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Plunking for High-water Steelhead

February 15, 2019 By JD Leave a Comment

When a steelhead river has just crested after a big rain and is beginning to drop, it’s usually still too high to fish with traditional methods. But that doesn’t mean you can’t catch fish!

When flows are up, you just need to switch tactics and get a little “catfishy” in your approach. Plunking fits that bill nicely and will help you catch fish when the flows are up.

First, a quick look at a simple plunking rig. The idea here is to use enough weight to anchor your gear to the bottom (unlike normal steelhead fishing methods, we don’t want it to drift while plunking) and wait for the fish to come to you.

I’ll always use some sort of big and loud attractor like a Size 2-4 Spin-N-Glo or Flashing & Spinning Cheater. You can go with just this and catch steelies but it never hurts to add a little bonus bait on there — roe, sand shrimp, etc. work well.

High water steelhead will avoid the heavy flows out in the middle of the river and instead travel narrow lanes that are very close to shore.

That’s where you want to cast your rig. It depends on the size of the river, but shorter casts are always better when the water’s up. Sometimes you’ll need to toss 20 feet out and others you’ll only need to make a 5-foot lob.

Plunking is a relaxing, often social affair in which you put your rod in a holder or a forked stick and then plop down on a nice chair and shoot the breeze with your fellow anglers. Or, when it’s wet, you can hang out inside the truck.

Some anglers put a bell on their rod to signal when they get a bite. Speaking of rods, for plunking you’ll need a stouter outfit than you’d normally run for steelhead because you’ll need heavy lead to keep your gear put.

I like a 12-25 lb outfit with 40-pound braid. Spinning or casting is fine…that’s up to personal preference.

Want more info? Check out my huge 300 page eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing.

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Filed Under: Steelhead, Techniques Tagged With: high water, plunking, Steelhead

Alaska Fishing Paradise: The Amazing Togiak River

February 13, 2019 By JD Leave a Comment

If you have never fished Alaska, it should certainly be on your bucket list!

The state is rich in salmon fishing hot spots, and the incredible Togiak River has to considered as one of the best of the best. Here’s a little action from my most recent summer of guiding up there…

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Filed Under: Pure Entertainment, Where to fish Tagged With: alaska, rainbow trout, salmon fishing, togiak river

How to get good at Steelhead

January 5, 2019 By JD Leave a Comment

Looking to up your steelhead game? Well, look no further! Here’s 300 pages of in-depth how-to info that will show you everything you need to know to get into that “10 percent of anglers who catch 90 percent of the fish” category!

The info in here will save you countless hours, days, weeks of trying to learn on your own…all for under $12!

Available on Kindle HERE or, if you’d rather have it on your computer so you can print it on your own, get the PDF version.

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Filed Under: News Tagged With: california steelhead fishing, Steelhead, steelhead fishing

Top 20 Fish Grip Styles

December 12, 2018 By JD Leave a Comment

Sure, being able to catch fish is a good skill to have, but to really be cool and make the big leagues, you’re going to have to learn how to hold fish up for pix.

Here are some styles you should probably commit to memory…but don’t be afraid to create your own unique style too! Because, ya know, the sponsors are always watching!

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Filed Under: Humor, Pure Entertainment, Uncategorized Tagged With: fish, fishing pix

Fish with Issues

December 9, 2018 By JD 1 Comment

I have (or my clients have) caught a bunch of fish over the years that had all sorts of issues from genetic defects to near misses with humans and other critters.

Take for example, the Yuba River above that looks like he had a run-in with perhaps an eagle or osprey.

What’s amazing is how resilient fish can be. Even with crazy injuries or debilitating disfigurements, they seem to somehow survive.

I wish I could find all my pix because I have some really interesting ones but here’s a small sample of some of the fish I have caught with issues:

Not an Exit: This striper ate what looks to be a plastic worm hook…and then somehow it worked it’s way out through the fish’s side…

Sliced: This Alaskan king salmon probably tangled with a hungry sea lion that almost opened it completely from stem to stern like a zipper…

Once Bitten, Twice Shy: Here’s a Kodiak Island chum salmon that also appears to have narrowly escaped the deadly jaws of a sea lion or seal…

Wedgie: When spooning for stripers, this happens a couple times of year — the fish grabs the lure in such a way that it gets wedged in its mouth so perfectly that we land him without the hook ever touching flesh…

Snagged: This poor King obviously ran a gauntlet of snaggers and narrowly escaped because the “angler” was using line that was too light (despite the fact that he/she was using what appears to be an expensive Gamakatsu treble)…

Kissy Face: At first I thought this Togiak River coho salmon had been to a tattoo shop, but upon closer inspection, he dodged a bullet when a blood-sucking lamprey tried to attach to his hard gillplate and not his softer underbelly…

Worrying to Much?: I’m not sure exactly what’s going on with this nice bass but she’s got a pretty nasty looking sore on her belly. Do bass get ulcers….? ?

Bustin’ Out: This Chinook salmon spent what appears to be a nearly lethal amount of time in a gill net before busting the mesh and pushing through…

Rectangle Trout: I caught this uber skinny, almost perfectly rectangle-shaped brown trout in the fall, when fish are typically packing on the weight. Though I released him, I’m guessing he didn’t make it through the long winter…

Cheeky: After eating what appears to be a bait hook, this Striper somehow managed to work it nearly all the way out…through his cheek!

Scarface: You’d have to assume this Sacramento River king salmon had a pretty serious run-in with a hook of some kind. Because the wound doesn’t look super fresh, I’m guessing the encounter occurred at sea but who knows? it didn’t stop her from biting another hook…

The Over-Eater: Small striped bass are notorious for trying to eat stuff that’s larger than they are, but this guy took it to the next level! I suppose as a little fish, everything you can get into your mouth is one less thing that can eat you!

Speed Governor: It looks like a sea lion just about rendered this Klamath River hatchery steelhead dead in the water by eating half of its motor. It’s amazing that this fish was able to get away…and, when hooked, it fought amazingly well…

Mixed-Up Striper: This little Striper apparently couldn’t figure out which way his stripes were supposed to go. Maybe he wanted to be a trout instead…

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Filed Under: Pure Entertainment Tagged With: Salmon, sea lion, striper, trout

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Guided Fishing Trips with JD Richey!

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