speedbird
Life of the Party
The tail looks plenty square and I have seen a ton of silver cutthroat, but at first glance I thought that was a salmon too. Anyone else have thoughts?
Puget Sound
- Thread starter Stonedfish
- Start date
Semper_Fly
Steelhead
Interesting. Looks like I need to start paying attention to these details! Sometimes when the fish are just biting, it's just a quick pick then a release. I usually just assume SRC. Good lesson here. Thanks
Unfortunately the fish in question, I only have a release video that I don't believe I can share here (format).
Left photo below is a screenshot from the release of the fish in question. It might not help much.
Middle photo is another fish caught from that day that was similar in size.
Third pic is from a previous trip at the same beach.
Thanks again for the convo and lessons here.
Unfortunately the fish in question, I only have a release video that I don't believe I can share here (format).
Left photo below is a screenshot from the release of the fish in question. It might not help much.
Middle photo is another fish caught from that day that was similar in size.
Third pic is from a previous trip at the same beach.
Thanks again for the convo and lessons here.
SeaRunner
Steelhead
One of the simplest ways I think for differentiating our "trout" vs. "salmon" is by the anal fin. Trout will have fewer rays, making the anal fin appear about as deep or deeper than it is long. Salmon have more rays, meaning the anal fin will appear longer than it is deep. The angle of the pic is a little tough but I would call the fish in question a SRC.
speedbird
Life of the Party
I learned while working fish traps that the most reliable way to identify Steelhead smolt is to check the jaw length, a jaw that extends beyond the eye is a cutthroat usually. There is also counting fin rays but I don't think that is a responsible way to catch and release
Used a floating line all day today as an experiment. Props to whoever has a good hookup ratio with gurglers or poppers from the beach. I went 4/17
The topwater game is great theater if you enjoy missing fish.
Your take to catch ratio is about on par with mine when I decide I need a day of punishment.
SF
Though I don’t fish topwater often due to the poor hookup ratio, I like the Gamakatsu SP11-3L3H hook for gurglers. It has a wide gap, long shank and lighter wire, which I think help somewhat.
SF
dabobbay
Smolt
@Stonedfish I'm sure it will, thank you!
Everyone I've talked to thinks I'm nuts (for myriad reasons), but I swear by tying on tubes and/or using circle hooks for src surface flies. The short-shank hooks used with tubes tend to reduce the amount of leverage that can pop a hook free, and/or the aggressive grabs set a circle hook beautifully and the hook geometry keeps them on once hooked.
Short of that, I would use pliers to make sure the point of my hook is aimed at the eye of the hook or a point in line with it if using offset hooks. Many times they're not.
EDIT: Brian's photo of the Gamakatsu hooks shows that they are most definitely not pointed at the eye. For me that's something to change but YMMV. The Sultan of Surface, the Prince of Poppers, the Lee of Land, who uses his slider with a trailing hook that only kindof points towards the hook eye. He gets lots of fish with it. I've theories about why that is but they aren't really relevant here.
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I’ve had decent luck with Roger Stephen’s tube squid tied on a tube. My problem with the topwater game isn’t keeping them pinned, it’s actually hooking them. So many follows, boils, swipes, slashes and complete misses without them ever feeling the hook.
I do think a stationary hook like on a gurgler or tube gives a better hookup ratio then say a pattern tied with a stinger, which has been absolutely brutal in my experience.
My last topwater experience was 0 for 6, so I changed to a subsurface fly and improved my hookup ratio rather quickly.
SF
Based on the videos I've seen online, I think they truly whiff the attack more often on surface prey than subsurface ones. Yeah, sometimes it's the barracuda-style "injure it and eat it later" attack but often it just seems like their aim was off or the target moved and they didn't/couldn't adjust in time.I’ve had decent luck with Roger Stephen’s tube squid tied on a tube. My problem with the topwater game isn’t keeping them pinned, it’s actually hooking them. So many follows, boils, swipes, slashes and complete misses without them ever feeling the hook.
I do think a stationary hook like on a gurgler or tube gives a better hookup ratio then say a pattern tied with a stinger, which has been absolutely brutal in my experience.
My last topwater experience was 0 for 6, so I changed to a subsurface fly and improved my hookup ratio rather quickly.
SF
I just get too amped and twitchy when I get a topwater follow and end up playing keep-away. For the fish, it’s probably the equivalent of trying to tackle Barry Sanders.
Bambooflyguy
Legend
I miss way more than I hook on gurglers and beach poppers but….its still worth the price of admission!
Bambooflyguy
Legend
Looks fishy!
3/12 and 4/17 suggests that the ratio of hooking to striking on topwater is somewhere between 1/4 strikes and infinite strikes with no hookups. this is assuming you are similarly talented and similar hook size etc AND assuming you are casting to a small number of fish.Adding to the theme of a terrible hookup ratio fishing top water. Probably went 3/12. Too much fun.
My last topwater experience was 0 for 6,
SF
(And that you are not distracted by the industrial churn of a bathing-cap wearing swimmer who has copious amounts of perfume smothered all over her body who has large conspicuous back tat that says, in a scrolled font, "PROPERTY OF BRIANS" )
Given how territorial these fish are per Coastal cutthroat coalition data, and from fishing similar spots over time you can certainly work an area, get a strike but not hook the fish, come back in 10 minutes, similar tide, same exact spot and this time hook the fish. In a good feeding lane, you can basically get the same result every week for months. So if you really get a thrill out of surface action, you could argue put no hook on at all, 'cos the repeated smack and boil on a 12-inch fish is maybe more fun than lining it in once....
(surface flies for searuns perhaps are what laser pointers are to a cat....Although Man I wish Roger Stephens was here to disavow me of these thoughts. I mean just to see him say DESPITE WHAT BOOT SAYS TOPWATER SLIDER ACTION IS HEATING UP! would make me super happy, even if I completely disagreed with him)