your rig sounds ok but im not familiar with the grand what is the current like? and how deep does it run? your rig is fine your just loseing some fish. it happens just set the hook and hang on.
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The current is slow in areas and it runs pretty good in areas too.The river is low like the rest of the rivers in Michigan right now but there are some 8 to 10 foot hloes.

I am bottom bouncing a few areas where the current is running good and the water is about two to four feet deep

What size hook should I use for a dime sized piece of cured skein?

When I get a bite with the rod held high will I have time to wind down on the fish and then set the hook or should I try to set as soon as I get the bite even if the rod is high?

 

Stiffer rod. I switched a few years back for the same reason. I wasn't getting solid hook sets. I mainly use a float but when bottom bouncing I hold the rod at about a 45 or less. So when I get a bite I have a long way for hook sets. I use #6 -#8 wide bend eagle claw hooks. For all winter fishing. They don't seem to picky this time of year

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You are good. Just shorten that distance between your rod and the water and yank up on that rod like you stole it when they hit. Then, enjoy the ride. ZZZzzzzzzzzz:evil:

Ummm....you yank when they hit. Period!

 

I use a slinky weight for the main reason it is stealthier than using shot. i run the slinky as a free slider on my line with a KRW glow bead then i tie an ant swivel and to the other side of that swivel i run a leader of 6 or 8 or 10 depending on the water clarity, depth, flow and frequency of "riverine obstacles":lol:. if im fishing in the spring i use 10lb and anywhere from a foot to 3 feet of leader material. in the fall/winter when the water is clearest i use 8lb and ,again, anywhere from 1-3 feet.i think the reason you are losing fish is because you arent putting the wood to them when they want it. a steelie is a helluva fish to catch and fight but 90% of the battle is getting them to bite. sometimes when they bite, you dont have rod position exactly where you would want it to be to get a jaw breaking hookset. when this happens and you have enough space take a quick few steps backwards until you get 100% tension then you should in theory have the fish on. where you fish on the bank or boat will dictate whether or not this tip will help you.

Disclamer: dont do this in swift current on bear creek or anywhere for that matter unless you want to go for a swim.

 

You may want to put a small piece of yarn in with the skein,this will hook on to their teeth and give you a little better chance of a good hook up,I was having problems hanging on to fish too this fall and found that if I waited for a few more tap taps my landing ratio got better, sometimes we tend to get a little quick on the draw when feeling a bite.

 

Try setting the hook early or late, some times this will help. Also using a noodle rod set the hook like a wip. Don't expect the rod to do a thing for hook ups. Instead i try to snap the slack backwards followed by constant pressure. In a sense your 10'6" rod is almost like have 8 more feet of slack line..

 

If you're using a drift bobber in front of your skein, then you need to make sure your hook is big enough to get a good bite. Too small a hook, and it can't dig in good because the corky is preventing it from doing so.

 

I carry a hook sharpener. Some new hooks are sharp, some aren't. I like hooks super sharp. A very cheap and wise investment. This may solve your issue.

 

maybe if you go to a float then you will have beter hookups also. with a bober wen they take it down they some times hook them self then when you set the hook it wil barry into them deeper.
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If you're using a drift bobber in front of your skein, then you need to make sure your hook is big enough to get a good bite. Too small a hook, and it can't dig in good because the corky is preventing it from doing so.

or u could put a bead between your hook n corky ( spin n glow, woble glow, etc.) make sure u double thread your bead so u will beable to put what ever distance u want between your hook n floater. ( remember double threading your bead will put a weak spot in your line, but i have had no trouble with breakoffs when using 6 lb or heavyer leader)

 

I have had the same problem in the past as you are having. Hooking lots of steelhead but having them come off half way through through the fight. What I did to solve my problem was start using a slightly stiffer rod instead of my usual noodle rod. I also made sure the hook gap on my single hooks was large enough so that my bait or wobble glo didn't get in the way of the tines of the hook. Lastly, I quit buying just any hook and went with what I thought was a sharp hook. Then I started bringing more to the net. I just wasn't getting solid enough hooksets.

 

Stiffer rod. I switched a few years back for the same reason. I wasn't getting solid hook sets. I mainly use a float but when bottom bouncing I hold the rod at about a 45 or less. So when I get a bite I have a long way for hook sets. I use #6 -#8 wide bend eagle claw hooks. For all winter fishing. They don't seem to picky this time of year

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The first 3-4 hook-ups I ever got was on an ultralight (noodle rod). I never fought them for more than a second, and noticed they lack of backbone in the rod allowed the line to go slack often, and I believe this caused the hook to slip. As soon as I got a stronger rod, the day after for that matter, I got my first steelhead. Is this the reason? I cant prove it. Do I think this is the reason? Absolutely - i was losing everything I hooked!
I switched from utralight to medium light, and seemed to work out

 

I like a rod build for 8# - 10# line, around 10 feet long, with a fast action. The action is the key to getting a good hookset, especially when bottom bouncing. While you picture your line going straight down to your weight, there is a large belly in the line when it is in the water. Longer cast = larger belly in the line. I fast action rod will pull that slack out, and bury the hook better. I like to fight fish with a fast action rod better, too. I'm not so big on seeing how long I can prolong a fight with a Steelhead. I like to see what they've got. :evilsmile

 

The first 3-4 hook-ups I ever got was on an ultralight (noodle rod). I never fought them for more than a second, and noticed they lack of backbone in the rod allowed the line to go slack often, and I believe this caused the hook to slip. As soon as I got a stronger rod, the day after for that matter, I got my first steelhead. Is this the reason? I cant prove it. Do I think this is the reason? Absolutely - i was losing everything I hooked!
I switched from utralight to medium light, and seemed to work out

90% of my fish come on a 10-6 Croix Wild River, rated 2-6lb. I've ran as high as 10lb for chinnies with it though. I don't seem to have a problem with hookups or landing my fish in a reasonable time. Maybe I'm just used to it? I've hooked 18 steelhead and coho the last two trips, and only lost one to a spit hook with this rod.

When I'm bottom-bouncing, I ALWAYS wait for tap-tap-pull before I set the hook. I never set on 1 tap, except for October fish around salmon beds.

 

brand of hook? size of hook? knot? size of bait? estimated length of cast (are you extending a drift)?...

 

90% of my fish come on a 10-6 Croix Wild River, rated 2-6lb. I've ran as high as 10lb for chinnies with it though. I don't seem to have a problem with hookups or landing my fish in a reasonable time. Maybe I'm just used to it? I've hooked 18 steelhead and coho the last two trips, and only lost one to a spit hook with this rod.

When I'm bottom-bouncing, I ALWAYS wait for tap-tap-pull before I set the hook. I never set on 1 tap, except for October fish around salmon beds.

You're probably more experience than I am, and I may have been perceiving something different in my own case. Who knows. Regardless, I'd like to get back into the long noodle rods. I'm using a 10 ft medium light now, so I'm slowing inching towards my purchase of said St. croix lol

 

Have you tried running 10 lb braid for your main line. I have switched to that this year and it has worked out great. you get a much quicker hooks set because the braid doesnt flex like mono or floro. I still run floro for about 10 foot after my braid. Just a thought.

 

OK guys,I want to thank everyone for the help with bottom bouncing skein

Here is an update...I fished yesterday morning and broke two fish off.I think my floro leader was getting nicks from stones and clam shells.I got some 8 pound XT green for a leader and I got took off the corkie.New hooks now too!Meijers had some size 4 TROKAR OCTOPUS hooks for 1/2 off and they are sharp.I fished my 3-2-1 mix cure for shein with a egg loop and when I got a bite today I would reel down and then hammer them

I think I have the proper setup now and I have learned how to set the hook with my limber noodle rod.Another thing I like too,I dont have to tie up spawn sacks either.Skein is the way to go
thanks again

 

Try going down to a smaller and stiffer rod that should help like 8 and half to 9 ft on the hook sets, a :chillin:lot of steel head fishing takes some time to learn the ropes so to say. just be calm and put in your time things will happen.

 

You are setting the hook too quick. On a light rod let them go then click the bail wait for the rod to bend half over then pull back. Make sure the drag is not set too tight when you do this. When I surf fish I never set the hook they are already hooked when I get to the rod.

 

What 9' rod or rod blank should I get for bottom bouncing?

I watched a guy on utube using a shorter rod with a casting reel and that didnt seem to be so bad.Only thing here on the Grand right now is low water with slower current so you do not need alot of weight to bump bottom but if it comes back up a casting reel with more weight may be the ticket

 

One more fish this morning on skein bouncing on the bottom.

I am only able to fish for about 2 and a half hours,I wish I had more time

 

Nice fish that river can be good at times it will be better when they take care of 6th st .I think that the river will get better with that out and restored .

 

I have not heard whats going on with the 6th st dam thing.If they do take it out I hope the river water levels dont go down any more.A guy needs to be carefull running with a jet now.

I fished again this morning with 2 bites on shein and I lost both fish.Must be how they took the bait today of something.

Thats fishng for ya :lol: