05-06-2009, 04:28 PM
ya funny you should mention that. I firmly beleive that the biggest steelhead come latest in the fishing season. With Idaho Chinook I have seen the extreme both ways. It is pretty widely accepted that the 5 year old fish are the early component of the passage at Bonneville, and over the years the jack passage at Bonneville usually seems to begin later and peak later than the adult fish on the average.
I have grappled with this topic quite a bit. I have had some of the best luck hooking into 5 year olds very early in the season, but know of several 20 pounders that were caught durring the stage that I have usually give up in Riggins.
It does kinda seem like the jacks show up in Riggins though sooner than they should. My conclusion is that even though the biggies show up downriver first, they are somewhat slower migrators. So the jacks even though they show up at the dam a little later, migrate faster and get to the fishing hole faster than the adult fish do.
I certainly hope your prediction is true though jmpr.
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I have grappled with this topic quite a bit. I have had some of the best luck hooking into 5 year olds very early in the season, but know of several 20 pounders that were caught durring the stage that I have usually give up in Riggins.
It does kinda seem like the jacks show up in Riggins though sooner than they should. My conclusion is that even though the biggies show up downriver first, they are somewhat slower migrators. So the jacks even though they show up at the dam a little later, migrate faster and get to the fishing hole faster than the adult fish do.
I certainly hope your prediction is true though jmpr.
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