Fish For Salmon: Articles on Salmon and Steelhead Fishing

Going Deep for Quarry Trout

2011-05-09T22:12:00.000-07:00

Many quarries are stocked with trout in the spring, and hold trout throughout the summer. There are many ways to target these trout: bottom fishing, bobber fishing, slip bobber fishing, using jigs, spoons, spinners, and the list goes on. However, one method that usually outperforms others is bottom fishing.
Bottom fishing is an effective method because trout usually orient themselves on or near the bottom. It is true that trout in quarries will wander around the water column, however these fish are hard to target. It is much easier to target the bottom dwelling fish. In order to do this, one can make a simple bottom rig by placing split shot about 24 inches from a small hook baited with a minnow, worm, or power-bait. A twist to this simple method is to make sure your bait floats off of the bottom. This makes it easier for fish to find. To do this simply fish with power-bait, which floats, or fish your minnow or worm with a power-bait ball ahead of it. The ball ahead of it will suspend the bait just enough to get off the bottom. Give it a try sometime, you might be surprised. Tight lines.

High Water Trout Fishing

2011-04-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

If you are like many fishermen, you dread lots and lots of rain. Lets face it, lots of rain makes the creek's water levels rise, and very high water makes for very tough fishing. However, high water isn't the end of the world. There are ways to get around it, and even have a good day fishing doing so.

One way I have found to beat the high muddy water is to fish with worms, nightcrawlers to be exact. The reason being is that when water levels rise, worms are washed off of the bank and into the creeks, making all the fish in the creeks turn their attention to worms. Because of this, it can be very difficult to fish minnows or other baits. Not to mention nightcrawlers have a great scent for fish, and are easier to find than most other bait in the water.

In order to fish high water, you must locate an area where water seems to either whirlpool or not be flowing as fast. Such areas can be found below waterfalls, where there is a plunge pool then a little area of slack water. What you would do in that situation is to put a lot of weight on your line to keep it down and in one spot, then bait your hook with a worm and cast into the slack water. The key is to let your bait sit, and let the trout come find your bait using their superior sense of smell. This technique works, I was able to do it today and catch a limit of trout while others were not able to even get hits due to the high water. As proof, here is my catch.

Good luck to everybody!

Recent Catches

2011-04-22T21:09:00.000-07:00

Here are some recent catches from this current year.

8 1/2 lb. Steelhead from 20 Mile Creek Erie, Pa.

18 1/2 inch 4 pound rainbow taken from Hereford Manor Lake.

Both of these fish were taken with 4lb line with a 4 lb fluorocarbon leader and a mini foo jig with a minnow under a float. For more information on how to fish jigs for trout check out jigs for cold water steelhead.

Beginner Steelheading Tips

2011-01-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Today I would like to share a few tips to help the novice steelhead angler to find success on the streams. Every year, I see many anglers that approach steelhead the same way they do trout fishing. Not only that, but I see a group of 20 anglers casting to ten fish. I'll be the first to tell you that in my younger years I was the same as the rest of the crowd. However, over the past few years, I have changed my ways of fishing drastically; and my catch rate went way up.

The first thing you can do to be successful is to dress for success. I know that sounds cliche but its true. If you want to catch large powerful steelhead, you cannot fish for them like an 8 inch brook trout. You need a longer rod, anything from 7 to 10 feet in length will do. Also, your line will be one of the most critical parts of your setup. I swear by six pound test mono with a 2-6 pound test fluorocarbon leader. The fluorocarbon is invisible and the fish cannot see it. Lastly on the gear, you will want to have a vest, I know, you don't need one. But a vest makes a world of difference as far as saving time goes.

The second thing I would like to talk about is following the crowd. I have seen many times the angler who is all by himself, hooking and releasing many fish. Suddenly, he is swarmed by anglers, and the bite is off. The angler moves on to catch more fish while the buzzards try to collect the leftovers. You will almost never be successful in doing this, and it is also one of the most frustrating things for an angler to experience. Don't ever just move in on somebody and assume that its okay, they were there first, and if they are catching fish, they will appreciate the thought. Also, this will help you as an angler because fish tend to bite more when they are not pressured. Think about that for a second. Would you want to eat when you have 20 people staring at you? I know I wouldn't. What about if your all by yourself, with somebody else? Will you eat then? My bet is yes. The same goes for fishing. If you surround the fish and make them uncomfortable, they will not eat. I promise you. The best thing to do is to avoid the crowd and find a pod of fish that you can concentrate on by yourself. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

Jigs For Coldwater Steelhead

2010-12-31T23:47:00.000-08:00

Jig fishing is by far one of the most effective ways to take coldwater steelhead. Sometimes when the water drops to very cold temperatures, steelhead will refuse all offerings except for a jig. Today I am going to cover how to effectively use jigs to catch steelhead.

As with all types of steelhead fishing, presentation is the key to success. More times than not, presentation is even more important than the actual bait. So how do you present your jig in such a manner that steelhead take it on every pass? The first step to doing so is to make sure you are using a light line. Preferably 4-6 pound monofilament with anywhere from a 2-6 pound fluorocarbon leader. Many people say that the line does not matter. However I have always had more bites using fluorocarbon leaders on my line. It is just my preference. The next step is to fish the jig at the level the fish are at. This is especially true when you are fishing extremely picky fish, as they will not move more than a couple inches to take your bait. The next step to successful fishing is your rig.

Setting up a jig fishing rig is actually very simple. You will want a small jig, from 1/64 ounce to 1/16 ounce. I like the mini-foo jigs and use them whenever I can. There will usually be no need for a sinker. If you need extra weight you can add weight by using split shot. Next, place a small bobber up your line so that the jig will be drifting right past the steelhead's faces.

The final step to jig fishing is to have a proper drift and to tip the jig. First we will cover the drift. In order to get a proper drift, you must try to make the jig land behind the bobber in the flow of the water. That way, the jig will be virtually drag free as the bobber will not be holding it back. This is very important, the better your drift, the more fish you will start to catch. Lastly, tipping the jig. Sometimes steelhead like to have additional bait attached to the jig, usually I will use small shiners, waxworms, and maggots. Honestly, I have not found a need to use anything else. The minnow tipped jig has accounted for more steelhead than almost any other method I have used. Experiment for yourself to find what works. Tight Lines.

November Steelhead Trip

2010-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

Last month my girlfriend and I decided to take a trip to 16 mile creek in Erie, Pa. During our thanksgiving break. It was a good call, as we got there the water levels were dropping and there were not many people there as it was during the week. However, after throwing everything at them we finally got them to cooperate with a mini-foo jig tipped with a shiner under a float. This setup yielded 8 fish in 40 minutes between the two of us. Taking into consideration that when one of us hooked up the other reeled in and watched. Overall it was a great day on the water. This year the numbers of fish were way down though. In order to find them, you must be willing to travel. Don't fish the areas where lots of people are, try to find spots where there is a decent number of fish and little pressure and you will find success. Good luck to all!

Sorry For No Recent Posts

2010-12-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

I apologize for no recent posts, being a college student and athlete it is tough to anything in my spare time. However, I did manage to go fishing a few times and did fairly well on slow days. I will upload some pictures and new techniques shortly.

First Salmon

2010-08-26T20:57:00.000-07:00

I remember the first salmon I had ever caught on my own vividly. The tug on the line, followed by another, my instinct to set the hook, and finally, the sound of my drag. If you have been in a familiar situation, you probably understand where I am coming from.

The first year that I ever fished for salmon was when I was 9 years old. I remember trying so hard, but not yeilding a single bite. I was doing all the wrong things: 20lb. test line(because you "can't catch them with anything else!"), having tons of slack in the line because it was so twisted, birdsnests, never having my line in the water because I was always fixing it. Hahah. Those were the days. Fortunately, I was a fast learner. The next year I came back with a 8'6" salmon rod, instead of my 5'6" trout pole(with 20lb. line lol), and the right attitude. I watched the successful fisherman alongside my father, the people who were pulling fish in left and right, and soon, I was following suite.

After about an hour of putting together what I had learned, I was able to hook my first salmon. I will never forget the butterflies in my stomach as I was pulling the fish. After a five minute fight that seemed like an hour, the fish was finally mine. That first fish taught me a valuable lesson, that it pays to learn from people who are better than you. Simply paying attention to somebody can teach you so much. Ever since I've been at the stream every fall attempting to catch more fish. More often than not, I am successsful. Over the years I have learned the patterns of the fish, where they like to lie in the streams, what they eat, and most importantly, how to catch them. Even now I still pay attention to the other anglers, as there is always something new to learn!

Lake Erie Salmon

2010-08-22T14:12:00.000-07:00

The time has come. Lake Erie salmon and steelhead will soon be congregating around the mouths of the tributary streams to prepare for their runs. Thousands of anglers from around the country will be gathering to fish salmon in the tributaries.

To ensure your success, make sure to visit Poor Richards Bait Shop before you go to the stream. They know what the fish are hitting and where. Which betters your chances at catching a fish.

There are up to five different species of fish that can be found in the streams when the spawning runs arrive. However, the most common fish are brown trout and steelhead. There is the occasional coho salmon, and in rare circumstances, Chinook salmon and pink salmon are also caught. Before planning your trip it is advisable to look at the weather and also the fishing reports. This will ensure that you are prepared to fish salmon no matter what the conditions may be.