This article describes the basics of freshwater Steelhead and salmon fishing for the beginning angler. River drift fishing is probably the most common method used for steelhead and salmon. As and drift fishing salmon are very similar you can apply them when steelhead drifting and salmon drift fishing. It is intended only as a beginning, and is not meant to cover every aspect of salmon drift fishing, or steelhead drift fishing. After you get your feet wet, you can and should constantly search for additional information to improve your abilities and skills.

Freshwater salmon fishing and steelhead fishing can be done from the shore or a boat, and the drift fishing method described can be used either way. Boat fishing affords anglers some opportunities not available to the shore anglers.

Steelhead Drift Fishing And Salmon Drift Fishing:

These techniques will work well when either drift fishing for steelhead or drift fishing for salmon. Drift fishing is a common method used to catch both steelhead and salmon. The angler casts their line upstream, you then let the line drift down through the run or pool. Once your line reaches the end of the drift you then reel in the line to start the drifting process over again. Drift fishing is normally done from the shore or an anchored boat.

Generally, the idea is to have enough weight for your setup to bounce along the bottom, touching every foot or two. Ideally, it will drift at approximately the same speed the current is moving. More weight will slow down the speed at which your bait drifts downstream, and less weight will speed up the drift.

The best strategy is to work the entire run from close to the shore and working your way out with each following cast. Once you have covered all the water, you can reach from where you are standing move down a couple of steps and repeat the process. If you get a hit or catch a steelhead or salmon try to make a mental note of where you caste and where the fish hit. Steelhead and salmon use what are called runs so if you catch one it is likely that you will be able to catch more at the same location.

Figure 1. Diagram showing standard strategy for drift fishing a run or drift on a river.

When fishing in crowded conditions, you may simply have to work your way into a line of anglers and fish right where you are, without moving. Cast upstream at a 30-45 degree angle and let your bait bounce along until you reach a 45-30 degree angle downstream. Reel in and do it again. Your goal is to bounce your offering along the bottom until a fish picks it up with its mouth.

Beginning anglers often have trouble telling when a fish picks up the hook or when their gear has caught on a rock. Over time, you will develop a feel for the difference and learn when to set the hook and when to gently coax the gear off of the rocks. You should always remember that when in doubt, set the hook.

Typical drift fishing gear:

• For a good steelhead drift rod or salmon drift rod you will need a 8 ½ or 9 foot rod rated for 10-30 pound line.
• As for a drift fishing reel either a bait casting reel or a spinning reel will work I prefer a bait casting reel on large rivers and a spinning reel on smaller rivers and streams.
• For larger fish, like chinook salmon, use 20-25 pound line. Depending on where you are fishing you may need even heavier line.
• For steelhead drift fishing, you will be using 10-15 pound line most of the time.

You will find there is an endless variety of weights, lures, floats, and/or baits that anglers can use while drift fishing for salmon, and an even larger variety when drift fishing for steelhead.

A standard setup for drift fishing:

One example of a steelhead drift fishing rig using standard salmon drift fishing gear:

Before you head out drifting for steelhead please visit our shop at where you will find all the steelhead gear and salmon gear you need.

This technique is affective on STEELHEAD, SALMON & TROUT

Drift fishing is easy, fun and effective. Many anglers have used the technique over the years. This technique only gains in popularity as more and more streams across the country are supporting trout, steelhead and salmon runs. Whether a beginner or a more experienced angler, this article will help, you become even more successful using the drift fishing method of fishing.

One of the most important, things you can do to improve your fishing success, is to maintain razor sharp hooks on your lures at all times. A fine-toothed file such as Luhr Jensen’s Sharp Hook File^TM is the absolute best hook-sharpening tool available. You hold it parallel to the hook point and with gentle, one-way strokes; remove a small amount of metal on at least two sides of the point. This will create a point with a razor-like cutting edge. Keep the file clean and dry and occasionally spray it with a non-corrosive lubricant such as WD-40. Sharp Hook Files^TM are available in 5 1/2′ x 3/4″ or 4 1/4″ x 5/8″ sizes.
© Luhr Jensen & Sons, Inc.

Typical drift fishing waters consist of a series of pools and rapids, with the pools (drifts) holding feeding, resting or migrating fish. Drifting lures through these pool areas, with the drift fishing technique, will often produce excellent results. The basic drift fishing technique consists of casting across and upstream, and then allowing your drift bobber and accompanying sinker to drift naturally downstream in the current, the sinker gently bouncing along the bottom. When your lure has drifted back near the bank, it is reeled in and another cast and drift made.

Buoyant drift bobbers simulate fish egg clusters, shrimp or other natural baits. Corkies, Sammie’s, and Spin-n-glows are some of the more common ones used. Their success is attributed to their color, action and buoyancy as they are drifted naturally along the bottom through fish-holding water.

There are scores of ways to add weight ahead of a drift bobber. Pencil lead, either solid or hollow core, is the most popular and has proved both economical and easy to use.

Some examples are depicted below:

Solid pencil lead is best fastened to your line using a Lead Cinch^TM, which consists of a three-way swivel and a length of surgical tubing. Your main line is tied to one end of the swivel, leader and bobber to the other end and a section of pencil lead inserted into the Lead Cinch^TM (surgical tubing). If the lead becomes snagged, it will pull away from the tubing and your drift bobber and tubing can be retrieved.

LEAD CINCH^TM: Surgical tubing and swivel rig for holding and attaching solid pencil lead. It comes ready to tie on and is available in three different diameters to fit all popular lead sizes.

LEAD TIP: Your pencil lead should always hang straight, as a bent or crooked piece of lead will often result in twisting or tangling of your line.

One of the big tricks to successful drift fishing is to select just the right amount of weight for the water you are fishing. A weight that is too heavy will snag easily while one that is too light will not keep your drift bobber near the bottom where the fish are. The ideal weight is one that results in a tap-tap-skip action as it makes regular contact with the bottom and then rises a bit before hitting again.

Experienced drift anglers usually start working an unknown drift with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch piece of pencil lead. After making a drift or two, they know if they need to shorten it or lengthen it until the drift feels just right with that tap-tap-skip action.

Hollow pencil lead is best fastened by crimping it to a short leader dropped from a barrel swivel as shown in the illustrations. If this lead becomes snagged, a sharp pull will free the lead from the drop leader and your drift bobber, leader and swivel can normally be retrieved.

Pencil lead comes in coils or long sections so you can cut off the desired amount. Most lead available through sport shops comes in diameters of 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 inch.

Successful drift fishing requires that your line be close to the bottom. Hence, it is important to use a heavier line than you would ordinarily select for lake fishing, as it will have to take the added bottom-scraping abrasion that comes with drifting. We recommend that you use a premium quality, monofilament line, such as Trilene XT® or Berkley® Big Game.

There are three instinctive reasons a fish bites a drift bobber: It is either hungry, protecting its territory or curious. Although strikes can be hard, they are often almost undetectable especially for the novice angler. Some fish will only lightly mouth a bobber and this kind of “take” is very difficult to discern from the lure’s ordinary bottom tapping. Many fish are lost or not hooked simply because the angler just cannot detect these soft pickups. There are, however, two things you can do which will help you seize these light-biters: Use razor-sharp hooks and add some yarn below your bobber.

Sharp hooks are critical no matter what kind of fishing you do, but they become even more important when trying to hook light-biting fish while drift fishing. A fish will have a great deal of difficulty getting a razor-sharp hook out if its mouth without it sinking in somewhere. Once a sharp point catches, every move the fish makes to expel it will only drive it deeper and you will feel a harder “hit” as the fish attempts to throw it.

Yarn is your second edge for hooking light-biters. The addition of a tuft of colorful yarn just ahead of your hook and below the drift bobber will add color and contrast to your lure; it will also make it very difficult for a fish to spit out the hook. Once taken, the yarn tangles in the fish’s teeth and every effort to get rid of the lure will send another signal to you to set the hook.

Drift anglers use yarn to give their lures added appeal and color. By tying a tuft on the hook itself, or just below the bobber so as not to interfere with its action, you will often increase a bobber’s effectiveness. As indicated earlier, yarn also can catch in the teeth of fish, allowing you extra time to feel the “set” and set the hook.