minnows under a float

I may get gut punched for this.....

I think you guys give the fish too much credit. I've fished minnows/skein/whatevercrapiwant under a float...sent it packin'...and really never had to adjust anything more than depth. Either I'm a fish magnet...or they're stoopid. Maybe vice versa

The only time I worry about split shot is when the current is very fast, other than that I don't think it's a huge factor.

ORIGINAL: ShutUpNFish

I'd use pretty much the same set up if I'm float fishing...even with live minnows.  Maybe just a little less weight down toward the offering.  HOWEVER, I have not yet found the need to use live minnows while packing my hand tied egg sacs or jigs

Weight and rigging may not be a factor for some and thats fine...it sure is a factor for me, always.  I'm curious to know what a good steelhead fishing day is on the creeks for some of you....5 fish?  8 fish?  10 fish? or 20?  

I agree shut.   Weight and rigging is always a factor for me too. I t all depends on the water conditions. That is the determinating factor on what type of rig im going to use.

For me I enjoy just fishing for dem dare steelies. If I hook one Im happy, everthing else is a bonus for the day. Although I have had double digit catch days. Those are the days when you just throw everything at em and they take it.
To sum it all up , if I have a 6 fish catch day its been decent to good. Mostly depends on how hard I work for it. Fishing with a friend sometimes it doesnt matter if I catch em , just BS'in and wetting a line works too.

In response to Shutupnfish; A good steelie day for me is when I can get 1 fish to bite any of my offerings, dont necesarily have to land em.............

Amazingly....I have the opposite effect on people...go figure.

IMO the only time minnows are necessary on the Erie tribs are in gin clear low water conditions.  If you are using any weight or a float at all youre doing it wrong...  and if its warm make it fatheads.  
 
As far as pattering shot goes, we're fishing small streams...  Don't make this harder than it has to be.  Clamp some shot on a foot or so above your offering and make sure you mend your float.  You'll be fine...  For the record, centerpin fishing PA tribs is a joke.
 
-Tim 

minnows under a float drifted thru a pack of suspended  (read tip lipped)  steel can be deadly
almost like cheatin'!.... "IF" the minnow is LIVELY and drifted at fish eye level thru the school

weight is necessary for a LIVELY fathead or it will swim right to the top in TERROR and pass right over the steel

the LIVELY minnow (fatheads are best cause they don't die after the first cast) must be at fish eye level.
 or suspended steelies won't pay it no mind
They're not biting out of hunger, they'll attack it if LIVELY cause it pi$$es 'em off that a little pip squeak would dare enter their "zone"

don't keep tossing a dead minnow if you're dead drifting the frog water under a float
and if the minnow swimming to the surface (and it will  if  LIVELY when it gets close to steel) you have to some weight to keep it in the zone


..l.T.A.

No dissrespect to anyone...I'm just sayin'

ORIGINAL

IMO the only time minnows are necessary on the Erie tribs are in gin clear low water conditions.  If you are using any weight or a float at all youre doing it wrong...  
 For the record, centerpin fishing PA tribs is a joke.

Untrue.....Depends on conditions. There's no "wrong" way to stick em. It's so easy a caveman could do it. For the record....All the "fishing" for Erie steel is a joke. Thousands of fish locked in a bathtub. I've used weight, bobbers, and everythang in between...with pretty good success. JMO



They're not biting out of hunger, they'll attack it if LIVELY cause it pi$$es 'em off that a little pip squeak would dare enter their "zone"


While not popular with some of yinz....I do this with spoons....nothing like seein one run to the side of the hole to cream an invader....in low, clear conditions...again jmo.

Just my opinion but I catch twice as many fish without weight or a float in those conditions...  don't have much of problem with minnows swimming to the top after the first cast or two.  I'd rather work from fish to fish than drift a float through pods(boring).  Not saying that you wont catch fish on minnows in other conditions, but half the reason I use them is to watch the strike...  Also not claiming to be any kind of minnow fishing expert, thats just my expierence with them.  I'll stick to jigs in clear flow most of the time anyways.
 
As far as PA steelheading being a joke...  I completely agree that it is un-natural for thousands of fish to be cramed into shale drainage ditchs...  But is it fun to catch them?  Yes.  Still not making any argument against my statement that centerpinning the PA tribs is a joke.
 
-Tim

I believe what he is saying is that when the water is low and clear, then flatlining minnows would be the best tactic to employ....when the water is deeper and the fish are stacked, then a float would be more appropriate.  When the fish are in shallow water How can you pin in 7 inches?  There is a time and a place for the centerpin, Erie when it is low and clear is not one of them.  That's what I never understood why guys use them, but that's just me.  

Pin fishing is a method used in primarily deeper pools and long runs.  Its NOT a fly reel or anywhere close to that method, so a pinner/float fisherman would never even think to fish in 7" of water anyway.  The ONLY time I'd pull the pin out to fish Elk is when the crowds are down and I can effectively fish certain areas of the stream.  That should tell you that I use it very seldom on Elk.  I started centerpin fishing last year, but have been using the same techniques float fishing with my spinning reel and a noodle for years.  There ARE some nice runs on Elk for a pinner, so making a claim that its a joke in PA tribs is a bit extreme if you ask me...especially when I've seen the method outproduce anyone else on a given area of stream many times.  I personally am still more comfortable with the control of the spinning reel, but am still experimenting with this new and intriguing method of fishing. 

Honestly, I think using minnows is more of a joke on the streams than using a pin....BUT I'll put it in a nicer way...its less necessary.  the only reason I for-see using minnows would be times when the water is stained and higher where scent and movement are more needed to attract the fish to hit.  Minnows are great, don't get me wrong, but theres really NO need to get your hands wet in freezing temps with minnies when you can simply tie on a jig or sac which are, IMO, as effective if not more (most of the time).  When I need scent, an egg sac does the trick and different colors work in different water clarities.  Also the jigs size and colors....all you need.  I have yet to ever see someone using minnows slaying fish when everyone else around was not.  As far as the method of how one chooses to fish for steel....doesn't matter to me how, as long as you're courteous to others around you on the stream.

20 hookups is about the average day. Some way better, some worse.. Always looking for that triple didgit.


NOTHING out fishes good eggs


at the lake front, 'WE" slam the steel on Gulp minnows. As good or better than the LIVELY ones. Not LIVLEY at all (Oh yeah, on my centerpin)

Did someone say these fish were stupid? DING< DING< DING

ORIGINAL: ShutUpNFish

I'd use pretty much the same set up if I'm float fishing...even with live minnows.  Maybe just a little less weight down toward the offering.  HOWEVER, I have not yet found the need to use live minnows while packing my hand tied egg sacs or jigs

Weight and rigging may not be a factor for some and thats fine...it sure is a factor for me, always.  I'm curious to know what a good steelhead fishing day is on the creeks for some of you....5 fish?  8 fish?  10 fish? or 20?  

 
 
We'e been thru this number thing before
A good enough day is one fish
a great day is 50
a really great day would be 100 [altho I've yet to land more than 60 or so
 
 
getting back to the bobber split shot question:
the amount of shot is determined by the size of the float
each size float needs x amount of lead to make it drift right
for example, the smaller floats [homemade] we use at the Pa. streams take 6 B's, no more, no less      Glen

When I take beginers up early in the season, I'll let them use Minnows. Drag free drifts don't seem to be quite as important with Minnows as it is with flies or eggs. It's just one less thing for the beginner to worry about. Besides, they catch steel just as well for me.

Its all good duuds...