Salmon & steelhead riggings

[Irishrover]

At a trout OFF gathering up at Trilium Lake there were some folks that had questions on how to rig up for salmon and steelhead. Questions about spinners and questions about spoons. I do believe that sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. A good book with lots of pictures and some words works well too. I suggested for those who had questions that they pick up "Illustrated Rigging for Salmon-Steelhead-Trout" by Robert H. Campbell Amato Publishing. For someone just getting into the sport it's a great reference book. Throbbit_Shane brought up two good book for spoons and spinners. I agree with his picks. Spoon Fishing for Steelhead by Bill Herzog and Spinner Fishing for Steelhead, Salmon and Trout by Jed Davis. Both books are from Amato publishing, and all three can be picked up at BI Mart. I think getting out on the water and getting expierence is the best teacher but having some help to get started from these books well help a new guy out and they are worth the price.

 

[waco]

That's a good suggestion man! When I just started on this addiction I got 2 books and I learned a lot from those- it's definitely money worth it!
I got 300 tips for more salmon and steelhead
And bank fishing for steelhead and salmon!

 

[ChezJfrey]

... Spoon Fishing for Steelhead by Bill Herzog ...

What?! Someone already stole my book title, "Spoon Fishing for Steelhead by ChezJfrey"? Where's my lawyer? LOL

But seriously, I've got a bunch of books (spinner, fly, spoon, drift, bank, tips, etc.) trying to figure this thing out and I connected with that one book by Herzog. I think it's a combination of ingesting the various material and putting a lot of time on the water implementing until I got a feel for it. At this moment, spoons have been my steelhead ticket this year.

Oh, and if anyone reads that particular Herzog book, I'll offer one contrary suggestion and say that it is OK to cast upstream...like anything else though, there is a more-or-less 'proper' way to go about it that one needs to figure out.

 

[Irishrover]

Bank fishing for salmon and steelhead by Scott Haugen is a great book. Of course I'm a fishing book junkie and when I can't fish I like to read about it.

Bill Herzog book inspired me to make some of my own spoons. I used old copper pipe and beat them into shape with a hammer. They actualy work, but I have yet to land a fish on one yet.

 

[ChezJfrey]

Yeah, me too.

One of the books that I think helped me was, "The Complete Steelheader," by John Larison. While other books described likely steelhead water in a micro sense (riffles, seams, head of pools, tails, etc.), that book pointed out a larger, macro picture of where in the river system to start targeting them. When I started hunting down those features, I started getting into steelhead.

Took awhile, with quite a bit of hiking and searching, but since then, I've done much better at the game.

 

[Irishrover]

Waco you are right 300 tips for more salmon and steelhead is a good book. I was in Bi Mart, saw it and added it to my collection. I like the way he has that book organized. Next book for the colllection will be "The Complete Steelheader" It sounds like a good read also.

 

[Wolfden]

I'm getting ready too buy some lures for salmon and steelhead . I'v been told too get kwiki fish or flat fish type ... what sizes and colors should i be looking at? I'm fishing in the Columbia River ,bank fishing
Thanks for any input

Dennis

 

[ChezJfrey]

I'm getting ready too buy some lures for salmon and steelhead . I'v been told too get kwiki fish or flat fish type ... what sizes and colors should i be looking at? I'm fishing in the Columbia River ,bank fishing
Thanks for any input

Dennis

I was watching an Outdoor GPS episode once, talking about Kwik color and steelhead on the Columbia, and they mentioned any color, as long as it's red, LOL.

 

[Wolfden]

LOL ok i'll look for red ... hopefully Wally world or freddys will have them . what about sizes ?

 

[Irishrover]

If you going to use Kwikfish you can go with any thing from a size 13 to a 16. You might want to consider taking the treble hooks off of them and putting on siwash hooks. It makes it easier to release natives, yet still give you a good hook up. Get the hook nice and sharp and it will do it's job. Also make sure your lures are tune well.

 

[halibuthitman]

I'm getting ready too buy some lures for salmon and steelhead . I'v been told too get kwiki fish or flat fish type ... what sizes and colors should i be looking at? I'm fishing in the Columbia River ,bank fishing
Thanks for any input

Dennis

for steelhead an f-7 in orange ..... and king salmon will bite anything and the color changes day to day... chrome k-15 with a sardine wrap.. on the channel any chrome/green works, exept on the days they want red.. until they want glow yellow.. but sometimes they just want a plug herring... but then the mag lips turnn on some days until noon when they only want a wart...... oh my heads starting to spin!

 

[Wolfden]

Thanks for the reply's guys .... I'v started my "want/need " list lol

 

[kerrydaleherring]

Wolfden - The best advice you will ever get is this.... Books and videos will give you tons and tons of info about what "Might" work best for given situations but when it comes to color variations, sizes, weight, rod, line, bobbers, swivels and so on. Trial and error is what makes the difference and talk with locals fishing the same water as you are... see what they are using but beware that everyday is different. what someone used to catch the big one or limits out quick can be totally different the next day or even hour. Grab yourself a variety of tackle, use different tactics aka float fishing with corky & yarn, yarn and eggs, just eggs, shrimp, shrimp cocktail or jig. same goes with trolling and drift fishing or spinner fishing. the more options you can tap into the better your success will be for your target fish. Conversations with the local fish and tackle shops sporting goods stores or friends will give you the most info on where you should start. talk with those who knows first so you don't necessarily have to break the bank. good luck out there!