Indiana Steelhead Trout Tips
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The Steelhead (Salmo gairdneri irideus), is just a costal rainbow trout,
or a sea-run rainbow. But these fish are stocked in the great lakes.
They are found naturally from California to Alaska along the pacific
shoreline.
Steelhead are often called the silver bullet. These fish are quite
explosive. They can be caught in a number of different ways, but I
would have to say that fishing for them in streams is the biggest thrill
they can give you. The classic fly patterns will generally work for these
fish, woolly bugger, egg-sucking leech, and Kaufmanns Stone. A trip
to a local bait shop should give you an idea of what patterns are
working the best at the time.
Of course spinners and spoons often do the trick. I generally prefer to
use hairless Mepps spinners and KO Wobbler or Little Cleo spoons. I
employ three different casting methods when I find a nice pool or hole
that I want to fish with a spoon or spinner. I will cast upstream,
downstream, and across stream. Your spoon or spinner will behave
completely different in each of those situations.
When I am casting from a breakwall or anytime I am casting in deeper
water, I will use the countdown method for covering the entire water
column. I will cast out and reel in. I will then cast out count to three
and reel in. I continue to do this in multiples of three until I am hitting
the bottom. Then, if I am on a breakwall, I will move a few feet and
start the process over again. It doesn't hurt to stop your spoon and
let it flutter a little bit, and then start in with the retrieve again.
Sometimes that flutter is all it takes to trigger that strike.
This can get expensive when fishing in the log strewn streams of
northern Indiana. As a result of this, I often throw live bait at the fish
in the streams. Bait of choice is none other than the egg. A lot of
times live bait will outfish the artificial bait simply because the fish will
hold onto it a little longer.
This drift fishing technique is the traditional way to steelhead fish.
Letting some roe lazily drift along the bottom of the stream you have
to be ready for the slightest little tug that signals the fish has picked
up the eggs and that it wasn't your weight just ticking off another
little stone on the bottom. It takes time and concentration to get it
right.
Keeping the roe on the hook is another problem all together. An egg
loop knot will work well to help hold the eggs to the hook. There are
also several different methods for curing the eggs that you have.
Some methods will allow you to keep your roe in the fridge for a few
weeks, while one homemade cure will keep your roe ready to rock for
years. In my book, fresher is generally always better, but some roe is
always better than no roe!
or a sea-run rainbow. But these fish are stocked in the great lakes.
They are found naturally from California to Alaska along the pacific
shoreline.
Steelhead are often called the silver bullet. These fish are quite
explosive. They can be caught in a number of different ways, but I
would have to say that fishing for them in streams is the biggest thrill
they can give you. The classic fly patterns will generally work for these
fish, woolly bugger, egg-sucking leech, and Kaufmanns Stone. A trip
to a local bait shop should give you an idea of what patterns are
working the best at the time.
Of course spinners and spoons often do the trick. I generally prefer to
use hairless Mepps spinners and KO Wobbler or Little Cleo spoons. I
employ three different casting methods when I find a nice pool or hole
that I want to fish with a spoon or spinner. I will cast upstream,
downstream, and across stream. Your spoon or spinner will behave
completely different in each of those situations.
When I am casting from a breakwall or anytime I am casting in deeper
water, I will use the countdown method for covering the entire water
column. I will cast out and reel in. I will then cast out count to three
and reel in. I continue to do this in multiples of three until I am hitting
the bottom. Then, if I am on a breakwall, I will move a few feet and
start the process over again. It doesn't hurt to stop your spoon and
let it flutter a little bit, and then start in with the retrieve again.
Sometimes that flutter is all it takes to trigger that strike.
This can get expensive when fishing in the log strewn streams of
northern Indiana. As a result of this, I often throw live bait at the fish
in the streams. Bait of choice is none other than the egg. A lot of
times live bait will outfish the artificial bait simply because the fish will
hold onto it a little longer.
This drift fishing technique is the traditional way to steelhead fish.
Letting some roe lazily drift along the bottom of the stream you have
to be ready for the slightest little tug that signals the fish has picked
up the eggs and that it wasn't your weight just ticking off another
little stone on the bottom. It takes time and concentration to get it
right.
Keeping the roe on the hook is another problem all together. An egg
loop knot will work well to help hold the eggs to the hook. There are
also several different methods for curing the eggs that you have.
Some methods will allow you to keep your roe in the fridge for a few
weeks, while one homemade cure will keep your roe ready to rock for
years. In my book, fresher is generally always better, but some roe is
always better than no roe!