Steelhead on the American

[solo]

What happened to the season on the A? Is anyone seeing fish hooked anywhere? After all that rain and anticipation, it seems like it's going to be a very uneventful season. It was hard to get skunked on the A in mid-Jan and February, but, seems that few are experiencing any success. Hope things will turn up in the next couple of weeks.

[Frank Alessio]

Solo... As I was driving south on the freeway I had a chance to look at the American... It was still backed up at Discovery from the Sac flows... About 70 yards up from the sac in the American there was a Sea Lion working cross current.... That can not do much for any fish trying to move into the American.....Frank

[speyfool]

What happened to the season on the A? Is anyone seeing fish hooked anywhere?

I just don't think people are talking about it. :)

[alpen glow]

I think speyfool's right, when its hot, some keep it to a private circle... when it sucks its on the message boards...

[amoeba]

I think speyfool's nutz; the American is nothing secret; and fishermen as a rule love to boast and exaggerate. No reporting is not a good sign in my book.

[Chris Laskodi]

I totally agree with the assessment of the poor steelhead season thus far. I have been out 5 times this year and haven't had a grab. The last two years I was averaging 2-4 hookups per outing. It seems that the fish aren't in the normal spots as in the past and my theory is because of all the new gravel. I have been doing spawning surveys on the American since November and I can tell you that a lot of the steelhead are spawning on the new gravel.

While working I've been seeing some fish caught, but all have been on redds and out of the 20 or so fish I have seen landed, only one was hooked in the head (was too far away to tell if it was in the mouth). All others have been coming in tail first. Sure fish are being caught on the American, but almost all are being taken off the redds.

If anyone wants to see a ton of spawning steelhead check out the area below the hatchery right where the stream gauge wire crosses the river. There is probably 20-30 redds in about a 100 yd section of the river. The redds stretch all the way across and I counted around 40 fish on them on Monday and that was with a ton of people fishing to them and probably spooking them to deeper water. Its a pretty cool sight to see.

I really hope people are catching some bright fish, I have only seen a handful this year and I haven't been one of them.

[speyfool]

I don't fish the American very often, so I can't really compare it to previous years. However, the few times I've been there in 2010, I've had at least two hookups each day, and I think one of those days was much more than that. The hookups didn't amount to any fish to hand. But judging by the activity. It seems pretty good to me. Maybe I just lucked out and picked the only days to go when the fish were biting.

[Buddy]

The redds stretch all the way across and I counted around 40 fish on them on Monday and that was with a ton of people fishing to them and probably spooking them to deeper water. Its a pretty cool sight to see.


I hate to see people targeting spawning fish. :mad:

[Bob Laskodi]

Then don't go up to Sailor Bar/Fish Hatchery!!!!! Tons of fish spawning on the new (& old) gravel beds placed in the river. And tons of people fishing for those spawning fish including gear guys and fly guys both!!!! Just to clarify, Chris meant that it was cool to see all those fish on the beds---not that it was cool to fish for them. I sure wish the river would go back to the closure above Ancil Hoffman vice opening it up to fishing on 1 Jan.

[EricO]

I've been out several times the last few weeks. Hammered some sweet
looking water, but to no avail. Not even a bump, nudge or tick. But did
have a half pounder jump right in front of me this past weekend, just
forgot to bring my 15 foot net. ;)

Did chat with a gear guy who said he caught a few on a castmaster.

He had rubber hip boots on. Made me think of the first time I fished
Hat Creek with my dad 15+years ago. I had rubber hippers on over my
jeans. What a sight. I bet I got some looks.

Funny thing, i had ZERO idea on how to fish back then, and no idea on
Entymology, and yet I caught a 14" rainbow in the PH#2 riffle. Go figure.

EO

[Rich Leonetti]

I was able to get out for about 2 hours on Monday the 15th. I didn't catch any but I did watch 3 guys fishing the riffle below sunrise avenue... and in that time I saw two guys catch a fish each.... I am pretty sure one of them caught a second one but he came unbuttoned. It looked like both were swinging flies but I am not sure...

[Bruce Berman]

Walked up to the hatchery and saw the snaggers in question. Took some photos and will have them printed up and mail them to G&F with a letter suggesting the "off limits" sign is moved further downstream.

Where's the logic in encouraging natural spawning and putting the gravel within casting range of unethical fishermen?

Ditto to the idea that it's okay to complain when the fishing sucks but when it's good steelheaders usually keep mum. My annual 3 week winter steelie trip came to an end today and due to the coastals being blown out much of February, I spent a lot of time on the AR. I saw a number of fish caught and I also saw plenty of guys get skunked some days, including me. Guys using glo bugs did much better than those swinging.

[Ty@Landpark]

I've been out about 6 - 8 times thus far this season using both swinging and indicator methods and not so much as a bump. It's been frustrating to say the least; however, I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet and hoping things might turnaround these next few weeks. On the positive side...I can't imagine future seasons being anymore dismal.

[TaylerW]

wait, theres a steelhead run in the american?

[wjorg]

I've seen a methhead run near Watt Ave...

[Paul B.]

Are baseball bats legal for c+r methheadding? Just wondering.

[TaylerW]

affirmative that is legal method or c and r