Everytime I look at a Steelhead, it looks like a super sized rainbow.  Just wondering if these are actually two different species.

Steelhead trout basically is a rainbow trout except they are not land locked...

They make a run from a lake to a river or stream to spawn.

And yes they get huge!  

A "steelhead trout" is a sea-run"rainbow trout", and includes the Great Lakes.

Steelhead trout are sought by fishermen during their spawning run into freshwater.

Roger

Yea, and right now is prime time to catch one! Every time i go steelheading, i get a nice big female and usually lose it about 5' from shore after a strenuous battle (and these things fight) due to several reasons. Including a broken hook, opened split ring, improper rod, bad person at the net, etc.

steelhead are a beautiful fish. I was fortunate to land one last year salmon fishing in NY. (Salmon river, Pulaski,NY)

I just landed a fresh steelhead today! It was my biggest yet, 27 inches, which isnt giant, but it sure fought like a MONSTER on 6lb test and an ul 9' rod. Took me close to 10 minutes to land it. Later in the season, these fish can be tamed really easily, but now they are completley wild!!!

Steelhead will make you think you cant land a  fish any more  ;D ;D.  I grew up drift fishing for them in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest.  Man, it is something to behold when a 10-12 lb. metalmouth dancing on its tail about 20 ft. from you in a fast flowing stream, and then he spits the hook back at ya. : : : :

I grew up drift fishing for them in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest. Man, it is something to behold when a 10-12 lb. metalmouth dancing on its tail about 20 ft. from you in a fast flowing stream, and then he spits the hook back at ya.

You lucky devil

When I was very young, I used to dream about running my own trap-line in British Columbia (really).

Roger

steelhead are a beautiful fish. I was fortunate to land one last year salmon fishing in NY. (Salmon river, Pulaski,NY)

Yup!,.He was yummy too! Nathan threw a bag of filets my way from that trip. Yummy.

Rolo, you're turning into quite a good looking woman!  Nice avatar

I grew up drift fishing for them in the rivers of the Pacific Northwest.  Man, it is something to behold when a 10-12 lb. metalmouth dancing on its tail about 20 ft. from you in a fast flowing stream, and then he spits the hook back at ya.  

 

You lucky devil

When I was very young, I used to dream about running my own trap-line in British Columbia (really).

Roger

In my opinion, for other than big LMB, the Pacific Northwest probably has one of the best fisheries in the world... you can catch freshwater fish, saltwater fish, everything from suckers and squawfish to salmon, steelhead, lake trout, crappie, perch, bluegill, bass,  kokanee, sturgeon, snapper, cod, flounder, etc..... all within about an 1.5 hr. drive, depending where you live.  So, yes, I have to agree,  I was lucky growing up there, and having so many fishing and hunting opportunities...  Seen and experienced  things a lot of people only get to see on T.V.  

Yup!,.He was yummy too!  Nathan threw a bag of filets my way from that trip.  Yummy.

YUCK!

Where I come from they taste like absolute garbage....

Which isnt a bad thing because it shys a lot of the meat hunters away...

If steelhead tasted like salmon I would be a very very fat man.... ;D

Rolo, you're turning into quite a good looking woman!

They say when two people fish together long enough, they start to look alike ;D

We're easy to tell apart though, she's the one with the bend in her rod

Roger

In my opinion, for other than big LMB, the Pacific Northwest probably has one of the best fisheries in the world... you can catch freshwater fish, saltwater fish, everything from suckers and squawfish to salmon, steelhead, lake trout, crappie, perch, bluegill, bass, kokanee, sturgeon, snapper, cod, flounder, etc..... all within about an 1.5 hr. drive, depending where you live. So, yes, I have to agree, I was lucky growing up there, and having so many fishing and hunting opportunities... Seen and experienced things a lot of people only get to see on T.V.

And you can throw in halibut, bighorn sheep, rocky mountain goat, moose, elk, woodland caribou, mountain caribou,

grouse, pine marten, black bear, grizzly bear, fisher, lynx, bobcat, mink, and a whole bunch more.  Heaven on Earth!

Roger

liquidsoap- i dont know where your from, but the steelies and salmon in my river taste almost identical, if not indestinguishable. They are both delicious! Our problem isnt the people fishing for meat, it the people fishing for eggs. Thats pretty much the only reason a majority of the people here fish for. Get more eggs, and catch more fish. Thats fine, but some throw out the meat and everything.