# Fish are getting too big



## fakebait (Jun 18, 2006)

I was fishing the Grand yesterday and I hooked upped twice. These fish were the two biggest steelies I ever fought. They were like being tied to bottom. I have caught a few over ten pounds and had no trouble working them in. These fish were playing me. They went anywhere they wanted. My noodle rod with 6 lb. test were mear toys to them. When they were done with me, they just turn down river and took off. My drag was squealing,rod bent in half
and my line snapping. I was using lighter line do to the clarity of the water yesterday but; I never counted on hooking into one horse let alone two. It was a great day of not landing a fish. I need to rethink my battle plans.


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## symba (May 23, 2008)

Life is sooooo hard!


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

these fall fish are tireless. i have had to play fish well downstream for over 10 minutes. I refuse to lose anymore if i can help it. I will succeed to their will until they are worn out. If you hook a big one and he can run to boulders forget about it. but in an open pool you are the master, keep the tension on and flip em often and he will come to net. got to be acutely aware of tension and line strength that is for sure.


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## flyman (Aug 9, 2007)

ya talk about hard life... well once i had a #10 steelie on for 10min on 6wt with 6lb leader and it never snapped, even though i beached the beast. check ur rig more often for abrasion damage and retie. oh, and let them run. maybe, and just maybe, you need 8lb line. we're talking big steel here.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I fly fish and use 8lb vanish as a tippet material and the rest all rio mono and never lost a fish yet. if they run let um run. try to turn um upstream when possible and if they get far away follow them! too bad ya lost the steel. ya win some ya lose some. just don't horse them unless they are heading for some logs or boulder and theres no other way to get them away from it. they will get tired after a couple nice runs and you can ease them in. usually takes 5 mins or so for me to land one


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

2 rules to reeling steel......
1. 45 degree rule...where you should be in relation to the fish either up or down stream. if you pull straight back on the fish or straight towards you simply allow the fish to charge rather than work his sides

2. pull your rod to either side. saw some guy break a bunch off today just pulling his rod straight up that just pulls the fish up in the column does not thow them off balance. The only time to do this is if they are charging you and you have to gain line quickly back on the reel while maintaining enough tension to keep the hook set. best advice i have ever gotten--> flip the rod back and forth the fish will roll and get confused and worn out MUCH quicker.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

ryos right. only way I can explain it kinda is to keep your rod bent slightly and tight but not too tight to snap a rod or break the line. keep your drag set decent and if he goes running fast let him run. he will stop. reel him in some. he takes off again! let him run. when hes done turn your rod and turn him upstream because he then has to fight you and the current. its like going up a hill. reel him in some. runs again let him go. repeat the turn the head upstream and reel him in if he comes torwards you lift rod high and reel in fast to get rod bent again.. he might jump. let the line slack and let him land and get rod tight again. repeat the above steps until he comes in. once you get the hang of it you know how much you can tug and how much you can't. just remember never let the rod slack up. if it starts to slack up reel the fish enough to keep it bent slightly. remember too much bend equals break the rod or break the line tho. its a fine balance but actually pretty simple once you get the idea. so far I am 8 for 8 or 9 for 9 on the steel since I started a year or so ago. good luck. I hope you catch um next time out!


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## vkutsch (Oct 28, 2005)

I don't think Fakebait was asking for a seminar on steelhead fighting techniques, I think he just saying he hooked into some beasts 
(but thanks for offering the info)


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## AnthHol (Jul 24, 2007)

vkutsch said:


> I don't think Fakebait was asking for a seminar on steelhead fighting techniques, I think he just saying he hooked into some beasts
> (but thanks for offering the info)


Lol my thoughts exactly but I guess some info never hurts anyone. Sorry to hear about the two that got away Fakebait, Got a long year ahead of us though to make up for it.


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## DanAdelman (Sep 19, 2005)

switching from side to side...never heard of that?..have to give it a try...I can tell you what i did after i lost a few in the high teens... Probably not the best advice but I throw mainly hardware so I upgraded my 8 lb test flouro to 12 after losing a few brutes just frustrated me to much to have them snap the line when I have a good drag system and it was set pretty light...I have only made it out once since then but no monsters... its 12lb test yo zuri and may just be over kill but at this point i don't care if i miss a few hookups I just want to land the fish of a lifetime I have missed...
I have landed plenty over 10lbs on 8lb test though...


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## BigDaddy300 (Nov 1, 2004)

DanAdelman said:


> switching from side to side...never heard of that?..have to give it a try...I can tell you what i did after i lost a few in the high teens... Probably not the best advice but I throw mainly hardware so I upgraded my 8 lb test flouro to 12 after losing a few brutes just frustrated me to much to have them snap the line when I have a good drag system and it was set pretty light...I have only made it out once since then but no monsters... its 12lb test yo zuri and may just be over kill but at this point i don't care if i miss a few hookups I just want to land the fish of a lifetime I have missed...
> I have landed plenty over 10lbs on 8lb test though...


A few in the high teens? As in 18 or 19 pounds? You talking about steelies?


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## archman (Apr 30, 2004)

What you should do is spool on some 50 lb spiderwire, set your drag as tight as possible, and horse that sucker in like there is no tomorrow. Oh yeah, make sure your rod is held at a 37.4598 degree angle when it jumps because if you don't, that fish is long gone!

Just kidding man, sorry your lost a couple. These fish are a challenge to land this early in the year. You'll win some and lose some.


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## ryosapien (Jul 5, 2008)

Funny archman . Maybe i perverted the thread some but i see these threads as evolving no? the 45 degree rule is paramount. at least when using a fly rod where drag is less mechanical . only thought i would share some lessons that i have learned , which have helped me immensely, through the help of others on this site and on the stream even when i wasn't looking for help. Also think this is an important topic that i have not seen covered this year.


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## Fishaholic69 (Apr 6, 2007)

I also am a fly fisherman so me and ryo has the same idea. I heard the guy say he needs to rethink his battle plan on fighting a fish so I figured I'd walk him through just about 90&#37; of my steelie fights to date. thats mostly what the steel did to me everytime and thats what I did to counter there moves. if the steel runs on you and you don't let him run you are gonna end up snapping your line for sure. let him go and let the drag do the work. then reel him in after he stops running. he will get tired after 6 runs or so but don't let him too far run downstream or you will have to chase him. after he runs turn your rod upstream and reel so he comes back to you and use the current. you should win everytime! good luck everyone!


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

When fighting a river/creek fish side pressure is the best pressure to apply to the fish. This will allow you to keep him off balance, and keep his head out of the current in the upright position.


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## liquidsoap (Oct 22, 2005)

Well I do things a lot differently then everybody else.
I try to direct the fish away from the current and get the head out of the water ASAP.


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## OhioFlyer (Mar 14, 2008)

In my opinion it is a must have. I fished with a mono leadeer for about 6 years and the last 3 been using furled leaders. Best shock absorber out there. My landing rate probably increased by 25%-30% or so.


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## creekcrawler (Oct 5, 2004)

Well, if you get tired of breakin' off steelies, you can always go for perch - they rarely break my line......


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