Winter Steelhead Fishing
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Steelhead Fishing in winter is never easy, not even during the good times. But when the mid-season doldrums set in around February, things can get downright tough. The big runs of hatchery steelhead that provided such good fishing in December and January have tapered off to a trickle in most rivers. And the large wild fish that will cause so much excitement at the end of the season haven’t yet arrived. On a coast-wide average, there simply aren’t nearly as many steelhead in our rivers and creeks during February as during the rest of the season.
The fish may be fewer and farther between, but not the fishermen. A steady stream of boat anglers casts to every inch of likely looking holding water, and the shores of popular rivers are crisscrossed by the muddy trails of bank anglers. The fish available in most streams get pounded hard on a daily basis. And it doesn’t help when prolonged cold weather results in cool, clear water and spooky, sluggish steelhead.
Those are just a few of the reasons why many steelhead anglers refer to February as the “mid-season break” in fishing, and others call it the “dog days of winter.” February is a excellent time of the year for fisherman to take advantage of discounted guided trips. The fishing is challenging, but still worth it!
Things I would use to catch Steelhead in the winter would be: Hardware (Plugs, large spoons or Spinners). Flies like Black Stones, Hex Nymphs, Bead heads, and Egg flies. Other methods, such as spawn, Drifting wax worms are also used.
Rainbow Trout can be caught on small stick baits, Tiny Spinners, Wax Worms, and Fly Fishing with Nymphs.
Make sure to check the hatch charts for the river you are fishing to understand more about the bugs under the surface of the water, this will give you a base to purchase or tie the right bug. Always remember winter fishing must be done slow and patiently.
I encourage you to experience a guided fishing trip for steel head on the Muskegon River in Newaygo, Michigan, which is less than an hour from Grand Rapids, Mi. The Muskegon River boasts some of the absolute best Steelhead, Salmon, and Trout Fishing in the Great Lakes Region! With expansive gravel bars, slow deep holes, runs and over fourteen miles of spawning gravel, it’s no wonder the Mighty Muskegon is home to so many trout and game fish species. Be sure to take your favorate Fishing Reels, I prefer one of the following brands Penn Fishing Reels, Shimano Reels or Daiwa Reels.
Enjoy your day on the water.
Article provided by Mike Marsh: Marsh Ridge River Guide Service & Evolution Sport Fishing Charters www.MarshGuideService.com and Sherri Russell: Hess Lake Rentals www.Hesslakerentals.com.
by Brent Vanderstelt
Steelhead Fishing North Umpqua Spey
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Small Stream Salmon Fishing, Dean Finnerty lands a dandy steelhead with a green butt skunk and a spey rod on the North. Retained for conservation purpose. Produced by Matthew Clark
Duration : 0:5:0
Fishing King Salmon
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Knowing the ropes and techniques for catching Alaskan Kings helps…but is no guarantee you’ll catch one this size!
Duration : 0:3:57
fly fishing monster rainbow trout west virginia
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fly fishing monster rainbow trout west virginia
Duration : 0:1:22
Fishing Mississippi River Backwater Bass Fishing
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This week we head to the backwaters of the Mississippi River for some jumbo largemouth bass. The midsummer bite can be awesome if you can find those drop-offs with timber on them. You can see full show at: www.HuntFishTv.com
Duration : 0:7:7
Fishing Canada for Lake Trout
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Just the idea of battling a huge lake trout lures anglers to all the remote lakes as far north as the Arctic Circle in Canada. These areas yield many 30 to 40 pound lunker lake trout each year.
In some areas in Canada, the lake trout are also called Mackinaw or grey trout, but the most common nickname given lake trout is simply lakers. Lake trout resemble brook trout, except the tails of lake trout are deeply forked, while those of the brook trout are nearly square. Lake trout in the Great Lakes are silvery-grey with white spots. Elsewhere, they have light spots on a background that may vary from dark green to brown or black.
Lake trout prefer water from 48 to 54F, colder than any other game fish. They will die if unable to find water under 65 degrees F. During summer month’s lake trout will descend to 200 feet in search of cooler water.
There are many lakes with water cold enough for lake trout, but lack oxygen in their depths. And as a result lake trout are restricted to mainly the cold, sterile lakes of the Canadian Shield, the Great Lakes and deep mountain lakes of the west.
Lake trout grow slowly in these frigid waters. In some lakes in Canada, a 10-pound lake trout might be 20 years or older. The age of a trophy lake trout may be 40 years or more. Because they grow so slowly there is always the danger that they could be over harvested.
Unlike most other species lake trout spawn in lakes rather than in rivers. Lake trout spawning occurs in the fall over a bottom of baseball to football sized; rocks. Water depth varies, but is usually 5 to 25 feet.
Lake trout have excellent vision, but because of the poor light at the depths they live, they rely on their sense of smell and on their lateral line to find food. In some water, they feed mainly on aquatic insects, worms and crustaceans. In other lakes they eat only fish, mainly ciscoes, smelt, and sculpin.
A lake trout, brook trout hy-brid, called splake, has been stocked in some northern lakes including Lake Huron. Splake mature earlier than lake trout and grow faster so they are less affected by fishing pressure.
Early spring just after ice out, is a great time for lake trout, they crowd into warmer water to feed closer to shore and remain in water 20 to 30 feet deep.
When lake trout move into shallow water in the spring and in the fall just before spawning, the best methods are casting with flashy spoons or still fishing with natural baits like smelts and strips of sucker meat.
Lake trout shy away from dark heavy lines, so use clear, low diameter line from 8 to 12 pond test is best. Most fishermen prefer medium action spinning tackle.
In years past heavy reels and wire line was the standard for catching lake trout in deep water. But now with the new equipment and techniques it is possible to fish deep with much lighter tackle. Downriggers, sonar and technology has made fishing for deep lake trout a lot easier.
Deep lake trout are frequently scattered and sluggish, so adding an attractor, such as a dodger can improve your success while trolling.
Vertical jigging for lake trout is also a popular method in fishing Canada’s north, works best with a lead head jig or vibrating blade. Simply lower the lure to the bottom; then reel it back up rapidly to get that strike.
Casting with heavy gold or silver spoons for lake trout is a proven technique when lake trout are concentrated off points, in narrows, along islands or over spawning reefs. Cast from a long distance away to prevent spooking the lake trout.
In the Great Lakes the lake trout have made a remarkable come-back after they were nearly wiped out by the sea lamprey and commercial fishing. Lake trout populations have been rebuilt by lamprey controls and restocking programs. These programs have been put in use both in Canada and the United States, both countries have been doing this for some time now and the lakes and anglers are enjoying the fruits of their efforts.
There is nothing like the feeling when you hook up with a nice sized lake trout on medium action fishing rig. So get out there and just enjoy nature and catch the trophy lake trout.
Robert Phillips
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/fishing-canada-for-lake-trout-54961.html
Help With Fly Fishing Basics
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If you are considering taking up fly fishing as a hobby then two of the reasons probably include enjoying the beauty of nature and breathing in the beautiful fresh air. Fly fishing is one of the sports where you can truly enjoy the nature around you and experience the calming effect of the water.
There is no speed involved with things flying by you too fast to notice, there is no rush to go anywhere, and there are no guarantees that you will catch any fish.
These attributes of fly fishing make it an ideal weekend or vacation sports if your purpose is to be outside in nature and fully relax far away from the hustle and bustle of normal day to day life.
The fly fishing rod is lighter and shorter than the average rod used for other types of fishing. These rods are on average around 9 feet long with a weight of about 5 ounces. However, the length of the rod will depend on the size of the stream that you want to fish in. Smaller streams will require that you purchase and use a shorter rod.
The fly fishing line is usually heavier than the usual line used for other types of fishing. These lines are manufactured to either float on the surface of the water or to sink into the water.
The fly lure that you choose will depend on the type of fishing that you want to do and the species of fish that you want to catch.
Some fish seek their food from amongst objects that float on the water surface and to catch these fish your lure needs to mimic floating insects. Other fish get their food from objects in the water and to catch those you lure needs to mimic those objects.
The experience fly fisherman always carries a wide selection of fishing lure because what worked yesterday might not necessarily work today.
With fly fishing, the time of the day, the temperature of the water, the glare of the sun on the surface of the water, the speed of the water in the stream, and other factors determine what type of lure will work.
Fly fishing is such an established sport that the fishing lures have been divided into official categories. These are the dry flies and emergers, the nymphs, the streamers, the wet flies, the saltwater flies, the bass and panfish flies, and these salmon and steelhead flies.
Enjoying fly fishing requires a little bit of preparation and knowledge acquisition and thereafter it is learning from experience whilst enjoying the beauty and serenity of nature.
Ryan Simpson
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/help-with-fly-fishing-basics-129492.html
Salmon Fishing Tackle
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Like the hunter with his gun, or the pugilist with his glove, fishing has its tackle. A best friend, a prized possession, the relationship is much like Tiger Woods and his True Temper Dynamic Gold Driver. A reciprocated coexistence with both ends benefiting each other’s facility: Woods with his precision swing and the trusty driver converting the force to several yards.
The angler with his skill is expressed on the tip of the line. Some are good in presenting the bait, fine tuned jiggling and mooching. Others are good in choosing appropriate decoys, lure, color and scent combination that is irresistible to a certain fish. Other’s smell the fishes a hundred yards distant, paying even the minutest details in underwater growth and crevices.
The salmon angler is expressed with his salmon fishing tackle. Not just any tackles, it must be intended for the specific game. A stout graphite construction rod will be too stiff for the soft jiggling intended for the river trout, and the fly tackle intended for blue water fishes might be too stiff for the soft and deft touch intended for the Chinook.
So get your salmon fishing tackle. Remember, salmons require specific salmon fishing tackles to trick them into biting. Not an all around tackle for every situation but a Salmon Fishing tackle optimal for a specific fishing art.
Here are some good ideas for any salmon fishing tackles.
Fly Fishing Tackles
While landing a tarpon on a fly requires above human skill and dexterity, landing a Chinook on a fly CAN be done. In fact it has been done a countless time. Use a double handed rod is the best and it should have a relatively long rod around 10 feet. And this rod should have ample power especially in the butt section to effectively handle even a 10 pound freaking Chinook. Compensate choosing your salmon fishing tackle with your strength, or you may risk losing lifting strength. Remember, the longer the rod, the heavier will it be on landing a salmon.
The Airflo SLS Fly Rod Special at GFS: www.gofishingshop.co.uk is a mean 10ft fly rod that should be swift enough to deliver the snag but robust to handle a King salmon on the line, provided the line won’t snap.
The Winston LT Fly Rod is also one salmon fishing tackle that comes highly recommended. Soft tips are so essential for deft handling and Winston LT Fly Rod is prevalent with them. Care to take a look? It’s available at: www.tcoflyfishing.com
Salmons are among the fish species that have remarkably sensitive sense of smell, so throwing them just about anything won’t work at all. Use a strong smelling cured salmon roe is one of the best baiting technique. Since salmon roe can be quite a rare find, you can substitute them with smelt or minnows.
Milos
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/salmon-fishing-tackle-69288.html
Little-Known Missouri Catfish Fishing Spots and Techniques
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When fishing the waters of Missouri, catfish fishing will produce any number of the three largest freshwater catfish in the country – blues, channels, and flatheads. You’ll find them in all sizes and in several different locations in the state.
Unfortunately, because of a number of environmental concerns (start with soil erosion and add pollution, gravel mining, and reservoir construction) have affected the bullhead catfish population, so while you can find a few bullheads large enough to consider in some of the prairie streams, you should not overly concern yourself with this species in this state.
However, Missouri catfish fishing can be found in almost any area of the state, especially if you are searching for small channel cats. In fact, most people who desire a quite catfishing excursion don’t even have to leave town to find a good catch. Light tackle angling is extremely popular because there are a lot of urban lakes that are stocked with channel catfish that are sizeable enough for harvest several times a year.
Most individuals living in the state are within a bus trip, bike ride, or even walk of a great Missouri catfish fishing locale. Ponds provide some of the best locations to catch small channel cats, with several impoundments provided by the Missouri Department of Conservation, including Binder Lake (Jefferson County), Crane Lake (Iron County), Blue Springs Lake (near Kansas City), and many more.
You should also check out warm water rivers for small channel cats, including the Elk River downstream from Noel, portions of the Mississippi River especially near St. Louis, and Big River in St. Francis County.
For larger channel cats in Missouri, catfish fishing is abundant mainly in the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. While the state record for pole and line channel cat fishing is nearly 35 pounds, you can regularly reel in 10- and 20-pounders in these areas. However, trophy-sized channel cats are minimal and rarely found within the state.
For the best chance of finding one of the larger specimens, fish the lower areas of the tributaries flowing into the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers in May and June. You could also pay a visit to either Lake Jacomo or Nodaway County Community Lake, which are renowned for containing a greater number of large channel catfish than other areas of the state.
If you are searching for blues in Missouri, catfish fishing should concentrate on the Mississippi River, the Missouri River, or the Osage River, since the Missouri Department of Conservation doesn’t stock blue catfish outside of its native habitat any longer.
Find a slow or moderate current with shallow water that is preferably less than ten feet deep, and use river worms or bits of shad to attract the fish. For larger blue cats, target the deepest current-washed holes, using only shad or river herring to attract the trophy-sized catch.
Daniel Eggertsen
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/littleknown-missouri-catfish-fishing-spots-and-techniques-137867.html
What kind of bass tackle can I use for steelhead fishing?
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I do have a small assortment of in-line spinners, spoons, and small plastics I started using for trout in NC. Now I live in Oregon and want to try for steelhead and was wondering what kind of artificial I can use that I already have. Jigs, small cranks, soft plastics? any ideas or techniques? Really don’t want to go out and buy a bunch of new tackle. Rods and reels are no problem.
Welcome to the Pacific Northwest. The good news is…you are going to love fishing here. I am particularly fond of the Columbia River. The bad news is…salmon and Steelhead Fishing is a whole new ball game. I’m wouldn’t bother trying to accomodate existing equipment and techniques…you are going to have to do some assimilation. As you already know, you have to head down to the river and spend time with the guys who fish a particular area…techniques and terminal tackle will vary even within a relatively limited stretch of the river. And, of course, there’s no substitute for knowing the river.
Also, the trick here is how NOT to catch bass when you are after something else.