Newbie Depth Question....

[zpalmer]

I am just learning the art of Steelhead fishing... I have read in many books it is important to set the right depth while float fishing... how do you know what depth to put your bait , jig, spinner at???  I am fishing the Kalama this weekend... and was just curious...

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[BirdDog]

There are two ways to know what depth to fish. 1) Fish the river in low, clear conditions and look at it. 2) Trial and error. If your fishing jigs, start a little shallow and keep dropping your jig on each cast. Watch your bobber, if the top of the bobber starts pointing down stream then your jig is dragging bottom.

[queets guy]

I just set my bobber to about 5-6ft deep even if Im fishing a 15ft deep hole because fish can only see directly out and above them. If my jig is bouncing on bottom its not even worth fishing because Ive never caught a steelhead in water any shallower than 5-6ft deep. I've also read in Dave Vedders new jig fishing book that a jig bouncing on bottom will scare more fish than it will catch. I think that book is very informative when starting to jig fish, I've been fishing jigs for a few years and even I learned a bunch of things that I never knew before. Hope my info might of helped,good luck

[ColdSteel]

I like to start my with my jig about 18-24" below the bobber and then work it deeper as I cover the water column. Different holes and water conditions will change where the fish hold but generally to start shallow and then move it deeper is a good way to go. I seem to get most of my fish when the jig is about a foot off the bottom. Good luck this weekend, maybe I'll see you out there.

The idea that fish can only see in front of and above them is a common myth. Dr. Kageyama does a good job of explaining a fishes vision in his book "What Fish See". If your a new steelheader I would highly recomend this book along with
Vedders jig book and Herzog's "Color Guide to Steelhead Drift Fishing".

[queets guy]

Not that Im getting off topic but That "what fish see" book sounds like it would be a good book to read do you know where I could find a copy of that book.

[dardevle]

Queets Guy, you are bringing up another myth. Trust me, you can catch a lot of steelhead in 2' of water and on floats no less.  Many rivers and sections of rivers don't even have water that is deeper than 3' and the fish have to rest somewhere.  Even big rivers hold fish in 2-4 ft.  It depends on a number of factors.  Not all sections of a river have traditional holding water but the fish have to make due with a small "bucket" of water that gives them some protection.

[zpalmer]

Thank you all... ill try these techniques... hopefully my next post will be a photo of a nice big fish!

[fishpimp]

The idea that fish can only see in front of and above them is a common myth. Dr. Kageyama does a good job of explaining a fishes vision in his book "What Fish See". If your a new steelheader I would highly recomend this book".

that "what fish see" is very interresting reading, very good book.and don't over look the shallow water fish,and like he said about 12-18" off the bottom is where i find my best luck.

[Jeff]

I'll second what daredevle (Mike) said.  I've hit many fish in slots and buckets that are much shallower that 5-6'.  While this is repeatedly written up as "classic" steelhead water, fish will hold wherever they feel safe, and the "classic" stuff can get really pounded by the masses.  One of the really fun things about fishing some of our local, smaller water is finding fish in between the hordes in water they didn't deem fishable.  Be sure (especially in the winter) not to make your leader too long between your weight and float.   Many times my float is slid all the way down to the weight, and I'll have about a foot of leader.

A foot or two off the bottom seems best to me.

[ColdSteel]

Queets, I got the book from my local library but I've also seen it at Sportsmans Warehouse and Fisherman's Marine. The book really gets into why certain colors work during different river conditions. He writes about under water color shifts and and the importance of contrast. It really changed how I look at lures. It's amazing that a color can be bright as the sun above the surface but might turn the same color as the water in just a couple feet of depth. In one of the pictures he has a board with a bunch of identical looking flies on it but once he puts it under water only 1 of them retains it's color and the rest turn brown/black.

[camo drifter]

the water I fish is typicaly in the 30-40 degree range and at these temps jigs need to be within a foot of the bottom to catch fish.  I typically start a new hole by trying to find the bottom.  I set my depth at more than I think the water is and if I hit bottom I come up about 6 inches.  after fishing awile you will start to be able to figure out holes just by reading the water.  re,ember that your float is telling you everything.

[loomisguy5]

also when fishing a float consider the float you are using, becasue some times depending on the bottom you cant tell if your jig is hitting because the float is to buoyant, so try a smaller float with just enough weight below it to keep it afloat, that way any bump to the bait will result in the float going under. 

[BC Steel]

Steelhead can definatly see down. I've watched on several occasions as I casted to sighted steel that were suspended and I was rigged deeper than they were turn and swim almost straight down to grab my jig. Its not what I'd call a productive way to fish as I, along with most other anglers, feel that slightly above is better than slightly below and results in better hookups.