[WalleyeHunter811]

I am a newbie to steelheading and keep hearing about Lining steelhead. To me it sounds unethical but since i am not sure on what this is could anyone give me a detailed descirtion on what this is....To me it sounds like somehow people are making there line straight and waiting for the fish to get the line in there mouth then snagging the hook in the other side of the mouth but i cant understand how this is possible with all the current at tippy? I do not want to do it because it sounds like snagging to me but if someone could give me some info on how they set up these rigs and what it is so that i can get an idea how this is possible and what exactly this lining thing is i would be able to base my opionon on this subject a little better..It just dont seem possible to do this in my head but i geuss i dont know how its done

 

[pikedevil]

The more current the better when it comes to lining fish. Basically lining is when you drift your bait through the fish and the line gets hung up in the fishes mouth, fins, etc. and then the weight or hook set of the angler slides the line across untill the hook imbeds into the fish. If the line gets in the fishes mouth the hook will ather imbed in the outside corner or sometimes shoot into the mouth. Longer leaders and more weight then you need when drifting help increase your odds of lining a fish. That is why you see soo many guys bottum bouncing with 6-10 foot leaders. While it sounds improbable that the line would drift into a fishes face and the hook imbed in its mouth on accident it happens all the time. To illustrate this fact I used to experiment with running long leads and small size ten egg hooks fished bare and fished to fish I could see. I hooked tons of fish with prolly 90% of them being hooked in the face and a good 50% of those being hooked IN THE MOUTH (not on the outside). It made me a believer that lining accounts for most of the steelhead hooked off gravel.

As for avoiding lining of fish, you can fish floats in deeper water, fish hardware, or drift fish with less weight and shorter leaders and try to position at more of a 45% angle above the fish and swing your baits infront of them rather then through them. You wont hook as many fish when they are on the spawn with these methods but you will get more biters.

 

[thousandcasts]

I once used a long leader with a gummy bear as bait--hooked plenty of fish in the mouth. Color of gummy bear didn't matter. Seems to me guys wouldn't spend so much time at the fly vise looking for the perfect pattern when a chunk of dog hair tied to a hook would result in just as many mouth hooked fish when fishing gravel.

 

[WalleyeHunter811]

We were only using two small sinkers and about a 2-3 ft leader so i geuss i learned the right way it seems like but didnt hook any fish either but that will come in time..went up with a very good fisherman for steelhead on monday night and he didnt bring in a steely either so i dont feel so bad he did catch a very night walleye near the coffer though ran about 26-27 inches 6 lbs but returned it to the water to wait to catch it during legal season but that was a sad moment to see a great tasting fish have to swim away but better days

 

[jeffthedj]

I once used a long leader with a gummy bear as bait--hooked plenty of fish in the mouth. Color of gummy bear didn't matter. Seems to me guys wouldn't spend so much time at the fly vise looking for the perfect pattern when a chunk of dog hair tied to a hook would result in just as many mouth hooked fish when fishing gravel.

i understand the lining thing..and i fish mostley holes but i ve seen many fish chase a fly from a deep gravel run and smoke it!i fished some gravel area's on the pm sunday and only hooked 1 fish!so its not always snag fest!

 

[Sam22]

All that being said, and i agree. Don't worry about lining fish, it isn't all that easy. If your bottom bouncing spawn, just keep adjusting the rig until you start catching fish, no need to worry about lining by accident, really who cares. Also, and this might stir some people a little, sometimes fish are taking flies. Last weekend at tippy fish were taking big flies ( I said big size 14 black midges are a different story ) not everyone throwing flies is lining.

 

[Trout King]

I once used a long leader with a gummy bear as bait--hooked plenty of fish in the mouth. Color of gummy bear didn't matter.

Ever try a gummy bear under a bobber? It might actually be feasible to have a fish bite a gummy bear. Whats the great difference in appearence between that and a yarn fly? or a plastic grub or worm under a bobber. Yes You probably lined a lot of fish with the gummy bear,but it isn't impossible for a fish to bite one either.

To help reduce lined fish go with a leader shorter than 2 ft. if the fish are visible cast to the near side of them so there is no way to line them. If they want it they will see it and come get it. You can also tell the difference between a bite and a lined fish.

 

[Fishndude]

To avoid lining spawning Steelhead, you can also use a vertical presentation. Just put your offering under a float/bobber, and make sure it cannot touch bottom, before you drift through those bedding fish over and over and over and over and over. If they are in a biting mood, you will find out pretty quickly. If they are not, you will also find out pretty quickly. Being able to walk away from non-biting Steelhead you can plainly see is something that can only come with time.

 

[WalleyeHunter811]

Its sounding like to intencally line a fish it is based alot on sight and to be able to spot the fish. considering i was fishing at night so that there wasnt that many people and i was throwing in the middle of the river that it would be very diffucult and almost impossible to line a fine on purpose so thank you everyone i think i understand this now

 

[Whit1]

Its sounding like to intencally line a fish it is based alot on sight and to be able to spot the fish. considering i was fishing at night so that there wasnt that many people and i was throwing in the middle of the river that it would be very diffucult and almost impossible to line a fine on purpose so thank you everyone i think i understand this now

What you're saying is true WH. However when fish are stacked in a smaller area, such as a pod of spawning salmon or steelheads it is still possible to line fish. Sight fishing makes lining much easier than blind fishing.

To those reading this post don't take my comments to say that I believe lining is ethical or not, etc., etc., etc. I'll leave that up to the individual.

 

[blk82072]

So lining is what they guys next to me were doing last time I was up their I am guessing. They had dang close to a 10' leader and were using (what looked like) 3lb pyramid sinkers with "questionable" sized treble hooks.

Silly me I thought I could catch fish with a small single hook and some spawn.

 

[Whit1]

So lining is what they guys next to me were doing last time I was up their I am guessing. They had dang close to a 10' leader and were using (what looked like) 3lb pyramid sinkers with "questionable" sized treble hooks.

Silly me I thought I could catch fish with a small single hook and some spawn.

No, they were snagging! There is a difference........sutble......but different......sorta.......maybe!.........:lol:

 

[WalleyeHunter811]

HEY blk i tryied that same setup with the single lil hook and a spawn sack and didnt catch any fish maybe we should find someone who is a pro at lining steelhead and book them for a guided service LOL Nah i think maybe someday i will be able to catch a fish with a lil hook and a short leader so i think i will cont. to fish that way so when i catch that fish i know that i did it how it was suppose to be caught

 

[thousandcasts]

Yes You probably lined a lot of fish with the gummy bear,but it isn't impossible for a fish to bite one either.

Really? You think that with a 10' leader and a gummy bear for bait, I lined a lot of fish? Hmmm...that thought never occured to me. :idea:

Impossible--no. After all the stuff I've seen in a steelheads stomach, I'm quite sure they'd bite a piece of chicken on the right day, but I wouldn't suggest going to KFC for a 12pc bucket 'o bait the next time you go steelheading either.

 

[FiberOptic]

So lining is what they guys next to me were doing last time I was up their I am guessing. They had dang close to a 10' leader and were using (what looked like) 3lb pyramid sinkers with "questionable" sized treble hooks.

3lb Pyramid Sinkers? I don't see how they could line fish with a sinker that big.

 

[Oldgrandman]

I believe I can tell nearly everytime I have a lined or a snagged fish going before I have it hooked now.
You can kind of tell. All of a sudden your line is kind of taking off but you do not feel any bite. Then BAM! Usually they just lay there a second, then you got a fish on that seems like the biggest you ever hooked.......but find out you snagged it shortly there after.
I hate when that happens.

 

[FiberOptic]

I believe I can tell nearly everytime I have a lined or a snagged fish going before I have it hooked now.
You can kind of tell. All of a sudden your line is kind of taking off but you do not feel any bite. Then BAM! Usually they just lay there a second, then you got a fish on that seems like the biggest you ever hooked.......but find out you snagged it shortly there after.
I hate when that happens.

I agree. But also though, that "bite" that some people claim they feel, could also be the fish trying to spit out the line, because the line is being rubbed across the fish's mouth. Now a "bump" is a different story, but a professional linesman would know the difference. But as Whit stated, we will leave that up to the individual.

 

[sb_troutsman]

Call it what you want ... if you are pulling the hook into the fish (as opposed to the fish taking the bait) you are snagging in my book.

If the hook is in the mouth, I would think it is perfectly legal. Ethical ... I don't know, I guess that's in the eye of the beholder.

Not trying to come off as all preachy here, just my opinion. Heck, I don't even fish at Tippy due to the crowds. I guess it depends on what you are comfortable with (within the law).

 

[thousandcasts]

Call it what you want ... if you are pulling the hook into the fish (as opposed to the fish taking the bait) you are snagging in my book.

If the hook is in the mouth, I would think it is perfectly legal. Ethical ... I don't know, I guess that's in the eye of the beholder.

Not trying to come off as all preachy here, just my opinion. Heck, I don't even fish at Tippy due to the crowds. I guess it depends on what you are comfortable with (within the law).

I guess you reach a point where you say, "this sucks." and you choose not to do it anymore. Now, have I been guilty of using long leaders on the gravel in the past? You bet. When it came to kings on the gravel, I was a long leader using fool. It's fun to hook a bunch of fish, but you accept it for what it is...nothing to brag about. Then you reach a point where you just say, "eh...no thanks, I'll just mooch eggs at the cleaning stations instead of breaking out the gravel stick and long leaders."

 

[FiberOptic]

I'll just mooch eggs at the cleaning stations instead of breaking out the gravel stick and long leaders."

I was wondering who else was "mooching" eggs from the cleaning stations!:lol: