I have used the Senkos on Steelhead and Salmon before,Deadly. I have never rigged on that way though. Droppshotting has also worked.

What else is out there?

[nitrobass]

Salmon in the coastal lakes with tributaries go nuts over crankbaits/plugs, also spinnerbaits. I've lost more than my share of favorite plugs when a 'nook gets ahold and breaks me off.

Never thought to toss a spinnerbait in a stream for a steelie or salmon. Can you imagine the looks you'd get at the alsea hatchery hole when you bust out one of those?! Food for thought

['ZZZZzzzzzz']

I have caught Smallmouth fishing for Steelhead and Steelhead fishing for Smallmouth. Some people have called me a fish flockshooter, but I've caught smallmouth trolling Mag Warts for steelies and have also caught steelhead casting crawfish crankbaits and spinners along the shore for smallmouth. What is really nice is the occasional Walleye!

Z's-

[Snapset]

The little pink Marbou Crappie jigs would never work, especially under a bobber in low clear water. The hooks would straighten out too easily, even with 6 lb. leader. The 12 pounder I caught yesterday was just a fluke, I am sure of it.

[BuKuBass]

I've cot steelies and smallies within minutes of each other in the same hole with the same lure.
Wacky rigging worms does work.

[driftphish]

the deschutes steelhead love those rebel crawdad lure/plugs cast and retrieved. especially in the summer before the water gets too cold.

[ 01-23-2004, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: driftphish ]

[RogueFisher]

Down here on the Rogue the Rebel Crawdads are a must for any Summer Steelheader.
Come Sept and Oct they work excellent for steelhead right up close to the bank pulling plugs. I've never tried casting them.

:grin:

[driftphish]

niiiiiice. the olive green/yellow-tan underbody ones work the best.

if we could only pull plugs out of the db on the upriver deschutes.