Summer runs on shrimp jigs

[First Bite]

On my last trip to the river I was fishing a small drift where the water averaged about five feet deep.  It was only ten feet across making holding water pretty limited.  The tailout was shallow and every rock was easily visible.  Before I made my first cast I looked intently throughout the whole drift to see if I could spot resting summer steelhead.  I could barely make out at least one fish tucked in tight on the bottom at the top of the drift.  The rest of the water was vacant of fish.  I stood towards the end of the drift and cast into the faster water where I saw the summer steelhead.  He was hugging the gravel and was not budging to my presentations.  Several casts later I went to adjust my float when I spotted a mint bright steelhead in the shallow tailout.  I could tell she was a fresh summer run by her light grey shape contrasting with the darker gravel where she was resting.  Where did she come from?  How long had she been laying there?  I didn’t know if she had spotted me so I shortened up my float to run my jig about two feet deep.  On my next cast I lobbed the jig & float about ten feet ahead of the resting steelhead.  I watched as the jig floated by without even a glance from the steelhead.  Just as I was about to reel in my line I watched as she slowly started working her way up river towards me.  At this point I realized that the fish wasn’t spooked by my presence since she swam right by me and comfortably mingled around the water as if I wasn’t even there.  Now I was intrigued by the behavior of the fish and really wanted to see if I could get her to take a jig.  Several minutes went by and I still couldn’t get this fish to even look at my offerings.  I had tried several of my typical summer favorites including a plain red jig, black & cerise and a straight black jig without even a bump.  Tipping them with bait didn’t work either.  I was running low on options and time when I saw my shrimp schlappen jig with the black barbell.   I tipped the jig with a dab of uncooked prawn to finish it off.  A few casts later I watched as my little cork twitched and ever so slightly slipped under the water.  Setting the hook resulted in one very upset, rested slab of chrome.  She completely tore me up jumping about a half dozen times in between acrobatic runs combined with underwater cartwheels.  Finally I belly slid her onto the sandy beach and securely grabbed her by the huge spotted tail fin.  She was a perfect gun metal blue with the double fin clip indicating a summer run.  This is summer steelheading at its best.  I tagged the fish and took a few minutes to clean her up.  About ten minutes later I was re-tying my jig when I spotted another fish in the gin clear water of the tailout.  This time I watched as the fish slowly moved into the drift I was at disappearing into the fast moving water at the head of the hole.  I again tipped my shrimp jig with a piece of uncooked prawn meat.  I adjusted the cork to run the jig just off of the bottom and cast into the fast water at the head of the drift.  The cork went a few feet and then casually slipped under.  I came back on it only to see a slab of chrome flash and my line come flying back at me.  I was upset at myself for missing a perfect take and thought for sure the fish was stung by the hook.  With nothing to lose I again cast to the same spot as before.  To my disbelief the fish took the bait again and this time I nailed the hookset.  All heck broke loose as the fish went nuts tearing up the hole just like the first summer run.  She did everything possible to free herself but the hook held tight.  Several minutes later I landed the fish and was tagged out for the day.

[Fast- eddy]

Nice report Mark,Got to love those summer runs.And by the way,That is one nice looking jig... and the fish isn't bad either

[cuttstosteelies]

Well done, FB... That's a killer looking jig and an even better looking fish.  Thanks for sharing and good write-up!

[meanpressure]

nice report 

[younggun]

thats not what the classic jigs look like, its just an over weighted fly, but if i hooks crome steelhead and can be fished with gear u can call it what ever u like. Nice jig/fly, nice fish!

I'm still wondering why alot of americans fish with spinning reels for steelhead, why not a 5601 abu garcia, or 4600 abu garcia, 250b cullcutta?

[fishpimp]

good report, and even better fish
good lookin' jig too

[rvrfshr]

Cool Mark !

[Chum Man]

I'm still wondering why alot of americans fish with spinning reels for steelhead, why not a 5601 abu garcia, or 4600 abu garcia, 250b cullcutta?

generally you can fish lighter gear with a spinning reel than you can with a baitcaster.  i can throw split shot weighted gear all day with my 2500C but few people have ever even seen one, much less use them for steelhead.  i do only own 2 spinning rods that are used for steelhead...a 10'6 noodle rod that i fish with 6lb test for making long casts to spooky low water fish with tiny gear, and a 9'6 medium action that really only gets used in the boat or when there's no backcast room on small streams.

[First Bite]

I'm still wondering why alot of americans fish with spinning reels for steelhead, why not a 5601 abu garcia, or 4600 abu garcia, 250b cullcutta?

I use both a bait caster and spinning set-up for float fishing.  The crick I was fishing here is only about ten feet across.  Much easier tossing a small cork and light jig with a spinning rod verses a bait caster.

[younggun]

and u get a drag free drift? Spining reels have a jerky free spool compared to baitcasters. So whats wrong with a 9ft ultra light casting rod with a 4600 abu garcia with 12 or 10lb main?

I'm not trying to be an @$$ just trying to get the downlow so mabey i can use your techniques to better my chances up here in vancouver.

[First Bite]

No problem with a drag free drift.  Simply open the bail and let the line out.  Works fine for me. 

[Chum Man]

i've got a technique that works extremely well, at least when i'm doing it   when it comes time to let line out, i flip open the bail and hold the line with two fingers on my left hand.  i can carefully let out line and let the bobber float lazily along with the current...if it goes down, my hand is right there, i snap the bail into position and set the hook!

[chrome/22]

Summer steelheading @ its finest...

Nice write up & a damm pretty jig....I'd eat it!

C/22........

[younggun]

So i just went out and baught a new quantum spinning reel, with a 8ft medium light rod. Loaded her up with 12lb trilene. Now come fall/winter i'm gonna be hitting up the few little creeks in my area.