Targeting Steelhead or Kings or...

[Rodm]

Hi everyone,

I've always mixed things up and dialed the spread into what's bitting. I've often had guests on board who wanted to catch a steely, or a big king, or a fat mid-summer CoHo, or a slab of a lake trout. What kind of pre-trip planing and on water techniques can be used to target one vrs another? I know the prefered temp ranges, some baits that seem to be favored by one more than the rest, but how to pick the best place to start, speeds to run, best presentations for each???? Sorry it's such a broad subject, but it's my cabin fever thought for now.

Thanks and tight lines to all,

Rod

[1mainiac]

research research research if you can't fish every day at least study what is happening every day where you fish. What is the weather pattern what are the reports saying do you know someone who can tell you what worked and when it worked. Try and have a map of the water in your mind and what the weather can do to it. It seems like every port has a group that allways start in the same place or close to it unless you know there are fish there avoid that group. Sadly it seems like a lot of guys have a idea that you run out to 70 to 80 ft and drop lures and fish from there as more boats come out they all see someone fishing there and join them. That group allways gets a few fish but seldom has a hot day. Just my opinion but when I see a pack of boats I assume they all have no idea where to fish so just follow each other around. I watch the weather patterns for every day what did the wind do knowing the wind pattern was offshore or from the north east here for several days will often have me looking for pockets of trapped water holding fish. The Salmon need to eat a lot and don't want to be far from a meal so a off shore wind will blow out the warm beach water bringing colder water in and big hungary fish with it. So many times you see guys drive right over the fish on their way out to fish. Summer Steelhead fishing is my late morning program many days and they tend to relate to surface temp breaks so look for slicks and scum lines and work the top 30ft of the water column also go fast cover as much water as you can I don't think there is a speed for Steelhead that is too fast unless your cannon balls are skipping on the surface behind the boat. I often find when I am going to fast for my divers to work is about the proper speed.

[mattmishler]

when we fish steelhead. The one thing we look for is cold water with a temp break and scum lines. When we fish steelhead we run high divers with orange and put out as many birds as possible with orange spoons. I like this water our deep cuz you cant put out 18-23 lines when were out there we run riggers for lakers we put out any yellow spoon or tin and with a green fly down deeep big lakers are usually found. I really like this fishery cuz its a lazzy mans fisherey, get out there by 9-10 and come in by 3 with a boat load of fish cant gett anybetter.

[Priority1]

Lakers like it slow and deep. Of course there is the exception to everything. Dodgers, Flashers, or Cow Bell rigs will gitter done. 2 MPH +- is a good speed for the grease.

[CAPT HEAVY]

Depending on the time of year, I always fish for multiple species. Usually 2 middle riggers deep with attractors and flies. Riggers 1 and 4 shallower with spoons. Normally the 1 rigger 10ft. from bottom. The 4 rigger 20ft. from bottom. I use these rods as "searchers". I dont depend on dipsies that much any more. On Huron, wire dipsies and meat rigs used bring some bigger Kings. I dont run them often, not enough kings around anymore.

Instead Ive add more lead core. You would be surprised on the number of rips that I get running flat lines or 1 color rods in the middle of summer in 70FOW.

I dont fish temp at all. I fish bait. If there is bait that is out of temp there will be predators there. People laugh because I dont have a temp probe but my Furuno graph tells me all that I need to know to catch fish.

[Nailer]

1/2 core out with an Orange spoon will target Steel.

[Adam Bomb]

when we fish steelhead. The one thing we look for is cold water with a temp break and scum lines. When we fish steelhead we run high divers with orange and put out as many birds as possible with orange spoons. I like this water our deep cuz you cant put out 18-23 lines when were out there we run riggers for lakers we put out any yellow spoon or tin and with a green fly down deeep big lakers are usually found. I really like this fishery cuz its a lazzy mans fisherey, get out there by 9-10 and come in by 3 with a boat load of fish cant gett anybetter.

yes!!!!