Tips for rainbow fishing ?

[Truenorth 2]

Hey I am a newbie to rainbow fishing and looking to try it out this season. I know the typical egg sacks used for fishing but has anyone had luck with other tackle or bait set ups ? If so what have you used ? Also what and where would you recommend fishing on rivers slow swirling pools or in the main flow of the river ? Let me know any of your tips and tricks much appreciated !

[shmanks 21]

It's all about reading the water to find the fish and where they hold. Here is a good article about reading water http://steelheadmaniac.blogspot.ca/2009/10/reading-water-tutorial-where-steelhead.html?m=1

 

there are several rivers and creeks to fish in and just outside of town: macintyre, neebing, mcvicars, current and then move east towards nipigon.

 

I fish only steelhead spawn I find they produce better than the salmon spawn they sell at dnr. If you don't have any spawn you can order some online from centerpinangling for a good price and they come fresh and work very well. I have seen people use yarn, beads and "trout juice" and still catch fish.  You also need to experiment with float or bottom bouncing rigs adjust weights and use a fluorocarbon leader it made quite the difference when I switched to it. Googling different setups will give you a good idea on how to make your own.  

 

Enjoy, and I hope you get into some fish. I didn't catch any until the end of my second year trying haha

 

[RatherBeFishin 86]

Keep your setup light , if float fishing i stack my weights from bobber (bigger) to hook (smaller) supposed to keep more of a natural looking drift. Also when using bobbers use the ones that allow your line to come directly off the top. This way u can keep your slack line off the water to feel strikes better. I still use a spinning setup but it is a 9ft 6" med action rod. This way when floating a pool i can fish in close and work my way out comfortably. I started out bottom bouncing first couple years. Lost lots and lots of tackle. Switched to float and love it. Loose less tackle and seem to get more hookups. i also usually end up stripping 10 to 15 feet of line off my reel after every couple trips as dragging along rocks and such seems to do a number on it ! Good luck. Looking forward to seeing what other tips come up in this thread ! I am by no means a pro angler for theese species so any info or tips i always take in ! 

[oyo 127]

Depending on the river, Ive had good luck with worms. One rainbow i caught last year in the fall had a belly full of leaches. I havent managed to catch anything on roe yet :(.

[Clewis 25]

All of the long paragraph tips above are great. Just one "tip" I'd like to throw in is don't use anything huge, in this case the "big bait for big fish" rule doesn't work. 

[Truenorth 2]

Thanks awesome tips! Keep em coming !

[kbrest 151]

Small hooks, always adapt weight and leader length to water conditions. Handle fish carefully, hang on tight, enjoy

[TroutHunter 39]

Observe other anglers, but do not intrude... leave the rod in the truck and walk the river and watch.  Some good info can be had from simply watching.  I've also spoken with steelhead anglers on the rivers, some being very helpful, some wouldn't give the time of day, and I've learned about reading waters, setups, fighting and landing fish, etc.  

 

Good luck and have fun!! They're a helluva fish!