river

How to Catch Salmon on Crowded Days

September 27, 2015 By JD 3 Comments

Unless you are fishing in remote Alaska, the amount of traffic on a Lower 48 river is going to increase dramatically Friday through Sunday.

That intensified fishing pressure will often make the action tougher than it is during the week.

But fishing on weekends is a necessary evil for anybody in the 9-5 crowd as they’re often the only time you can get out. So, rather than getting all worked about the increased angling and boating pressure, guys like me have had to learn to completely change our game plans on the busy days to stay successful. In fact, you can actually use the extra traffic to your advantage!

So, here are some concepts to file away in the back of the ol’ noggin for the next time you find yourself in a crowd out on the creek.

Opposite Spots

When salmon get pounded by boats and gear, they eventually give up their preferred holding water in favor for something a little less hectic.

Pay attention to what’s going on…take note of where the boats are fishing and where they are running. Keep an eye on where guys are casting. Often, you can narrow down where the fish have moved when the bite shuts off by looking for spots that are opposite to these.
That’s the time to seek out and try some of the funky spots that you normally wouldn’t fish.

Of course, you will probably lose some gear in those areas but no guts, no glory!

The Fast & The Furious

Check the fast water at the heads of holes…when they get beaten up, salmon often move out of the meat of a hole and seek refuge in the heavy, choppy stuff.

The Late Show

Weekend anglers are often the most eager of the beavers. Cooped up all week in the office, you can bet they’ll be out early. After playing bumper boats for several hours, many folks will pack it in early if the bite’s off.

If you can swing it, some of the best crowded day fishing occurs in the afternoon and into the evening — simply because the river gets quiet again and the fish come out of hiding.

I have had many, many good days by waiting out the weekend traffic and starting later. Not a bad deal, either…sleep in, have a nice breakfast, miss the traffic jam at the boat ramp and catch some fish too!

Well, that should help you get on your way to doing better the next time you go out on the weekend. Good luck out there!

How To Rig a Side Planer for Steelhead Plug Fishing

March 9, 2015 By JD 17 Comments

Back trolling plugs is one of my favorite ways to fish for steelhead. The way a big steelie tries to atomize a plug that comes wobbling into its lair is so awesome!

It’s a technique that can really yield results – and plugs often attract the biggest fish in the creek: The giant males that are super territorial and all hopped up on hormones.

But you can’t back troll plugs without a boat right? What about the bank angler? Well… good news! With the help of a Luhr Jensen Hot Shot Side Planer (or similar device), you can fish plugs right off the shore. It’s a super fun and productive way to fish, too!

Hot Shot Side Planer
Recently, I’ve met a lot of anglers who are a bit confused as to how to rig a side planer… truth is the instructions on the package are more than just a little hard to follow. So, for those of you like me for whom pictures are better than words, here’s a nice, clear step-by-step look at how to rig one of these handy little steelhead catching tools.

Step 1

Run your main line from the rod tip down through the wire eye at the front of the planer. I like colored braid for planer fishing so I can see where my rig is.

Step 2

Next, the line goes down through the hole on the top side of the side planer.

Step 3

Now, flip the planer over and run the line out through the screw eye on the back end of the unit.

Step 4

How-To-Side-Planer-4
Slide a bead up your main line and then tie a barrel swivel to the end. Your leader goes on the other eye of the swivel. Generally, I’ll run 3 to 6 feet of leader…but for the photo I kept it short, Finish it off with your favorite lure, in this case the super hot Yakima Bait MagLip. On larger waters, I love the 3.5 size. The new smaller 3.0 is awesome on smaller streams or when you have really clear water.

Step 5

How-To-Side-Planer5
Now, you’re going to want to let out some line. With your reel in freespool, hold the planer in one hand and pull several feet of line through (and out the back of) the side planer. How much line you pull through is going to set the distance behind the planer your plug will be fishing. In clear or deep water, longer is better. I typically set my plug 15-30 feet behind the planer.

Step 6

Okay, now you are about ready to get this baby wet! The next step to to ensure you have proper orientation of the planer. The wire rod at the front of the planer should always be pointed towards you and the “outrigger” arm should always face away from you. The arm easily attaches to either side of the planer and the wire will swing either direction. You have to adjust these two things depending on the side of the river you are on and which direction the current is running. Anyway, lock the wire eye into the notch of the planer as shown here.

Step 7

Once the wire is snapped into place facing you, wrap your mainline 4-5 times around the tab at the front of the planer, keeping it tight between the wire eye and the tab. This keeps the planer where you set it (as I mentioned before, usually 15 to 30 feet ahead of the plug). When you start reeling in, the planer will slide back down to your swivel so you can fight the fish without having it well up the line.

Fishing the Side Planer

Okay, now it’s time to fish! In this case, the river is flowing from right to left, so we have to reverse the sides that the wire and outrigger arm from the ones in the rigging pix. Set the plug in the water and then ease the planer in as well, keeping tension on the line so it doesn’t unravel off the nose tab. You have to put the rig in water with some current, otherwise it won’t go anywhere!

With the reel in free spool, use your thumb to let line slip off the reel under tension. You need the tension on the rod side to help to get he planer to pull away from you.

hot-shot-side-planer-overhead_01
It can take a while to work the planer out into the current, but it should eventually start pulling down and across from your position. The Luhr Jensen Hot Shot Side Planer comes with two different sized fins to run on the outrigger arm. Use the large one in slow water and the smaller one in fast water.

hot-shot-side-planer-wide-2 Continue to let line out at a controlled rate with your thumb until you get the plug and planer where you want them. As you can see, I have the planer working here near the opposite bank of a smaller river. Once in place, you can just hang out and wait for a fish to come to you or you can slowly walk downstream, back trolling like you would from a boat.

As I mentioned earlier, strikes are often savage! Resist the temptation to set the hook immediately and instead let the fish turn downstream with the plug first.

More Steelhead Techniques

So, what is it about steelhead??

February 11, 2014 By JD 25 Comments

Steelhead haunt my dreams and run through my veins. They have taken me to the top of the mountain and they have broken my heart. I’ve bled for them; I’ve frozen for them and I’ve driven, flown, hiked and floated thousands and thousands of miles for them…and there’s not a single day of the year that I don’t think about them.

I was once doing a phone interview with a writer from a big East Coast magazine. From his cozy office in New York City, he asked me what it was that made steelhead fishing such a special sport.

It was hard for me to answer. I mean, with steelhead…you either get it or you don’t. There are so many deep-seeded feelings and emotions for me that are tied to these fish that it’s almost impossible to articulate in a way that somebody on the outside can understand.

So, I spat out the first thing that came to mind:

“I fish for steelhead so I can see them up close…”

Huh?

And then, I just got on a roll and rattled off a total unabated stream of consciousness…

I fish for steelhead because I want to get as close to them as I can. I feel that they are like fine art, each one to be viewed quietly, taken in and remembered. I told him that I have never felt more alive and in touch with the world–and myself–as when I’m standing in a misty canyon, with a ribbon of emerald flowing in front of me.

Steelhead make me straight-up crazy. Even on dry land, I can close my eyes and literally feel what that moment of first contact is like, that initial tight line surge. And I can make my heart rate jump by simply imagining a float going under or a plug rod going off. Oh man…the plug takedown of a steelhead…wow…if that doesn’t get your juices flowing, you’d better check your pulse because you’re probably dead.

Steelhead make me want to follow every single anadromous river from the mouth to the source–and then float back down them again. They make me think irrational thoughts like maybe I should just sell the house and get a toy hauler that fits a drift boat and hit the open road…and never come back! They drive me to drink; they drive me to the limits–mentally, physically, emotionally. Steelhead make me wear the numbers off my credit cards and sometimes pull the hairs off my head.

They give me this insatiable desire to fix all the damage that has been done to the rivers they call home. They drive me to pick up trash, fight for flows, plant trees and dump spawning gravel by the truckload into the water.

Steelhead are the fish I’d miss Christmas for and the reason I got married during the offseason. They give me sweaty palms and weak knees. Though I’ve probably shaved at least a year off my life expectancy due to all the junk food consumed on steelie road trips, I also believe that every day you fish for steelhead is one you get to tack onto the end. And speaking of the end, if I had a choice, I’d go steelhead fishing on my last day on the planet. I’ve informed my family what to do when my time is about up: Take me to the top of some whitewater gorge with a drift boat and a couple rods. No need for a life jacket or a shuttle…it will be my last ride. Hopefully, there will be a couple biters along the way!

Steelhead are responsible for all the drift and float and plug and fly and center-pin rods…the jigs and stacks of Pip’s and boxes of plugs; the BC Steels and the spinner boxes; the Slinkies and pink worms; the two deflated pontoon boats; the Fish Pills all over the floor; the nets and waders and boots and pink-stained fridge—that all make my garage useless to terrestrial vehicles. They’ve also ruined many a potentially productive day in the office…all it takes is a photo or a text from somebody on the river and I’m worthless the rest of the afternoon.

Steelhead are why my favorite color is green–because it reminds me of the perfect hue of a river just coming into shape and the giant redwoods that stand on its banks. And because of the dorsal color of one of those awesome-looking bucks that’s transitioning from ocean chrome to river camo–olive back and a faint pink cheek and stripe peeking out from silver flanks.

In short, steelhead are epic, nearly indescribable critters that make me tick and dream and feel alive. I’m not at all sure the interviewer ever really got the message, but I bet you all do…

Interesting Steelhead Factoids

November 30, 2012 By JD 19 Comments

Steelhead are rad. Sorry to have to go to the vault and bust out a 1980’s adjective there, but it really does fit, doesn’t it?

Everything about them is cool: The way they crush a plug or mash a swung fly. Their ability to cartwheel 3 feet out of the water and then burn 50 yards of line in a nanosecond. Their incomparable beauty. The incredible places they live. Pure and simple steelhead are indeed…rad.

But how much do you know about these amazing critters? Well, here are some random factoids to give you a better understanding of steelies…Click here to read more…

Underwater Video: Salmon Bites…and misses!

January 20, 2012 By JD 5 Comments

If you’re like me, you probably have spent a considerable amount of time wondering what goes on under the surface. What’s it look like down there? What are the fish doing? What do my lures look like? Well, I’ll be doing a seminar at the Sacramento International Sportsmen’s Expo today Friday, Jan. 20 (at 3 PM) and again on Saturday Jan. 21 (6 PM) in the California Sportsmen’s Theatre… the topic: Underwater video.

I’ll be showing some interesting footage of all the bites you miss but never know you had, an underwater view of the controversial Alabama Rig in action, what some of our favorite salmon lure look like underwater, what it looks like 100 feet down on the bottom of Lake Tahoe…and more. Here’s a sneak peek: