Wisconsin spring steel

Ken,

I will agree that Steel head do not actively enter the rivers to feed,
but they are still opportunistic, and especially fall runners (Skamania
strain here in Wisconsin) will consumer huge amounts of Brown trout and
Salmon roe. Then in the spring, I have taken steel head that I thought
still had eggs, that were only fat because they were packed full of
sucker eggs. Regardless of why they are eating, they do eat. They will
attack crayfish, minnows, or just about anything else that maybe
invade their Redds, but that is such a short period of time in the grand
scheme.

Also, last year, late winter, very early spring, I was fishing some very
slow moving water, and as I was walking out, I stepped through some ice
on the short, and up through the hole popped a bunch of minnows, and a
1" Bluegill. I grabbed them all, put them in a cup and used them for
bait. I bet I didn't get 2 drifts with the gill before my float shot
down, and right up to the top came about a 10lb buck.

Are they there to feed in the spring with the water nearing 40 degrees,
probably not, but will they eat? Definitely.

Chris

Damn nice fish! Waiting around over on this side of the country for the
next run of Steelhead to swim through.


Cliff


--
Fishing with Cliff
The New Fishing Show in Town
Articles, Photos, & Webcasts
http://www.fishingwithcliff.com/