Winter Steelhead Season Down the Tubes

Well its not looking good. Ive been on the rivers four to five days a week this winter and havent had much to show for it. If not for the great summer run the whole year would have been a bust.

I gues I cant totally complain, Ive been getting about one hook up per day but ive expected more. Ive been searching for the stream out in my neck of the woods that is consistant but havent found it, at this point I dont think Im going to find it.

I really feel sorry for the guys in the sound, If its this slow where I live I can only imagine how bad it is over there.

Well we can only hope the hatchery run is late but Im begining to believe the bolk of fish has already come in. Lets keep our fingers crossed. The other hat trick is the late winter run hopefully it will make up for the hatchery run bust.

One good thing ive seen is we seem to have a few more wild fish than normal for this time of year or maybe ive just been lucky?

I hope WDFW steps in if things keep up the way they are. With possibly some emergency closures on wild fish retention for the coast. But probally like always they will be a day late and a buck short.

I have a good friend who commercial fishes Bristol Bay for sockeye. We were shooting the breeze the other day, comparing the highs and lows of fish runs between here and Alaska. He made the comment that the high seas drift nets from Japan and Russia seemed to be on the upswing again in the bering sea and the eastern pacific. I commented that I was under the impression the coast guard had really buckled down on enforcement....especially in the early-mid 90's. He said the coast guard was limited in what they could actually do on the open seas and that indeed, it's a big ocean. He seemed convinced they are playing a part in our problems.
This is just a theory and isn't totally sound because you would think wild fish would be equally impacted(I refer to the good early showing on the WA coast).

I also wonder if the stocks being used are genetically burned out? That's also hard to swallow because many hatchery practices now have an emphasis on diversity at egg-taking time and are increasingly using in-basin stocks. Another take on this is that the hatcheries have created a breed of non-biters over time(why do you think they made it to the hatchery?)

Ultimately, I have to think that this low-water year is having some influence because it's region-wide and this is a region-wide problem. Still could make for a nice January with a good shot of rain.

Glad I started snow skiing again!

I've been out a lot lately and as far as I can tell it's been a bad winter run so far. Still hopeing that it'll get better. Not sure whats going on so I can't put the blame on any one person or fishery. Duck In The Fog
(Jim Marquis)

This is really my first year out pursuing the winter steelie, but from what i am seeing the biggest problem right now is lack of water in the rivers. I just look at the flow charts and it shows the mean of the flow from last year and pretty much we are way below from last year except a good rain will push it up but it doesnt stay consistent up where it needs to be. Just an idea from a rookie.

Come on guys. It hasn't been nearly nasty enough out yet for it to be good fishing. I can still feel my fingers every day and there's no moss growing on my back yet.

The main thing to the steelhead thing is to fish after a good freshet and the river is on it's way back down with a little color. You can still catch them in low clear water but it's alot tougher. I've personally done real well this winter, i've touched fish almost everytime out this year. I've been fishing the sky' n.f. stilly, green and the cowlitz.
I've hooked and landed fish on all. Just keep at it and you will be rewarded. My first few years steelhead fishing consisted of lot's of hours and no fish. Watch what the people who catch fish use and repeat their tactics. Time patience and knowledge will all prove useful.
Good luck and FISH ON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My partner and I went to the Wynoochee today, and once again were skunked. Overall, though, we've had a pretty good year, boated a lot of nice fish, even released the ones we were supposed to, including a really nice unmarked(native?)in the Cowlitz.
Although the lack of rain is a big factor as far as stimulating the fish to run, the ones that really have to spawn will come up. They may make it to the spawning beds or the hatchery barriers, or they may not.
Or they may make it only as far as the tribal nets.
Economics suggests to me that if the price of fish is only 25% of what it was, the tribes will try to take 4 times what they did. After all, we just keep providing the swimmers for them, and dont say much about it. What was the Bogachiel sport catch count 12/26, or even so far this season? Noone will know until after May. What is the tribal catch report so far? When are they going to stop?
This winter season hasn't been too great so far, but I really haven't been at it long enough to be sure that what I'm doing is really gonna catch fish.
I had thought this was to be a banner year, according to the WDFW smolt release records. And I really thought I was gonna do better.
Anybody got cheese to go w/ this wine?

its been 2 weeks and still no fish for me i need 2 no what u guys are doing out there because the run is coming 2 a end so any tips would be helpfull thank u and go get the big 1