Another Steelhead Trip

Indiana - December 1, 2009

http://www.catchphotorelease.com/12012009.htm

It was my turn to drive so Al Bernicky and I left my house at 6:00 am and headed for another creek in Indiana in search of Steelhead. It was only 33 degrees out when we left, but it was forecast to be sunny and in the upper 50s later in the day.

We got to the creek and on Als third cast I heard the familiar splash of a Steelhead thrashing. He had a nice one on.

Al battles the first Steelhead of the day

I was psyched. I took some pictures then took off for my favorite hole on that creek. I shouldn't have run off so fast because he caught another one a few casts later. I stopped at one spot on the way and hooked up on my first cast. Just as fast, the fish came off. I took a few more casts and continued my hike. I got to my spot and started casting. I continued casting. Then I cast some more. Then I started drifting bait. Nothing... A short time later, another guy shows up and catches a steelhead on a spinner just downstream from me. I was happy for him but really really frustrated at the fact that the creeks have been kicking my behind this year.

I moved on down stream to let the spot calm down and caught a couple smolts on the spinner, and another while drifting bait. Al eventually caught up to me as I got back to the spot. He had run out of bait and I had the car keys. He had also caught a few more fish and snapped pics with his phone. I left my gear with Al and hustled back to the car, retrieved the remaining bait and hustled back only to find Al battling another Steelhead. I knew they were down there.

Another Steelhead about to be landed

We both started using live bait and Al hooked up again. A short time later he had another brute on the banks.

A nice Indiana Steelhead

But that wasn't the end of it. He put one more on the shore in short order. He said he felt there was a good school of them down in that hole and was going to leave them for me. He stuck around and made sure I was doing everything he was doing but it didn't help. I finally tied on a jig and got a good bump but missed the fish.

Last fish of the day

We worked our way back towards where my truck was parked and didn't catch anything else. I stopped where Al had caught his first two fish and started tossing a jig. The area was loaded with smolts. We try not to catch them because they are what grow up into those mighty Steelhead we like to catch. I gave up after the forth smolt managed to hook himself and we called it a day. I went 0 for 1 and Al was 7 or 8 for 11. I'm not giving up yet. I've caught them before and I'll catch them again.