Using a Side Planer with Plugs

It’s December 8th and we’re getting a steady stream of hatchery steelhead reports pouring in from around Western Washington. A handful of the big name rivers that routinely pump out hatchery brats this time of year are doing just that.

When it comes to hatchery brats we typically talk about jigs, jigs, and more jigs. Hatchery winter steelhead keg up just below the hatcheries giving bank anglers a great opportunity to don the waders and stroke some steelhead on a jig and float from the beach. It’s easy and it’s hard to argue with it’s effectiveness.

What about the fish that don’t hit a jig though? There’s more than a few fish in the river that simply don’t want to mess with a jig. They’ve been there, done that. That’s where a plug comes in handy and really the only way to fish a plug effectively from the bank is with a Luhr Jensen Side Planer.

This is a great way to come in behind the morning masses and mop up a few fish behind everyone else. And if you find some room on the river in the morning to deploy this killer system that’s fine too!

Here’s Forest Foxworthy showing how to setup the Luhr Jensen Side Planer:

Hatchery winter steelhead simply don’t see that many plugs nowadays, yet they are deadly effective. Run a Hot Shot 35 or a K-11 behind one of these bad boys in a hatchery terminal area where you just know that hatchery brats are keg’d up and you might be surprised.

Thanks for stopping by and good steelhead fishing to you this winter!

Rob Endsley
The Outdoor Line
710 ESPN Seattle