How to read water for winter steelhead fishing 2023

One of the greatest challenges to hooking steelhead (the fish of 1000 casts!) is finding them!
This video is all about sharing how to read water to find winter steelhead with a particular focus on identifying soft current edges, pocket water and seams. If you can correctly identify the type of water that steelhead hold in, you will be well on your way to hooking them!
And be among the 10% of fisherman that hook 90% of the fish as the old adage goes.
I show footage from several recent trips this winter steelhead season to WA Coastal rivers to demonstrate reading water techniques, complete with diagrams breaking down each drift.
I've also got some awesome bobber down footage and steelhead fights that really drive home the approach to successfully finding steelhead holding and traveling water.
Enjoy!
I refer to my other winter steelhead how-to video as it's meant to compliment this one. That steelhead video focusses on identifying steelhead holding in tail-outs linked here and in the video: • How to Fish for Winter...
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[@WAFishQuest]

These are the kinds of videos KZbin needs more of. Teaching people how to fish, opposed to only showing success. Great info! Bravo!

[@PNWBestLife]

This is high praise coming from the pioneer of WA fishing videos! Thank you!

[@ernestchartier2047]

Thank you for your helpful tips on putting the odds in my favor to catch a winter steelhead! From a friend in fishing. Ernest

[@PNWBestLife]

You’re very welcome! Thanks for the encouragement!

[@dom5491]

Great Tips!

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks! Happy New Year!

[@nickbarker1191]

I really appreciate the effort you put into exemplifying good stewardship, while also teaching those of us who are new to steelhead to do the same and still be successful. We'll be drifting a beginner-friendly North Coast river in a raft for the first time in January. Nervous but excited! Hope to see you out there. Tight lines!

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you for the fine compliment! I still remember the first time I pushed away in a pontoon craft down a river, it was exhilarating! Stay safe and good luck!

[@kalebsheridan9017]

Knowing where the fish are is probably almost more important than having the best tackle. I'm brand new to steelhead but I've been focusing on learning to read the water and find fish. I don't mean to be cocky, but I'm finding that not only am I consistently catching fish, but out fishing 90% of the other anglers.

[@PNWBestLife]

Yup, you got it man. It’s literally the primary reason why the 90% don’t catch steelhead…

[@kenclarke4906]

I live the exact middle between the Sandy and Clackamas River in Oregon...flip a coin?... Winter steelies in full run springers on the way... No one on the river, but me the dog and dinner.. Bobber down!!!

[@PNWBestLife]

That's awesome! I'm going springer and steelhead fishing today on my local crick :)

[@BrianMonticello]

Great video yet again! I'm going out there with Frank in a few days myself haha, so that was funny to see him! Always great tips in your videos... I appreciate all the effort you put in explaining these techniques and strategies! Learned a lot from your blog as well this year for trolling the puget sound for salmon as a newbie boat owner and found success! Tight lines!

[@PNWBestLife]

Wow, thank you. So awesome to hear i helped someone have success! I will probably be going again later this month!

[@captainconnorsadventures6357]

Very Informative vid, good work Kyle. Was a fun trip, and am looking forward to more adventures this year 🙌🏻

[@PNWBestLife]

Yes! Always a great time with you doing all kinds of fishing, hunting shenanigans!

[@TheF0r3v3r29]

I'm interested in going on a steelhead fishing trip with you so I can learn more firsthand. Great video, very informative

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks for watching!

[@GeraldBader-hs3wp]

Great video😊

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you 😁

[@emeraldcitydreamz]

🤙🏼 Awesome video! golden info.

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks!

[@noysreyhoung]

Good job! Hope to get the right way of fishing!! Thanks

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks! More steelhead on their way for the late runs!

[@hookedfishingpnw]

Love it keep up the good content and information. Still trying to get my first after 3 years of trying

[@PNWBestLife]

This year has been a challenge for most folks, stick with it!

[@toddnicholas8945]

Awesome video 🇺🇸thanks

[@PNWBestLife]

Thanks Todd!

[@weirdbeardfishing27]

Great Chanel love the content

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you!

[@TutorialTim]

Those steelhead sure as hell took me hundreds of casts each day over three days on the Nestucca, and boy was it worth it, FISH ON BABY

[@PNWBestLife]

Yup! As I said in the video, conditions gotta be right to be 10. But Conner got his in < 10. I got mine when I moved to the new spot in 2. The other river I fished was in

[@TutorialTim]

​@@PNWBestLife Do you have any in-depth insights on how you gauge when fish are coming up river that is more accurate than the general time frame each year and word of mouth? Are there other methods of accurately identifying when fish will swim up other than hearing, "it started raining so fish might be swimming up soon." ?

[@PNWBestLife]

Oh man…I’m working on a video specifically to address this exact question…stay tuned!

[@TutorialTim]

@@PNWBestLife will do, thank you!

[@kevinsnider1493]

Hey there Kyle I just found your channel I love the hot tips you provided. I liked your video and I am now a subscriber. I will email you and figure out how to get one of those sweet sweaters. Tight lines!

[@PNWBestLife]

Kevin, thank you!

[@Schiz94]

Where was Frank's ice fishing setup! lol nice fish!

[@PNWBestLife]

Lol I know right? He only brings that out when fishing is easy 😂

[@shaunlehman9158]

Easy to find them at the hatchery creek 😂

[@nathanielpluff6931]

I was going to say I know that spot 😂😂🎣💪🎣

[@raymondfox8550]

Good job,, Guys, been catching them since the late 70,. All the water in Washington State,, ))

[@PNWBestLife]

Nice!

[@raymondfox8550]

@@PNWBestLife Thank U for reply,, Blessings and,,,,Fish On,, 🤞👊🙏🦊

[@PNWBestLife]

Fish on!

[@thuanpham8888]

How did you set up your leader?

[@PNWBestLife]

Is this question about my jig leader? I mean, it’s basically just 2-2.5 ft of 20 lb flouro to a 1/8 oz jig

[@PNWBestLife]

I know I said in the video to just email me about PNWBestLife merch, but I also got my shop up on the website! pnwbestlife.com/shop/ to get stickers, hoodies, tumbler, etc.

[@ChandlerNoll]

And yes to anyone wondering, you cant fish the tribal area without paying a tribal guide.

[@PNWBestLife]

Facts

[@Chasinchrome]

Your also at a private river that get a huge amount of fish

[@PNWBestLife]

You’re correct, but my friend and I were the o my anglers out of 20-25 with fish on the bank. This was early in the run and lower water…tougher conditions without a doubt. Is there anything in the video I presented that was incorrect? Some of the footage was not from THAT river, where steelhead were hooked but just missed from being on camera…same approach.

[@user-wm7ie4mq1q]

where do you fish? approximate city and river?

[@PNWBestLife]

I fish all over the place. Where do you fish?

[@user-wm7ie4mq1q]

@PNWBestLife I ask for you, where you cache steelhead? I just interested, I studi

[@Ribo-qj1ud]

The fact Northern Washington and some costal rivers can't use bait and some won't let you drift fish any more is dumb.... I'm glad I'm down here by the Columbia and fish it's river systems lol... we aren't getting those dumb rules YET

[@PNWBestLife]

Dude it’s jacked up here 😂

[@johnwallace5098]

what river

[@williamcooke6056]

Hello again John Wallace, the guy that never ever contributes to any video, other than to bluntly ask what river? Firstly, if you put any effort to learning Washington rivers, you'd recognize this river. Even more so, by listening to this fine angler give you everything you need to know to figure it out, but did you bother? You appear to not only be lazy, but you seem to share the intelligence level of your average rock. Yes, john wallace, no caps, we've had this conversation, albeit one sided, many times before. Now this fine angler is showing you how to catch fish, in any river, in difficult conditions, yet you never seem to learn, just your standard two word comment, which is tell me where. I'm pretty convinced that you could be there yourself, but get skunked. So here is my standard response to you each time: That is Notellum Creek, just upstream from where it flows into Secret River. To get there, just take Invisible Pass. Johnny, fill your gas tank, and go looking, because the unwritten rule of KZbin is how? Sure! Where? Sorry, that is up to you. You've been asking for years, Johnny. Buy a clue.

[@kenclarke4906]

5 years for steelhead to return consecutively, except when I'm fly fishing streamers... Ouch...

[@rogermezenen6505]

I need a sticker 😊 Purdue pweeze

[@PNWBestLife]

Yes you do! Shoot me an email: [e-mail]

[@FISHUNTREE]

Actually, Muskie are fish of 1000 casts

[@PNWBestLife]

Nice!

[@Pasha7310]

You can catch steelhead with only ten cast by paying a native guide 200$ 🤣😂

[@PNWBestLife]

😂 😂 it helps to fish a river that’s open and has fish in it…

[@captainconnorsadventures6357]

I wonder why most people didn’t get fish but we did then 🤔

[@coachromero49]

Being from the Rocky Mountain Region, I have been disappointed since I moved here in 2018. The PNW has no QUALITY resident trout in the system, no Salmon run no fun! Fisherman average 15-25 fish a day with 2-3 being 7-12 pounds but most average 16" 2-3 pounds. Drifting for the weekend for 4 takedowns between 3 fisherman 👎🏼 getting old , thrill of a 15 pounder is awesome but not the best fishing in the region 🤔 I'm all ears

[@PNWBestLife]

It can be frustrating, but fishing for salmon and steelhead in the PNW has a very high learning curve. I think it’s incredibly rewarding to have success, but it’s a learning process to get there. The Yakima River and other rivers east of the Cascades might have more of the kind of trout fishing you’re looking for

[@kalebsheridan9017]

Try the Yakima river

[@ChandlerNoll]

Lmfao really trying to give people steelhead advice while fishing a tribal river that gets the biggest run of giant steelhead in the state🤣 Go fish a wild river and try to give advice. Anyone can pay $100-200 and go fish the tribal hatchery area and slay giant broods.

[@PNWBestLife]

Thank you for taking the time to comment! 🙃

[@captainconnorsadventures6357]

Anyone can catch stupid wilds that have never seen a piece of gear in their life 🤣

[@ChandlerNoll]

@@captainconnorsadventures6357 Unfortunately thanks to videos such as this one, most of our rivers in WA are heavily pressured all season so even our wilds see a ton of gear everyday.

[@captainconnorsadventures6357]

@@ChandlerNoll I agree, if wdfw did a better job managing fisheries none of us would have any problems!

[@scottcunningham6817]

Sorry, but this fish handling in this video is abysmal (aka brutal). The guy that boots the fish after dragging onto the rocks? Wool gloves to hang onto a wild? Fish is as good as dead

[@PNWBestLife]

Scott, this is a tribal river and these are hatchery fish, not wilds, that were bonked, bled and packed home on ice.

[@scottcunningham6817]

@@PNWBestLife sorry. I assumed adipose fin intact meant wild. Im in bc where if it has it , fish is deemed wild

[@PNWBestLife]

All good. That adipose is the usual marker down here as well, so easy to get confused. There are just a handful of rivers(all tribal) where this is not the case.

[@nicholaswagner82]

Well consider me part of the 90% that don't catch. But honestly, what does a guy do if you consistently cannot seem to find fish? Me and buddy have spent over 80 hours on a local river recently, and we have only hooked 3. And I have watching you for a little bit... we are following all the most common promoted techniques... any other suggestions?

[@PNWBestLife]

I like to reduce finding salmon and steelhead to some basic steps: 1. Timing the run - being on the water when the fish are present 2. Reading water - fishing the right part of the river where fish are holding or traveling 3. Using the right technique - presenting your terminal offering in a way that gets bit Honestly, #3 is pretty easy with Steelhead...most people think steelhead fishing is all about #3, but it's not, they are more likely to bite than most salmon are. #2 is what the video is about because people often fish for steelhead in the wrong water. However, you may be dealing with #1 or a case where there's just not that many fish present. How do your results compare to others fishing the same river?

[@chrisclearman5244]

Doesn't hurt you filmed this on a tribal hatchery river. 😂😂😂 Those two holes below the hatchery creek are usually stuffed with fish at that time. It's much harder than that folks. They plant waaaaay more fish in their waters then our nw states do.

[@PNWBestLife]

Funny thing is though, of the 25 guys who showed up that day to fish, my buddy and I were the only ones to catch a steelhead...It's almost like, there weren't that many fish around, and you had to really be on it to hook anything. I have plenty of videos on my channel of catching steelhead on other rivers, and yeah, it's that simple if they are there. And in some ways, easier if there's less pressure compared to a tribal river getting bombed by anglers. You're right, there aren't a lot of steelhead compared to salmon, but I wouldn't undermine the ideas in this video just because they were mostly filmed on a tribal river. There are very few places to fish for steelhead left in Western WA in the early season.

[@chrisclearman5244]

@@PNWBestLife exactly... steelheading around here sucks because of state mismanagement. Hands down. I'm not hating on it. It's funny how steelheading is better in Oregon, and salmon fishing is better in Washington.

[@PNWBestLife]

Dude I’m invading Oregon this winter, 😂

[@chrisclearman5244]

@@PNWBestLife absolutely 💯🔥🔥🔥