While on a trip back from turkey hunting Monday morning I stopped along the Little Salmon River and noticed quit a few stack into a pole just below a small falls. Steelheads are known to stack up in this spot and I like to check it when I am fish, it is usually a good indicator as to how the fish are moving and if they are in the river.

When I noticed so many fish stacked in there I decided to give Steelhead fishing a try for a while. This turned out to be the best decision of the day as the only turkey I saw I managed to spook of before I got him to respond to my calling. Anyway There is a small seem just down from the falls I was talking about that I decided to give a try and on the first cast I hooked into a nice buck that may have weighed 10 lbs. this fish had been in the river for quit some time and was close to spawning. But he did but up a pretty good fight for this time of year. Two casts latter I hooked another fish at the very tail end of this drift and this fish came out of the water shook it’s tail at me and headed down the river like it was being pushed by a freight train it was not long before it came off but it got me wondering what put such a fire under his tail.

After fishing for less then twenty minutes more I hooked into another nice steelhead and this fish was acting like an early fall fish it jumped four times and gave me a very good tussle before I was finally able to tail her and get a good look at her. She was a nice silver colored spring steelhead and was in excellent shape and a nice firm body. Now I do not know where these fish have come from and usually this time of year they are spawning and pretty well beat down but this one well I just could not believe the shape she was in.

I guess that may be I gave up on Steelhead fishing to early as it appears that there are quit a few fish in the river most are tired and spawning or nearly ready to spawn. There are however some of these fish that appear to be fresher and you while know as soon as you hook one if it is fresh by the way they want to take off.

I fished this hole for the rest of the day and while I never kept a good count I know I caught over 12 and probably closer to 15 fish some of them really gave me a good fight and a couple I’m sure are still headed back to the ocean just from the way they blew out of the hole.

So if you’re looking for something to do the next couple of weeks you might want to give it a try the Steelhead are still there and some of them are in very good shape for this time of year.

By: RR Smith
Looking to save on your next purchase of Fishing Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere for your Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Fishing Gear wants and needs.
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Once again Idaho Salmon are facing another man made obstacle on their migration back home. Bonneville Dam is seeing large numbers of Sea Lions and California Seals again that are feasting on our Salmon runs. While state and federal agencies have been monitoring this situation for years and have decided that they need to take action the Humane Society of the United States has step in and are trying to prevent their efforts.Look at some of this information posted on the Free Republic Website

*”Salmon and sea lions are protected species. But California sea lion numbers are booming, while many northwest salmon species are struggling. The sea lion population, about 1,000 animals in the 1930s, now numbers about 238,000 along the West Coast. Biologists think the animals have maxed out available breeding sites and habitat.

The number that could be killed under the initial federal proposal is about one one-hundredth of the number that biologists estimate could be removed without undermining the overall population.
Anglers and biologists have grown increasingly frustrated with sea lions that swim up the Columbia to Bonneville Dam, where they feast on salmon gathering to climb fish ladders upriver. Last year, monitoring crews counted sea lions eating more than 4 percent of the salmon run, although biologists suspect they probably ate more.

Hudson said state and tribal biologists estimate sea lions may consume 13 percent to 17 percent of spring Chinook salmon passing through the dam.”

* http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1987633/posts

Now I do not know about you but I’m tired of my tax money being used to feed a predator that by all accounts have over populated their natural environment and are now seeking to find an easy meal on the very same fish that we as sportsmen, tax payers, and even as consumers have been trying to protect and improve their numbers so that we can continue to enjoy fishing for these magnificent fish.

Have you heard the answer to the problem from the Humane Society of the United States as stated by spokes woman Sharon Young “agencies should look to cut back fishing before looking at sea lions”

I’m all for protecting wildlife and I believe that I do my part I keep very few of the fish I catch and most of the time I catch a release my fish just to insure that the will be there tomorrow and for the next generation to enjoy as I have. But when you see articles like this it makes you wonder way we spend billions of dollars ever year on salmon recovery programs have numerous agencies work for their recovery and then when they decide it is time to take a corrective action we do not allow them to do anything. They do not want to eliminate the seal population only take a control measure and reduce their numbers. I say load the seals up in a box and ship them to Sharon Young and the Humane Society of the United States and tell them that their seals are in our rivers and they need to do something with them.

By: RR Smith

Looking to save on your next purchase of Fishing Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere for your Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Fishing Gear wants and needs.

http://www.steelhead-gear.com

With the Chinook Salmon Season opening today here on many of Idaho’s rivers it would be a good time to take an inventory of your salmon fishing tackle. While the salmon have not actually made it into our river systems yet they are on their way and this season is promising to be one of the best in years. Taking time to make sure your salmon gear is in order can mean the difference between spending the day on the river our spending your time trying to locate a replacement rod or reel. 

As most of you know having plenty of hooks, line, sinkers, swivels, yarn, bait-sacks, lures, and what ever else you plan on offering to the river Gods in exchange for one of Idaho’s most powerful fish is essential in having a successful trip. There is nothing more frustrating then to just lose a nice salmon and then in the next cast or two lose your rigging and not have what you need to replace it when you go to tie back up. 

With the snow staying in the mountains the way it has this year I expect we are going to be fishing in some of the highest river flow condition that we have experienced in years.

I for one know that high river conditions seem to make the river gods angry and will be taking a lot more  of my gear before giving up one of their salmon.

It is also a good time to make sure your rod and reel is ready a good cleaning and oiling may need to be done. You want to make sure your drag is operating properly (nice and smooth) even if you crank down on it trust me you will need a good drag system if you plan on land a salmon especially this year with the expected high flows. You take the power of these fish and add the additional power they get by utilizing the river currents to their advantage and you will be glad that you took the time now to clean and oil things up.

Having plenty of line on hand would probably be a good thing also since fighting these fish does take its toll on any line and after awhile you will notice quite a loss in the effectiveness of your line.

By: RR Smith

Looking to save on your next purchase of Fishing Gear Please visit my Store at Steelhead Gear.Com I’m sure you will find some of the best prices available anywhere for your Salmon, Steelhead, and Trout Fishing Gear wants and needs.

http://www.steelhead-gear.com