Steelhead bank fishing tactics

Question(s) for all you steelhead anglers who, by choice or circumstance, do a lot of bank fishing...

Do you generally fish one run/hole all day, waiting for the fish to come to you -- or do you move from spot to spot looking for fish? Do water conditions dictate your strategy?

It seems like a lot of guys -- especially when the river is green and dropping and fish are likely on the move -- just camp out in a likely spot and fish the same water hard for hours on end. I, on the other hand, tend to fish a likely spot and then move on, be it on foot or by car. It's a hunter instinct in me -- the need to pursue -- but perhaps I could do well to learn more patience? I'm wondering if my strategy limits or maximizes my success. (We can always catch more fish, right? And yes, I'd like to catch more steelhead. On average, I generally hook one steelie every two or three times I go out on my regular Puget Sound rivers.)

So. What's your approach to bank fishing?

[ 12-31-2001: Message edited by: HSL ]

I am not an expert on steelhead, but Saturday I went from hole to hole, and in three holes, it was the first cast that got me my fish.

andy

9 times out of 10 I'm on the move. You'll usually catch a biter in the first 5 casts if there's one there. But if I fish a hole on the way in, a lot of times I'll fish that same water on the way out to see if something had moved in.
Keith

For hatchery brats...if the water is low and clear I believe they tend to linger in holding spots throughout the river that provide relative safety where as in medium to higher water I believe that they are racing for the hatchery. I move around more in low water. In higher water I find a good spot and wait there for 'em. With the later I usually have more company.
For nates I believe the fish also linger in holes in low water and fly in moderate to higher water. Just a matter of finding the resting spots or lucking into a moving fish.

Just got back from a day of banking small water.With small water I don't waste much time.I fish the hole.covering the water to the point that I am convinced I have put my Presentation in front of any fish that might be in the hole.If the fish aren't interested then I think it is better to move on.This paid off today,after three holes I ran into a bunch of fresh fish ready to play!
On biggger water like the lower Sol Duc I will camp out a little more,depending on the water conditions.If the water is coming down and is real fishy I will spend a good part of a day on one hole.If the water is down,then I tend to follow my small water ideas.
I don't fish hatchery stack up points so I have no advise but figure that it is probably worth spending some time working the fish.

Hi: I believe in moving till I find fish. You need to look for fish as hard as you fish. Always try and be on the slower water bank and preferably the bank with high ground close to the water. Kepp constantly looking for fish ,not whole fish just a moving tail or a gill cover.Always look carefully at water with a bottom colour close to the colour of a steelheads back thats where he is likely to be.
It is often worth drifting a float and bait down the good side of a river . Short cast and simply walk downstream at the same speed as the float. You may not catch a fish but you may see one move.If possible see where he moves to; then you can stop and work him after you have rested him for about 15 minutes.
I`m convinced we are breeding non biters in the hatchery.Good hatcheries only reproduce from hook caught wild fish ;a sound practise.
coot

Well first of all at least on small rivers camping in one spot all day is EXTREMELY rude! Steelheading tradition and ettiquite demand that anglers work through a run giving everyone a chance to fish it. I understand that in some places such as blue creek people stay in one spot all day thats fine for that particuar spot but when you come over to the East Lewis or the Washougal I'd consider that the rudest possible behavior. Sadly though it is a common practice but just because it's done dosen't make it any less rude.
As far as a tactic goes I don't think you'll notice much difference between moving around a lot or staying in one place. I like to move around a lot, maybe more than I should but I fish for enjoyment so I do what I want to do.

Move move move!

I fish very fast and cover as much water as possible. Never been able to camp out. Im sure I pass a few fish over but I catch a few too.

Personally I like to move and get some excercise unless there are fish in the hole. We got in the habit of sitting on the same hole. It was a competition between us and our logging friends to see who would get the prime hole early at 4:30 AM in the summer. I was hoping to get my buddy into his first summer steelhead. He caught his first winter steelhead with piscatorial pursuits two years ago and lost one from his driftboat. It was getting close to time for him to go. So I decided to take him to a couple of other holes. Got him into a nice steelhead before he went home. Got my son into a steelhead at the prime hole a couple of days later during a rainy day when the fish started to move. Went back in September and got two by moving. Got my steelhead last week by moving. But I got a couple of brats, a couple of weeks ago(in a rain storm), by sticking to a hole with fish in it after I hiked all morning. Oh well going in buddy's drift boat in a couple of weeks. Kind of nice to cover more water.

HSL,

Unless I know the spot I'm fishing is HOT, or I've screwed up a cast, I never make two casts to the same spot unless I've raised a fish. There's a lot of water out there, fish only hold in certain spots, and I'd feel like a fool to think I'd spent the entire day casting to a spot that never held a fish.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

I love to move, hence the reason I look forward to Febuary, March and April and the aggresive nates.

But when fishing in late November, December and January for hatchery fish, I know I may have found a large number fish but they are not taking. So when fishing up near and at terminal areas, instead of moving, I change presentation and baits.

But because the wild fish are so agressive, I know that if I properly present my offering, I should get bit. If not, then I move on. There are times though, when I will fish a run twice, maybe even three times if I am just convinced there are fish in there. There might not be but sometimes certain is just too 'fishy' to only cover once.

[ 01-01-2002: Message edited by: RPetzold ]

I'm still pretty new to steelie fishing but every fish I've caught have been after I've been at one hole for at least an hour. Even if I'm the first one at that hole that day, I've never caught one right away so I tend to linger a bit.

I don't think any one approach to bank fishing is that much more effective than another. Plunkers catch plenty of fish, and you can't get much more stationary than that. Others do fine going from hole to hole. It's more a factor of where the angler falls on the scale that goes from clinically dead to hyperactive; AND are the fish moving, or holed up. If they're moving, you might do well staying in one spot. If they are holed up, you probably should be moving.
HSL, you mentioned hunting, and the same question could be asked of that sport-- stand or move? In either sport, I like to move about. It's a metabolism thing. When I'm 95 years old, I'll build a plunking shack, and buy a tree stand

Thanks for all the good responses. Much appreciated.

Happy new year to all.