Trout Fishing Tips

According to guide Sam Ingram, steelhead trout have been displaying an array of rare acrobatics these days on the Skagit River in Washington State.

Ingram reported that fishing has been really good for a couple of weeks now, since water releases have dropped and stabilized to a degree on the big river. His clients have been hooking 3-4 trout a day, with many of them in the 14-20 pound range! And the season remains open through the end of the month.

If the Sauk is relatively clean, folks might want to give the Rockport-to-Concrete drift a try. But if it's blownout, the Marblemount-Rockport stretch can be productive.

Ingram says the big, aggressive natives are suckers for a properly presented plug. He says he'll trollback a Hot Shot in 35 size in clear water, but then jump to a larger Tadpolly (or it's replacement Clattertrap) when visibility drops. Pink, cop car, and blues have been productive color patterns recently. But any good angler knows it's best to be prepared to change colors if something isn't working.

Steelhead expert Bill Herzog prefers using spoons when fishing for the big steelhead trout - especially in low visibility conditions. He's written a book called,Spoon Fishing for Steelhead
exposing all of his secrets! It's a bit advanced, but full of great information.

Be sure to read the regs first - as this is a special trout fishery which requires single, barbless hooks, no bait or scent, and knotless nets.

Dolly Varden and sea-run cutthroat trout are also available for catching on the Skagit River right now - especially below the forks on the lower end.

On the Olympic Penisula, the Sol Duc remains open to steelheading through the end of the month. This is one of those rivers where anglers may legally keep one wild-stock steelhead per season - although most anglers release their catch.

For more information on Washington Trout Fishing, visit www.wdfw.wa.gov.

For information on drift-fishing for steelhead trout, click here.

Labels: Skagit River, Steelhead fishing, Steelhead Trout, Washington Trout Fishing

Many anglers feel that drift fishing is the best way to catch steelhead trout. This technique does have a high success rate - but so do others.

None the less, I was browsing Amazon.com the other day and came across this book called, Steelhead & Salmon Drift-Fishing Secrets. The book caught my attention because it focused on steelhead fishing in the Northwest. Most of the books I checked out in the past focused on regions further east.

So in an effort to make sure my readers always have the best trout fishing resources, I bought the book and decided to check it out for myself. And I have to say I was quite impressed with the quality of information in this 96-page book.

The author took a no-nonsense approach to sharing valuable steelheading tips and secrets. I like that. As much as I love hearing people's stories, when it comes to learning new fishing tips, I like to cut to the chase and get straight to relevant information.

The book covered everything from basic trout anatomy to cleaning and filleting your catch. Chapters in between told what equipment to buy, how to set it up, and how to use it. Several different fishing techniques were described in detail as well when to use them, and when not to.

One of the most challenging aspects of steelhead fishing is knowing when you have a fish at the end of your line and should set the hook. The book did a nice job of explaining the different ways to tell if you have a steelhead trout checking out your offering (or bait).

In addition to these topics, it also does a better job on teaching you how to read a river than any other book I've seen. This is important because it helps you know where to find fish. There were tons of photos to help illustrate differences in water current, pools, etc.

Although many of the topics covered in this book are advanced, I would highly recommend this book for beginners too. All of the pictures and basic information about trout anatomy, reading rivers, and more make this a beneficial book for any experience level.

And even though this book is geared toward fishing the Northwest - I'm certain that many of the fishing techniques could be applied to other geographic regions. If you're serious about steelhead fishing, you'll want to add this book to your library.

By the way, I did get a new fishing tip out of the book. It's really a tip on caring for your gear. But the tip could improve your success rate in catching more trout.

I've mentioned in my trout fishing eBook that trout have a great sense of smell and that you should always be careful in handling your bait to reduce human smell transferring to it. While this is second nature for many anglers, many of us tend to overlook odors on our fishing line. Monofilament is porous and holds odors really well - and this too can be a problem in turning fish off.

The Drift-fishing book suggested that you store your extra line in zip-lock bags to further protect it from odors transferring to it. This tip would really help line stored in your garage or back of car.

I thought that was a nice little fishing tip and wanted to share it with you.

Labels: drift fishing, Steelhead fishing, Steelhead Trout

It's December, and that means that Conneaut Creek is now a prime hot spot for Steelhead trout! This is the time of year when they've reached the upper most portion of Pennsylvania's largest Lake Erie tributary.

Conneaut Creek runs through both Ohio and Pennsylvania. Many folks fish both sides of it depending on conditions.

"You're not going to walk to a hole and find 100 fish at your feet," said Steelhead guide and author John Nagy. "Conneaut's big water and the farther fish run, the more they tend to scatter. But if you're willing to sacrifice numbers, you can have a quality fishing experience.

"The Pennsylvania stockings, intended to relieve pressure on creeks such as Walnut and Elk, are now producing bona fide fall runs of fish", said Nagy, who wrote "Steelhead Guide: Fly Fishing Techniques and Strategies for Lake Erie Steelhead." But they also have brought more anglers to the lower reaches of Conneaut, in Ohio, where steelhead tend to concentrate more."

Steelhead trout can move as much as 25 miles a day. So while finding them may be a bit challenging, you'd do better to use some Spring trout fishing tactics. Fish the undercut banks and the heads or tails of pools. Like any stream or river, read the water to figure out the best place to fish.

An old Erie-Bessemer Railroad dam on Temple Run - an East Branch tributary - is a steelheading hotspot.

If you're a fly fisher, Nagy suggests using a heavier tippet (which isn't a problem in Conneaut Creek's stained water). Also try using heavier flies including ones with bright colored egg patterns and bead head nymphs.

Trolling Lake Erie near the mouth of Conneaut Creek is also quite popular.

"If the lake shore melts and the tributaries thaw, the spring run could start in early March," Nagy said. "A mild winter brings fish in sooner and dilutes the spring run. The best scenario is a cold winter."

Click here for a map of Conneaut Creek's Steelhead fishing areas in Ohio. For information in Pennsylvannia, click here.

For more Conneaut Creek Fly Fishing Tips, click here.

Labels: Conneaut Creek, Lake Erie Steelhead, Steelhead Trout