Custom color steelhead jigs

[fish_4_all]

It took me awhile to get the colors but they incorporate every color that catches steelhead here. They are plain, no arguement there. I have thought about making some jigs with legs and stuff for a more buggy appearance but the food here isn't a lot of leggy bugs. Any suggestions for additions to them Troutier Bassier that might make them more effective for feeding steelhead?

 

[the_intimidator03]

my honest opinion and i would apply this accross the board with ANY artificial for any species. shapes, patterns, colors. get it pretty close and thats all there is to it. it doesn't need to be exactly like what your tryin to replicate.

 

[Mike123]

So have you hooked up on these bad boys yet?

 

[fish_4_all]

I haven't hooked up with them yet. Rivers are just getting back into shape here. Saw some steelhead in the river the other day but water was so cold that they looked dead and didn't even move much. Has been slow this year so far but hope to soon. If nothing else I know they will catch almost anything that swims in salt water and might get a few crappie, gills and bass.

 

[metalfisher76]

my honest opinion and i would apply this accross the board with ANY artificial for any species. shapes, patterns, colors. get it pretty close and thats all there is to it. it doesn't need to be exactly like what your tryin to replicate.

Truer words have NEVER been spoken.

 

[fish_4_all]

Considering the only steelhead I have ever gotten on my own jigs was a 5 inch long red headed egg sucking leech I have to absolutely agree with that statement. That doesn't mean my jigs don't work, I have handed my pole to others fishing right beside and let them cast in the same place and catch fish so I know they work. My luck is so bad I can take the pole from someone that has been hooking fish and getting bites letting them cast it for me and still not get a bite. Then they hook a fish on my jigs with my pole. Have to give them waht they want, other than that it don't matter how simple or compliicated they are. Summer run steelhead just hate me. Good thing the same jigs work for winters and salmon or I would have a lot of unused jigs.

 

[Doc Crappie]

Look great can i ask the name of the custom chenille

 

[fish_4_all]

I haven't given it a name yet. Can't come up with something new that is catchy.

 

[Doc Crappie]

They are a #6 VMC 60deg heavy wire. I think they would land a monster if I ever get one to bite one.

Thank you all for the compliments, I hope they work as well as they look.

When do you get your 60 degree hooks from I am looking for some in a size #8 and have had no luck finding any

 

[Anyfishisfine]

It took me awhile to get the colors but they incorporate every color that catches steelhead here. They are plain, no arguement there. I have thought about making some jigs with legs and stuff for a more buggy appearance but the food here isn't a lot of leggy bugs. Any suggestions for additions to them Troutier Bassier that might make them more effective for feeding steelhead?

I don't think steelhead eat anything. Mine have all had empty stomachs. I've heard, but may be wrong, that they don't eat before they spawn, and that strikes are all about agression, and not feeding.

 

[JeannaJigs]

All my pre-spawn winter fish have had empty stomachs, but my summer fish have had some bugs in there. But then again, winter fish are only in the rivers a very short time usually when I get them, and the summer fish have about 150 miles or more to travel before they run into my line.

 

[fish_4_all]

Maybe Washington fish are hungrier because I have found and seen lots of stuff in their stomachs. Shrimp, crawdads, smolt, sculpin, insects and whatever else I couldn't identify. I have not ever found cured egg in their stomachs though. Even saw one feeding on insects. The bugs floated down in open water and the steelhead would come up eating them all day long.

Of course I don't buy the whole salmon don't at least try to eat theory either.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Steelhead definitely eat! Summer steelhead gorge on eggs and flesh on a lot of rivers that actually have salmon in them and I don't think they could make it back to the ocean without feeding. I'm not sure how much winter steelhead eat but they sure like bugs, jigs, small pink worms, roe and anything else you put near their mouth. :lol:

 

[Anyfishisfine]

Steelhead definitely eat! Summer steelhead gorge on eggs and flesh on a lot of rivers that actually have salmon in them and I don't think they could make it back to the ocean without feeding. I'm not sure how much winter steelhead eat but they sure like bugs, jigs, small pink worms, roe and anything else you put near their mouth. :lol:

But do they eat before they spawn? I'm sure they must feast after, but I've never seen anything at all in the gut of any of mine. I haven't had any post-spawn keepers, so I don't know about them.

 

[fish_4_all]

The ones I find with food are from opening day June 1st to about mid fall in October. Then they get skinnier. I also doubt that summers would be able to survive for 6 months or more without eating. If they did I would suspect they would be really small fish by October.

 

[JeannaJigs]

But do they eat before they spawn? I'm sure they must feast after, but I've never seen anything at all in the gut of any of mine. I haven't had any post-spawn keepers, so I don't know about them.

My pre-spawn summer I caught 06/21/10 on the santiam was loaded with bugs

 

[fish_4_all]

After the spawn they become eating machines. The local hatcheries will put spawned bucks in lakes and ponds here and once they recover a little they will eat and hit almost anything that smells like or looks like food. Sand shrimp ares till a killer bait even then but they aren't very picky after the spawn, not in my experiences anyway even in the river.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

They are probably like most trout before they spawn. They will eat when they need to but most energy is spent getting ready to spawn and their bodies are working very hard to make eggs and mature. When they are done they go on a feeding frenzy like brown trout.

 

[Troutier Bassier]

Nice Jigs!

 

[fish_4_all]

The bottom one has now been responsible for 5 steelhead this year, at least variatins of it have. Pink head, the chenille and white tail: 2
Orange head, chenille orange tail: 2
Plain lead free head, chenille, orange tail:1

2 of them were mine so it looks like my steelhead drought is done for now. Hopefully it will carry over for winters.