Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Spawn Sack]

I live clsoe to the Vedder and it is the river I primarily fish. I have July 1st off and am planning to head out for the day and try to hook into a nice spring! After the 1st, of course, I get out as often as I can.

Admittedly, I'm a much more keen fisherman than I am a skilled one. I do alright when the fishing is good, but have a lot to learn when the fishing is slow and knowledge of the river and where the fish are likely to be is a must - especially with steelhead!

When the Vedder is open for business I will be faced with the inevitable question...where should I go, and what gear should I use? Questions that keep me up at night are ones such as...where are the buggers likely to be? The spots I prefer to fish are upriver, but I wonder if springs are likely to be up river this early in the season? Perhaps those in the know will be fishing around Peach or Lickman, or perhaps even down in the canal?

As far as gear goes, I know some guys that say for springs it's roe ROE R-O-E!! I have some nice frozen chum and coho roe, but honestly I hate fishing the stuff and normally just give it away here and there. I would be more inclined to fish a jig with a bit of prawn, or just a jig with no bait.

A guy I work with fishes just wool patterns for pretty much everything including steelhead and does faily well. However I just don't have a lot of confidence in wool with nothing else. For steelhead I have had some success with wool over a gooey-bob, jensen egg, etc.

Anyway, if anyone has any tips for me regarding where to target springs (lower river, mid, or just pick a spot you like, etc) or would care to share their bait/lure that has worked well for them I would really appreciate it. Like I said, when the fishing is hot and there are fish throught the river I do fine - it's hard not to! However when the fishing is slow I usually get skunked. Others are catching fish so I figure they MUST know something I don't about location and/or terminal tackle that I do not.

[BCfisherman97]

Honestly, this run isn't what it used to be, not even close. I remember my dad telling me about how he used to get into multiple fish on opening day, now you can go buy a lottery ticket if you do. Even later in the run, it's getting harder and harder to catch fish. Looking for deep pools, early morning/evening, roe, blood red with a little black wool, wool with prawns is about the only stuff I fish. Usually just go out to fool around with the aggressive socks and maybe get the bonus spring. Run is so poor now that I have resorted to just having the socks bite my presentation all day on most days. The water will probably be high and the fish numbers next to nothing, but you still have a chance. Early morning in a nice pool where you can find some calmer water away from the big mass will give you the best shot. Tips for later in the season- these fish will bite wool pretty hard (nail sized). Have gone through a run with the red/black combo, roe and shrimp then switched to completely black wool with a little bit of chartruse and bang, fish on, and no I was not flossing. This was something shown to me a few years ago from a very nice Asian man and his son that I have met several times, could not believe it at first. Just put your time in and you are bound to get one. If you know there are fish in the run, keep switching baits until you find whats good. Mornings in deep pools, best bet for this river like I said. Timing is what will get you fish, finding a run with a pod of fish moving through at a time of day when they are willing to hit.

[CohoMan]

I find that the second week of July is the best. Having said that, it all depends on water height. If it is at a reasonable flow, one should hook into a fish or two if you put in your time. Landing them can be a problem because they fight like crazy when hooked. I used raw prawns last year and hooked into a few but did not land a single fish.

Bergman area can be good if you can find deeper water.

[BCfisherman97]

90 percent of all my fished hooked over the last few seasons have been the 15th and after.

[joshhowat]

Use strong leaders and a strong quality hook and landing your springs will Not be a problem, since they dont unbutton much. I like #15 ultra green and 1 owners cutting point and double red hot stuff, with alot of side pressure to turn them out of the current.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Interesting point joshhowat.  I primarily use Gami's in sizes 4 - 1 (2's being most common), and 10 - 12 lb. fluorocarbon.  I haven't done too bad with losing fish on that set-up.  However, one thing I did find is that I tend to lose lots of fish on spinners, and was wondering if I should change the hook to a more curved - octopus style in instead of a straight siwash hook?  Any thoughts?

[Pin-nook]

Interesting point joshhowat.  I primarily use Gami's in sizes 4 - 1 (2's being most common), and 10 - 12 lb. fluorocarbon.  I haven't done too bad with losing fish on that set-up.  However, one thing I did find is that I tend to lose lots of fish on spinners, and was wondering if I should change the hook to a more curved - octopus style in instead of a straight siwash hook?  Any thoughts?

Don't do it FFM!!  Have a look at how an Octopus style hook trails behind a spoon or spinner, the hook point faces further back and not forward like siwash so you would not have better hook sets when fish strike.  Try switching to a sickle style hook but I wouldn't use Octopus style on hardware.

When it comes to reds don't waste your roe! The best way is to find a fast flowing rocky bottom part of the Vedder where you can put on a 4oz betty and a 15 foot leader and a pinch of wool(not too much that they see it...) on a 3/O hook. Make sure you have at least a 50lbs braid just in case the fish misses the hook and you hook them in the back or the tail.

[BCfisherman97]

I never go over a 10-12 pound maxima leader for the summer, unless I'm fishing the Thompson in some of the faster water because the springs are not leader shy as there isn't a lot of fishing pressure on the springs compared to the vedder, meaning I usually go to 15. Another vote for the sickle hooks! It's shape allows you to plant right into their mouth and you rarely lose fish on them. Switching all of my hooks to Matzuo sickles has given me a way better landing ratio.

[FlyFishin Magician]

Don't do it FFM!!  Have a look at how an Octopus style hook trails behind a spoon or spinner, the hook point faces further back and not forward like siwash so you would not have better hook sets when fish strike.  Try switching to a sickle style hook but I wouldn't use Octopus style on hardware.

When it comes to reds don't waste your roe! The best way is to find a fast flowing rocky bottom part of the Vedder where you can put on a 4oz betty and a 15 foot leader and a pinch of wool(not too much that they see it...) on a 3/O hook. Make sure you have at least a 50lbs braid just in case the fish misses the hook and you hook them in the back or the tail.

Good point (on the hook, not the flossing!!!).  I'll take a look at those sickle style hooks for my blades - thanks for the tip!

[Pin-nook]

Good point (on the hook, not the flossing!!!).  I'll take a look at those sickle style hooks for my blades - thanks for the tip!

What I found as well is that when a fish hits hardware, you instinctly set the hook hard like you would float fishing but I have come realize that you get better results reeling down and sweeping right after a fish hits.  I find that the fish hooks itself more if you sweep back using the fish's weight for better hook penetration.

[Every Day]

What I found as well is that when a fish hits hardware, you instinctly set the hook hard like you would float fishing but I have come realize that you get better results reeling down and sweeping right after a fish hits.  I find that the fish hooks itself more if you sweep back using the fish's weight for better hook penetration.

Yep...
Took me a long time to fight the urge to set swinging spoons.
I keep the drag fairly loose, and after the hit and first headshake I sweep the rod to whatever way the current is going.
Definitely improved my landing % with hardware.

And I also second the matzou sickles.
If using spoons, I find tying a stinger hook in a size 4 or 6  out 2" behind the spoon helps a lot too.
Also appears to do way less damage to this fish, and way less deep hooking (most right in the nose or max).

[Pin-nook]

Also appears to do way less damage to this fish, and way less deep hooking (most right in the nose or max).

I was going to mention the "Nose or max" as well when using sickle hooks but some times feel bad at how deep they are hooked.  I don't mean in the throat but either right through the roof of the mouth out or through the max.

I've had coho and steelhead with sickle hook right through the roof with hook sticking out near the tip of the snout or nose and if I was to C/R I feel bad cause it's a pretty big hole but when you get that fish hooked deep into the elbow of that sickle hook it's pretty much a landed fish unless your line breaks.

[BentRodsGuiding]

The best advice I have is get out early hike miles of river and try an locate some spots where Chinooks are hanging out. You will only have a few days of good fishing once you find them as the flossers will find you and spoil it. I typically just go catch sockeye in spots where no one is and enjoy the peace and nice weather. Sure would be nice to see a realistic amount of stocking done on this run, make it 10,000 plus fish and you would have a good fishery.
I would much rather see a summer run hatchery effort put forth, you would get a much longer fishery with the best biting fish out there, not to mention summers are great eating and would mostly be killed before spring spawn anyhow.