What do you think is the single biggest mistake that a beginner makes in the quest to catch that first steelhead?
I'm kind of prone to thinking it's "blind casting"....just aimlessly tossing the offering hour after hour. I know there have been times when I've fallen into that mental state. It doesn't happen often, but occasionally when the fishing is slow, I'll lose my concentration and just drone it. What a waste of time that is! Sometimes I need to kick myself in the butt and change lures, or holes, or both....got to stay dialed in!

What single piece of advice can be offered to help a beginner?

Looking back on my beginning days, my single biggest mistake was driving all over the place trying to find fish. I would have been much better off picking a very few rivers and fishing them under all conditions. That is my best advice - learn a good river (check the catch statistics - that's a good place to start), and fish it under a variety of conditions. This will surely pay off.

I had a bad case of these two problems. The biggest was fishing for hours where I saw a fish caught sometime during the day. If I saw one caught or caught one my self I would be an ass anchor and sit there for hours beating the water. Or I was always using whatever everybody else was using, if everybody was using roe I would use roe, or if everybody was using jigs I would follow, never took the time to expierment other baits. Pretty dissapointed that I wasted a few good years to my ingornace, but that is all part of the learning process.

I'm not sure I can narrow it down to just one. I have done them all. Here are my top five:

1. Constantly changing rivers to follow the hot fish reports.

2. Using too heavy line and too large baits and lures. (Many beginners think the larger the lure the better chance a fish will see and eat it.)

3. Not knowing how to read water.

4. Not knowing how to detect a bite.

5. As fun5 said losing concentration. You need to expect a fish with every cast. That can be hard to maintain on cast number 2,368.

Not keeping your line tight. With slack line you will never be able to feel the "munch".

Pay attention. And be able to adapt to the fishing situation...Such as changing lead size, color, scents, and size of your presentation.

Listening to the wrong people!!!! I dont know how many times Ive taken a newbie out after he has listened to or fished with some self proclaimed expert.. You know the expert Im talking about., The guy who doesnt fish unless he is within sight of a hatchery.

My # 1 problem: Expecting to catch fish.

I find I enjoy myself much more just relaxing, enjoying the company of a good friend or two and taking in the scenery on a local river. If we catch fish, all the better.

I would definitely say to a newbie that it's not a bad idea to hone your skills at a hatchery meat hole, like spots on the Cowlitz, Lewis, or Skykomish.

Once you know how to cast well, and how to detect strikes, now you have to go out and actually learn the real art of steelheading, which is impossible in the meat holes. I have been acquainted with lots of fishermen who equate catching a lot of fish in those spots with being a good steelheader, which is only true so long as they stay in those meat holes. Give them a river that requires some skills and their productivity drops markedly.

Reading water, tailoring gear to the specifics of the water you are fishing, finding your own spots, etc., etc. Most have been listed above.

Here's one that wasn't mentioned yet. While I agree with Dave's point about lighter line and lures, that doesn't mean use six pound test when there is a full river with 12" of visibility.

I find light line to be most important in attractively presenting the bait, not necessarily because steelhead are leader shy. I only use 8# leaders if the water is over 30" or so of vis, other than that I stick with ten, even bumping up to twelve if the water is really up.

When I'm fishing unlimited vis and small baits, I find the lighter line to be more important for properly delivering a smaller bait, rather than trying to make my leader invisible.

Fish on...

Todd.

I'll add to Dave V's list:

Trying to catch steelhead on the same gear/bait/technique as you do for salmon. Steelhead and salmon are completely different. Don't use the same stuff.

Trying too many different techniques. Stick to one method (ok, maybe two) - float/jig, spoons, spinners, drifting eggs, or plugs, etc; develop some confidence, and stick with it. My two favorites techniques for winter steelhead are float/jig and spinners.

This has already been said, but the biggest beginner mistake: fishing the wrong areas. Learn to read the water and recognize holding areas. If you're fishing the right spots, sometimes you can hook a steelhead even if you've done everything else wrong.

I always say one way to slightly make up for the inability to detect a strike is by having very sharp hooks. Sometimes you'll just get lucky and hook the fish even though you didn't know it was a fish.

Great attitude, but I like being confident as well. Loose confidence, and it's just a little less rewarding. My suggestion is to fish with someone who is willing to teach, and be paitent. It helps If he/she is a relatively good angler to boot. And remember that bank crowds are there for a reason, if they don't bother you too much. Invest the time fishing, reading about it, or simply watching others fish and take note of what the successful folks are doing. Learning on the water is a never-ending process for me.
And I still get taken to school.
Good fishing.

Too much weight is the number one error I tend to see. You don't really need to be touching bottom at all. Too much weight and your stuff is jerking around un-naturally. Also, experiment with different weights on the same drift. Every time you change your weight, leader length, etc it's a whole new presentation. Also, too large of hooks. I mostly use 1/0 on low visibility and 1 on good visibility. Lastly, the size. Steelhead have very good eyes and can see the smallest of stuff and will readily gulp a small offering whereas a large offering can be a turn off. I should add that 9 out of ten will hit on the drift not at the end of the drift. Most newbies miss that fact.

i 2nd dave v. that sounds like me.

I think two mistakes are the most common. First is not reading the water and fishing where steelhead might live. I figure about 90% of a river's area is barren of steelhead. The second is standing in one spot casting to the same spot overly long. Unless I have damn good reason, I never make two casts to the same spot unless I've raised a fish. If they don't hit, move on and cover more water, increasing the chance to find a fish, and one that will hit.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

The biggest most stupid thing that I ever did was....I never used to buy hooks...20-30 hooks would last me a year. Be walking a long the river bank,....eww..lookie..nice looking hook. Poke my finger, awe yes, nice and sharp (maybe if I got lucky the hook was sharp) rig up a new riggin and put that new not so sharp hook on there and flinger on out there.
I don't know how many fish I lost do to not sharping my hooks.
But I learned

SHARPEN THEM HOOKS!!!! If you don't know how and are too shy to ask someone at the river bank,....theres lots of small fishing stores out there and guides that want to look good

Was not being prepared, as said presharpen hooks,make sure drag on reel is set litely,and always ask questions of those catching fish around me helped me the most when people have asked me what my favorite steelhead lure is I always hold up my file and say this works every time I go fishing!!!PEACE

1. Wading too deep and standing on the fish.
2. Big rigs in clear water.
3. Fishing the same spot all day.

1. Putting on colgne before or during fishing. Beginners don't understand the importance of not having human scent.

2. Not fishing the right place at the right time. Need to know where to fish and learn it well like it has already been suggested here.

3. Bringing bananas!

4. Not knowing how to rig up properly. not having sharp hooks, or not knowing good knots, and not using effective methods.

5. Not covering the water and casting correctly and the right water. Not having polarized glasses and not being able to see fish and know where they hold.

6. Not switching it up with colors or different baits.

7. Not using enough weight or too much weight.

8. Trying to break off by using the rod!

9. Fishing too many hot spots with lots of people shoulder to shoulder.

10. Not going with somebody of better experience whether it is a guide or a fisherman that catches fish.

Slow Down!! Slow Down!!
I used to race out of the house, race down the road, run down the trail and then start flogging as soon as I saw the river. This of course led to forgetting something at the house, getting a speeding ticket or just getting frustrated with the car in front of me, possibly falling down on the trail or scaring a fish out of the hole.
It might be that I am a little older or that I fish much more than I ever did before but I definitely catch more fish and enjoy myself more now that I learned to "EASE ON INTO THINGS". I love to just sit back and watch what is going on around me before I even put my pole together.

Fogged:

Right on, with age comes patience.

It's like those two bulls standing on that hill top that spotted that herd of cows a thousand feet below. Yea, you know the young spike wanted to run on down there and screw one whilst the proud old stag suggested that they should walk on down there and screw em all..........happy new year...

A lesson I relearned today. When you catch a hen (or buck) go back to the drift after you have rested it and catch their partner.

I'll have to second the comments on carrying a hook file. Once you've made the investment in time, treasure and tackle to finally achieve the immaculate connection with Mr Steel, you want to make sure you stick'em good. I would venture to guess more fish are lost to dull hooks than anything else.

With a tip of the hat to Dave V. - the expert on float fishing - the biggest mistake that I see float fishermen make is not adjusting their weight/float ratio so that the float stands vertically through the drift.

I think the biggest mistake I used to make was when I would participate in the "Lemming syndrome" as General Zog calls it. I thought that whatever everyone else was using had to be what was working, so I would tie on the same thing. This is the wrong thing to do! Show the fish something different!!

Tight Lines!

Without a doubt, in my experience the #1 single biggest mistake I see beginners make is allowing slack in the line.
You can have the sharpest hooks, the right offering, be in the right place at the right time and do everything else right, but if you have slack, you've got jack.
Slack is a negative to every aspect of steelheading regardless of technique or style and yet it is the most common fault you will among novices. From beginning to end, slack negatively affects presentation, the ability to detect the take, the opportunity to strike or set hook, control during the fight and success in landing a fish. Take the slack out and you not only land more but you will actually hook more too.
Many other things are important to becoming a more successful steelheader but ultimately it is line control that separates the expert from the novice. Once a novice becomes expert it is possible to use slack with control in certain techniques, but even the expert tries to avoid this at all costs because they know it puts them at disadvantage.
I believe it was the General I once heard say, 'take the slack out of your line and you might start catching some of those fish you've been missing'.
I think my response at the time was probably, 'what fish?'.

1. The biggest mistake is to fish in one place too long. Five casts in a spot then move.

2. Fish the right section of river for the water conditions...... low water fish lower in the system.

3. Small presentations for steelies

4. Line size means nothing even in clear water. I use 12lb for winters and summers. When a fish decides to bite, he's gonna take it if you've got 8 or 12.

5. Fish every piece of water that looks like a trout would lay in, steelies are overgrown trout.

6. Bait cure means nothing, steelhead are sight biters not scent. A boraxed egg is as good as it gets. Sulfite is ok too.

7. fish places that you've caught then in before.

8. Don't use too much lead, steelies are sight biters and very aggresive unless waters are very cold..... ie 33-38 degrees then a slower presentation is needed.

When I fish steelhead I will fish every spot possible in a days time( 25-50 slots/holes) move lots to find the fish. If you fish two holes all day and there is only two fish in them your odds are much less than 30 holes with one in each hole. If you fish all 30 holes you could hook those 30 fish.

Another classic beginner move...thumbing the line!

Being married to one type of gear. Just because a red corky and green yarn put a fish on the bank last week doesn't mean it's the ticket today. If I'm floating eggs I cast until I've covered all the holding water once. I then squirt shrimp oil on the eggs and work the water again. Then it's sand shrimp time. If bait doesn't do it I run a jig or a pink worm thru it's paces. If nothing has happened I grab my drift rod and chuck a spoon or spinner. If no fish liked the menu options then I move up or down river to another run.
Have the patience to work each run thoroughly and be flexible in your offerings.

Watch other around you. Now that being said don't stalk a guy or crowd them but just watch what they guys who are getting fish are doing. Most of the time the difference is small. Pay attention and ask questions. Starting out, if your respectfull and nice most guys will help you out with little hits to put you in the right direction. And there is no fast way or miracle bait or techinique, steelheading takes time on the water. Keep learning.

Tight lines

Kevin

Not taking a kid on every single trip!

I should have added. I was a fishing maniac when I was a kid and I think the Rivers, Lakes, Creeks of my youth saved me from the insanity around me growing up in a dysfunctional family and community. I have caught my share so it's not about catching as much any more as it is seeing the years come back through a childs eyes as they ponder the possiblities on the way to fish. I was blessed with this gift of the love of fishing and it would be a big mistake not to give someone else that gift.

Good on ya mate.
Receiving this gift and wanting to share it go hand in hand. It's when we want to give that we first begin to realize how much we have received.

Thanks again to all of you guys out there who continue to unselfishly share your wisdom, knowledge and experiences with all those who desire to know. It is a true reflection of your heart and of all that you have received. Happy New Year to you!

And for anybody who is ready to find out how much they have learned and perhaps even how little they know, why not put yourself to the test and take a kid fishing this year?
I mean, buddy, can you spare the time?
One thing is for sure, you'll get back far more than you could ever give. Guaranteed.

1. fishing heavily used water
2. not covering enough water
3. using the same thing as everyone else
4. not fishing often enough
5. buying poor equipment
6. lack of information.. (when, where)