Salmon & Steelhead Journal

09/23/2023

I’ll admit, in my early years of pursuing salmon, trolling did not seem to be a technique that would be very high on my list of favorite ways to fish. I was drawn to action; watching a float dip and swirl as it coursed its way down a swirly current seam, feeling the methodical tap tap tap of a back-bounced bait give way to the chomp of a hungry chinook, the rhythmic vibrations of wobbling plugs that elicit vicious takedowns, and the list goes on. The thought of plopping a rod in a rod holder and sitting in a seat for hours on end just didn’t raise my heart rate.

Read the Full Gear Review Here: https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/length-power-action/

09/22/2023

Look at your steelheading career as one long, extended fishing trip, and make it your goal to make correct, confident decisions throughout that trip.

Read the full Essay: https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/confidence/

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09/16/2023

Success as a steelhead fisherman is something that must be learned. Nobody is born knowing how to tie knots, how to row a drift boat, or cast a baitcast reel. These things all take time not only to learn, but to truly become good at.

Read the full article at https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/10000-hours/

09/15/2023

There are few places where you can fish for, and with relative frequency, catch the Pacific Northwest’s most iconic salmon — the spring chinook —all within a metropolitan backdrop, complete with skyscrapers and urban noise. Welcome to Portland’s Willamette River. For Portland-area residents, the Willamette River offers a backyard opportunity that can give you an hour or two of serious salmon fishing before or after work. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is predicting 51,000 springers returning to the Willamette in 2022 with an average year getting around 40,000. With a two (hatchery) fish limit and a two rod endorsement allowed, “the Willy” is a no brainer for many.

https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/rose-city-springers/

08/26/2023

It was a king salmon rodeo! We’d drop the rig until the downrigger ball slammed into the bottom, bring it up five feet, and by the time one rod was slid back in the holder the other one was going off.... The chinook weren’t messing around.

View the Full Article Here:
https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/an-accidental-success/

08/25/2023

The sonar was blotted out with clouds of candlefish and scattered throughout the large masses of bait were the unmistable arches of chinook salmon. The kings were rustling them out of the sandy bottom and gorging on the sandlance with reckless abandon. It was an hour before tide-change in Southeast Alaska and everything was right in the world.

View the Full Article Here:
https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/an-accidental-success/

08/22/2023

A QUALITY pair of waders will prove their worth well beyond the river.

At first glance waders seem like a tool designed with bank-bound anglers in mind, but I assure you their value is much more broad reaching. While waders are crucial for bank angling, they will also help a drift boat angler who unexpectedly has to....

View Full Article at https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/waders-application-specific/

08/21/2023

Waders: Application Specific. Salmon & Steelhead Journal Gear Review
Some pieces of gear can be defined as being technique specific, whereas others fall into the category of being more application specific. Technique specific items have hyper-focused design and construction to excel at a very narrow, specific niche of usage. Steelhead jig rods would be an excellent example of a technique specific design; long and balanced to cast small offerings and easily manage line control on long drifts, light enough to remain comfortable, and soft to protect light leaders for delicate presentations. But outside of this usage, the design is incredibly ineffective; too long and lacking the sensitivity for drift fishing, not powerful enough for other species such as salmon, and the list goes on.

View Full Article at https://www.salmonandsteelheadjournal.com/waders-application-specific/