American Steelhead Opener Report

The much anticipated American River steelhead opener on Jan. 1 was largely a bust. We hooked one good fish early in the morning and then had a couple of other bites but only landed one halfpounder. I talked to a dozen or so other boats who didn't catch a fish either. 

The water was high (4,500 cfs) which makes it kinda like a needle in a hay field (notice I didn't say haystack). With the big rains coming in Jan. 7-8, flows are headed for 15,000 cfs and likely more. We are on standby at this point...

On a positive note, I saw plenty of salmon still spawning which was cool. I just hope the redds don't get all scoured out by the rain. 

If you can't go fishing, you might as well read about it! Check out my latest eBook: The Ultimate Guide to Steelhead Bank Fishing