07-08-2003, 09:59 PM
steelhead , my best spots are flatrock michigan , foote dam on the au sable river , michigan , and now the manistee river in michigan .
i usually use the " chuck and duck " with a spawn bag on a 10-1/2' steelhead rod with a michigan handle ( coustom built rod ) but many guys wiil use a browning steelhead rod to begin with , it's cheeper than a coustom rod and works quite well .
my rod uses a 6 lb. test line , for a beginier i would sugest something heavier , like a 14 - 20 lb. test , these fish fight hard .
spawn bag about the size of a dime , steelhead spawn works the best but salmon spawn will do .
or use a fly , a green worm works like magic , steelhead see them as an enemy and will gobel them up to save the newley laid eggs . stone flys , wolly buggers too .
a number 8 mustad hook for the spawn .
fly and spawn tied on a 18-24" leader line tied to a barrel swivel , a small weight attached to the swivel with a 4 lb. test mono line . length of weight line depends on current , water clarity , time of day , and sunshine .
simple rule is dark go long on the weight line -up to 7 inches , sunny - go low 0 to 4 inches .
leader line - short if its sunny or slow current , long if it's clowdey or fast current .
after you cast , set your hook if you feel a bump or your drift suddenly stops . then hold on and enjoy the fun ! these fish will take you for a ride !
[signature]