11-12-24 REELLIFE digital - Flipbook - Page 37
fishing
Let's start with a recap of
Steelhead season 2024
early predictions called for a
record run.
JULY & AUGUST
Most people were skeptical
considering the last 15 years
have been less than stellar.
Snake River Steelhead enter
the Columbia River in July
and August and unlike
Salmon, Steelhead migrate
slower. They often stop in
areas known as cold water
refuges for many days, or
sometimes weeks, on their
way upriver to spawn.
The first thing we noticed
was higher numbers of fish
than we were accustomed
to seeing over the last 15
years. The second thing
we noticed was the fish
were mostly bigger B-run
steelhead. Steelhead are
classified into two groups:
A-run identified as a
Steelhead under 30", and
B–over 30".
A-run spend 1 year in the
ocean, and B-run spend
2 or more. September 1st
when the Steelhead Season
opened on the Snake River,
we had a good feel for the
run. Fishery managers had
pumped up the run and
the numbers crossing each
dam did not lie. It’s going to
be a good year.
SEPTEMBER
September for my
company, Reel Time
Fishing, is primarily spent
trolling 360 flasher setups
or hovering eggs targeting
King Salmon around the
Confluence of the Snake
and Clearwater rivers. This
area has a temperature
difference known as a
thermal barrier. In this case,
the Clearwater is close to
10 degrees colder than the
Snake River. Salmon fishing
was slow this September
but the Steelhead fishing
was much better. It was
strange to tell the clients
Salmon is slow, while
Steelhead is hot.
We had a lot of success
trolling bobbers and shrimp
at an ultra-slow pace in
the usual steelhead spots
around the bridges and
the neutral water flat
on the north side of the
confluence.
