American Steelhead Opener Begins With Big Expectations, Slow Fishing   By: Dan Bacher January 27, 2007 More Articles by Dan

The opening of the upper stretch of the American River below Nimbus Fish Hatchery is essentially a social event for anglers, a celebration of the New Year. Sometimes, such as on the 2002 opener, the fishing is hot, but more often than not the fishing is downright tough, like it was in 2003, 2005 and again this year.

On the day before the opening of steelhead season on the American River, Bill Back of Orangevale and me were checking out the river below Nimbus Fish. Releases below Nimbus Dam were 2232 cfs and water was clear and cold, but the prospects were encouraging.

“I’ve taken the last two weeks off for vacation so I could fish Nimbus Basin for steelhead,” said Back, who reported catching and releasing a total of 26 fish during that period. “The fishing was good after the Bureau of Reclamation removed the weir, but it has slowed down since.”

Back is a dedicated steelhead angler, as well as a frequent participant and winner in kokanee and trout derbies throughout northern California. He caught the majority of his steelies while using Little Cleos in silver/blue and gold. 

The number of steelhead returning to Nimbus Fish Hatchery was also very encouraging. Nimbus Fish Hatchery at press time had received 1891 adult steelhead and 9 half pounders, compared to 739 adults and 41 half pounders by the same date last year, according to Bob Burks.

When the next morning arrived, guide and friend Rodney Fagundes, his buddy Kenny “Ghostfish Slayer” and I were the first people on the river in a boat.  Rodney had launched his boat and gone upriver from Sailor Bar before I got there and met him below the fish hatchery.

For the two hours before legal fishing time, Rodney cooked up some delicious breakfast burritos while Kenny and I watched the news on a portable television. As we watched TV in the dark, we could see lights of other drift boats and pontoon boats slowly make their way through the fog.

By the time Rodney, Kenny and I put our plugs in the water at legal fishing time, there was an armada next to us. Unfortunately, the fishing was very slow.  Kenny had two takedowns on the plugs in the first hour, but no further bites. 

However, I saw three steelhead caught by anglers in one boat, but all of the other drift boaters and pontoon boaters I saw fishing below the hatchery got the giant goose egg!  

Josh Hindley of Ferndale caught his first ever steelhead, an 8 lb. 9 oz. fish, on a red and green Hot Shot while fishing in the drift boat rowed by Dan Andrews.  Dave Bristol of Sacramento caught and kept a 10 lb. 1 oz. steelhead while using a black and red Hot Shot. Andrews, just before the trio went into the launch ramp at Sailor Bar, also caught and released a bright steelhead. While fishing was tough for the other boaters we saw, fishing was on fire for these guys!

Meanwhile, we saw maybe 3 fish hooked up by the bank anglers. I shouted out at Bill Back, “Get any fish?” “Just one bite – the fishing’s dead,” Back said.

It was 11:30 am and I made the fateful decision to get off the river and take some photos of steelhead caught on the opener. I arranged with Bristol, Hindley and Andrews so I could meet them in the parking lot over at Sailor Bar, since they were going in early.

I had a feeling that Rodney and Kenny would catch fish right after I left the river, but I needed to get some photos – it was five hours into the season and I had no good photos of steelhead yet.

I saw three steelhead on the stringers of anglers along the river. Jerry Branaugh of Rocklin bagged a gorgeous 12.5 lb. hatchery steelhead while using a red bead with black yarn (egg sucking leech imitation).

Most experienced anglers I talked to didn't even have a hit. The only redeeming thing about the opener was that the fish I actually saw caught were big, bright and gorgeous, ranging from 8 to 12-1/2 pounds.   

Sure enough, during my absence from Rodney’s boat, Kenny caught a gorgeous 10 lb. hatchery steelhead on a Hot Shot. That was 1 fish for 3 anglers in the boat, a heck of a lot better than 0 fish for 3 anglers!

On the same day, Jeff Oliver and Claudio Tuleu nailed three beautiful steelhead while fishing “downriver” with Rick Soto, fishing guide.

Two clients fishing with Bob Sparre of Rocky River Guide Service also ended up with one 5 lb. steelhead and 6 half pounders on a trip from Sunrise to Rossmoor Bar on January 1. They caught all of the fish on salmon roe.

And the two clients fishing with Randy Buffington of American River Guide Service caught 4 steelhead to 5 pounds while drifting from Sunrise to Gristmill. “We landed one on a Little Cleo at Effie Yeah Nature center, one at El Manto on boondoggled salmon roe, and 2 more steelies at just above and below at the Arden Rapids on jet divers and roe,” said Buffington.

“Overall, the opener was lackluster,” observed Buffington. “Besides being pounded by bankies and drift boats, a huge full moon stomped out any cooperation the fish might have been willing to lend. Lockjaw was the most frequent word on the river and shrugged shoulders and negative head shaking told the story between anglers anxious to see if anybody was hooking up.”

By contrast with this year’s poor opener, last year was a very good opener, in spite of 30,000 cfs flows and muddy water. Anglers fishing from the bank hooked up to 7 steelhead each, with one angler nailing a bright salmon, two quality steelhead and a huge resident rainbow.  

The fishing hasn’t improved since the opener, but appears to have actually become worse. Bob Sparre of Rocky River Guide Service reported that he didn’t hook any steelhead during a trip below Sunrise on Saturday, January 6. 

However, don’t despair. When the water temperature warms up and more fresh steelhead enter the river, we should see banner fishing because this is a  above normal year for steelhead returns.

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