Spin Fish for Steelhead on the Lower Deschutes
Premier Spinner & Plug Fishing Just 2 Hours from Portland, Oregon
Aug 26, 2009
A 2 hour drive from Portland, the last few miles of Oregon's Deschutes River are beautiful, fast and wide as it courses through basaltic rock canyons. The sweeping hills are golden in late summer, and returning steelhead draw hundreds of fishermen.
Oregon's Deschutes River
The Deschutes River flows north from Oregon's central mountain range into the massive Columbia River just a few miles north of The Dalles. The entire length of the river is popular with white water enthusiasts, hikers and fishermen. The upper reaches of the river are a blue-ribbon trout habitat, and much of the lower river is a world-class steelhead fishery.
The lower 15 miles can be reached fairly easily from the mouth at the Columbia. Drift boat guides float the river from Mack's Canyon, about 25 miles upriver, and jet boat guides lead trips in the opposite direction from the mouth. There is a campground on the east side of the river's mouth, and streamside trails on both sides of the river. The trail on the east side is good for bicycling, giving bike fishermen excellent access to 15 miles of that side of the river. Fish can be found throughout the 15 mile stretch, but knowing where to find steelhead is as important as how to fish them.
From July into December, both native and hatchery summer steelhead enter the river in large numbers. Fishing from boats or other floating devices, like float tubes, is not permitted, so bicycle and hiking fishermen are not competing with boat-based fishermen. Fly fishing may be the most common method of fishing the river, but many fishermen also use spinning rods.
Fishing with Spinners on the Lower Deschutes River
Probably the most common non-fly fishing method on the lower Deschutes River is the use of spinners and a spinning rod. Because of the width of the river, longer spinning rods are preferable to shorter ones. Eight pound test monofilament line is ideal. Connect a barrel swivel to the line, and add another 4 or 5 feet of 8-pound monofilament below the swivel to give added protection against line twist.
Tie a spinner directly to the leader section of line, rather than use a snap swivel. Fish the spinner similarly to fishing a fly. Cast the spinner upriver at about a 45 degree angle (a fly would be cast 45 degrees downriver) and engage the reel. Let the spinner cascade downstream in the current without retrieving, maintaining just enough pressure on the reel handle to keep the line tight. Hold the rod tip slightly above the horizontal, and let the spinner swing through an arc as it reaches the furthest downstream position before retrieving. Many strikes come at this final arc, and some upon retrieval, so retrieve the spinner slowly.
After 2 casts of different length, take 2 or 3 steps downriver and begin the process again, working as long a section of river as possible. Note that there is no mistaking a steelhead "take" on a spinner, as compared with some flies. Steelhead will generally hit a spinner full force, pulling the rod tip deep to the water. One of the most important tasks when fishing spinners and plugs is continuously keeping your hook razor sharp. Carry a file at all times and file a 3-sided point onto the tip, to the point where the hook tip will catch on your thumbnail. File brand new hooks, and re-file your hook after any cast that scrapes rock, snags or hooks a fish. Re-file hooks every once in awhile, regardless. It's not easy hooking steelhead under any circumstances, so your hook should always be as sharp as possible.
Fishing for Steelhead with Plugs on the Deschutes
Fishing plugs for steelhead is similar to fishing spinners, and the same line weight and barrel swivel set up should be used. The most effective plugs are deep-diving plugs that float, so the fisherman's first priority is to get the plug under water. Plugs should be cast upriver, as well, but not as far as the 45 degrees used for spinners. As soon as the plug hits the water, click the reel bale and give a sharp upward lift to the rod to drive the plug under the surface. Once under, the current will keep the plug down, as long as the fisherman keeps the line taut. To do this, keep the rod tip pointed away from the plug and turn the reel handle slowly as the plug moves downstream.
At the completion of the drift, retrieve the plug slowly to insure that it doesn't dive too deep and get snagged. Again, take a couple of steps downstream after 2 different length casts. Steelhead hit plugs like they hit spinners, without any room for doubt.
Spin Fishing on the Lower Deschutes is as Effective as Fly Fishing
Using spinners and plugs can be just as exciting and productive as using flies, maybe more so. See a related article for recommended spinner and plug lure selection and color, as well as for a Deschutes River fishing checklist.
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