AOTY Huge steelhead alert!

Steelhead. Those elusive fish native to California. Difficult to target. Difficult to hook. Difficult to land. I'm not referring to smaller rainbow trout that have the chance to go to the ocean but choose to stay in freshwater, I'm referring to honest to god got big in the ocean and returned as a silver missile to spawn steelhead. Many anglers have never had the chance to target them, let alone land one.

There aren't too many entered into AOTY, but Poopsmith just entered the second largest one on record at 32.75 inches! Awesome fish.

Poopsmith on FIRE right now. wowwww what a lengthy fish

I was sooooo stoked just to catch him, then I noticed the adipose and pulled him out of the net for a measure but he was flappin around like crazy. Got him back in the water for the next guy to catch him.

He had a hurt gill plate from either birds or otters in the water, and must have had a tough spawn. When they get trapped in the lagoon they seem to starve a little bit. He took the laziest swipe at my spoon which I was using to dissect an entire stretch of coast, I literally hit every yard of this bank with that spoon and it must have landed right in his face cause he took a swipe and all I saw was that huge chrome arc and my heart started pumping!

But he came in like a log, took one run after seeing the net but luckily I bumped my line to 10 lb flouro and I had a nice hook set corner mouth and was able to turn him back under the boat and into the net.

The measuring ordeal was tough on that guy, I usually keep the lagoon fish in the net and just rough measure from there but "AOTY rules" lol. Took some coaxing but he swam off. I usually dont try to plunge them too hard and pull them backwards but I wasn't able to paddle forward to get water through his gills. Here is the video in my calm zen, post catching a monster.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/uFaQxMRfNcBfnwvD8

More pics and a normal sized steelhead I was targeting.

I was sooooo stoked just to catch him, then I noticed the adipose and pulled him out of the net for a measure but he was flappin around like crazy. Got him back in the water for the next guy to catch him.

Why not retain? 

Awesome catch for the lagoons, biggest one I've seen out of there in a long time.

I was sooooo stoked just to catch him, then I noticed the adipose and pulled him out of the net for a measure but he was flappin around like crazy. Got him back in the water for the next guy to catch him.

Why not retain? 

Awesome catch for the lagoons, biggest one I've seen out of there in a long time.

I was not certain of legality at the time and he looks soo stressed out I'm sure the meat looked like a wet sock, I do retain some healthy cuttys out of the lagoon but I just imagined this one not being the tastiest (I still have loads of steelhead to smoke from the past river season in my freezer too so I just dont need anymore).

I left him for you to go catch Crash!

DaveTheSynthGuy has indoctrinated me on the CPR method for respecting our lagoon fishies, Catch/Picture/Release!

I was sooooo stoked just to catch him, then I noticed the adipose and pulled him out of the net for a measure but he was flappin around like crazy. Got him back in the water for the next guy to catch him.

Why not retain? 

Awesome catch for the lagoons, biggest one I've seen out of there in a long time.

I was not certain of legality at the time and he looks soo stressed out I'm sure the meat looked like a wet sock, I do retain some healthy cuttys out of the lagoon but I just imagined this one not being the tastiest (I still have loads of steelhead to smoke from the past river season in my freezer too so I just dont need anymore).

I left him for you to go catch Crash!

DaveTheSynthGuy has indoctrinated me on the CPR method for respecting our lagoon fishies, Catch/Picture/Release!

That Dave guy is some pusher.  I'd go catch it, but I don't fish anymore   Someone needs to drag me out.

I've always been a fan of retaining any hatchery steelhead in a system that doesn't have a hatchery, but I don't see the harm in releasing that one if you don't want to eat it.  I'd be surprised if that one makes another trip to the ocean.  An osprey or otter will be eating well for sure.

One of the hardest for AOTY, congrats!  That is a hell of a score! 

Awesome steelie, Yaad, congrats!!

Crash wrote: "...but I don't fish anymore " 

Damn! Sorry to hear that Doug, def gotta get you OTW soon then. Joe and I are trying to get up to T'Dad in the next month or so - I'll give ya a holler!