Know nothing about Steelhead fishing. Will be fishing the Upper Deshutes with spinning rods. From what Ive read lure size is up to a number 5, 13/4 don't know what the bottom number is. Some use additional weights to weight spinners down in winter? I don't what kind of lure weight I'm looking at to choose the right rod.Looking for a rod for winter and spring fishing. Any suggestions

Hi Maryann,
When fishing spinners I like to have a little bit softer rod than the typical broomstick drift gear rod, perhaps an 8'6" - 9'6" mod-fast action with 8-12lb line rating. For drift gear its the same length range but with 10-17lb line rating and the fastest action you can get away with without breakage (depends if you are hard on gear or not).
Float rods are a different story. My personal preference is a mod action float rod (not a noodle) with good but power. It will do most of the work for you and keep you from wearing out when casting float gear all day. 10-20lb line range with lengths from 10'-11' for boat fishing, to 12'-13' for bank or large river fishing. Hope this helps.
In general, steelhead fisherman tend to fish heavier gear than necessary in my opinion. That goes for both rods and line. Choose a lighter set up at first and if your getting broke off (this is actually pretty rare even with 8lb line) then move up. Otherwise you may end up with no hook ups at all if its a less than hot fishing day. Have fun!

Maryann,
I agree with Geoff, 6-10 or 8-12 lb. should be fine up there. While I have never fished the Deschutes with spinning tackle I can tell you from fly fishing it primarily in the Fall, Winter & Spring the difference between using 8lb & 6lb fluoro can mean the difference in getting skunked or hooking up. Being as there is no fishing from boats on that river all of your angling will be from the bank or wading. They will use the boats to get you to some premium spots that have no other access than by water.

Regards,
Todd Vivian
Mud Hole Custom Tackle

todd@mudhole.com

Hey Maryann,

I fish the Deschutes about 10-20 times a year, mostly in the fall and winter. Headed over there tomorrow in fact.

You can only fish for steelhead in the lower 100 miles below the dam. In winter, the most commonly fished area is around the town of Maupin, where you can get good access. Previous posters are correct that the river cannot be fished from a floating device so bank access is the ticket. The upper Deschutes is only open below Benham falls, and does not contain any steelhead in that reach. So, just trying clarify where you will be fishing. There is also a park at the mouth of the river where it enters the Columbia, just east of The Dalles, with a good hiking trail up the river. Since the river flows south to north, the term upper and lower are sometimes confused.

The rod recommendations for spinners, and bobber/jig fishing are right on. I see the gear guys use a lot of #3 and #4 blue fox spinners with no additional weight. Most just cast upstream a little farther if they need more sink. If the river is cloudy, which it can be in the winter, you can get away with a #5, but a #3 is most used if the clarity is good. The recommendation on using 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader is excellent. Steelhead are not large in the Deschutes, by steelhead standards. Anything over 10lbs is a pretty big fish, and most are in the 6-10 range. Bobber and jig will probably be your most effective method for gear fishing in the winter. The water is cold and the fish tend to hang out in slower water to conserve energy. Pink/white, red/pink, blue/black are good colors for jigs there.

I'm a fly guy but I used to fish gear so I understand the methods used. Hope this helps. PM me if you have more questions.

Terry

sorry I misled you I'll be fishing from the banks and wading. Im not sure of the spinner sizes Ill be needing which equates into the rod I'll need Specific blanks and lure weights would be very helpful.I plan on using braided line.

You can do a Google Search on the area and fish you will go after and get a lot of ideas of what to use -- as a starting point
Then finding out from other people fishing That Area you will find out what they use

Then you go and Learn The Waters

Terry
sounds like he knows the waters very good start

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/2012 07:42PM by bill boettcher.

Terry was right on with his advice. An 8 &1/2' o 10' rod will work great for the type of fishing you want to do.

Maryann

If you are looking for a blank The Batson IST 1024F is great. I built one last winter as a spinning rod used it this august on the Santiam and Deschutes (Macks Canyon). It work so well with plugs and spinners I am building another this winter as a casting rod. Can't have to many rods rigged when steelheading.

Sorry Maryann,

Yes, the IST 1024 is a good choice. If you want a little longer rod so you can serve both spinner and bobber/jig fishing, the IST 1084 (9'0") or the IST 1143 (9'6") would also be good choices. A longer rod is better for bobber and jig fishing and since you are using braid, this is a good combo for that as well. Keep a light drag with that braided line or you'll be repairing the rod you built.

Also, I don't know how you normally fish braided line but you'll need 3-4' of 6-8lb fluorocarbon leader to your spinner or plug. Some folks go up to 10lb but lighter line will get you more bites. You may lose a fish or 2 but better than not getting any chances.

The river is on the rise over there with all our recent rain so I'm headed to the Crooked River instead tomorrow.

Good luck! When are you heading over?

Terry

If money's not an issue my go to blank is the Lamiglas XMG 110 2M. Only buy spinners with silver plated blades for winter, gives off a whiter, more easily seen flash. The colder the water, the more steelhead like the bigger blades. Blue Fox is a brand of spinner I've done well with, the blue body/silver blade version is a consistent steelhead producer.

Any quality rod 8 ' - 10 ' the more limber the better (almost noodle) I 've used Eagle Claw Rods 20 -25 yrs ago when I fished steelhead , white Rooster tail spinners , they make them from 1/32 to 1 oz. , vary the retreive to the strike (maybe very slow, maybe very fast) GOOD LUCK & GOOD FISHING ! Larry

You guy have been fantastic I really take all suggestions seriously . Anyone know the weight of spinner lures instead of the number ,like a #5 is 13/4 whats the other weights? Have recieved lots of info on lures but would like to know specific brand.Whats your favorite lure and size for winter and spring. I like Tufline its a braid but its in yellow is that going to be a problem even though I use florocarbon to tie the lure on?

Maryann,

Mepps was a popular brand back in the day, the #5 is 1/2 ounce and the #3 is 1/4 oz. I did well with Kastmater lures also when they came on the seen, and the 1/4 to 1/2 oz in these as well. Other brands or types of spinners may have some other way to measure in weight what there #'s are, but a 1 3/4 oz spinner would be like throwing a bowling ball at most river trout. Don't know what it is today, but 8" was the minimum size for keeping trout. Stocked trout were released by the time they reached 10". Trout won't go over 1 pound untill they reach about 14 inches, and my wife caught a 20 inch trout that weighted a hair over 3 1/4 pounds.

10lb river trout would be a monster, and I would'nt exspect to see anything that size in the upper Deschutes. In my youth, when we fished the Umpqua on vacations, many folks called rainbow trout over 21 inches a "steelhead." I guess it is still used as a term for large native fish. Steelhead are sea run trout; a true steelhead, is a trout that has been spawn in a river, grown up, run out to sea and returned to spawn back in the same river. With all the damming of rivers done in the 20th century, at lot of the true steelhead waters do not exist in America today. Kind of sad, but this is where the loose term of "steelhead" comes from.

I am sure you'll have a blast; where exatlly are you going to be on the upper Deschutes?

Maryann, be prepared to move quickly back and forth along the bank. :>) Using light line, even an experienced steelheader can get "spooled" if they don't know enough to move with the fish when they hook a good one. Have fun!!!

I just weighed a #4 blue fox at. 35 oz