Steelhead Trout Fishing Essentials

Steelhead trout is a massive, very distinctive fish, scary in its appearance, not too appealing to the eyes but very much to the palate. So much so that many people find it much more delicious than the very prevalent and people’s favorite Salmon. It is an anadromous fish born in the freshwater but migrates to the ocean at a certain time and remains there all its life only to return to the freshwater to spawn.

The fun fact many of us might not know is that if the specimen stays its entire life in the freshwater, it’s called the rainbow trout. And the ones that leave the freshwater and migrate to the ocean are our delicious, moderately high in omega-3 fatty acids, as high as Salmon, the steelhead trout’s.

The point is that although not a game fish, it’s a fish top pick for most fishers due to its demand among food lovers. Steelhead trout fishing is thus a profitable venture for far too long. So, if you are trying to venture into angling some, then the essentials we think you will need, knowing about those in detail, will be a great start to expand your knowledge and work as the much-needed push to your first step towards steelhead trout fishing.

The Steelhead Trout Fishing Essentials

By the essentials, we, of course, are hinting towards all the rod, reel, line, and other fishing components, which you will need to invest in. Let’s start with the rod first. You do not need expensive essentials, but they have to be super sturdy, so not too affordable as well.

Fishing Rod

When your rod has strike sensitivity and strength and maintains the much-needed balance between the two, you know it’s the perfect steelhead trout fishing rod. It has to be sturdy to get you that massive steelhead, combating its experience it gathered residing in both the freshwater and saltwater.

Due to its ability to survive in both types of water and all the hurdles, fishing a steelhead trout might not be as easy as one would have thought. So, selecting the sturdiest of rods, a heavy and long one about 9-12 inches, medium to fast action, will be perfect for you to invest in.

Other than sensitivity and durability, make sure of the precise casting of the rod. Only an angler who has hunted for this specimen will know how hard the steelhead fight once hooked. The rod must have that resilience to tackle that aggressive, vehement, life-saving fight put by the steelhead.

The rod sensitivity comes into play because steelhead tends to slowly nibble on the bite, which a not-so-sensitive rod might not even make you sense, ultimately losing the fish. So, durable, heavy, long, sensitive, resilient, medium to fast action rod, the list hardly ends.

Fishing Reel

The two most important things you need to consider while investing in a fishing reel are, first, the fish reel must always suit the rod, like a legit combo, and second its drag system. For steelhead, you need a powerful drag system, no doubt. The aggressive fight put by the fish and the stubborn handling of yours will put much pressure on the line, which only a powerful drag system can handle without any line breakage.

There is no specific reel type that suits steelhead trout fishing the best. You can use baitcasting, reel, spinning reel, or a fly reel but with a fly rod, depending on your capability of handling those while fishing. However, we prefer a sturdy but lightweight spinning reel, basic ones that are easy to maneuver. Add powerful drag, smooth retrieve, adequate line capacity, friction-free bearing system to the list, and you have the best fishing reel for angling the giant steelhead.

Fishing Line

We need two different types, one as the mainline and the other as the leader. For the mainline, we prefer using a basic monofilament fishing line. Pretty flexible, reasonable, transparent, and its stretchy characteristics handle the steelhead trout just perfectly. A 20lbs pound test monofilament mainlines and a 10–12-pound fluorocarbon leader, about 10-15 inches, have to be the ideal combo for the mainline and leader.

And to join these two lines, you will need weights, beads, a swivel barrel, a hook, and last but not least, a float/bobber. Yes, float fishing is the best, and the rig built with all the mentioned components works wonders in catching the big steelhead trout.

Bait

You require nothing fancy to lure the steelhead trout. Nightcrawlers and wriggly worms work the best to catch them. More than artificial lures, we actually prefer fishing for steelhead with live baits. And if you still want to use artificial lures, which we know are practical and accessible, try to hook the ones that are replicas of the nightcrawlers and worms.

The Rig That Maintains the High Steelhead Trout Angling Success Ratio

We have already talked about what components you will need while discussing the fishing line.

On the mainlines dangling tip, the first thing that goes is the bobber or float. Use a float weighing 10-12 grams. That’s enough for you to sense the steelhead’s activity around.
After installing the float, time to add the weights to the mainline. Depending on how deep you will need the line to immerse, add the weights. We prefer split shots, about two to three, keeping the same gap between all the weights for perfect balance.
Now with a swivel barrel, tie the leader to the mainline. Tie the tip of the mainline to one side of the swivel, and on the other side, knot one edge of the leader line. Use any knot you like. An improved clinch knot will do.
On the leader line, you will need to add a small weight. We like to use a small bullet-shaped split shot. You can use the round ones just like we did on the mainline, but go smaller than those.
Before you tie the hook to the leader, you will need a #8, by the way. Anyhow, insert a 6-10 mm bead about 6 inches above the hook. Try to use a peachy, orange, or pink bead, not bright but pale and light. Steelhead prefers those colors.
Complete the rig by hooking a few wriggly worms or a luring nightcrawler on the hook.

Fishing Net

Also, make sure to use a comfortable but sturdy fishing net for putting the fish safely. Rather than struggling to hold this mighty aggressive fish in your hands and dehooking it, frankly, these sized fish are not for handling with bare hands; land it on the net when hooked and then keep it in the water and dehook.