FS Digest

Hey guys, I need some advice. I’m from Western New York and recently have been going out for steelhead. I have had zero luck. I’ve tried floating egg sacks, jigs, flys etc. I’m just curious do you guys have any tips you could give me? I am pretty New to this and I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos but nothing seems to be working.

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by nlrobot

FS Digest

Gotta figure out where the fish are and when they’re there.

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by lowkey_leaveme_alone

FS Digest

Hey I appreciate your input. Have you had any luck this season? What’s your go to set up?

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by nlrobot

FS Digest

This late in the fall the fish will usually hold in deeper pools upstream waiting for spring. They migrate to these pools in the fall after rain raises the water level.

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by junglizt05

FS Digest

Be sure you're getting a dead drift. Float straight up and down and following the bubbles. Bubbles often indicate feeding lanes. You should be ticking bottom and getting snagged occasionally until you learn an area. When fishing high pressured areas or low conditions be sure to scale down the rig. 6lb or even 4lb flourocarbon and smaller, more natural baits.

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by A_Bit_Rigged

Beadling9 Loc: Pittsburgh

Get some cured salmon skien. This is at the bait shops in your area.
90 % chance to catch one steelhead or brown trout.
I use 4 lb Florocarbon and no. 12 hooks. Bebbe wieghts

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

Here is what I recommend, think FINESSE. Most of the time they are real spooky so you need to go for light leader, small hooks and bait/lures.Here is what I used in WA waters. On my main line above my swivel I had a SLIDO that I attached my lead wt. it is free to slide on your main line so that if the fish is pulling on your bait/lure the fish won't feel the sinker resisting thus causing him to drop your bait/lure. You should have good enough gear (Reel and Rod) that you can easily cast a good distance with only about 3/4 oz wt. Just enough wt to get you out there and give you an occasional tap tap when it touches the bottom to let you know you are down there rather than CLUNK CLUNK where you have so much weight that it is dragging along the bottom generating all kinds of noise, drifting much slower than river flow and hanging up on everything down there. Now I tie my hooks so when all done and ready to fish I have 24" leader and I use light leader as said before, a quality 11 lb test. Next I use small hooks like a size 2 or 1 quality octopus hook, The lure I use, I use a small one maybe 3/8"  or smaller diameter "CORKY". The colors that work vary depending on light, how clear the water is and so on. I always had a large selection and would buy them in bags of 100s. now here is the trick to where to put the corky. I would snell my hooks way down on the bend, then would run the leader from the snell thru the hole thru the center of the corky then on thru the eye of the hook to then be tied to my swivel. The small "CORKY" would rid on the back of my hook.Some of the colors that worked best for me are, one we called the clown it will be white with pink spots and some will glow in the dark. Another color is a peach, much closer to cluster eggs color. and other similar colors. remember you don't need a great big honking lure/hook which only will work when the fish happens to be very hungry or provoked, finesse works more often. Hook must be very sharp, "sticky sharp". You can also take a very small piece of yarn and stick it thru the loop just behind the corky. It isn't necessarily to add color, but rather to stick on the fishes teeth enough so you can feel the fish. Now the rest is up to you. It takes practice to develop the ability to feel the fishes light mouthing of your lure. They all don't slam into your bait/lure.My .02 cents Kerry

Beadling9 Loc: Pittsburgh

Kerry you fish way different than we do on Lake Erie tribes for steelhead.
What is a corky. ? You have a pic of one. May work here.
Also do you use a three way swivel ? I know your water is higher and faster than Lake Erie.
Thanks

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

Gee when I copied and pasted the site for corkies, I didn't think the address was this long, however the window was filled. but I just Googled "Corky Fishing Lure" One way or another you should see what they are. Basically a painted hard foam ball. Best used when you have a little current in a river.

https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ACYBGNTKGcyjI_ulQqgqOJbhzM9GX3DZig%3A1575420332528&source=hp&ei=rAHnXfm3HYvr-gS5moagBQ&q=Corky+fishing+lure&oq=Corky+fishing+lure&gs_l=psy-ab.12..0j0i22i30l2.9797.18985..22096...1.0..0.90.1178.18......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131j35i39j0i10j0i22i10i30.AHUUNfNS3hY&ved=0ahUKEwj5vaiK4prmAhWLtZ4KHTmNAVQQ4dUDCAg

Moose1712

Agreed, good advice!

Kerry Hansen Loc: Bremerton, WA

No I don't use a 3 way swivel since it doesn't slide on your line so fish can feel the weight of the sinker. Went on line and did a Google search for Slido. went to a Walmart site and found one by Eagle Claw under a different name but same thing. Wasn't able to get picture of it, but it indicated it was: Walmart # 573113135some people use a snap swivel to let it slide on your line by running line thru one eye and use the other end to snap to your weight, but I personally prefer the Slido.