mamona said:
I kinda started looking for places to fish. Say I go for a walk along Credit. See people trying to fish. All I see and hear is dissapointment. I walk further, trying to figure out maybe there are better spots, maybe fish is somewhere else? Eventually I come back with conclusion there is no fish at this time.
And this is just one example. So, question is, where to go?
My advice would be to pick your favourite area, if you have one, and fish there often. Don't fish too many areas at first, try to master one.
Factors to consider would be distance from you, ease of access, season for that stretch water of course (so you're not fishing out of season), etc.
Looking back, I think frequenting the same area really helped me to learn quickly, and not just for steelhead, but other species as well.
Only move on if you feel compelled to, like if you're not catching anything at all, and you don't see anyone else fishing there. If it's desert of anglers and fish, that's probably for a reason. Long stretches of extremely shallow water are no good. Look for pools, undercut banks, logs/beaver dams. Structure, structure, structure. Be it a bridge with deep, shaded water beneath, or even just some large boulders or rocks. These silver fish know how to hide in the most limited nooks and crannies.
Some of the best spots get the least amount of angling pressure. If you're lucky to find these gems early on, exploit that as much as you can. You'll need practice taming these feisty fellows at first. Eventually it will be a piece of cake, until you take a break and go at it again, then they'll make you feel like a beginner again.
I don't think anyone has mentioned lures - they are gold for catching steelhead. Winter may not be the best time for lures but they can still produce in cold temps. Fall and Spring, spinners and spoons are very effective.
After a rain, when the water is stained brown, bright roe bags that are on the big end of the spectrum work well year-round. If it's just starting to rain but the water isn't completely stained, worms are very effective. To pull steelhead out from their hiding spots in clear water, nothing beats a silver spinner cast repeatedly near structure where you expect them to be holding.
Evening bite is very often the most productive for late winter and spring. But rain changes that, and in stained water, any time of day can be productive.
