Ok so winter steelheadin is over in washington you OR guys get a little longer to fish but not much so why dont we swick from winter to summer run. I have two quwestions what is your ideal drift look like and what is you favorit presntion.
I think I can start this one
1) My ideal drift is a nice pool above some riffles with a run just below it.

2) Now the my fav. bait is huge glob of eggos about the size of a quater or nickle.

one more thing in my opinion summer run steelies are the best eatin hands down

My favorite run is a riffle, pool, tailout where I can see those fish laying. Then I drift them a sandshrimp tail with a little orange yarn, weighted down with just enough lead. Crawdad meat and/or eggs works well too. I can't wait for summer run vacation. :p

I love summer steelies too Dances. I will be experimenting with 1/8th oz. rabbit fur jigs on them this summer; and a little flyfishing too. By the way, how do you eat steelhead with your hands down?


RT

My Favorite Summer Steelhead spot is one that has alot of Cool water, moving into a large deep pool. Then I like to cast a large Nightcrawler into the head of the hole. Slowly letting it drift downstream until.............
Bring on Summer!!!!!!!!!!!

Any river you can sight fish for em'! I love that stuff, creepin' up on a pod of steelies in ultra clear water.

AHHHHH.... Cant wait for June 1!!!!!! Long days, warm weather, and summer steel. Doesnt get any better than that. Nuthing on winter runs though =), i love those guys. Black jigs under a small float or a long 6lb leader and a gob of fresh eggs.


- Save a trout, bonk a bass

Who says steelie season in WA is over ... we've had some decent days the past week and still got two more weeks to go!

Gear fishing for summer runs? Get real and break out the fly rod. Summer runs on the fly is almost as productive and heck of a lot more fun.

Steve
Its called mind over matter.
Family secret passed down through many generations of fisherman
Or jsut think of a pie eatin contest and I think you can get an idea

So, the summer steelhead is sitting in the pool. He looks up to see a nice, tender nightcrawler drifting lazily by.

You think he's going to pass that up?

I also like a black and purple marabou jig under a Thill float. Float it down to the fish in the tailouts and..........

Isn't summer nice ?

Ah, The perfect summer steelhead run. Well I cant fish it anymore. Its a deep pool above a long narrow shallow section of river, With another long narrow shallow above it. One side of the pool has a nice gravel bar and the other is a steep rock wall.
For bait it has to be a female sand shrimp about 2 and 1/2 inches long. You know, the really colorful ones. A 4' long 8lb leader and a # 2 hook. There isnt a steelhead that swims that can pass that up.
Well since I cant fish there anymore, Any run that holds summer steelhead is my favorite. And any method thathooks them is my favorite.!

A long stretch of boulder filled river with lots of hiding places. A 30" 8 to 6 pound leader with either #1 or 2 hooks, a pink pearl corkie in a small size with a very small bait of eggs or a sand shrimp. Should be a good run this year judging from the numbers so far.

Anywhere below fast water with structure. Or a nice shady spot that has depth. Eggs no weight or with a float. When the smolt are thick a jig or fly under a float. Hope this year is as good as last. Never got skunked last year and had some of my best days ever.

Spinners in glacial. Maybe a jig now and then. Like to go after the wild ones in the summer as well. Hope last year wasnt a fluke.

My favorite place to fish summer runs or any fish is TIDEWATER. The first run out of tidewater at the mid to the end of the outgoing tide watching them blow up through the first riffle of the river into a hole with a 2" deep topend. Casting a 4' 8#leader with a 1/0 owner cutting point and a bait of the most beautiful eggs in the world. Hooking a fish and as you beach it start picking sea-lice off of them and putting them in your little container to collect for the summer. The most I have collected in a summer is 37. Some real thumb burning, rootwad finding, stump jumping, slabs of chrome. All this is about to make me break the rules and head out a day early before the opener.
Keith
That's 37 sea-lice throughout the summer.

[ 04-14-2001: Message edited by: stlhdr1 ]

37 lice means Keith's summer was NICE

Hey Willierower, that pool your talking about on the Washougal?? Maybe just above a certain bridge with a landowner as means as a rabid dog?

Geez, I wish I could cast some flies for them in the Laurel Lane area of the Washougal again; like I used to so many years ago. Would often run into Bill McMillain there. Great flyfisher. ...

Hey Keith and Rob, leave me some fish to play with over on the 'Shou' this summer . BTW Keith, I changed my mind about competitive fishing philosophy ... so I'm gonna come over there and kick your ... just kidding.

I like water that is 4-5 ft deep flowing fast enough to provide enough cover to hold fish flowing into a deep hole and in low clear water a 1/16th oz red or black jig under a float is hard to beat.

RT-
I go crazy over summer runs, I would rather fish for them than any other species. There is nothing funner than a 15-18 summer run in tidewater. Any how shoot me an email and we will go and fish the washougal or kalama. There should be a handful of summer runs showing already.. Besides the kalama is a sure thing for a springer. The only thing is getting a parking place at the boat ramp when the columbia closes.
Keith