Northwest Fishing Reports

So I am trying to fish the Cascade for the first time this year. I have fished it once this year for coho but I am wanting to fish it for winter steelhead. I here the hatchery is good but is there any other places to go below the hatchery? What's the most productive setup? I am in a drought for steel and just need to get one under my belt quick!!!

Oh god watch out your gonna get yelled at by kromekrusher/winterrun for putting the words "cascade river" on the internet. HAHA no but eggs under float and jig in pink under float near hatchery or next hole down is ur best bet. Its been SLOWSLOWSLOW, so slow that i switched rivers. I was only hooking 1-3 fish a day where last year it was 3-6

Haha I saw that. Thanks for the tip. I am pretty surprised. Thought it was supposed to be a really good steel producer

It is usually. I had a huge year last year up there got like 90 and i was in school most of the time. Had some 10 fish days. This year the numbers just arent there. Simply less fish. Might still change but this is prime... On a good note, the fish are WAYYY bigger this year. Lots over 10 lbs and ive got a few at 15, something i didnt even get close to last year. Less but bigger, still worth a shot

there is like 1/2 mile below the hatchery to fish but don't rule out the skagit when it is low. Anything that is known to produce steelhead will trick a cascade brat.

fishenfreak wrote:It is usually. I had a huge year last year up there got like 90 and i was in school most of the time. Had some 10 fish days. This year the numbers just arent there. Simply less fish. Might still change but this is prime... On a good note, the fish are WAYYY bigger this year. Lots over 10 lbs and ive got a few at 15, something i didnt even get close to last year. Less but bigger, still worth a shot

It will heat up. Everyone should go and fish it! Flame!

Cascade steel that easy? Well I'll feel real bad if I get skunked then

primetime wrote:Cascade steel that easy? Well I'll feel real bad if I get skunked then

Not this year ive been skunked a few times

Inever said it was easy I am just saying what gear to use is the gear you know catches fish, normally the basic stuff like pink jigs or corkies.

Brat Bonker wrote:Inever said it was easy I am just saying what gear to use is the gear you know catches fish, normally the basic stuff like pink jigs or corkies.

I think its safe to say eggs are best most of the time

Well Saturday I'm gonna start up on the n. fork stilly and fish my way to the cascade. That is unless I catch my limit

fishenfreak wrote:

Brat Bonker wrote:Inever said it was easy I am just saying what gear to use is the gear you know catches fish, normally the basic stuff like pink jigs or corkies.

I think its safe to say eggs are best most of the time

true, except I do not fish with bait that much for steelhead either haha except for prawns, I have only hooked 2 steelhead on eggs in the last 7 years, the rest on either corkies/yarn, spoons, pink worms, or jigs.

primetime wrote:Cascade steel that easy? Well I'll feel real bad if I get skunked then

Boy oh boy there where about 30 people that felt bad today then because there was a ton of people and I only saw one other steelhead caught while I was there. If you fished the cascade last year and think it is going to be like it was last year, You will be in for a big surprise and I don't mean a good one! Last year I limited almost every time I went only twice did I only punch one steelhead. I have not been able to get a limit even once this season. Only on a rare occasion have I seen more then a few fish caught. Of coarse Danny seems to always pull a limit, but I have not seen anyone other then him walk out with 2 fish, unless they are with Danny. Not to say no one has. Last year limits where the norm! I am sure sooner or later it will get good but right now it is slow!!!

dont expect too much marc, the fact that the only fish being caught are bigger makes me think the only returning fish are fish that stayed out longer and are coming in now, the fish planted 2 years ago that should be 1 salt 5 lb brats are not showing up, anywhere, at all in the cascade, and they are REALLY late, so... idk if theyre coming at all. interesting, and slightly dissapointing.

Brat Bonker wrote:

fishenfreak wrote:

Brat Bonker wrote:Inever said it was easy I am just saying what gear to use is the gear you know catches fish, normally the basic stuff like pink jigs or corkies.

I think its safe to say eggs are best most of the time

true, except I do not fish with bait that much for steelhead either haha except for prawns, I have only hooked 2 steelhead on eggs in the last 7 years, the rest on either corkies/yarn, spoons, pink worms, or jigs.

not throwing eggs the majority of the time where ever you go mayyyyy be mistake, i throw prawn, jig, spoons and eggs always, and im serious i mean 99.9% of the time, are what gets bit, they are a hassle to cure and use but, seriously, eggs cannot be beat. u throw eggs all day every day and ur catch rate is going up quiiite a bit. guaranteed;

fishenfreak wrote:dont expect too much marc, the fact that the only fish being caught are bigger makes me think the only returning fish are fish that stayed out longer and are coming in now, the fish planted 2 years ago that should be 1 salt 5 lb brats are not showing up, anywhere, at all in the cascade, and they are REALLY late, so... idk if theyre coming at all. interesting, and slightly dissapointing.

They will come. They'll show up all at once, I'm all but certain of it.

HOPE SO!

I use eggs in the boat while free drifting and stuff and don't catch squat, I think it is the fact that you have to cure them right and that I have fished seasons with just eggs and not caught anything so now I just save them for salmon and fish other productive stuff. Another thing is that I do not know how to rig them up right for bobber fishing and I am not that familiar with bobber dogging.
Also everyone else is using eggs so why fish eggs too when they are not catching fish, like when I was at the cascade last everyone had eggs on, only a couple people would be using jigs or corkies or spoons.

Brat Bonker wrote:I use eggs in the boat while free drifting and stuff and don't catch squat, I think it is the fact that you have to cure them right and that I have fished seasons with just eggs and not caught anything so now I just save them for salmon and fish other productive stuff. Another thing is that I do not know how to rig them up right for bobber fishing and I am not that familiar with bobber dogging.
Also everyone else is using eggs so why fish eggs too when they are not catching fish, like when I was at the cascade last everyone had eggs on, only a couple people would be using jigs or corkies or spoons.

Bottom line theres no better way, in general, to catch steelhead then with eggs. Theres exceptions yea i have a hole downriver in cascade where literally nothing but jigs work, but overall u should probably fish eggs more, as long as ya cure um right ive stood next to 15 guys using eggs and been the only guy catching. Ill give ya a hint, people tend to overthink curing egg for steelhead

fishenfreak wrote:

Brat Bonker wrote:I use eggs in the boat while free drifting and stuff and don't catch squat, I think it is the fact that you have to cure them right and that I have fished seasons with just eggs and not caught anything so now I just save them for salmon and fish other productive stuff. Another thing is that I do not know how to rig them up right for bobber fishing and I am not that familiar with bobber dogging.
Also everyone else is using eggs so why fish eggs too when they are not catching fish, like when I was at the cascade last everyone had eggs on, only a couple people would be using jigs or corkies or spoons.

Bottom line theres no better way, in general, to catch steelhead then with eggs. Theres exceptions yea i have a hole downriver in cascade where literally nothing but jigs work, but overall u should probably fish eggs more, as long as ya cure um right ive stood next to 15 guys using eggs and been the only guy catching. Ill give ya a hint, people tend to overthink curing egg for steelhead

I have seen him do just that too! As people just scratch their heads and say "I'm using eggs, what the hell"