First Try Steelhead

[Gerry Zagorski]

Heading up Pulaski this weekend. This will be my first time up there and we'll be targeting Steelhead. Going with a bunch of guys who fish there every year and are going to show us rookies the ropes. Wish us luck and if you have any tips let me know.

Here's a 17.5 that was caught this past week....

[Godrew1972]

Good luck, awesome battle getting one of those on the line watching it take off and get air. Be safe, not sure your wading or in drift boat but I find that river bottom to be very slippery compared to most NJ rivers and streams. River bottom in some on the better spots seem to be carpeted with softball sized slick rocks, the size you break your ankle on. Most NJ river beds IMO seem easier to navigate. I always used my walking stick when wading up there. Good luck, hope you reel em in.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Good luck, awesome battle getting one of those on the line watching it take off and get air. Be safe, not sure your wading or in drift boat but I find that river bottom to be very slippery compared to most NJ rivers and streams. River bottom in some on the better spots seem to be carpeted with softball sized slick rocks, the size you break your ankle on. Most NJ river beds IMO seem easier to navigate. I always used my walking stick when wading up there. Good luck, hope you reel em in.

Thanks we’ll be wading and I was warned about that so I put some metal cleats on my wader boot bottoms.

The place we’re staying is right outside Altmar along the Fly Fish only section. Not sure if you’ve fished there. We’ll probably do some fly fishing but the plan is to mostly spin fish using floats or bottom bouncing.

[Godrew1972]

Good burger and fries at the Altmar, thats where my son and I would always go and he would count how many beers I would have.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Good burger and fries at the Altmar, thats where my son and I would always go and he would count how many beers I would have.

Sounds right up my alley!

[bulletbob]

. Have a good time, hope you guys do well.. . I live here, and never go.. went once , decades ago,caught a salmon first time out, and never went back.. too much of a madhouse for me, nasty selfish rude "anglers" using the f word loudly 10 times in every sentence. . Might not be that way anymore, not sure. Lots of good fishermen love it, so I might just have went to the wrong place on the wrong day... The DEC guys were everywhere , and from what I saw, those salmon simply did NOT eat, they were all snagged by guys with very expensive polarized sunglasses that have perfected the art of snagging them without looking like they were snagging, if that makes any sense. Lots of those guys would see the fish, and could drift the hook with some yarn wrapped on the shank right into the mouths of the fish as they were resting, facing up current with their mouths open.. Pretty impressive talent... Again maybe its not like that anymore, but from what I saw and from what others have told me, those spawning fish are really hard to get to bite... First thing I was taught was to open the hook up wide so it would be more likely to sink.. The DEC guys knew all the tricks though.. anyway, i hope things have changed.. ....

[Gerry Zagorski]

. Have a good time, hope you guys do well.. . I live here, and never go.. went once , decades ago,caught a salmon first time out, and never went back.. too much of a madhouse for me, nasty selfish rude "anglers" using the f word loudly 10 times in every sentence. . Might not be that way anymore, not sure. Lots of good fishermen love it, so I might just have went to the wrong place on the wrong day... The DEC guys were everywhere , and from what I saw, those salmon simply did NOT eat, they were all snagged by guys with very expensive polarized sunglasses that have perfected the art of snagging them without looking like they were snagging, if that makes any sense. Lots of those guys would see the fish, and could drift the hook with some yarn wrapped on the shank right into the mouths of the fish as they were resting, facing up current with their mouths open.. Pretty impressive talent... Again maybe its not like that anymore, but from what I saw and from what others have told me, those spawning fish are really hard to get to bite... First thing I was taught was to open the hook up wide so it would be more likely to sink.. The DEC guys knew all the tricks though.. anyway, i hope things have changed.. ....

I hope so too Bob. I've heard some of the same negatives about this fishery and the one reason I've not been up there before but figured I'd give it a shot.

I love to catch fish as much as the next guy but I'm not competitive or really serious about it. Fishing for me is a way to get outdoors, unwind and spend some time with my buddies. If we happen to catch some fish, that's an extra bonus.

Not sure if it's changed since you've been up there but I hear they have some specific rules as far a leader lengths to make it more difficult to snag fish but that doesn't change people's attitudes and manners. If it turns into Gorilla Warfare fishing, this will be my first and last time up there. Life's too short to be around those sorts of people.

Full report to follow....

[bulletbob]

Steelhead seem to actually bite more than the salmon which are not eating at all.. I know the steelheads aren't eating either, but they seem to be caught in the mouth more than salmon, which are more typically hooked in a suspect manner...Really interested in how you do as far as catch, and the fishing experience itself. Its odd that here in upstate NY there are some guys that avoid that area like the plague, and others that live and breathe it, and can't get enough... bob

[Broad Bill]

Salmon will hit various baits and lures before ascending the river. Once they run, for the most part, biology takes over, they develop lock jaw and are interested only in spawning before their life cycle unfortunately runs it's course.

Fishing the mouths of tributaries early before the river run starts can be rewarding, once they run it's all about lining or snagging fish which is an absolute circus and shit show. If that's your thing, go for it, but it brings out crowds and some of the worst behavior you'll ever experience fishing.

Steelhead, browns, domestic rainbows and an occasional Atlantic on the other hand will actively feed their entire time in the river. And as long as they survive the gauntlet of snaggers, unlike salmon they will actually survive the spawn and drop back to the lake. They don't die like salmon. If that's what you're after, I'd suggest going during the week as opposed to weekends because even during the winter months and in the fly zones, the number of people on that river can be insane. I've had some absolutely fantastic days with steelhead and browns and days I swore I'd never go back because of the crowds and behavior.

Good luck and look forward to your report.

[thmyorke1]

Steelhead seem to actually bite more than the salmon which are not eating at all.. I know the steelheads aren't eating either, but they seem to be caught in the mouth more than salmon, which are more typically hooked in a suspect manner...Really interested in how you do as far as catch, and the fishing experience itself. Its odd that here in upstate NY there are some guys that avoid that area like the plague, and others that live and breathe it, and can't get enough... bob

:confused:

Like Broad Bill said, the lake run steelhead definitely eat, fall through spring.

[bulletbob]

:confused:

Like Broad Bill said, the lake run steelhead definitely eat, fall through spring.

Fresh in from the lake, yes, they are aggressive.. Drop backs too,, after they spawn, the survivors will eat some as head back ..Spawners?.. they don't eat, except perhaps to grab an egg sac, more out of anger than hunger... They don't all spawn at once,, they spawn over a period of several months, so yes there are always some fish that can be caught.. A lot depends on when you are there,,, If you fish when there is a lot of active spawning, you might not do very well..

[Broad Bill]

Fresh in from the lake, yes, they are aggressive.. Drop backs too,, after they spawn, the survivors will eat some as head back ..Spawners?.. they don't eat, except perhaps to grab an egg sac, more out of anger than hunger... They don't all spawn at once,, they spawn over a period of several months, so yes there are always some fish that can be caught.. A lot depends on when you are there,,, If you fish when there is a lot of active spawning, you might not do very well..

Bob I thoroughly enjoy your post so don't take this with any disrespect but I disagree with some of what you said. Majority of the steelhead will come into the river following the Salmon run and will actively feed on the eggs salmon drop. It's not unusual to find them behind salmon red's feeding on the eggs. At that time of year with warmer water temperatures and typically lower water flows most of the steelhead you'll find wil be in tail-outs and seems of deep water pools. They're looking for cooler more oxygenated water. As it gets colder, steelhead will transition into their winter spots or deep water pools and be a bit more lethargic but they'll still take flies and baits that are presented properly more so on days that are a little warmer and increase the water temperature a few degrees. The biggest steelhead of the season will actually move into the rivers during the winter time as opposed to late fall and are usually very aggressive feeding when they enter the river. I've caught steelhead from October through April many years all depending on conditions and techniques. Steelhead for the most part are spring spawners and many of the females I've caught in April are still loaded with eggs. Doesn't mean some don't drop their eggs earlier but a majority of them drop their eggs in the spring when the water temperature reaches a certain temperature as opposed to brown trout that are fall spawners and drop their eggs in October / November. I can't tell you how many females steelheads I've caught where the egg sacs are starting to loosen up and eggs are actually dropping out of them after I net them before releasing them back into the river so there might be a brief moment when they don't feed during the spawn but for the most part steelhead will feed from the minute they enter the river to the point they drop back or at least that's been my experience.

Again I'm not an expert by any stretch of the imagination in the field but that's been my experience in over 30 years fishing the Salmon River for steelhead and brown trout primarily. As far as salmon are concerned as I mentioned earlier, I will never fish the river for them again and I would never come anywhere near the river during Columbus Day weekend, it's an absolute zoo with the worst sportsmanship I have ever seen in my life from fishermen. It's absolutely disgusting what takes place on that river at the height of the salmon run, whether salmon die or not which is the excuse you hear from most snaggers, to treat trophy fish and the tradition of fishing in general with such blatant disregard. It's appalling to put it mildly

[Gerry Zagorski]

Well it was fun but frustrating. 3 of our party of 5 who fished up there a lot got 2 or 3 Steelhead each but me and Mike got the skunk. Saw a lot of hook ups and landings and the guys who were fly fishing were getting way more hook ups than the float guys. All the fish were concentrated in the faster moving white waters and those spots are where most of the fishermen were set up.

Float guys seemed to be doing best on pink power worms and the fly guys were using really small egg imitation flies in pink, orange or blue. Kind of frustrating to see the same 1 or 2 guys fishing 10 yards from you hooking up every 20 minutes and you're standing there asking yourself what you're doing wrong.

We spent most of our time float fishing the area below the Atlmar Bridge. People were very friendly and respectful of each others space. On more than one occasion we had people up upstream of us hook up and they'd apologize as they worked there way down past you to fight the fish. Talked to several people all who offered advise if asked and several who would show you what they were using and offer you some.

Some advice for first timers like me.

This is a very specialized fishery so you need to go with guys who've fished the river a lot or hire a guide. You also need special gear. Most people float fishing had whippy light to medium 10 foot plus spinning rods and either fished a spinning reel or center pin. The longer rod helps you keep your line out of the water so it's not getting caught in the current and dragging your float downstream too fast. You're basically keeping your line slightly tight to the float for a slower and more natural presentation and a longer rod helps since you can hold it up higher and keep your line out of the water. The center pin reels also help you control your line out rate easier then spinning reels. The long whippy rod tip also helps you fight the fish since it acts like a shock absorber for your 10 lb test main line and 6lb leader.


As far as fly fishing, I think for the most part the people where using 7-9 weights with a few split shots above the fly to help it stay closer the bottom. Unlike the float guys, they tend to take very short drifts 5 yards to either side of them and repeat often while the float guys are taking much longer drifts.

All in all a great first experience with some terrific guys and so cool to see these fish go nuts cartwheel downstream ripping line off reels like you hooked a freight train. I defiantly can see how this fishery can be so addictive, a fly rod in my future and another trip up there for redemption.

[bulletbob]

Glad to hear your experience wasn't like mine have been.. Maybe some of the Neanderthal types have moved on. I agree 100% about going with experienced anglers or hiring a guide.. Like other fisheries, the fish are not holding everywhere, and it takes experience to know the spots that hold fish and under what conditions..as you said fly rods are the way to go.. The fly rod guys typically do better, and up here most of the locals use fly tackle.. There are some web sites where this fishery is discussed in depth by the locals that live for it, and all the information posted is typically only hours to a few days old... Like gerry said, a lot of guys fish for nothing else other than these LO steelheads. bob

[Gerry Zagorski]

Glad to hear your experience wasn't like mine have been.. Maybe some of the Neanderthal types have moved on. I agree 100% about going with experienced anglers or hiring a guide.. Like other fisheries, the fish are not holding everywhere, and it takes experience to know the spots that hold fish and under what conditions..as you said fly rods are the way to go.. The fly rod guys typically do better, and up here most of the locals use fly tackle.. There are some web sites where this fishery is discussed in depth by the locals that live for it, and all the information posted is typically only hours to a few days old... Like gerry said, a lot of guys fish for nothing else other than these LO steelheads. bob

Thanks Bob. I was really surprised how welcoming and helpful the guys on the section of river we fished were. Maybe they took some pity on guys like me new to the fishery ;) I would guess that not's always the case and might be worse in the spots closer to town where there's more fishing pressure or maybe we lucked out.

[thmyorke1]

Gerry great write up, thanks! My dad calls those long whippy rods "Noodle Rods" i got one in my basement that i should crack out next time i go for steel with a float. I was using a float last week and managed to get 1 chinook/king in the tip of the mouth with an egg sac... no idea if he actually intended to eat but that + all the experience trying to drift it right for steel in a smaller creek made me like the float stuff. At least better than the bottom fishing with just split shots and bait. Definitely felt like a longer rod would help when i was using a 6 fter lol.

Where you were fishing, was it all steel? a lot of hooks-ups and fish it sounds like. The other creeks I fished north didnt have much steel. From what i understand everything in the salmon river sort of starts earlier though. same with the chinook run. ?

The pink worms are great too yea. ive had good luck with the pink power worms myself in the spring.
Theres this guy i watch out west on the Morice River; he puts like a 3.5 inch long pink TRD/ned rig (slightly bigger than typical TRDs) on a jig head and catches cohos and steelhead on it as if he's using a marabou jig for trout lol.
My friend likes black flies with some flash when fly fishing.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Gerry great write up, thanks! My dad calls those long whippy rods "Noodle Rods" i got one in my basement that i should crack out next time i go for steel with a float. I was using a float last week and managed to get 1 chinook/king in the tip of the mouth with an egg sac... no idea if he actually intended to eat but that + all the experience trying to drift it right for steel in a smaller creek made me like the float stuff. At least better than the bottom fishing with just split shots and bait. Definitely felt like a longer rod would help when i was using a 6 fter lol.

Where you were fishing, was it all steel? a lot of hooks-ups and fish it sounds like. The other creeks I fished north didnt have much steel. From what i understand everything in the salmon river sort of starts earlier though. same with the chinook run. ?

The pink worms are great too yea. ive had good luck with the pink power worms myself in the spring.
Theres this guy i watch out west on the Morice River; he puts like a 3.5 inch long pink TRD/ned rig (slightly bigger than typical TRDs) on a jig head and catches cohos and steelhead on it as if he's using a marabou jig for trout lol.
My friend likes black flies with some flash when fly fishing.

Yep all Steelhead Luke and we fished the Altmar area. Pretty much all fish in white water and fly guys did better than guys fishing floats.

[thmyorke1]

sounds awesome, we should have given it a try last week doh! :D

[Broad Bill]

As mentioned in my earlier post, most steel this time of year will concentrate during the day in white water and the shallow tail outs of pools. Why, water is cooler and more oxygenated. They'll run the river at night along seems and position during daylight hours in the tail outs. Lower the water flow, the more concentrated they'll be. Higher flows, they'll be more spread out but until the water temps get colder they'll still favor the tail outs and rapids.

Why did the fly guys do better than float fisherman? In order to have a proper float presentation, whether with a noodle rod, center pin or fly rod, you need depth and you don't have that depth in tail outs which means your presentation will tend to drag bottom and not look natural flowing down the river. Fly rod guys can adjust weights, adjust fly lines and sink tips or raise their flyrod to better adjust to those low water conditions and attain the proper drift. That's why the guys in the fast water using flyrods out produced the guys fishing floats. That plus the fact that's where the fish are concentrated.

Other factor, these fish at this time of year are running the river to get to the right area of the river to winter (deeper pools) and spawn in the spring (gravel bottom). They tend to stage in numbers as opposed to being spread out. To some degree almost like black fishing. You can have a guy 5 feet away slamming them and you're not getting a single hookup. Could be how they're staging, presentation, drift, could be an obstruction in the river causing a current break. Could be anything. That's why you need to move around, spray the area to get different drifts and fish different parts of the water column (float / bottom bouncing) until you find where they're staging and what they want. In a month or so all these fish will be in deep water wintering holes favoring the seams. Great time to float fish. You should also read up on split shot placement when float fishing as surface water runs faster than the current below the surface and you need to factor that into how you position split shots and sizes used when you rig to get a proper presentation. Otherwise you'll be dragging your presentation and steelhead won't touch it. When the water gets extremely cold, fish will hug the bottom and be more lethargic and more subject to and turn on to slight increases in water temperature. Smaller presentations and terrestrials close to the bottom work well that time of year but steelhead and browns will always eat an egg pattern presented properly.

Steelhead fishing is an addiction like nothing else. You had a taste; it won't be your last. Some beautiful fish your group landed. Nothing like a dime bright steelhead fresh from the lake taking you to your backing. There's really no other fish like them. They're a great sport fish and sounds like you had a good group of guys fishing around you which makes all the difference in the world.

Couple patterns I use at the SR. The glue egg cluster pattern (first pic) in the fly zone is deadly, in the water you can't tell the difference between that pattern and real skein. But as I said, each pattern as in all fisheries has its time and place.

[Gerry Zagorski]

Thanks for all the suggestions and detail Bill!

[thmyorke1]

Great info thanks!

[bulletbob]

I haven't used them for Steelhead, but have caught Browns and salmon as along as a mans leg in the finger lakes feeder stream on tiny 1 inch hot pink Mr twisters, on a small 1/16 or 1/32 jig head... I used plain lead heads, and I heard gold is even better.. Spring Lake run rainbows hit this sort of thing consistently in the FL creeks,,I'm sure the Steelheads in LO would hit them as well.. Its a good presentation for a spin fisherman that can't stay near the bottom rocks and you don't need a noodle rod to fish them.. Certainly worth a try.. Trout and LL salmon seem to react to small hot red and pink lures of all types .. The tiny hot pink twisters have caught me a ton of fish over the decades.. Big Smallmouth, and all kinds of panfish love them as well... bob