Poor Man’s Glo Bug

While roe will always be the number one bait for steelhead, the Poor Man’s Glo Bug (aka “yarn tie” or “yarnie”) will hold its own in most drift fishing situations.

Really, what’s not to like? They look great underwater and have an almost translucent look to ‘em. Poor Man’s Glo Bugs also hold scent very well and drift in an extremely natural way. PMGBs are super simple and easy to tie — and you can do it right on the river bank. Here’s how:

Start with several 3-4 inch strands of Glo Bug yarn:

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Baitin’ up with roe

Okay, you asked for it…here’s the basic way to bait up with roe for steelhead fishing:

Swimbait Colors for Stripers

So, what’s the best color for a swimbait for striper fishing? Well, here’s our no-frills, super-easy to follow, at a glance guide!

Keep ‘er simple, that’s what I say! In general, go more subtle in clear water/sunny conditions and brighten everything up on dark days or in murky water.

The best water temps for steelhead?

One of the biggest keys to catching steelhead is knowing your water temperature and how it affects the fish. Since steelies are cold-blooded beasts, their metabolism slows down in colder water and increases as the temps go up (until they got too hot).

In general, when water temps are low, you’ll find the fish in the softer water along the edges of the river and in slower, deeper runs, pools and flats. They seek out these spots to avoid fighting the current. Conversely, the warmer the temps, the faster, choppier water you’re going to find them in.

The really interesting thing is — and I have yet to ever hear anybody talk about this — that water temps affect fish differently depending on where you are fishing. Again, they’re going to be governed by their cold-bloodedness but steelhead also react to what they’re used to.
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Glide Your Way to More Steelhead

Looking for a new technique to help you put more steelhead in the boat — especially in clear, snaggy rivers? Give side gliding a try! A modified form of side-drifting, side gliding allows baits to be presented to steelhead quickly and naturally with minimal bottom contact by keeping the lines slightly downstream of the boat. Here’s a mini lesson:
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The $5 Fillet Table

Okay, you’ve got dead fish…something for the grill, but there’s nowhere to clean ‘em in your boat, right? And there’s no way the wife’s gonna let you fillet on her kitchen counter…

No worries, mate! Enter the $5 Fillet Table!

First, a little backstory is in order here.
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Replace those old oar blades!

If you’ve got old, damaged blades on your drift boat oars, it’s time to change them out since winter steelhead season is now kicking into high gear. Don’t put it off! It’s quick and easy and will greatly improve your boat’s performance (and safety). Here’s how:

[caption id="attachment_2019" align="alignnone" width="590" caption="First, use a blade to break the seal at the joint where the shaft and blade meet. "][/caption][caption id="attachment_2021" align="alignnone" width="590" caption="Now, wedge the old blade somewhere solid so you can twist it off. "][/caption][caption id="attachment_2024" align="alignnone" width="590" caption="Let the goop set overnight and BINGO...you're done! Now, wasn't that easy??"][/caption]

Do you Wahoo??

Wahoo (or “ono” if you’re hanging out in the Hawaiian Islands) are one of the baddest fish in the ocean. They can reach speeds of nearly 50 mph, have some seriously nasty teeth and can grow quite large — the world record is 184 pounds. They are a top-notch game fish in tropical and sub-tropical waters around the globe and are divine table fare.

Some folks say that the name Wahoo is a derivation of the name of the Hawaiian Island Oahu…while others say “Wahoo” is what you shout when you hook one. Their Island name, Ono, comes from the Hawaiian word for delicious: ‘ono.

Whatever you call ‘em, wahoo are a blast to catch and even more fun to throw on the grill!

Here’s how to catch ‘em:
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Time to Winterize Your Boat

Winter’s here and that means it’s time to start seriously thinking about putting your boat away for the season. After the final trip of the fall, it’s important to properly winterize your vessel before storing it. Take a little time now to care for your rig so that you’re not that guy who’s stuck on the ramp on opening day next spring, with the cowling off and nowhere to go.

Here’s a step by step look at how to do it:

OUTBOARD MOTOR

Okay, to make sure your motor kicks over next season, there are several things you should do to it now. The first step is to change the oil in your outboard (if you have a four-stroke) and also change the lube in your lower unit.


“You don’t want any sludge to settle in and sit there all winter,” says Jerry Herota, a Jedi master-type wrench man at Buck’s Outboard in Sacramento. “So keep it fresh. Also, hit all the zerk fittings with grease and lube the prop shaft.”


Since gasoline can go bad over time, it’s also a very good idea to run the fuel out of your four-stroke engine before you store it. With a two-stroke motor, however, it’s better to add a fuel conditioner to your tank and run it through the engine. In a two-stroke, the lubrication (oil) is mixed in with the fuel, so running one out of gas causes metal parts to grind on one-another without any protection (bad idea!). Several companies make fuel additives and Herota likes the one made by Yamaha.

If you’re really feeling ambitious, Herota says, you can also pull the spark plugs and spray some storage seal into your cylinders. Also, before putting the cowling back on, it doesn’t hurt to spray the entire engine with silicone spray to displace moisture.

It’s also a good idea to store it in the upright position.”

“You also want to make sure your battery is full,” he says. “Once you’re done running the engine, disconnect the wires and then leave your motor in its vertical upright running position to keep water from collecting in it. Also, don’t wrap your motor with plastic because it will sweat when it gets warm outside and you’ll have a rain forest under the cowling by spring. Cover it instead with canvas and then let it air out from time to time on the nice days.”



HULL CARE

You don’t have to do quite as much to your hull to get it ready for winter, but there are a few tricks to follow to ensure she’s in top shape for the 2007 season.

Mike Burns of Smoker Craft Boats in Stayton, OR says that the first thing he does before storing his boat for extended periods is wash it — inside and out — with a mild detergent. Then, he’ll pour some Spic-N-Span into the bilge to neutralize any fishy smell that’s lingering in the bowls of the vessel. 



“The most important thing, however, is to cover it — but you need to allow the boat to breathe,” he says. “Without ventilation, you’re going to have mold. And on sunny days, make sure to take the cover off and let everything dry out.”

Jim Farrand, who works at the Smoker Craft factory, added that a good wax job will help protect the boat and keep it looking good. A little buffing isn’t a bad idea, either, he notes, if you’ve got an aluminum boat. “Take some light steel wool and go with the grain,” he says. “In other words, buff on a horizontal path — not a vertical one. Scotch Brite pads with flat boards work really nice.”



Perhaps the easiest thing to do to winterize your vessel is to make sure it doesn’t become a catch basin for rain.

“It may be obvious,” Herota says, “but it’s extremely important to make sure the drain plug is pulled. I don’t care how many tarps and covers you have on the boat, water’s going to get down in there. I once had a customer who forgot to pull the plug and when they pulled the cover off in the spring, the boat was full to the gunwales. No wonder the tires were so flat on the trailer!”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Here’s where a little effort now will go a long way in sparing you that embarrassing moment on the boat ramp next spring.
 Sunny Lampe of Sunny’s Electric Marine in Sacramento says that one of the most important things you can do before storing your boat for the winter is take batteries out and then make sure to recharge them every 30 days. Also, you should keep them indoors where they won’t be subjected to any freezing temperatures.

“Be sure to take all your electronics off — fish finders, radios, GPS units, etc.,” he says. “And hit all your electrical connections with Corrosion X, which will keep them waterproof and protect them from corrosion. Also, clean the dirt out of your pull-out light connections and hit them with Corrosion X as well. Right now is also a good time to dig out your bilge pump and clean it.”


TRAILER

Trailers are pretty durable, but they can always use a little TLC as well. If you can, take the boat off the trailer and thoroughly douse it with a pressure washer. Then, tighten up everything that’s loose and replace the bunks or carpet as necessary. It’s not a bad idea, either, to check all your lighting and wiring as well.

“If you have a small boat, say something like a 12 or 14 footer, it will help prolong the life of your tires by getting the trailer up on blocks to keep the weight off the wheels,” says Herota. “With bigger boats, this isn’t very practical, so just try to roll the tires a little each month. And one last thing — give the Bearing Buddies on your hubs a shot of grease. That should force any moisture out so it doesn’t sit there all winter.”
By following these simple suggestions, you should have no trouble with your boat when it’s time to start fishing next year.

Autumn Catfishing

Perhaps the best time of the year to catch catfish…a lot of catfish…is in the fall, immediately after the first rains of the season. Here in California, we just got our first shot of precipitation in 6 months and that means it’s time to get out there and enjoy some red hot action. But you don’t have to live on the West Coast to take advantage of this situation! This method works anywhere you get some wet stuff after an extended period of dry weather.

Aquatic Smorgasbord

The trick to fishing cats in rivers — and especially lakes — right after a rain is to target the mouths of tributary streams. After a long, dry summer, a big rain will wash all sorts of yummy critters — crawfish, worms, crickets, grass hoppers, minnows, lizards, freshwater clams, salamanders, etc — down creek channels and into the main water body.

The biggest influx of food occurs on the first 2 days after a rain and cats move in quickly to gobble up the buffet of protein. Often, it’s easy to figure out where to fish — just look for the plume of dirty water and fish the edges. Initially, the cats will hang on the leading edge of the dark water but will move right into the creek mouth once the velocity of the current tapers off.

Baiting Up

One of the real beauties of this style of fishing is you really can’t go too wrong when it comes time to choosing a bait. Since the fish are in an opportunistic mode and feeding on a wide range of morsels, they’re not at all picky. Just the opposite, in fact, so you’re golden if you go with nightcrawlers, chicken live, clams or mackerel to name a few. Nightcrawlers are about as natural a bait as you can go with, though I’d opt for something a little more stinky if you’re fishing in really muddy water.

After the first rain, you’ll typically have a pretty limited window of opportunity to catch fish on an individual creek. White catfish will pile into a tributary plume just after it starts flowing, they will move just as quickly onto the next one once the food stops washing in. So, it pays to jump around until you find a creek that’s still holding fish.

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