Rob Allen
Life of the Party
nope but it sounds like a good idea
Drift Fishing
- Thread starter Rob Allen
- Start date
Bouncing Betty?
Yup.
Huh, sounds like something I would say.They are, until they aren't.....
SF
Rob Allen
Life of the Party
Bouncing betties? They sucked bad but are a cool part of steelheading history.
Sploosh balls?
Rob Allen
Life of the Party
Never heard of that name
SeaRunner
Steelhead
They were bouncing betties. I think Luhr Jensen sold them. Never tried them. They looked goofy and seemed too expensive compared to pencil lead. Did you try them Rob? Why did they suck?
I started out fishing nothing but lead but eventually moved to using slinkies when fishing plastic worms. Slinkies smoother drift meant you could get more drifts out of a worm before it got bunched up, torn up, etc. and had to be replaced.
I started out fishing nothing but lead but eventually moved to using slinkies when fishing plastic worms. Slinkies smoother drift meant you could get more drifts out of a worm before it got bunched up, torn up, etc. and had to be replaced.
Dekartes
Kill Pebble Permanently
These gear strings bring back good memories. Don't do much anymore, but always bring gear backup on remote trips. Love throwing spoons and used to heavily drift fish in my younger days. Does feel like cheating in Alaska sometimes though 
The Stilly, Skagit, etc are so much different now.
The Stilly, Skagit, etc are so much different now.
Another steelheader who got his start in the conventional gear world. When I was young and knew close to nothing about fishing, the older man who owned the local mom & pop gas station and store took me plunking for steelhead on the Cowlitz. We caught nothing that day, but I knew he often did catch salmon and steelhead while plunking. He said a young guy like me might better enjoy "drift" fishing for steelhead, whatever drift fishing was. My True Temper no drag no free spool bass fishing reel was not appropriate, so I bought an Ambassador 5000C. It was black, had ball bearings and a drag and could free spool. It was fun. I also bought some Okie drifters and yarn to go along with the salmon eggs I got from an Indian I knew. Then I rolled the eggs in borax.
Then I fished the Toutle, Cowlitz, and Satsop Rivers and caught steelhead. Some say drift fishing is difficult. I didn't find that to be the case. A steelhead bite generally feels quite different from lead bouncing along the bottom - like an over-ripe grape being plucked from the stem. I probably would have kept doing that if I hadn't run into those damn Roderick Haig-Brown books that said steelhead could be caught by fly fishing. Sheesh, talk about something that can ruin an otherwise productive life! And that is how I became an elitist fly fishing prick.
Then I fished the Toutle, Cowlitz, and Satsop Rivers and caught steelhead. Some say drift fishing is difficult. I didn't find that to be the case. A steelhead bite generally feels quite different from lead bouncing along the bottom - like an over-ripe grape being plucked from the stem. I probably would have kept doing that if I hadn't run into those damn Roderick Haig-Brown books that said steelhead could be caught by fly fishing. Sheesh, talk about something that can ruin an otherwise productive life! And that is how I became an elitist fly fishing prick.
SeaRunner
Steelhead
Assuming there are fish around is any steelhead fishing really all that difficult? I mean once you get past learning how to cast, not snag up constantly, etc. they are pretty easy fish to hook if they are present.
JACKspASS
Life of the Party
Drift fishing was how it started for me. Great thread @Rob Allen It is one of the most fun ways to fish. Differentiating bottom and depth vs fish is difficult, however, very rewarding.
