Amazing fight with a steelhead this morning!

40calruler · May 2, 2015

So I was drifting my spinner down the current this morning and felt nothing but noticed my line was moving up stream...Too much slack but I reeled in a bit and set the hook. This fish went nuts. Seemed like 5 feet of airtime when it would flip out of the water. Likely only 10lbs but I was using a light pole. I had to bow to that thing at least 10 times and after a good long fight like I have not had in years the thing gets up to the shallow water where I was wading at. SON OF A BIT*& was a wild steelhead! Had to carefully put him/her back.

I was thinking about smoked fish the whole time. What a effing let down.

oknow · May 2, 2015

playing one is better than being skunked. and it sounds like you got some good playtime in :s0152:

40calruler · May 2, 2015

oknow said:
playing one is better than being skunked. and it sounds like you got some good playtime in

Without a doubt it was a lot of fun. Only the second time I have ever caught a wild one in the area I fish.

First time was a great fight as well. Some folks say there is no such thing as wild anymore and they are no different than clipped fish. I know the two I have caught fought a hell of a lot harder than most fish I get on the line. Lots of fun and such a rush when they make you work for it like that!

oknow · May 2, 2015

40calruler said:
Without a doubt it was a lot of fun. Only the second time I have ever caught a wild one in the area I fish.

First time was a great fight as well. Some folks say there is no such thing as wild anymore and they are no different than clipped fish. I know the two I have caught fought a hell of a lot harder than most fish I get on the line. Lots of fun and such a rush when they make you work for it like that!

my one and only steelhead was on the bank in about 2 minutes a total disappointment after the stories I heard about how hard they fight it was about 10 lbs.

40calruler · May 2, 2015

oknow said:
my one and only steelhead was on the bank in about 2 minutes a total disappointment after the stories I heard about how hard they fight it was about 10 lbs.

Yeah I have had that a few times. One up off the Clackamas river seemed to come in like I was reeling a log. 9lbs and fight was over in a minute or so. It happens but the fighters are a lot of fun. I have been using an ultra light Ugly Stick at times to make things interesting.
Try that out and your fight will continue a lot longer than 2 minutes!

Caveman Jim · May 2, 2015

Congrats, you are officially bit!!!
My first metal gear caught steelhead about jerked the rod out of my hand, I was not expecting such a ferocious hit like that!!!

40calruler · May 2, 2015

Caveman Jim said:
Congrats, you are officially bit!!!
My first metal gear caught steelhead about jerked the rod out of my hand, I was not expecting such a ferocious hit like that!!!

haha for sure I need one that I can put on the smoker! That powerful jerk is shocking at times when you are using lighter gear....or even heavier gear with a big fighter! The first time I was fishing for trout and using cheap mono line. Had no idea big fish even swam around that river. My line snapped before I got it in but it was jolting to a novice fisherman!

jbett98 · May 2, 2015

I've fought a lot of steelhead in my time and you can definitely tell the difference between a hatchery and a native.
The largest was a button nose brute heading up to Idaho.
He was around 18-20 lbs and kicked my butt all over the Columbia up above the Sandy River.
I thought I had all of the advantages, especially being away from shore in a boat, but that fish had my knees shaking when it was all over and it was time to release him.

Stomper · May 2, 2015

Given all the political warfare going on with our 2A rights, it's really refreshing to hear and think about the finer things in life!

jbett98 · May 2, 2015

Years ago, I was running my boat up the Columbia past the Sandy River to get anchored in my favorite spot for fall salmon.
It was about an hour before sunrise and when I rounded a bend in the river, and I saw a huge steelhead jumping straight out of the water over and over in the same spot.
As I motored closer I could tell that it was hooked to a fishing line and the fish was desperately trying to shake the lure loose.
The fish was in the middle of the river, but the line was attached to a boat anchored near the shore at least a 100 yards away.
I made my over to the boat and found a couple of teenage boys that had spent the night with a case of beer and had obviously passed out from their drinking party without reeling in their fishing poles.
The fish had spooled the line and the pole was jumping up and down like crazy.
I managed to get one of them to wake up and hand me the pole so I could reel it in and release it.