Winter Steel

A place for readers to talk about river fishing in Washington.
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Gringo Pescador
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by Gringo Pescador » Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:12 am

Last year, I didn't get any winters...
This year my catch rate (catch vs outing) is at 50% this season so far!:cheers:
I fish not because I regard fishing as being terribly important, but because I suspect that so many of the other concerns of men are equally unimportant, and not nearly so much fun. ~ John Volker

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cudaman
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by cudaman » Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:49 pm

there was 3 of us we released a bunch could,ve kept 2 more but my buddies have been doing this since october so there freezers are full. they got me away from muskie fishing finally .Now i see why they tried to get me to hang up my glidebaits and get back to my roots .man salmon taste good
Nw tiger pac chapter 57

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kzoo
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by kzoo » Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:54 pm

Cudaman, I hear ya on river fishin. I bass fish quite a bit, but I'm fishing rivers more and more every year. Maybe it's the idea of keeping salmon/steelhead vs the catch and release for muskies and bass.

Awesome catch btw.
Last edited by Anonymous on Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by crankbait42 » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:26 pm

I hit the Bogachiel today and it was not as good as I thought but I was able to get my first winter steelhead of the year! even if it was the smallest steelhead I had ever seen! lol I let the little guy go.

Image

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natetreat
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:33 pm

I've got a couple of those this week. It's BOBBER DOWN!!! oh, wait, huh. My first of the season was a baby like that.

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mallard83
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:29 pm

Got one like that on the Wallace last year. Gets the heart pumping for about half a second until you realize you can lift it out of the water by the line.#-o
Last edited by Anonymous on Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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natetreat
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:43 pm

The wallace seems to get a lot of Jacks and mini steel. I've never really caught that many jacks until I moved up here and the wallace is full of 'em. It's weird, I hope that means that the bigguns are coming next year.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by flinginpooh » Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:04 pm

I thought if they was under 20" they are called rainbows regardless if its a sea run or not. Didnt know they called them jack steelhead.
More fish please!

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:07 pm

yea, they're rainbows, but they're obviously sea run. I don't know what to call 'em, they're just mini-trouts.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by cudaman » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:15 pm

I thought i was the only one who caught these smallish steelies i,ve caught 3 on the green this year beautiful little things i just wish they,d get bigger
Last edited by Anonymous on Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Nw tiger pac chapter 57

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mallard83
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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:20 pm

natetreat wrote:yea, they're rainbows, but they're obviously sea run. I don't know what to call 'em, they're just mini-trouts.
They're called failures of the state hatchery program.:salut:

The Rogue is the only river to get 1/2 pounders and they actually fight and are native.:cheers:

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Thu Dec 02, 2010 9:22 pm

Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by bionic_one » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:46 am

natetreat wrote:Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.
They can still be hatchery fish. The reason you see emergency regs sometimes say "must retain first 4 hatchery steelhead..." is because steelhead have a high tendency to not actually return to the hatchery and procreate wherever they want in the river system.

Anyone heard if the Wynoochee has fish yet?
Lee

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by donman » Fri Dec 03, 2010 8:44 am

Crankbait, nice fish. Glad you came out of there with something. This weekend should be real good with the rain they've had, more fish should have pushed their way through.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by jens » Fri Dec 03, 2010 11:47 am

bionic_one wrote:
natetreat wrote:Oh yea, me too. Some of mine were wild fish as well, which seemed strange, because the wild ones are usually supposed to be bigger. Maybe just mis clipped or something. I'm not complaining, you can't really complain when you're actually catching so many fish, but the lack of size of some of these fish worries me. I hope it doesn't become a trend.
They can still be hatchery fish. The reason you see emergency regs sometimes say "must retain first 4 hatchery steelhead..." is because steelhead have a high tendency to not actually return to the hatchery and procreate wherever they want in the river system.

Anyone heard if the Wynoochee has fish yet?
Talked to some peeps, just a tad bit early. January is when they fish it hard.
"One more......."

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by natetreat » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:14 pm

I was at the Snoq today for the first time, and watched as guys pulled fish out from under me all day. I guess when you know the river and where they are and what they want you're more likely to get fish. I wouldn't say it was red hot, but the fish were there.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:32 pm

The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.:-({|=
Last edited by Anonymous on Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by scott080379 » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:40 pm

mallard83 wrote:The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.:-({|=



right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ;)

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by mallard83 » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:53 pm

scott080379 wrote:
mallard83 wrote:The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.:-({|=



right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ]

Just trying to make a point.:thumright More power to ya, and have fun with the crowds.=d> Just sayin.:salut:

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RE:Winter Steel

Post by scott080379 » Fri Dec 03, 2010 7:59 pm

mallard83 wrote:
scott080379 wrote:
mallard83 wrote:The Snoqaulmie can be really good at times during the winter. Get away from the crowds and you will get the fish. Tokul, Big Eddy, Cable Hole, mouth of the Tolt, all over rated and over fished nowadays. Better luck finding less pressured areas as well as more peaceful less stressed fishing. Explore all possible areas and you will find your "own" spot. The Snoqualmie is my home river and where I learned to steelhead. Nothing of it's former self but still puts out a few.:-({|=



right below the big eddy jsut past where everyone lets there bobbers float to.....great spoon spot.....just saying.....not like I didn't pull a couple of winter steels out of there last year ]

Just trying to make a point.:thumright More power to ya, and have fun with the crowds.=d> Just sayin.:salut:
never had any crowds right below the big eddy.....out on the big rock. at most one or two other fishing that spot.

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