Just a few from today

I know I post a lot of reports of trips outside of Ontario...but I do fish in Ontario as well. I just don't post reports of yet another ho hum fish from Ontario...but today was special.

My friend Matthew (who is the owner of KypeFish) taught me to fish beads today. I had used beads in the past with no success. But with Matthew's instructions, it was instant success! Thanks for the help! Check out KypeFish if you need beads, flies and soft plastics for salmon and steelhead. Support a local company!



Later in the day, we got into a ridiculous lure bite. Here's just a couple of photos of fish that wanted to kill that wobbling flashy thing in the water.



Mostly aggressive males, but this big hen decided she had enough of the nonsense. A quick photo and a little surgery to remove the well seated hook and she was on she way to the spawning grounds. Just like fish caught on the troll from the lake, they sometimes bleed a lot even from a hook wound. Hope she'll be alright.



Haven't caught a Coho in 10 years...and this big buck was worth the wait...on a bead no less!



Here's the last fish of the day - a big male King Salmon that engulfed the Kwikfish.



Probably went double digit on lures alone. We didn't document every fish...it wasn't necessary. It was a ridiculous lure bite...probably the best I've ever had!

beautiful coho

Great outing Muskie.
See.
We just never stop learning something new. ha

I purchased a bead kit couple years back.
They've never left the house.
I'm to hung up on the bare hook concept?

tossing iron said:

I purchased a bead kit couple years back.
They've never left the house.
I'm to hung up on the bare hook concept?

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Until today, I was hung up on the bare hook concept too. I used to push the bead all the way to the hook or have it sit just 1/2in from the hook.

Matthew explained to me that if the bead is too close to the hook, it can prevent the hook from penetrating, especially if the hook gap is the same size or smaller than the bead. Having the bead sit a inch above the hook and using a bigger hooks prevents clogging the hook.

The other difference was also the type of beads. I had glass beads in the past and they were heavier. They sank to the bottom all the time and I snagged up often. These beads are plastics and neutrally buoyant, so I can shot the line much like I do for pinkies, roe, worms...etc. Basically the same rigging I had confidence with but with a different "lure". Confidence it such a huge thing.

I was skeptical at first (always am), but seen first hand that even juvenile rainbows will hit the bead and they were hooked fairly (some actually swallowed the #6 hook quite well). I know it's weird and I can't explain it...but it works.

Always learning. Never think I know everything and let ego takes over. There is so much I still don't know and have not experienced.

Matt is a cool guy and know his stuff for sure

I just grabbed some kypefish beads and some of his steelhead worms from the bait bucket in barrie. Yet to try them out but they look like a nice product.

I was also skeptical of bead fishing myself until a friend told me to try it. 2nd drift it was fish on so I'm sold. Setup properly they can be just as successful as anything else out there.

nice fish! love the colours on the coho. I ran into a great streamer bite yesterday, started with an egg fly, but no go, switched to a blue and white stream, game on.

Very nice pics! Thanks for sharing!!

That is a sweet looking coho! I mean obviously the other fish are great too, but that coho really stands out to me.

Beads are killer for steelhead, with salmon I find they are just a low cost artificial option and you don't have to feel bad about breakoffs. I was fishing a tandem rig for steelhead this past weekend with a roe bag on bottom and a bead on top. Out of a dozen hookups 8-10 of them came on the bead at the top of the rig, it definitely says something when they pass up the juicy/smelly roe on bottom for a plastic bead up top.

You've got me thinking now.
I'd be curious with the results if you reversed the two baits.

My issue with beads, is i have no idea which one to pick. Is there any rhyme or reason for it, or do you just cycle through them until one works?

When you are fishing a tandem rig, what is the spacing between the hooks?

Shawarma said:

My issue with beads, is i have no idea which one to pick. Is there any rhyme or reason for it, or do you just cycle through them until one works?

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Just getting into beads. I have the same question. What determines your choice of colour or size?

I've gotten mine from SAIL. I was disappointed with only 3 colour and 2 size options.

bharkasaig said:

Just getting into beads. I have the same question. What determines your choice of colour or size?

I've gotten mine from SAIL. I was disappointed with only 3 colour and 2 size options.

Click to expand...

I get mine from steelheadbeads.com

great selection and quality, or if you feel crafty go to Michaels and get your own... I dont have time for that haha.

I usually cycle between 8-10mm depending on the water. In clear, use more natural colours, and as it gets dirty go to yellow, chartreuse, and then a mix all in between..... Yea.. switch them until works..

I get troutbeads from fishheads in 6 to 10mm. Sail doesn't even carry 6mm. I usually get 6mm in natural colours like glow roe, egg yolk, bde milt egg. 10mm chartreuse, orange sun, shrimp. 8mm mix of both.