Great episode, Brian. Love that you are willing to take the time to explain your thoughts and are willing to listen to other comments. Your eggs look fantastic. Keep up the good work.
Appreciate the humble and teachable teacher. Share what youve learned and be willing to learn more. Lot of big egos out there. Glad i found your channel.💯
Lucky I can always respond with massive ego and then hit the backspace and reword things to not be such a hard butt. Sometimes it’s really hard for me to be told what to do by subscribers but once I put my ego on the shelf, usually the subscribers have a strong point
Fishing evolves, so does bait and tackle. And i hear about those changes on great communities like this one! And when something new works i am stoked. I probably ask more questions but its becauae im always learning.
Absolutely my most drastic change was spooling up my reels with braid instead of of monofilament, but it's changed so much as far as sensitivity and less memory birdnest issues. Little changes make a big difference sometimes :)
Some days the river humbles us. I like what you said about needing those long, fishless days on the river. Always makes me more eager to get back out. I’m from just a little south (go ducks!). Spent a little time up on your river when our river is slow or poor conditions trying to figure it out, but I’m always a little overwhelmed, and try to stay away from the crowds. Maybe one of these days I’ll run into you and we could swap some tips and tricks. As always, good luck and stay safe!
Awesome comment! The sweetness of victory can only be tasted if you have experienced the bitter of failure. I’m on a roll lately and really enjoying every second
This is from Ken out of LaGrande Oregon! A Fishing Wizard. I watched your video where you asked for comments. When I tried to comment it wanted me to open a Google account, etc. So instead I will comment here. #1) people should know to go to USGS or water watch and follow a Guage for heighth or water flow to know what is right for their River 2) I lengthen my bobber til it drags THEN shorten back for perfect length for that spot 3) during muddy water I want the leader shorter than normal to control the fast drift 4) fish go deeper or orient around structure to hide from predators both avian and swimmers like otters. Also it washes food by where they can wait just off current when they are behind or in front of structure, 5) like you, I keep my drag loose on a level wind but I clamp down with my thumb when setting the hook and continue using thumb for the right pressure drag, 6) I like to bleed my fish before bonking so eggs aren't bloody. Pulling a gill is easy and quick. You can bonk after a few seconds after pulling the gill. I miss the days when we had lots of fish. I have caught over 200 in 3 different seasons with my yearly record of 286. Question for you. What model of Curado level wind do you like? Do you like the new egg cure? What is the name of it? Your eggs look great. Ken
I’ve switched to tungsten weights. Half of the size of lead and get down faster seems to work amazing for me. Especially in low water there isn’t a giant lead weight they see…
I think this is my favorite video you have done so far! I appreciate your unpacking the reasons behind your fishing activities. That’s some awesome sauce brother
To answer that the only example I can think of is how gold gets deposited around boulders. As tge water begins to go over a large rock it starts slowing and backwashing. By doing this it creates a low-pressure area. This low pressure is greater behind the rock but there is a slight effect in front. So most gold drops out behind a Boulder but there is a small amount that ends up in front. Thats the best example I can think of.
Pro tip number 753, thread, half of a nightcrawler below your bead. Once in a while, it can put a bonus fish on your tag occasionally, and it gives him a different look. Crawlers are an under utilized winter steelhead bait.!!
I know. Ice been used to setting tge hook for over 60 years. So breaking that habit is hard. I've seen though that just reeling quickly the fish actually set tge hook itself.
Fished the chetco for 20 minutes from bank. Tried rogue river at lobster campground boat ramp by bank and winchuck river by campground by bank. All this week but no luck using sliding bobber and pink worm jig and a spinner 5 bluefox.
You said you want to comment so here you go so I'm commenting as I run across things that you're talking about my feeling on the river level is I always tried to fish the rivers on the drop and even when the rivers were pretty muddy I still know how to catch them they follow the shoreline😊
On the drop is nice to fish! I agree, and closer to the shoreline is typically where there’s a little bit less water flow which would be why that would be a better spot to focus on. Great comment.
That is the general consensus and what I’ve also heard. I’m also so curious as to how the water flow dynamics creates an advantage for the fish. I totally get it behind a rock, but I am trying to understand how being in front of rocks makes it easy for them. Do they just brace their backfin up against the rock and then steer with their nose? I just don’t understand it
The river your on is one of the easiest to estimate how high in the system there will be fish fish. Good friend of mine in a seminar said the most brillant thing, leader length is correlated to the length of the wager visibility. Make you float criptic, switch to a fixed float, and smaller presentation.
It’s not that easy! It’s mental to not set hooks!!! I try…reel reel reel and bloop, bobber comes back up before I get to the fish. Do that 3-4 times in a 4-5 bite day and tell me “it is the way” in your best Mandaloran voice.
The higher the river level try fishing more upstream in the hole than you’d normally fish it and cast closer to the shore. In off color/ dirty conditions darker colors show more of a profile that fish may see a little better. Black is great for off color, higher turbidity conditions. What size three way swivels do you prefer??
OK, to start with thank you for the very descriptive suggestions. I’m interested also knowing your why? Do you have reasoning behind Fishing more upstream with higher level? I don’t typically use a three-way swivel. I think if they did have to pick a size on swivels, I would not because I don’t think it gives me enough advantage by getting smaller swivels are already tiny.
My belief on fishing higher in a hole at high river level is the current may be softer creating a resting area. In lower river level conditions I’ve found the lower hole and tail out to be more productive.
J-Braid is one of the thickest diamter braids on the market, true or is smooth like all 8 carrier braids but about double the diameter you would want for steelhead baitcaster.
Ty I can’t overlook how smooth and tangle free it is. I was showing off today and deserved a rat’s nest like no other and it picked out so nice. I’m a fan and I don’t need more than a hundred yards of line in the system I usually fish.
I know you were using 65 in you last video. And you didn’t move down to 50 with the j braid. But honestly you really should be fishing like 30 especially with the j braid
@AutomagicAdventures if your happy that is all that matters. In the realm of float performance the thinnest per diamter line the better. That is s great entry level braid to start with.
Agreed. Fished with a guy last week and I kept breaking off my bobbers. 65 is way overkill and so is 50. 40 might be ideal and 30 seems minimum in my opinion.
A short leader enhances the ability to detect a strike, but as you said it increases the risk of spooking the fish with the weight and bobber. While the long leader prevents spooking the fish, if too long it prevents detecting a take in a timely manner and a non-aggressive fish may have a chance to spit it out before you even know it took. In fly fishing we use small splitshots within 6-8 inches of a fly. It gets the fly right down in the strike zone, but it's not big enough to spook the fish. While it would be adding yet another component, would it be worthwhile to add small splitshot close to the hook to get a better drift in the zone? Closer and tighter in the zone than your main weight can provide?
What up brotha was nice meeting ya last weekend 🤘😊 personally i think it circumstancel when it comes to river levels, how well do you know the system your fishing? I know rivers i can catch at certain levels low or high and the correct presentation that will give me the best chances of catching. All else fails throw a worm big dogg 😎
To add to the comments, I will ask about use of jigs. It's been 20+ years since I last fished OR steelhead, but I was starting to use maribou jigs under a bobber. I had success on both steelhead and spring Chinook. Have you ever used such Brian? 1/4oz primarily black maribou with a stripe of pink. Both naked and with eggs.
I used a lot of jigs in Eastern Oregon on steely’s and found great success. The downside In my opinion is finding the bottom can be dangerous because jig heads are the bottom most items in the presentation. Easy to get snagged until you learn the runs. Jig tipped with shrimp is killer as well.
@@AutomagicFishing And that is why I tied my own jigs. Because I knew I would lose a fair number getting down where I needed to be, but wanted to minimize cost.
I was wondering what size and kind of hooks you use? I'm just now going to start stealhead and salmon fishing at the young age of 56, lol. Any other tips you have for someone getting started I'd appreciate it. Thanks for the video.
My friend Just say good morning to other anglers and don’t crowd others as yourself don’t like to be crowded , we finda a couple of nice people on the river but the majority are just😂 bunch of ass holes No respect ,no manners , , best tip you tube it’s a great school , also google earth
David size 1-2 is good. there’s definitely something to be said for walking up to river with confidence like you belong. In some instances he’s right, that people cringed a little bit if they notice that you are not knowing what you’re doing. Keep in mind though there’s mostly not azz holes. The great example was today, I saw a guy fishing one of the fishing holes I wanted to try. I just stood up on the road and asked him if he wanted some company. He was a super cool dude and invited me to fish. I guess it’s like fishing, you just never know what will happen until you try it
I’ve been there where I’ve been threatened at fishing holes and almost thrown in rivers. I think in some places probably still that bad but other places it’s not bad at all.
Forgot best tip I’m 49 and my eyes are not that good anymore ,so 80% of the fishing is made from home I tie all my terminals on my fly vise with a magnifying lenses an put all my split shots on and the rubber tubes for the floats on the terminals , you come up with perfect knots And don’t have to be tying on the river with frozen hands and leaving cut of bits of line on the river and spilling tiny split shots on the sand ,
Hi. I have been watching your TH-cam fishing shows. I run the Wilson many times. Would you be interested in joining me? Retired teacher. Sincerely, Ken😊🎣🐟
Yes, like I said, smaller presentation, lighter line all that makes for more hook up ratios there’s always give-and-take on the lighter line, better chance of breaking a fish off if you have to put more tension on them
Yes, absolutely. There’s something very satisfying about getting the visual and especially during really low water conditions I find that I get less snagging on the bottom. The float allows my presentation to go straight down river and not side saddle on boulders.
@@AutomagicFishingthey hold in front of rocks because there is a boil they can rest in , water turbulence provides a nice hiding spot , log jams , natural walls , river bends, dams, all provide very good holding water , that's with all fish not just steelhead
@@AutomagicFishing Water slows, boils in front as it hits a large rock. Just like behind the rock, it takes minimal effort to maintain position. And for fish that are feeding, both positions serve up food in the current with little effort.
100% agree and appreciate the way it’s been explained. I tried to think of it like being on an escalator. If the fish stop swimming, they don’t stay or gain ground. So being on or behind or around or in front of a rock can serve them with leverage to make it easier to maintain where they’re at in the river .
I ve heard good things about j braid. I think they hide behind rocks and structures to protect them from heavy currents
Agreed
🎣🐟🎣🐟🎣🤙💯
Yee yee
👍🏻
🤙🏻
Good Video! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks 🙏
love the explanations. still so much for me to learn
Me too
Great episode, Brian. Love that you are willing to take the time to explain your thoughts and are willing to listen to other comments. Your eggs look fantastic. Keep up the good work.
Thanks hommie!!
Appreciate the humble and teachable teacher. Share what youve learned and be willing to learn more. Lot of big egos out there. Glad i found your channel.💯
Lucky I can always respond with massive ego and then hit the backspace and reword things to not be such a hard butt.
Sometimes it’s really hard for me to be told what to do by subscribers but once I put my ego on the shelf, usually the subscribers have a strong point
Thanks for tips.
Finally limited out Thursday and my life now is complete. Took ten trips… Persistence pays off!
That’s awesome 👏 keep up the good work
I've been an early subscriber and quickly becoming my favorite channel
Thank you and I do appreciate you sticking with me
Another good tip I think is really useful is to put a bobber stopper under the bobber so you can save your bobbers when you snap off
It never fails! The times I remember that, I don’t get snagged and the only time I break off the main weight is when the bobber is naked on bottom.
Fishing evolves, so does bait and tackle. And i hear about those changes on great communities like this one! And when something new works i am stoked. I probably ask more questions but its becauae im always learning.
Like me, I’m a good fisherman but still watching others. Sometimes I see something so genuinely remarkable I institute it into my methods
Absolutely my most drastic change was spooling up my reels with braid instead of of monofilament, but it's changed so much as far as sensitivity and less memory birdnest issues. Little changes make a big difference sometimes :)
Some days the river humbles us. I like what you said about needing those long, fishless days on the river. Always makes me more eager to get back out. I’m from just a little south (go ducks!). Spent a little time up on your river when our river is slow or poor conditions trying to figure it out, but I’m always a little overwhelmed, and try to stay away from the crowds. Maybe one of these days I’ll run into you and we could swap some tips and tricks.
As always, good luck and stay safe!
Awesome comment! The sweetness of victory can only be tasted if you have experienced the bitter of failure.
I’m on a roll lately and really enjoying every second
This is from Ken out of LaGrande Oregon! A Fishing Wizard.
I watched your video where you asked for comments. When I tried to comment it wanted me to open a Google account, etc. So instead I will comment here. #1) people should know to go to USGS or water watch and follow a Guage for heighth or water flow to know what is right for their River 2) I lengthen my bobber til it drags THEN shorten back for perfect length for that spot 3) during muddy water I want the leader shorter than normal to control the fast drift 4) fish go deeper or orient around structure to hide from predators both avian and swimmers like otters. Also it washes food by where they can wait just off current when they are behind or in front of structure, 5) like you, I keep my drag loose on a level wind but I clamp down with my thumb when setting the hook and continue using thumb for the right pressure drag, 6) I like to bleed my fish before bonking so eggs aren't bloody. Pulling a gill is easy and quick. You can bonk after a few seconds after pulling the gill. I miss the days when we had lots of fish. I have caught over 200 in 3 different seasons with my yearly record of 286. Question for you. What model of Curado level wind do you like? Do you like the new egg cure? What is the name of it? Your eggs look great. Ken
I’ve switched to tungsten weights. Half of the size of lead and get down faster seems to work amazing for me. Especially in low water there isn’t a giant lead weight they see…
I’ve been using a custom weight!! It’s like a stinger and hasn’t snagged anything
I think this is my favorite video you have done so far!
I appreciate your unpacking the reasons behind your fishing activities. That’s some awesome sauce brother
Thanks Cuz!! If you go through the comments from this it’s overflowing with solid advice and reasoning to back it.
Centerpin brother let's set it up! I like your attitude 🎣
I’ve got a switch rod that I haven’t touched in over 10 years. I agree that I need to be flexible and willing to challenge myself though.
@@AutomagicFishingcenterpin it’s a bit frustrating at the beginning but after a wile you fall in love and realize it’s the best
To answer that the only example I can think of is how gold gets deposited around boulders. As tge water begins to go over a large rock it starts slowing and backwashing. By doing this it creates a low-pressure area. This low pressure is greater behind the rock but there is a slight effect in front. So most gold drops out behind a Boulder but there is a small amount that ends up in front. Thats the best example I can think of.
That’s a smart way of putting it
@@AutomagicFishing thank you.
Good class help me fish thanks
Well, I hope through everybody else’s comments that it turns into a worthwhile video
Have never steelhead fished. One day maybe.
You should go!
Will your wife let you go? 😉😉
Pro tip number 753, thread, half of a nightcrawler below your bead. Once in a while, it can put a bonus fish on your tag occasionally, and it gives him a different look. Crawlers are an under utilized winter steelhead bait.!!
That’s an awesome Pro-Tip!!
Missed one today on a crawler and corkie
Night crawlers were the only bait I used for winter and summer fish.
I know. Ice been used to setting tge hook for over 60 years. So breaking that habit is hard. I've seen though that just reeling quickly the fish actually set tge hook itself.
I’m going to keep trying.
Reel till you feel
Hi Brian, do you know why salmon and steelhead jump? Because they dont have middle fingers.😂
Funny 😆
That’s the truth!
Fished the chetco for 20 minutes from bank. Tried rogue river at lobster campground boat ramp by bank and winchuck river by campground by bank. All this week but no luck using sliding bobber and pink worm jig and a spinner 5 bluefox.
It’s been a slow week for me. I struggled to get one today. Still low water and not high numbers of fish.
You said you want to comment so here you go so I'm commenting as I run across things that you're talking about my feeling on the river level is I always tried to fish the rivers on the drop and even when the rivers were pretty muddy I still know how to catch them they follow the shoreline😊
On the drop is nice to fish! I agree, and closer to the shoreline is typically where there’s a little bit less water flow which would be why that would be a better spot to focus on. Great comment.
Steelhead hang around big rocks and othe debris for the water break they create. Makes it a place they can hold with very little effort.
That is the general consensus and what I’ve also heard. I’m also so curious as to how the water flow dynamics creates an advantage for the fish. I totally get it behind a rock, but I am trying to understand how being in front of rocks makes it easy for them. Do they just brace their backfin up against the rock and then steer with their nose? I just don’t understand it
@@AutomagicFishingalso for cover...
I live in Oregon and fish for salmon steelhead also
Tight lines brother
If that is the daiwa j braid x8 you’re talking about. Big fan of it as well. I run it and the tufine.
Is my favorite braid so far. I’m open to other suggestions as well.
The river your on is one of the easiest to estimate how high in the system there will be fish fish. Good friend of mine in a seminar said the most brillant thing, leader length is correlated to the length of the wager visibility.
Make you float criptic, switch to a fixed float, and smaller presentation.
Thanks for the advice!! Agreed on leader length
When bobber fishing soft beads, you get a bobberdown don't set the hook. Reel down to the fish first until you feel the fish then set hook.
It’s not that easy! It’s mental to not set hooks!!! I try…reel reel reel and bloop, bobber comes back up before I get to the fish. Do that 3-4 times in a 4-5 bite day and tell me “it is the way” in your best Mandaloran voice.
Hello 😊
Enough
Great tips 🇺🇸 if there was one tip, I could give anybody it would be to always check your hook and have it laser sharp
That can’t be stressed enough! It’s hard to stick a slick fish without a needlepoint poking into their gums
Fish on
The higher the river level try fishing more upstream in the hole than you’d normally fish it and cast closer to the shore. In off color/ dirty conditions darker colors show more of a profile that fish may see a little better. Black is great for off color, higher turbidity conditions.
What size three way swivels do you prefer??
OK, to start with thank you for the very descriptive suggestions. I’m interested also knowing your why?
Do you have reasoning behind Fishing more upstream with higher level?
I don’t typically use a three-way swivel. I think if they did have to pick a size on swivels, I would not because I don’t think it gives me enough advantage by getting smaller swivels are already tiny.
My belief on fishing higher in a hole at high river level is the current may be softer creating a resting area. In lower river level conditions I’ve found the lower hole and tail out to be more productive.
My method of fishing was usually plugs I ran Tadpolly's for steelhead they were my fav painted a few myself for custom colors 😊
That’s pretty cool, I wish the comment section would allow photos. You should send me an email with your favorite lure.
Automagicadventures@gmail.com
@@AutomagicFishing well plug fishing it was definitely the tadpolly's will send you some picture's
Email sent let me know if you got it😊
J-Braid is one of the thickest diamter braids on the market, true or is smooth like all 8 carrier braids but about double the diameter you would want for steelhead baitcaster.
Ty
I can’t overlook how smooth and tangle free it is.
I was showing off today and deserved a rat’s nest like no other and it picked out so nice. I’m a fan and I don’t need more than a hundred yards of line in the system I usually fish.
I know you were using 65 in you last video. And you didn’t move down to 50 with the j braid. But honestly you really should be fishing like 30 especially with the j braid
@AutomagicAdventures if your happy that is all that matters. In the realm of float performance the thinnest per diamter line the better. That is s great entry level braid to start with.
Agreed. Fished with a guy last week and I kept breaking off my bobbers. 65 is way overkill and so is 50. 40 might be ideal and 30 seems minimum in my opinion.
A short leader enhances the ability to detect a strike, but as you said it increases the risk of spooking the fish with the weight and bobber. While the long leader prevents spooking the fish, if too long it prevents detecting a take in a timely manner and a non-aggressive fish may have a chance to spit it out before you even know it took. In fly fishing we use small splitshots within 6-8 inches of a fly. It gets the fly right down in the strike zone, but it's not big enough to spook the fish. While it would be adding yet another component, would it be worthwhile to add small splitshot close to the hook to get a better drift in the zone? Closer and tighter in the zone than your main weight can provide?
That’s a great comment. I need to figure out where I can buy micro split shots.
What up brotha was nice meeting ya last weekend 🤘😊 personally i think it circumstancel when it comes to river levels, how well do you know the system your fishing? I know rivers i can catch at certain levels low or high and the correct presentation that will give me the best chances of catching. All else fails throw a worm big dogg 😎
Yes 🙌 pinky with dark tail!
You were great to meet. Really awesome energy man. Hope you have to fight a personal best fish this winter!❄️
To add to the comments, I will ask about use of jigs. It's been 20+ years since I last fished OR steelhead, but I was starting to use maribou jigs under a bobber. I had success on both steelhead and spring Chinook. Have you ever used such Brian? 1/4oz primarily black maribou with a stripe of pink. Both naked and with eggs.
I used a lot of jigs in Eastern Oregon on steely’s and found great success.
The downside In my opinion is finding the bottom can be dangerous because jig heads are the bottom most items in the presentation. Easy to get snagged until you learn the runs.
Jig tipped with shrimp is killer as well.
@@AutomagicFishing And that is why I tied my own jigs. Because I knew I would lose a fair number getting down where I needed to be, but wanted to minimize cost.
I tried jig tying but… they didn’t catch me fish. Lol
I was wondering what size and kind of hooks you use? I'm just now going to start stealhead and salmon fishing at the young age of 56, lol. Any other tips you have for someone getting started I'd appreciate it. Thanks for the video.
My friend Just say good morning to other anglers and don’t crowd others as yourself don’t like to be crowded , we finda a couple of nice people on the river but the majority are just😂 bunch of ass holes No respect ,no manners , , best tip you tube it’s a great school , also google earth
David size 1-2 is good. there’s definitely something to be said for walking up to river with confidence like you belong.
In some instances he’s right, that people cringed a little bit if they notice that you are not knowing what you’re doing. Keep in mind though there’s mostly not azz holes.
The great example was today, I saw a guy fishing one of the fishing holes I wanted to try. I just stood up on the road and asked him if he wanted some company. He was a super cool dude and invited me to fish.
I guess it’s like fishing, you just never know what will happen until you try it
I’ve been there where I’ve been threatened at fishing holes and almost thrown in rivers. I think in some places probably still that bad but other places it’s not bad at all.
Forgot best tip I’m 49 and my eyes are not that good anymore ,so 80% of the fishing is made from home I tie all my terminals on my fly vise with a magnifying lenses an put all my split shots on and the rubber tubes for the floats on the terminals , you come up with perfect knots And don’t have to be tying on the river with frozen hands and leaving cut of bits of line on the river and spilling tiny split shots on the sand ,
@@pedrohenriques2983 that’s awesome. I see my bobber better with glasses 🤓
I'm sorry if I sound like a critic .I watch every video you put out .keep making them .I enjoy all of them
No harm no foul my friend. Remember, I used to be in the car business. It takes a lot to hurt my feelings.
It’s nice that you aren’t being mean-everyone can use pointers!
Almost all the people who support me are nice.
Hi. I have been watching your TH-cam fishing shows. I run the Wilson many times. Would you be interested in joining me? Retired teacher. Sincerely, Ken😊🎣🐟
Hey Ken
That sounds like fun to me!! I’ve never fished that river.
Let’s communicate via email.
Automagicadventures@gmail.com
Going back through your videos for the giveaway and apparently ive missed quite a few. Pretty dissappointing.
Now that I’m able to be paid for watch time on videos, set it up and let the show play to the end!! It’ll be great background noise for the house!!
He isn’t responding right away to comments because he is out fishing…again. lol
Yeah, lol! I’ve been out of cell service for the last six hours
In that low water ,I fish a fixed cork float and a little jig on 6 # .
Yes, like I said, smaller presentation, lighter line all that makes for more hook up ratios there’s always give-and-take on the lighter line, better chance of breaking a fish off if you have to put more tension on them
Have you ever drifted your eggs without a float ?
Yes, absolutely. There’s something very satisfying about getting the visual and especially during really low water conditions I find that I get less snagging on the bottom. The float allows my presentation to go straight down river and not side saddle on boulders.
Rocks keep them out of the current .who wants to work when they don't have to .or they are waiting for an easy meal
I like that perspective. Being behind a rock gives him an ambush point. Why do you think they post up right in front of a rock?
@@AutomagicFishingthey hold in front of rocks because there is a boil they can rest in , water turbulence provides a nice hiding spot , log jams , natural walls , river bends, dams, all provide very good holding water , that's with all fish not just steelhead
@@AutomagicFishing Water slows, boils in front as it hits a large rock. Just like behind the rock, it takes minimal effort to maintain position. And for fish that are feeding, both positions serve up food in the current with little effort.
I agree!! Great insight
100% agree and appreciate the way it’s been explained.
I tried to think of it like being on an escalator. If the fish stop swimming, they don’t stay or gain ground. So being on or behind or around or in front of a rock can serve them with leverage to make it easier to maintain where they’re at in the river .
I have caught fish in all water .if the fish are in the river, they will continue to be in the river .they have knowhere else to go in my opinion
Good point