VOL . 37 • ISS . 02 |
FRESHWATER |
Jan 18 - Feb 2 , 2018 |
27 |
extent . I still love catching them , but I can ’ t get very excited about beating up on a bunch of snaky down-runners during March .
In January , you probably won ’ t see a fish that isn ’ t chrome and in its prime , and that ’ s what excites me . Furthermore , biologists often note that the largest males of any anadromous salmonid population are the first fish to move up the river .
These fish don ’ t tend to spend a lot of time lingering around either . They tend to make a bee-line for the spawning grounds awaiting female company . As is the case with most species on the planet , the male steelhead is far more eager to breed than the female .
Another factor to keep in mind is that on almost any river in the state of California , you will not be allowed to fish anywhere near the spawning grounds . Thus , your one and only shot at that 20 pound chrome buck is while he is quickly making his way up the river . Once he gets above Bridge X or Creek Y , he ’ s off limits .
Yet another reason why January is so great for steelhead fishing is the bulk of California ’ s hatchery fish will be making their way towards the fish ladder in this month . If you ’ re like me , you probably like whacking a hatchery steelhead or two , and the best eating ones are definitely the ones freshest out of the ocean . In fact , winter steelhead deteriorate very rapidly , and they only are prime for eating for a week or perhaps two after leaving the salt .
Speaking of hatchery steelhead , which reminds me of another point that needs mentioning . If I was looking for a hatchery steelhead to put on the table , this is what the
WHAT ’ S HOT Continued from page 1
When The Going Gets Fast , Rig Up With Speedy Shiners !
While minnow plugs are an obvious choice for fast trolling , many of us overlook a
small array of spoons , both new and old that can make things happen on a fast troll .
The most famous and most readily available of these spoons is the venerable Speedy Shiner . Of course , the name of this spoon alone is enough to tip you off that this is a high-speed offering . The “ Speedy Shiner ” style of lure originated in Maine in the 1930 ’ s ”, says Peter Ridd of Thomas Lures , makers of the Speedy Shiner . “ Thomas began producing its version in the 1960 ’ s . Back in those days a lot of companies were turning out spinning gear .
It was customary then to offer a line of lures to go with your gear . The Speedy Shiner style lure was knocked off by a lot of different companies and there have been a lot of slightly different configurations of the spoon we market today .”
These days Speedy Shiners are offered in three different sizes and a wide array of colors . Overall , I ’ d say that color is less important when trolling quickly in the 2.5 to 4 mph range then when moving slowly at traditional trout speeds of 2.0 mph or less .
If water clarity is anywhere near decent , I like to go with natural colored lures . That means chromes paired with hues of blue or purple for spoons . If the water clarity is poor , super bright stuff like florescent orange can give you an edge .
When the light level is low either early or late or when the sky is overcast , black can be an absolutely deadly color that few anglers ever think to try .
For more information about Speedy Shiners , visit them online at www . thomaslures . com .
depth chart would look like : 1 ) The Mad River 2 ) The Smith River 3 ) The Russian River 4 ) The American River
The Mad offers by far the best hatchery steelhead fishery in the state . 99 % of the fish are going to be adipose clipped on this river . A handful of wild fish are present , but they are definitely in the minority .
The Lower Mad River has a lot of access for anglers , and the hatchery has the most consistent returns in the state . When the conditions are right on the Mad , these fish eagerly chomp on a nickel sized piece of roe . Drift fishing pink worms on the Mad can also draw strikes . Plugs like Brad ’ s Wee Wigglers , Hot Shots and Tadpolly ’ s also have a place on the Mad .
The Smith is primarily a wild steelhead fishery , but it definitely has some slab hatchery fish as well . Every year somebody will land a clipped 17-20 pound hatchery fish on the gem of the North Coast . If planning a trip to the Smith , plan on seeing a beautiful river in a beautiful setting , maybe catching some beautiful fish , and lastly maybe getting lucky with a chrome fish to take home for the table . The Russian River has had some good returns of hatchery steelhead in recent years . The big problem with this system lies in its often-muddy waters that take forever to clear and tons of private proper-
Only
Only
While decent action can be had up until and often into the month of March on large rivers , there is no month like January in terms of the number of big bright fish available and the number of systems , both large and small , that offer good fishing .
Photo by MIKE MCNEILLY , Fish Sniffer Staff .
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ty along the river that severely limit access .
With all of the fires in the Russian Drainage this year , expect even worse water conditions than usual . The Russian ’ s returns of hatchery steelhead are also extremely variable . Some years the river is loaded with fish , and other years you may not find an adipose clipped fish all season . Miraculously , the severely altered Russian River Drainage still has a fair run of wild fish .
Lastly , the urban American River can offer decent fishing for primarily hatchery fish . This river offers urban anglers a shot at close to home steelhead . However , the brightest fish on the American will not compare to those on the coast .
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on the upper portions of the American . In recent years , the steelhead run has faltered on this river , and fishing has been poor to fair at best .
The best steelhead rivers in the state weren ’ t mentioned by name in this article . Those rivers and streams beg for the angler reading this to do a little exploring . Furthermore , it ’ s fair to say that January may be the best month of the year to make that expedition .
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