Anyone else fish this time of year for trout or steelhead? I know there' some fly fishers around here. That is how I started, until I got sucked into the world of centerpinning. For those who don't know what that is, think a large arbor reel similar in looks to a fly reel, zero drag, that runs on two bearings and is totally free flowing with only your fingers to control it and act as a drag. Typically fished on long, noodly rods, with bait/fly/jig under a fancy bobber (or float..) My standard go-to rod for this is 13' and I have another setup that's 15' for larger rivers. Definitely my preferred method of stream/river fishing.
I love to fish winter steelhead, but it's really gone downhill here the last few years. Only a small fraction of my local waters are even open to fishing this year. Spoons are my favorite. A couple of friends and I floated a local river Tuesday. Only the first half of our float was open to fishing.
Gorgeous country there blacktail ! I only get to go once in a while, but my brother on the other hand! He’s a nut for it even got into building custom rods and such. Here’s a picture he sent me sunday
Nice, looks like he's using a centerpin too I will post some pics later from past years. I haven't been out much at all this year, I think since I've gotten my wood stove and become obsessed with firewood I have gotten a bit lazy with my winter time fishing.
Yep centerpin alright he’s got a few and more other rods than I can count! He’s made me a couple spinning and baitcasting rods so far. It’s really nice to have a custom rod I never knew any different until he made me one.
Lake Ontario tributary fish I believe. Once in a while he fishes the Niagara river and will get lake trout and about anything else you could imagine even a big old sturgeon one day. Personally I think he carries a horseshoe where the sun don’t shine A couple more I just found in my messages from early November from him. Shows off the rods a bit too
Ive made many a trip to the tribs on Erie for steelhead. Greats days whether line is tight or not. Wierd though. In all the times Ive gone its either feast or famine.
I get the same thing they are either hungry as can be or nothing! We floated my boat in a year ago and there was so many salmon and browns they were bumping the boat but we couldn’t get a single one to even sniff anything and we tried eeeevvverything!!!! Not to mention quite often it’s shoulder to shoulder and they see a TON of pressure certain places that’s when it’s nice to have a few hard to get to super secret spots
I also fish Lake Ontario tribs. One thing that's been turning me off is the amount of pressure and shoulder to shoulder fishing...Not really my thing. By the time April rolls around and the ice clears out I'm ready to get my boat back in and go for bass, with basically the whole bay to myself.
in and around Rochester. Most of my spots are 5-10mins from home. I've fished Oak Orchard but it gets so busy.
Nice and close at 5 -10 minutes then Usually hit up the oak at off times just for that reason tooooo many people!
exactly! new scenery is great, but its hard to argue the convenience of quality browns/steelhead 5 mins from home.
Finally got a brown at the spot a mile away from home. Nothing too special but felt good anyway. Seems slow this year...a couple years ago I would stop here for an hour and get at least a few.
