McKenzie?

[JeannaJigs]

I caught this guy 2 years ago on the Mckenzie with a 7' uglystick 12lb mainline and 8lb leader. Drifting a glob of row, a pink and glitter corkie almost the size of a marble, with a 2' leader and a 2/0 hook. I was fishing for Stealhead and i thought I had a snag. 20lbs and a little dark but still tasty.

They're almost all dark by the time they're in the McKenzie, they're ugly as hell. The meat is still good though. I always use #4 hooks for steelhead during the summer, and that's all I've got, except for a few #2's leftover from the winter fish on the Siuslaw. So I'll be stocking up, Upsize to a 3/0 I think. Break out my 15# main line spool, run a 12# leader. Toss some roe with yarn in their faces, they'll get angry and attack it (hopefully). My steelhead rod is broke at the moment, so I'll be rocking a 6' Zebco bass rod lol, I use it for Coho during the fall, it's taken 36" fish, so it'll work...just looks funny for bank fishing.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

They're almost all dark by the time they're in the McKenzie, they're ugly as hell. The meat is still good though. I always use #4 hooks for steelhead during the summer, and that's all I've got, except for a few #2's leftover from the winter fish on the Siuslaw. So I'll be stocking up, Upsize to a 3/0 I think. Break out my 15# main line spool, run a 12# leader. Toss some roe with yarn in their faces, they'll get angry and attack it (hopefully). My steelhead rod is broke at the moment, so I'll be rocking a 6' Zebco bass rod lol, I use it for Coho during the fall, it's taken 36" fish, so it'll work...just looks funny for bank fishing.

Well good luck out there. I know the feeling of looking funny with a small rod. It seems like everywhere i go steelhead/salmon fishing i have the smallest rod. As for the 8lb,I ran out of 10lb and once he started running i started getting nervous.

 

[JeannaJigs]

I usually use an 8'6" rod, but I broke the tip off on the Siuslaw in March, so it's still out of comission because...I'm a slacker. For steellhead up there I run 8# main with a 6# leader if I run a leader, though I usually don't because I run jigs or spoons. I'd be real nervous with a 6# leader if I hooked into a 'nook, I'm sure it could be done, but, I don't want to test that so close to very fast moving turbulent water.

 

[TTFishon]

I caught a 25 incher once below leaburg dam on a 5 foot ugly stik and 6lb test. It took me about 15 minutes to get it in.

 

[Bfishin]

Went up to one of my favorite holes on the Mac down river from Leaburg both yesterday and today. Spent about 1 1/2 hrs each time out. Tried drifting Shrimp, Roe with a corkie(pink). No luck. Yesterday when I was getting there a guy just pulling his boat in was cleaning a Steelhead. He said he caught it back drifting some bait in a hole that he normally doesn't fish unless the water is high. Later a guy showed up and was throwing roe with a chartreuse yarnie. He was throwing HUGE globs of Really fresh looking, bright red, roe. After 40 mins for him he hooked into a smaller Salmon, played it for about a minute and came unbuttoned. It got me pumped up, but I went home with old "Pepe La Pew"...a skunk! Anyway, I'll be out there tomorrow fo the third day in a row to see what the old Mac produces.

 

[FishSlayer420]

Man I wish I was not workin tomorrow I am getting the fishing bug. Let me know how you do tomorrow bub.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Went up to one of my favorite holes on the Mac down river from Leaburg both yesterday and today. Spent about 1 1/2 hrs each time out. Tried drifting Shrimp, Roe with a corkie(pink). No luck. Yesterday when I was getting there a guy just pulling his boat in was cleaning a Steelhead. He said he caught it back drifting some bait in a hole that he normally doesn't fish unless the water is high. Later a guy showed up and was throwing roe with a chartreuse yarnie. He was throwing HUGE globs of Really fresh looking, bright red, roe. After 40 mins for him he hooked into a smaller Salmon, played it for about a minute and came unbuttoned. It got me pumped up, but I went home with old "Pepe La Pew"...a skunk! Anyway, I'll be out there tomorrow fo the third day in a row to see what the old Mac produces.

I wish I still had my own cured roe, that stuff was dynamite. I had in excess of 10 pounds of the stuff, and my wonderful sibling unit gave it to his buddy, who ended up throwing it out. I think roe is the ticket up there right now, a friend of mine hooked into three Salmon and one steelhead up there today on small globs of roe, he's being sneaky and won't give up where he was at, but I'm pretty sure I know where he went, and hope to hook into something other than a 5 inch trout on Thursday. Getting paid vacation to fish is the most amazing thing ever.

 

[JeannaJigs]

The fish are in!

The fish are in!

I hooked up twice this morning, at 5:59 and then again 6:30 AM. Didn't get a look at the first one, spit the hook pretty quick, I didn't even realize I had a fish on, I thought I was snagged, but then he started the head shakes and I realized holy crap fish on! I was stoked, and then I lost it but that sure got my blood pumping, I'd only been fishing 10 minutes. Tried again and 30 minutes later, super hard hit, this fish was a beast roughly 36 inches, got it near the bank and she took off into the white water, I thought for sure she was gone, but oh no...still on, so I got her in again, and because of the ledge I was fishing off of, I realized I couldn't land this one without a net. She spit the hook while I was reaching for the net behind me.

Fish 2. Me zero. Except for the 4 inch smolt that took a k15 kwikfish that was almost larger than it was.

Frustrating, but, they're in there now. Hopefully I will get back out there after 2. Had to abandon the river for a "mandatory" meeting at work, otherwise I'd still be out there.

 

[Mike123]

I hooked up twice this morning, at 5:59 and then again 6:30 AM. Didn't get a look at the first one, spit the hook pretty quick, I didn't even realize I had a fish on, I thought I was snagged, but then he started the head shakes and I realized holy crap fish on! I was stoked, and then I lost it but that sure got my blood pumping, I'd only been fishing 10 minutes. Tried again and 30 minutes later, super hard hit, this fish was a beast roughly 36 inches, got it near the bank and she took off into the white water, I thought for sure she was gone, but oh no...still on, so I got her in again, and because of the ledge I was fishing off of, I realized I couldn't land this one without a net. She spit the hook while I was reaching for the net behind me.

Fish 2. Me zero. Except for the 4 inch smolt that took a k15 kwikfish that was almost larger than it was.

Frustrating, but, they're in there now. Hopefully I will get back out there after 2. Had to abandon the river for a "mandatory" meeting at work, otherwise I'd still be out there.

Nice! Way to go! At least your hooking up down there... the Santiam seems
to be fishless, at least for chinook.

You hook both fish on the K15?

 

[Raincatcher]

I am sooo jealous!

I am sooo jealous!

I hooked up twice this morning, at 5:59 and then again 6:30 AM. Didn't get a look at the first one, spit the hook pretty quick, I didn't even realize I had a fish on, I thought I was snagged, but then he started the head shakes and I realized holy crap fish on! I was stoked, and then I lost it but that sure got my blood pumping, I'd only been fishing 10 minutes. Tried again and 30 minutes later, super hard hit, this fish was a beast roughly 36 inches, got it near the bank and she took off into the white water, I thought for sure she was gone, but oh no...still on, so I got her in again, and because of the ledge I was fishing off of, I realized I couldn't land this one without a net. She spit the hook while I was reaching for the net behind me.

Fish 2. Me zero. Except for the 4 inch smolt that took a k15 kwikfish that was almost larger than it was.

Frustrating, but, they're in there now. Hopefully I will get back out there after 2. Had to abandon the river for a "mandatory" meeting at work, otherwise I'd still be out there.

JeannaJigs;
Good for you for making it out like you planned! AND getting a pair of nice hook-ups to boot! Yes, it would have been wonderful if you had had your net taped to your wrist so you could have at least had a picture,but that would just mess up your casting. :lol: It always takes me a bit to get my heartbeat back to normal after a break off. But talk about thrilling!! :clap: Hope you make it back out today and get the one that's waiting just for you.
Be safe.
Barb

 

[JeannaJigs]

Nice! Way to go! At least your hooking up down there... the Santiam seems
to be fishless, at least for chinook.

You hook both fish on the K15?

Only hooked one on the k15, the other one was with a relatively small spawn sac and a very small chartreuse and black glitter corkie. While the river is running higher and faster than I have ever fished it, the water's very clear so I downsized on the bait...could have probably gotten by with a smaller kwikfish but that's all i had in my arsenal today, left the smaller ones in my coho box. Didn't get into more fish this afternoon, but...it's still pretty early in the season, and I couldn't have asked for a better day on the river. (other than say, a dead fish in my cooler, but ya know) A couple weeks and I think it'll definitely be picking up.

 

[JeannaJigs]

JeannaJigs;
Good for you for making it out like you planned! AND getting a pair of nice hook-ups to boot! Yes, it would have been wonderful if you had had your net taped to your wrist so you could have at least had a picture,but that would just mess up your casting. :lol: It always takes me a bit to get my heartbeat back to normal after a break off. But talk about thrilling!! :clap: Hope you make it back out today and get the one that's waiting just for you.
Be safe.
Barb

Well the one that's waiting just for me, is still doing just that, waiting. I did get back out though. I went to my meeting all grungy and gross, right off the river lol, JUST SO they couldn't put me to work after the meeting, as I have to wear scrubs (x-ray tech) so, I escaped after the hour and a half I will never get back, and was back on the river, and it was the best weather ever. The fish didn't get the memo though that they were supposed to complete my day by staying on my hook, and resting in my cooler. Oh well, it was a good day nonetheless, and I know they're in there for sure now. So it's on, Mr. or Mrs. Salmon, is going down.

 

[Mike123]

Only hooked one on the k15, the other one was with a relatively small spawn sac and a very small chartreuse and black glitter corkie. While the river is running higher and faster than I have ever fished it, the water's very clear so I downsized on the bait...could have probably gotten by with a smaller kwikfish but that's all i had in my arsenal today, left the smaller ones in my coho box. Didn't get into more fish this afternoon, but...it's still pretty early in the season, and I couldn't have asked for a better day on the river. (other than say, a dead fish in my cooler, but ya know) A couple weeks and I think it'll definitely be picking up.

That's awesome! :clap:

Not doubting you or anything, but are you positive they weren't steelhead?

 

[JeannaJigs]

That's awesome! :clap:

Not doubting you or anything, but are you positive they weren't steelhead?

The second one was not a steelhead, got a very good look at it, it was a very large hen without an amputated adipose, the first one was in a deep 20 foot boily hole that is a very productive hole for salmon, that I have never seen summer steelhead caught in...but I didn't have a visual on it, so who knows, didn't fight like a steelhead, but again no visual.

 

[Mike123]

The second one was not a steelhead, got a very good look at it, it was a very large hen without an amputated adipose, the first one was in a deep 20 foot boily hole that is a very productive hole for salmon, that I have never seen summer steelhead caught in...but I didn't have a visual on it, so who knows, didn't fight like a steelhead, but again no visual.

Verrry nice!

This gives me hope on the Santiam!

 

[JeannaJigs]

Yessss there is hope after all! I thought there wasn't gonna be a season at all up here...That'll show my pessimism!