Any Steelhead Fisherman?

[OhioOutdoorsman]

I've been busy fishing for steelhead the past couple of weeks and the action has been quick. Hopefully the cold snap and some rain will bring some fresh fish in....

Anyone else fish for steelhead here? What techniques do you use?

This year I lightened up with a 6 wt as opposed to an 8wt. Been using a lot more florocarbon tippet and 3x as opposed to 2x. Have been doing a lot more tightline across and down swinging, somethimes with a sink tip and a shorter leader.......a lot more hook-ups, a lot less foul hooks, and a a lot fewer broken lines. I'm a very happy man.

 

[BigBronco]

This has been a good Steelhead season for me. All of my fish, but maybe 4 or 5 came on the swing. I have been using heavily weighted Wooly Buggers or Zonkers.

Last weekend I took a 12 year old neighbor out for me. He had only 1 hook-up, but he said it was the best fishing he has had. I let him fight my fish, and now some fish have some new jewelery. Once the APW's open I'll take him out, and teach try to teach him the importance of C&R.

 

[Rtom45]

Are you fishing the Ohio tribs? PA's streams are full of suckers, and they've been heavily stocked so hooking smolts is a problem. I'd say the PA season is just about over.

 

[dryflyguy]

I was at elk and walnut creeks on monday.
The water was pretty murky from the heavy rain sunday night, and I couldn't see into the pools. But i don't think there are many big fish around. All I caught were smolts and suckers, which apparently the streams are full of now. I didn't see anyone catch a decent fish, although there weren't many fisherman around anyway. That tells me a lot right there.
I even drove down to trout run - very few fish there - it's usually packed with them
I was up there in early january, and saw quite a few fish in the streams, - and they were spawning already then.
Maybe all that warm weather we had until mid january got them running early?
I'm also wondering if maybe things are over until fall

 

[FarmerDave]

I used to, but have lost interest the last couple years. I do prefer the Ohio tribs over the PA tribs combat fishing. Believe it or not, I think the larger Ohio tribs are a better fishing experience... and I'm a small stream guy for other trout.

 

[tomgamber]

dryflyguy wrote:
I was at elk and walnut creeks on monday.

Since I don't fish for steelhead (yet) I have a couple questions:

1. Isn't Elk creek an approved trout water, and if so, how can you fish it right now.

2. Do steelhead not fall under the general trout fishing regs?

I did a quick look on the pfbc site, which is what made me wonder the first question. but I haven't really found the kind of info I was looking for yet.

never mind I found it:

Trout and Salmon** Jan. 1 through April 13 15 inches 3 (combined species), only two (2) of which may be lake trout

8 a.m. April 14 through Sept. 3 9 inches 5 (combined species), only two (2) of which may be lake trout

Sept. 4 through April 11, 2008 15 inches 3 (combined species), only two (2) of which may be lake trout

I did notice that the size limit on Erie tribs is 9 (nine) inches though...hmmmm

Wonder if there will ever be a reg that says:
Designated Class A fisheries:9 inches 5 (combined species), only (2) may be Brook Trout.

 

[albatross]

Tom,

There are special regs for the Erie tribs. Look here...

Erie Trib Special Regs

Three fish at least 15 inches long is the current creel limit for trout/salmon/steelhead. These streams are only closed for 32 hours prior to opening day of trout season.

 

[FarmerDave]

Tom, I think the nine inches is to protect the stocked steelhead smolts that haven't left the creeks yet.

 

[tomgamber]

The point is that they could do it if they wanted or there was a need. The nine inches on class a is to protect wild trout that don't have to be stocked...

at nine inches...what are you protecting when its a steelhead.

 

[FarmerDave]

tomgamber wrote:
The point is that they could do it if they wanted or there was a need. The nine inches on class a is to protect wild trout that don't have to be stocked...

at nine inches...what are you protecting when its a steelhead.

I agree Tom, and I knew you were going to say that. My point was it aint going to happen. That they are more interested stocked fish. The steelhead smolts stocked in Pa are less than 9 inches. the browns stocked for put and take are larger than 9 inches.

 

[RLeeP]

Tom:

>>1. Isn't Elk creek an approved trout water, and if so, how can you fish it right now.>>

It's a special accomodation of sorts in deference to the economic value of the steelhead fishery to the greater erie area. They dump the catchables (all browns, IIRC) usually a day or two before the opener.

In the old days before 3CU and the Commission got involved in raising smolts on a volume basis, the catchables Elk Creek received were all rainbows. A reasonable number of these fish that survived the opening week blitz ended up in the lake and formed a significant part of what was called at the time the fishery for "lake run rainbows". They didn't become steelhead until somebody with marketing savvy got involved...


I grew up and lived most of my life within 10 miles of Elk Creek. Like the vast majority of the rest of the Lake Erie basin, it isn't any more trout water than I'm the King of Denmark, which I'm not. It's basically a shale waterslide. But in an area with a dearth of trout water and with landowner's rights conflicts locking up a lot of what does exist, it at least provides a fishery.

 

[tomgamber]

RLeeP wrote:
Tom:

>>1. Isn't Elk creek an approved trout water, and if so, how can you fish it right now.>>

It's a special accomodation of sorts in deference to the economic value of the steelhead fishery to the greater erie area. They dump the catchables (all browns, IIRC) usually a day or two before the opener.

In the old days before 3CU and the Commission got involved in raising smolts on a volume basis, the catchables Elk Creek received were all rainbows. A reasonable number of these fish that survived the opening week blitz ended up in the lake and formed a significant part of what was called at the time the fishery for "lake run rainbows". They didn't become steelhead until somebody with marketing savvy got involved...


I grew up and lived most of my life within 10 miles of Elk Creek. Like the vast majority of the rest of the Lake Erie basin, it isn't any more trout water than I'm the King of Denmark, which I'm not. It's basically a shale waterslide. But in an area with a dearth of trout water and with landowner's rights conflicts locking up a lot of what does exist, it at least provides a fishery.

thanks..we got that answered a few posts ago...

Dave....I wasn't really looking for answers...it was just something to think about..they say they can't make special regs...but they can. They say a 2 inch difference doesn't afford any real protection but they use it for just that purpose. I'm not gonna get into one of these long post debates today..maybe another...thanks for the info.

 

[FarmerDave]

Tom, I wasn't trying to answer anything in the first response. It was just a poor atempt at sarcasm. The second was simply explaining my sarcasm.

It is difficult to communicate sarcasm in writing. I should have said it in the first one. My mistake. If I had highlighted the word "stocked" in the first one, it probably would have saved us a couple messages.

It's been a rough week. Top that off with 6 inches of snow on the ground when I woke up ... and another 3 to 5 expected ... #*

 

[tomgamber]

I still have trouble with that sarcasm font occasionally too.
:-D :-D

 

[OhioOutdoorsman]

Ah, wow, yeah.......

Anyway, back on topic, I have been fishing mainly the Rocky River and the Chagrin. The fish here don't hit the rivers until March and peak the last week in March and first half of April.

I've been wanting to go to Elk and Walnut Creeks. I've been looking for something to do during febuary besides build a bunch of rods I don't need and blog about the PFBC and fishing regs. I've been fishing the Ohio tribs in febuary and am convinced there are very few if any steelhead here during that time. We get zero fall run too.

So what wt and length of rod do you guys use? You think a lighter weight prevents break-offs with lighter tippets?

Do you tight line it or use strike indicators?

Anybody spey?

 

[dryflyguy]

Ohio outdoorsman:

I guess we kinda got sidetracked from your original question.
Anyway, I should state first of all that I'm not a serious steelheader - I get up there maybe once or twice a year from Pittsburgh.
I like small rods - my largest is a 9 ft 5weight - and I use it at Erie OK, but it is a little undersized.
I think a 6 wght is probably about right, although I'll probably get a 7 wght someday if I start steelheading more often.
A buddy of mine has an old Orvis rod that is the perfect size for steelhead IMO - 9 ft 3 inch 7 weight - I don't know if they even make it any more - it's over 20 years old.
As for methods, I drift nymphs and sucker spawn flies with strike indicators.
Your comment on flourocarbon is interesting - I'll think I'll give it a try next time I'm up there