We are having this same contest on our BB. I want to see how you doughballs up here stack up with your knowledge by comparison to fishers in Oregon. The first prize for the best tip for fishing high murky, almost muddied out, water for steelies is ... a non-expense paid trip for 2 to the Kaskilof River on Alaska's Kenai Peninsula and a non-paid booking with your site moderator and AK guide Bob Ball. The only 'catch' to this is you have to make booking arrangements with Bob, because he doesn't know about this contest in advance. In the event that Bob is fully booked, you will recieve the alternate prize of a public statement to the thousands of peer fishermen that read here, by me, that you are 'One hell of a good high water steelhead fishermen and a real cool dude." And if the winner here has a better tip than the winner from our Ifish BB, I will publicly state that 'Washington fishermen aren't as bad as I thought they were'. I will start this off with a tip ....

When the water is really high and almost muddy, not so bad you could plant potatoes in it, just a few inches of visability; I prefer to rig a 28" leader (that will get the rig up off bottom a little further because the fish will be up a little more too because of the extra mud and silt running along the bottom) with a size 4 Spin N Glo in flame red and chartruse combo color with a 2/0 hook and egg cluster with shrimp oil all over the whole rig. Use a toothpick jammed bead a bit above the SnG, in addition to the one below it, to keep it nearer to the hook. "Work" this rig thru the softer seams out of the strong currents, by a combo of slow driftfishing, backbouncing, and plunking. I will sometimes very slowly retrieve it thru almost slack water right next to shore where the fish will often lie in these conditions. ...

Lots of other techs out there for this. Bring 'em on. - Steve Hanson (RT)

Steelheading when the river looks like chocolate milk can be pretty lonely. Pretty much the only fishers around are plunking. This technique is similar to plunking but you're inching you're way through holding water SLOWLY. You'll need a side planner, bouncing betty and a noisey, large profile lure/bait combo. I like to match this gear with a GL2 STR1265C and Ambassadeur 6501 loaded with 20 lb Maxima FG. After attaching the side planner, rig the Bouncing Betty on a slider and tie on a twenty-inch leader of 15 lb Maxima UG. Attach tandem 2/0 Gamakatsu Octopus hooks then follow with a sequin. On top of the sequin thread on a rag containing cerise, chartruese and black yarns. On top of the rag place a 7mm chartruese rattling bead. Lastly, on top of the bead a Willamette Special w/mylar wings or Clown/Glow w/black wings Spin-n-Glo finishes the rig. I like to thread on a extra large sandshrimp, preferably the 5-inch type earmarked as "sturgeon bait." Both the sandshrimp and the rag should be injected with either Mike's Glo shrimp or ProCure squid oil. Finally, the Spin-n-Glo should be touched up with some shrimp/anise Smelly Jelly. This offering has a huge profile, lots of scent, flourescent colors, contrasting colors, vibration and a clicking sound from the bead. But, more importantly it can be worked ultra-slowly and actually held in likely resting spots right next to the bank where high-water metalheads will most likely be.

Peace Out....

I have quite a bit of experience fishing blown out chocolate ice in the spring around here. It's all we have to deal with some times. I think this would probably work for you guys on your smaller rivers, and in big rivers where there is wood or undercut banks. Next time you go down to a river that is blown, preferably in early spring/late winter, take a look in the water. More than likely, the only thing you'll be able to see is the dead leaves from fall being blown down the river. Most of those leaves are black.

I have great luck fishing straight black glo bug yarn on an 18 inch leader. Also drift fishing flies like skunks, wooly buggers, and black stones. Dark blue can be a killer in dark water also. Leave the flourescent stuff at home. Scale them up to size, as I feel that profile is the big thing here. In your situation, I wouldn't be afraid to toss out black rags, or large profile black jigs. The other key for me is to stay tight to cover, and cut banks. If the water is relatively cold, these fish will hang very tight to current breaks. The bites are no brainers, as most of the time, the current will have moved your lead down stream before you feel the bite. Don't fish with an anchor. Just use enough lead to have it ticking bottom every couple of feet. When your line stops, you can almost be certain that it's a fish.

I would love to live in Washington or Oregon, because in talking to guys, it sounds like I would have the rivers to myself when they are puked out. I love chocolate water, it's that green stuff that scares me. There isn't a lot of rocket science here, but it works for me. Hope it works for you guys.

Take your old eggs, crunch up some sandshrimp heads and throw them in the head of the hole. This will get them to be aggressive. Then start drifting with a large colorfull corky and bait. Don't do this if the regs prevent chumming.

I hate fishing dirty water because it's so hard to stay motivated but it is very possible to catch fish it in. In the past I use to go with very short leaders, maybe six inch, and large red corky big piece of yarn and alway, alway have on a nice clump of good eggs. Steelhead have great noses for finding bait. Stay out of the fast current and fish the slack water or shallow gravel bars. Know your water before you go out since you won't be reading it when it's pure mud.

I use a short leader of about 15 inches. Size 2/0 hook, large rag with egg orange yarn and green yarn(Green is color that can be seen with low light) Use eggs and prawn combo, covered in anise oil. I use a solid tie weight, fairly heavy weight. Enough weight to keep it pinned to the bottom, but will back-bounce when I give it slight pulls. I work this contraption close to shore, even right below my feet. Don't be afraid to get it behind submerged bushes, rocks. Bites are usually a steady mouthing.

Sorry, If the river is almost blown you'll
see me in the nearest watering hole or bar.
Having a nice strong rum & coke and or burger
watching a football game or some type of sporting event.If the water has less then 8-12 inches of vis,I'll blow off fishin so fast it'll make your head spin RT.Sorry not in to $hitty conditions.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

When it gets like that, I've had pretty good luck with a 1/4 oz. jig, in bold colors, or a big sand shrimp tail under a bobber. Nothing fancy, but keep the length from bobber to jig/shrimp 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 feet and just fish up next to shore, really no farther out than you can spit. Never assume a snag when the bobber goes down - I've missed plenty that way. You can cover alot of area that others miss if they are casting out where the normal holding water is.

One of my favorite things to bring out in high muddy water are earthworms. Rigging them with a 26-32" leader and a rocket red spin glo with black wings is a killer. Obviously slowing down the presentation is a real kicker so the fish have the opportunity to grab it and fishing the real soft bellies 3-6ft deep have been the most productive. Another spot is the outside soft edges of tailouts. Another productive tactic with out bait is a mid-size nailpolish pink okie with white yarn over the top of it to hold it close to the hook, don't ask me why but they will hammer that.
Another thing, I live next to salmon creek (clark county) and it fishes best when it is chocolate brown and the most productive setup down there is 2-3 rocketred corkies with a chunk of cured prawn. Don't ask me why????
Keith

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The best way for me to do successful at high, murky waters, is to use the biggest ugliest colors you have, also heavier line, tend to lose fish more often cause of the higher flows, good luck to all of you, Rip dem lips

How about this one. Did alittle exploring on local rivers around here and have found when the rivers blow one place that always holds fish. Places where a creek or stream that is still running clear runs into the main river. The fish seem to really stack just off the clear water here the clear meets the brown stewy water.

Tight lines

Kevin

Short leader and either a big white glow spin and glow with a piece of prawn or else a double medium corky set up one being glow white and prawn. The double corkies clack together as an added attraction. The fish tend to sit in slower water even almost dead water as the silt, leaves and such will settle but not always.

I'm impressed! Really. I guess you Washington guys aren't doughballs afterall. Bring on more, there are some real tricky ones on our board. - RT

Hey RT,
haven't talked in a while and we never got a chance to get together and catch some fish. Hopefully things are going well and you will have a merry christmas! What sort of crazy stuff are you talking about or this other forum.
I know it takes a lot to get me out during muddy conditions and one thing I love to have in murky conditions is either structure like a falls or a hatchery which makes fish stop or slow down. What I have noticed most of the time is fish will move and move quick in muddy water conditions.

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What crazy stuff? ... Oh, you probably mean about Oregon fishermen being better at catching steelies than you Washington fish wussies. What's so crazy about that?

On muddy conditions I tie my mainline to a 3 way swivel and off the bottom eye you use a 4 inch dropper to a 3 or 4 ounce pyramid sinker.On the the trailing eye you tie on a 10 inch leader with a cherry bobber and two 2/0 hooks if I'm using shrimp or just 1 2/0 if I'm using eggs. The method to fish this is to fish no more than 4 feet from shore and jusy walk it down the shoreline.

After reading these I must retract my ribbing about Washington fishers; you guys are really good! These are very good tech ideas and hard to pick a winner. However, I pick Howaiian as the winner. Great rigup! Now in case you have a tough time getting the non-expense paid trip with Bob , I will give you the alternate statement prize right now: "Howaiian, you are one heck of a top notch murky water steelheader and one cool dude!", Steve. BTW, your tip is about a tie with the best couple on our BB. ... Thanks much guys. And anyone that hasn't read this yet bring on some more ideas. - RT