Floats Down

Are you like most sitting around during winter dreaming of a FISH ONLINE? While most lakes have nothing but thin ice many anglers don't know what to target this time of year. They assume that even though most steelhead streams are free of ice at this time of year that steelhead cease their migration due to the cold. However on a warm December such as the one we are having many fresh steelhead continue to run with many early fall drop backs mixed in.

Spectacular is the only word that repeats in my head after spending some time in the Pulaski area of New York State on the famed Salmon River chasing fresh Steelhead and Brown Trout on the Centrepin.2008 has been exceptional so far on the run of Steelhead entering this 12 mile watershed since about the end of October. The Salmon River has controlled flow from an electric dam upstream. Our trip occurred on a steady flow of 750 cfs which continued to bring waves of fresh chrome into the river.

Split shots are an essential tool when float fishing. By placing them in different positions on the line, the angler can greatly modify his bait presentation. Once a float fisherman understands how the different shotting patterns work, he can effectively cover nearly any spot in a river. The ultimate goal in shotting is to achieve the most natural drift and bait presentation possible at the required depth. The key is to understand how the various shotting patterns affect the speed at which the bait will reach depth and how the bait will be affected by the current once it is at depth.