Ocean Steelhead

[Chuck]

Are there any fishers that have caught or even target Steelhead on the salt? Is there a reason fishing for Steelhead on the salt isn't a thing? I have never seen or heard of it but a some point it must have happened. Just curious.

 

[CRGreg]

I have caught 2 steelhead in tidal waters while recreationally salmon fishing over the last 50 years. One in Saanich Inlet and another at Stuart Island. Back then you could kill them in tidal waters, and I did. Regulations today call for release of all wild trout in tidal waters. I wouldnt think that there are enough Steelhead in concentrated locations/times in tidal waters to successfully target them.. Would be awesome if there were lots !!

CR Greg

 

[Sharphooks]

In my neck of the woods guys have been doing that for years. Usually it’s a November and December show—- when the winter fish first start showing up. There’s a spot called Bush Point off Whidbey Island that’s historically been one of the hot spots. Lure of choice - Spin-n-glow on top of a plastic hootchie tossed into the surf on a tide change. I’ve heard descriptions of hot fish. Throw in some tide and wave action and it sounds like it can be lots of fun, especially when they’re chrome and just in from the Pacific

Unfortunately, dollars for hatchery fish have been cut off in Puget SOund so I’m sure these days it’s not exactly a lights-out fishery

I walked a beach this past December opposite Bush Point and picked up a huge pile of corkies and spin-n-glows on a flood tide so people are still out there doing it

 

[kingblazer84]

My dad got one in the 70s off epsom mooching lol couldn’t believe his eyes as he was used to catching them in the Seymour river.

 

[adanac]

Seen a good handful in the charlottes , seemed like 1 - 2 a year would be brought to the dock or released . Many guys had trouble identifying them. I’ve never had the chance to catch one but my old man has a photo of a 18lber he retained off Langara in the 90’s.

In saying that I had two strange catches off cape edensaw in 2014 . Two Dolly Varden and a cutthroat on cut plugs !

 

[eroyd]

There just isn't the numbers to target them in the ocean. I saw one caught off Quadra Island by a baffled angler. I worked at a fish plant over my summers when I was in school, out of the thousands of fish that came through I only saw a half dozen steelhead caught my trollers.

 

[Adrenafin]

Caught a hatchery steely in august 2015 on herring strip, alberni inlet.

 

[Hardy Guy]

Funny enough they are caught by commercial tuna trollers way off shore. Not often but more often than you would think. As stated I don't think there are many places in the chuck where there are numbers. I've never caught one but know of a few. I've caught dollies and cutthroat though.

 

[CRGreg]

Commercially, I have definitely seen them in Gillnet fisheries. Dean Channel was bad before the drop nets came in. Also Nitnat and offshore WCVI. I have seen several beautiful Steelhead likely from the Thompson or Chilcotin. Those Gillnet fisheries dont really exist anymore..

CR Greg

 

[Sharphooks]

The largest steelhead I’ve ever laid eyes on was a 39 pounder (chrome bright buck) …. It was in a freezer at a friend of mine’s house who lived on the banks of the Kispiox up in Hazelton. It was delivered to a plant in Rupert and ended up at the Smithers regional fisheries office where he worked. It was sucked up by vacuum from a seiner’s RSW tank and plugged up the vacuum hose which is how they found it and set it aside. Probably a Babine or Kispiox fish as it was caught off the mouth of the Skeena. My first thought was—-wow, wouldn’t that one have been fun on a cut plug herring in a small skiff?

I’m on my way to Alaska next week to fish a Gulf of Alaska trib. These fish come in fresh on every tide in April so when you’re at the bottom end of the river you might as well be catching them in the salt chuck, especially on a boomer tide

They look completely different—-chrome sides and black backs—-just a faint blush of rose hue on their gill plates….Stunning specimens when fresh out of the salt chuck

 

[Fishwhistler]

I got a spawned out steelhead on a Mac deep at swiftshore bank a few years ago

 

[Onchy]

Seen a good handful in the charlottes , seemed like 1 - 2 a year would be brought to the dock or released . Many guys had trouble identifying them. I’ve never had the chance to catch one but my old man has a photo of a 18lber he retained off Langara in the 90’s.

In saying that I had two strange catches off cape edensaw in 2014 . Two Dolly Varden and a cutthroat on cut plugs !

We used to see about the same off the west side at Hippa. Couple a year mis identified usually by unguided boats. Always wondered where they were headed.

From what I understand (been told) they stay shallow and off shore for most part, compete with pinks etc for krill/euphasids mainly.

 

[Hardy Guy]

I saw one that was tagged in the Skeena River and then caught a year later by a troller , it had grown 12 cm since caught in river the year before.

 

[TMan]

I've never seen one, but the Great Lakes anglers do get them when out trolling. The lakes are essentially their ocean. I think they target them, but don't quote me on that.

 

[trophywife]

2 in a lifetime, one of the dock at potlatch creek,
the other was off the rocks in the bretton islands, it was around 6-lbs and was swallowed by a 30 plus chinook while i was fighting it. just the tail was sticking out the chins mouth when landed.

 

[spoiler]

I caught one off Sooke a few years ago in September when we were trolling for Coho. We weren't having much luck so I threw on a weird looking green and white hootchie and it climbed on shortly after I put it down. The fish hammered it out of the clip and started a series of cartwheels. We thought I had a big Coho so we were quite surprised to see about an 18lb Steelhead beside the boat. We took one quick picture and released it. I figured it was probably headed for the Thompson based on the size and time of year.

 

[Bugs]

I have seen two caught by anglers in the north strait of georgia, one released one retained. Both were kelts caught in spring time while downrigger fishing but in the process of clipping the gear in and still on the surface. Steelhead are super surface oriented in the ocean.... There are few left... but I suspect that more would be caught if more surface trolling occurred.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I wish this thread would go way honestly.

There are so many groups currenty between the environmentalists and Thompson steelhead groups under Hooten crowd that want to close marine fisheries in the fall and anywhere where they are intercepted.

Don't believe look up 90 day window rolling closure?

The encounters are like winning lottery honestly. Never once have got one.

I don't think we should be targeting any of them based on current state of the stock.

 

[CR Bill]

Got two in one day deckhanding on commercial troller fishing sockeye off Esperanza way back in the 70’s.

 

[Stoisy]

I wish this thread would go way honestly.

There are so many groups currenty between the environmentalists and Thompson steelhead groups under Hooten crowd that want to close marine fisheries in the fall and anywhere where they are intercepted.

Don't believe look up 90 day window rolling closure?

The encounters are like winning lottery honestly. Never once have got one.

I don't think we should be targeting any of them based on current state of the stock.

I think this is a good example of how rare it is.

2 in 50 years, one back in the 70s, a handful among all the lodge boats in Haida Gwaii (1000s of boat days), a couple kelts in the N SoG. Seems pretty rare and not remotely impactful relative to the commercial gillnet fisheries referenced and of course the in river fisheries.