I landed about an 8 pound buck on the Snoqualmie today that didn't fight at all. When my float went down and I set the hook, I could tell I had a fish on but figured it was a little trout or smolt or something. In just a few seconds I had the fish where I could see it and was shocked to see that it was a decent sized fish. Once I had him to where I was pulling him up on to the bank, he made couple really short little runs away from the shore but no more than about 10 feet or so. I bet I had him on the bank in 15 - 20 seconds or so.

[ 12-11-2001: Message edited by: JacobF ]

Ive had this "problem" when fish are holding in tight. My first steelie I caught was like this on the Puyallup. Hooked it about 10-15 ft from the gravel bar, was over before it began. I remember thinking, that wasnt so tough, whats all the talk about? Then I hooked my second...
Tight Lines
RL

damn Chambers Creek fish!!!

Many times. Not all steelheads fight the way it is "advertised". I have had the most consistent fight - for their size - from sockeyes.

could it be that it was hooked earlier and is still tired out??

was it a summer run still hanging out? You ususally see some of those on the sno all they way through christmas.

I have had them not fight many times...it is a strange deal...and they aren't all Chambers fish...two of them we Nates...I don't know what causes this...I guess adds to the mystery of steelheading.

Gill

Jacobf,

Probably one of the ones I caught and released. Sorry to tucker those out for you!

I got a 10 pound krome brite spawned out native summer steelhead last year (or the year before, can't recall) that I set the hook on and the thing just came flying back towards me! Reeled it in like a stick the rest of the way. And released it of course. BTW, what's the deal with those spawned out fish that turn chrome again. Do all spawned out steelhead turn silver again before they get back to the ocean? Cause I've caught both the chrome snakes and the dark snakes.

My first Steelhead came from the Forks hole on the Bogi/Calawah and I was so unimpressed that I was not sure if I wanted to catch another one. I felt the typical corky and Yarn take set the hooks and had a beautiful chrome hatchery hen of 6 lbs to the bank in 10 seconds? Glad I kept on going because the rest have taught me a good lesson.

NEN

All of the steelhead that I've ever caught hardly faught at all. Of course, I've just caught one and that was a spawner...hope to change that this weekend.

Hooking a fish in the tongue can get you a dud. I
have hooked them in the tongue (ouch) and they just give up. It must be very painful so they
don't resist.

Could have been a previously caught fish or summer run as suggested above. Something that has happened to me several times over the past years, is that due to fish gyrations after being hooked, the line can develop a half hitch over the fish's snout. (Possibilities increase when using front hooks on diving plugs.) When entangled as such, the fish exhibit virtually no fight and can be brought to shore quite easily. It is not until the fish is quite close that you can even notice the half hitch. If you do notice this situation, check to make sure your drag is not set to tight and be prepared. For if it slips off, all heck can break loose.

Good call Roundball, silvers are notorious for this. Hatchery steelhead also sometimes do the "silver twist" and tangle their gillplates closed which takes the fight out of them. A previously caught fish is a definite possibility as well. Water temperature is also a factor. I ran into a similarly strange situation a few years ago, flyfishing the Sauk during the C&R season. On three separate occasions, I hooked and landed large CHROME fish, that hardly put up a struggle at all. They weren't hooked within a few hours before me, because I was fishing the run at least that long, and didn't see any boats, or other bank fishermen. Unless they were hooked downstream, and then moved up to where I was. My buddy and I thought of all kinds of possible reason why they didn't fight very well, but in the end we decided "Who really knows."

1st one I ever caught was on the S/Fork of the Stilly. It was in the summer. I thought I hooked a log,but when I got it to the bank I saw it was a Steelie. Heck I was just fishing for trout and my line was only 4# test. Fish weighed 6lbs. I thought to my self that I hope they all don't fight like that. I found out that they don't.

I caught the same old tattered buck 3 times yesterday! The first fight was awesome! This fish dang near yanked the rod out of my hand on the strike - the hardest strike I've ever had on eggs!

The second fight was Ok. Dumb fish. What were you thinking???

The last fight was way lame. Must be a suicidal fish. I finally had to have a counseling with the fish and told it to "go home" and to leave my bait alone.

Thinking that it was too stupid and probably would hit my bait again, I just left that area and picked on other fish.