I ended my 2001 season on a big 0 fer 6 skid. I think I was doing everything right. Sharpening hooks, checking knots, retying leaders and no bananas in the boat. Then it hits me, I haven't seen my lucky fishin hat since Aug. I' going to search the house again as the thought of teaching another hat how to fish sends shivers up my spine.
I have a friend that once went 0-7 on a trip, can anyone beat that?

"Tis better to have hooked and lost to have never hooked at all"

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: mt. mike ]

[ 01-07-2002: Message edited by: mt. mike ]

Many years ago there was a new rod that came out that I wanted to buy. Silaflex Magumn. These were the days that I had to save up the bucks to buy. Well, finally got enough to get it, $45.00, came with a leather case and all that jazz, and couldn't wait to get a Steelhead on it.
Over the next few weekends I went 0 for 9 with it and wished I had never purchased it. I still have it. I don't think there was graphite rods out yet.fp

When I first began steelheading about 4 years ago I didn't have a clue what I was doing and I wen't 14 trips to a small river and hour from my house and only got one hatchery fish (my girlfriend hooked and I took the rod from her )I was not very proud of myself, but that is fishin.

So far this year I am 0 for 4. I am heading out this weekend and will see if I can go 1 for 5 or 0 for 5. I am catching up but not proud of it. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Using bait, jigs, corkies etc. Have not tried the Pink Worm yet though........maybe I will give that a shot.

Mike, if you can't find "ol lucky" I can help. I've got a Washington huskie's hat I'm looking to unload, cheap. P.S. this hat already knows how to fish! Went 1 for 2 last week. And the one it missed was a snakie looking summer-run

[ 01-05-2002: Message edited by: chrome/22 ]

I had a dry spell with salmon this last Sept and Oct (perfect timing). I could not believe it! I could not even catch a cold. I finally broke out of it with a vengeance catching (and releasing) more salmon in one weekend than I had all season long. If you fish a lot like I do you will notice trends in your catching. Like with anything else in life you will have UPS and DOWNS.
Wait it out, your slump will pass!

I caught my first steelhead in 1966 caught the next one 1987. Lots of time on 2 rivers but no mentor to show me the way. Oh I also left the area in 1970 so maybe it was only a 7 year dry spell. Gotta love those fish to chase em like we do.

Mike, my longest o-for streak was O for 9 on saltwater silvers. Sticky sharp hooks, with some of them dropped back from the tail like stingers. Cohos are just quick short strikers and are bound to frustrate us. But steelhead aren't far behind the 'hos in that regard. In the rivers that very often get skin hooked on the lip and pull free quickly or after a short fight. I have landed many that were barely left hooked by a small thread of skin - so that is what is often happening when we seem to be doing things right but lose a bunch of them. Most of it is just the bad luck of the marginal hookup, but there are some things that can reduce the loss percentage - mainly waiting for sure takes on bait before setting the hook, or in faster water being just a bit quicker with the hookset. Mainly just need better luck on some days.

RT

I think it's the hat!

Hi mike, It might be because you don't have somebody behind you telling you to wait wait jerk. Take care I'm sure your luck will change.

My brother went 0-9 once. We narrowed it down to his cheap spinning reel which had a jerky drag. Needless to say a trip to Sportco was in order for a shiny new Semetre. Since switching he has yet to repeat the dubious feat!

FJ...out.

0-fer streaks are going to happen if you've been fishing long enough. I'm 0-3 on steelhead my last time out. Sure, I can land a silver no problem....but a steelhead? Noooo. Grrrr. But that just makes it sweeter when Homer the Chromer finally hits the beach.

About 4 years ago I went 0 for my first 11 summer runs over a week or so period of time. This all happened on the lewis and kalama down near tidewater. Did it all on 6# test. Nothing like a chromedome on a fresh tide, with rootwads everywhere. It's amazing how they know where the roots are. Finally I decided to go to 8# test and started landing some fish.
Keith

A couple years ago on the Toutle, I could hook Silvers at will, but couldn't keep them from busting me off...finally I ran my hand up my main line and found it frayed about 10 feet, cut that off and started landing them.
If you need a good fishing hat, you got to go with the Miami Dolphins hat...just good MOJO. I got 13 of them and they are all fishy!

Randy, I think it's more like....it has taken me 13 hats to find 2 lucky one's. I know for a fact that a few of those hats got some major funk on em What do you call the ones that you don't wear? Retired or funked up?

I must have not been around on that trip to the Toutle because mutually we could have landed more of your fish using the sense!

FJ...out.

Fishing is my religion!

I'm sure it is the hat. I have misplaced my lucky one and am 2 for about 10 on my last couple of times out. Have been wearing a Dale Earnhardt hat now and I've a bad feeling about luck on that one. Oh where oh where is that other hat?

I think all the Miami hats are lucky....unless...they are Orange or white. Now I stick with the teal and navy blue. All the old hats are officially retired, but I might have to bring the "Eye of the hurricane" hat out of retirement for the Alaska trip....I think it is the all time luckiest.

I don't have a Miami Dolphins hat but my mom found my old Dolphins helmet. I wear my camo Cabelas hat for good luck and so the fish don't see me. I like my WSU Rose Bowl hat (see picture gallery) but I don't want to spook the fish. Never wear a Husky hat unless you want to go on a losing streak. Need to get me one of those Hurricane hats or a new Duck hat.

No doubt the hat helps with the luck as when your in a good mood it seems you catch more fish. If the hat dont help you might try going to a longer rod to keep a better pressure on the fish without breaking off.
Wild Outdoorsman and MAY THE FLOW BE WITH YOU!!!!

I believe in the lucky hat theory. Anything that gives a fisherman a little more confidence will translate into better concentration and therefore better hooksets. My Cincinatti Red's hat (the black away-game color) seemed invincible last winter-spring. Then the summer came and I skunked more times than I'd like to admit. I changed hats and have been into fish almost every time since. The one time I skunked when I thought I should catch fish...the one time I brought the reds hat out again! I got a new Trout Unlimited waxed-cotton cap for Christmas...1 for 1 so far! Am I crazy?!

Well, I ran the streak to 0-7 yesterday when a nice hen sawed me off on a boulder right at my feet. While standing there looking at 4 inches of leader drifting in the breeze all I could do was laugh. 2 hours later on the "last cast" I was able to bring a nice 14 lb buck to the net. The streak is over! Now that I've found a hat that fish a little I can't wait for a long weekend when I can bring out the boat. I've been fishing some 1 day trips lately and have left my boat at home and I have gotten a new appreciation for the guys that fish from the bank. Hey Jim, you could be right, noone has been telling me "wait, wait jerk" but I have heard" ____ _____ jerk" does that count? jk