BEFORE THE RUN FISHING FOR STAGING STEELHEAD - Dan Robson

   

         

I took a couple of steps into the water, waves lapping at my feet. To my left the expansive beach gave way to vast open water. To my right, the river dumped its stained water into the otherwise crystal-clear lake.

    

Only a few short months removed from the last spawning steelhead of spring, I was looking for any good reason to be chasing these chrome beauties again. The previous night’s rain had been reason enough, so there I stood, hoping the fish had the same idea I did.

     

Mid-September and the cooling water had kick started the annual salmon run. In turn, river anglers flocked to points up-stream hoping to capitalize. Where the salmon were, steelhead were not far behind and while everyone chased the salmon already moving in, I had the beach to myself. Cooler fall nights, winds pushing the shoreline, and overnight rain, everything told me it was time. Steelhead should be starting to stage, preparing for they’re push upstream. Still, I had my doubts. A couple more steps out into the water and I fire a long, arching cast to where the stained river water meets the clear water of the lake. A few slow turns of the reel handle and all my doubts disappeared under the weight of a fresh steelhead.

      

   

    

   

   

    

A couple of quick headshakes and it came shooting out of the water, the sun reflecting off its chrome finish. Another acrobatic leap and the line goes slack as I watch the spoon fly out of its mouth and back into the lake, but I couldn’t help but smile at the prospect of what was to come.

   

   

   

When it comes to fishing for staging steelhead timing is everything. Fish might cruise the areas around a river mouth for a few weeks, a few days, or even start pushing up the river right away if conditions are favorable. Narrowing things down isn’t easy. Even when you think you know what the fish are up to, they can quickly throw a wrench into everything at the drop of a hat.

   

   

   

Fishing for staging steelhead can be hit or miss in any season, but when it comes to springtime the window can be very short. Spring steelhead have a lot more urgency than the fish that run in the fall. Fall run fish have the luxury of taking their time, not spawning for months after entering the river. Spring steelhead on the other hand need to push into the river, spawn, and get back to the lake while conditions are just right. 

   

Water temperature is key to pinpointing staging steelhead. In most Great Lakes tributaries, most years, prime spring spawning temps are typically in the low 40-degree range. This is spawning temperature, so fish will be mulling around river mouths preparing for the run before it hits these temps, meaning it can still be a bit of a guessing game sometimes. On any given stream in the Great Lakes region, spring fish can start staging from late February to mid to late March depending on those water temps. If tempera-tures are optimal in February, it can buy you a little more time as fish can afford to move with less urgency. The longer it takes to reach optimal conditions, the shorter the window is going to be, and fish will not stage for long, often only a day or two. Provided ice cover allows it, I’ll start targeting staging steelhead at river mouths in mid-February. There can be plenty of fishless days, but if timed right the action is some of the hottest of the season. Fish are largely untouched and highly aggressive, and if luck has it you can be hitting post the post spawn steelhead that ran in the fall and are now heading back to the lake, as well as fresh run spring fish.

      

    

    

    

   

   

  

Fishing for staging steelhead in the fall is much more wide open than it is in the

spring, but it doesn’t mean it’s any easier. Because these fish are months from spawning, they have the luxury of doing as they please, moving only when conditions are absolutely perfect. While this may seem like a problem, it can mean that fish can stage along beaches, in harbors, and at river mouths for weeks on end. Fall runs can be much more spread out, with a steady flow of new fish showing up. On top of that, fall steelhead can and often do move in and out of river systems as conditions dictate. If fish move into a system and are then faced with low water, it’s not unheard of for them to drop back into more optimal water. In smaller systems this could mean dropping back into a staging pattern. 

   

Like in the spring, water temperature plays a big role in the fall, but so does the day length window. Even if temperatures aren’t perfect as the days get shorter, steelhead will start moving closer to their home river. Typically, I start targeting these staging fall fish when the water temps dip below 70 degrees and are hovering in the high 60’s. Colder summers with more than average precipitation can see steelhead beginning to stage as early as mid-August. A warmer, dryer summer or early fall can delay that until mid to late September. Regardless of the summer weather, pretty much all tributaries that get steelhead in them will have fish staging by the end of September.

   

As I mentioned, staging steelhead can be extremely unpredictable. They can be there one day and gone the next, or they can mull around the same area for weeks at a time. Persistence is key, but when you hit it right it can and will be some of the best action of the year.

            

Not as picky as they will soon become, staging steelhead can be caught on a wide variety of lures and baits.   

   

    

   

Finding staging steelhead isn’t just about heading to a river mouth and firing casts. It’s a good place to start, but not all water is created equal and just like they do when further upstream, staging steelhead will seek out certain water. 

   

Surf-casting the beaches of the Great Lakes can result in some fast and furious fishing as fish move in closer to the rivers that they will eventually spawn in. While this often means fishing at or near a river mouth, it doesn’t have to. In fact, these fish can cruise the shallower water up and down these beaches as it warms. Wind can be a major contributing factor when surf casting, turning the water, and attracting baitfish, which then attract steelhead. Some of the best surf fishing can happen when the wind is pounding the shoreline.

  

When fishing piers, break walls and river mouths in general, steelhead can be spread throughout the area. Obvious current breaks and seams are the best place to start as fish take advantage of forage being funneled through these areas. They will also use these breaks for traveling lanes, following the path of least resistance. Depending on the river, these spots aren’t always obvious, but even in the flattest of water there may be subtle differences in flow. Focus on those areas before expanding your casting radius to cover all water.

   

   

   

   

   

   

A good rain will quickly dirty up a river while signaling to staging fish that it’s time to make their move. When the river is dirty, fish the mudline as it joins the clear water of the lake. Steelhead will hold or cruise along the dirty water line ambush-ing easy meals while they wait for the perfect time to start their run, usually as the dirty river water starts to recede.

   

One of the biggest mistakes that anglers make when fishing staging steelhead is finding a spot that looks promising and parking themselves there for the day. Throughout the day these fish will move and move a lot. Low light times of day will have them pushing upstream, even if just a little. As the day gets brighter, they will move back to the comfort of the bigger water. This movement will continue until the time is right to push further upstream. Picking a location and staying there will no doubt result in some fish, but if you want to get the most out of your day on the water, move around with them. If the fishing dies off, or is non-existent from the get-go, try different locations. Fish an area for a bit if there is no action move. This might mean a move of a hundred yards, or it might mean moving to a different river mouth all together. Not all areas are created equal and if you’re not getting into fish, it doesn’t mean that you won’t somewhere else.

  

  

  

Hungry, aggressive, and largely untouched, staging steelhead are pretty easy to please compared to when they push further up stream. Not as picky as they will soon become, staging steelhead can be caught on a wide variety of lures, and baits.

    

  

   

   

   

   

  

Getting to an area before sunrise, I like to start by casting lures. Heavy spoons like a Like Cleo are great for fishing like this because they cast a country mile and allow you to cover more water and reach fish that may be holding a little further out. Fish the spoon as slowly as possible without getting hung up on the bottom. The spoon should only flutter back and forth when being retrieved. If it’s spinning, it’s because it’s going too quickly. If you find yourself constantly hitting bottom, then the retrieve may not be quick enough. When fishing river mouth areas with some cur-rent you can let that current do the work for you, imparting the action on the spoon. If fishing the lake itself, a slow and steady retrieve is enough to elicit some savage strikes.

   

Crankbaits and minnow baits are another good option when it comes to pinpointing aggressive steelhead and can be fished the same way as a spoon, fanning your casts through an area until you narrow down where the fish might be. Crankbaits are surprisingly underutilized when it comes to steelhead fishing, but shad style cranks like a Shad Rap or minnow baits like Husky Jerks are a quick way to capitalize on aggressive, staging fish. 

    

In-line spinners can also have their place, although I find them to be more effective as fish begin to move upstream. Not necessarily my first choice when it comes to tossing lures, it’s still a good idea to have a few of them on hand. Even staging steelhead can be highly selective, and a spinner could be what triggers them when nothing else will.

  

Finding staging steelhead isn’t just about heading to a river mouth and firing casts. It’s a good place to start, but not all water is created equal and just like they do when further upstream, staging steelhead will seek out certain water. 

  

    

When casting lures I use a medium-light to medium, 9-foot spinning rod. The little extra length allows for better casting distance and helps in fighting these powerful fish on relatively light lines. 

    

A reel with a quality drag system is a must. Staging steelhead are some of the strongest steelhead you’ll encounter from shore and their blistering runs can make quick work of inferior drag systems. Heartbreak can be common when targeting these fish, and equipment failure is some of the most painful.

   

If fishing in warmer months like the late summer or early fall, spool the reel with 20-to-30-pound braid with an added fluorocarbon leader. Braided line casts further than any other, and the zero stretch will help drive hooks home from a longer distance.

  

  

   

    

    

         

When fishing colder weather, I’ll swap out that braid for 15-pound mono. When temperatures are at or below freezing, braid will ice up and be extremely frustrating to fish with. I find 15-pound mono to be the sweet spot, having the strength to handle hot fish while still being able to cast with distance. And yes, mono can still freeze up, but not nearly as bad as braid will.

   

Whether fishing with mono or braid, always run a few feet of fluorocarbon leader. Even the most aggressive steelhead can be line shy and the near invisibility of fluorocarbon can result in more hook-ups. In most cases a leader from 8 to 10 pounds will suffice, but there are always those days when the sun is high and the water is clear or the fish are seeing a lot of pressure, when it might be necessary to go down to a 6-pound lead.

  

  

  

As with steelhead making their way up-stream, spawn, fresh or cured, can be king when it comes to staging fish. Depending on water clarity, I’ll tie spawn sacks anywhere from dime to quarter size, with each having a few floaters mixed in to keep the bait up off of the bottom. Stationary bottom fishing, while not the most exciting, can be extremely effective as fish cruise river mouths and nearby beach areas. Targeting fish that are moving around a lot can be a waiting game to say the least. I’ve had days where hours of no action lead to half an hour or an hour of non-stop bites as pods of fish move through and crush the baits. 

   

Just like when casting lures, I prefer to run braided line to maximize my casting distance and hook sets, but again braid isn’t always practical, and I’ll switch to mono in the colder months. With a heavy sliding pencil weight on the main line a quality barrel swivel should then attach that mainline to a fluorocarbon leader. The length of that leader will depend on where in the water column the fish might be, but keep in mind that steelhead look out and up so even if they’re cruising along the bottom, your bait should be up and away.

  

  

   

     

    

    

You can use the same 9-foot medium or medium-light rod used to cast lures, but I find that when stationary fishing with bait, especially off the beach, the presentation is often much further out. A longer rod in the 10 to 11 foot range can help with long distance hook sets as well as corralling open water fish from shore.

   

Bait isn’t limited to spawn, and I’ve had lots of luck with plastic worms, minnow imitations, small tube jigs and even live shiners. Each will fish a little differently from one another, but all can be productive throughout the staging period.

   

While there are some who are already in the know, most steelheaders wait to target these fish after the run has started and fish have begun pushing upstream, leaving stag-ing fish largely untouched. If you’re looking to get a jump on steelhead season, and experience some of the best action of the year don’t ignore staging periods.

 

 

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