CLEVELAND, Ohio — Lake Erie’s steelhead trout are hungry, and lots are being caught from around the Northeast Ohio River mouths and in the lower sections of the rivers have been worthy of a snapshot or two before being released.
The average size of the steelhead trout being hooked this year has been larger than recent years. More rain is needed to lure the silver bullets up the rivers on their spawning runs, and that’s what is in the forecast for Friday and Saturday.
The waterways east of Cleveland seem to have larger numbers of steelhead trout showing up right now than the Cleveland area rivers. That could be due to stray trout from the plentiful releases by Pennsylvania wandering into Ohio.
Casting for trout from the piers and breakwalls, especially in the Ashtabula and Conneaut areas, has been very good. Anglers prowling the shoreline and casting spoons like the Little Cleo and in-line spinners such as the Vibrax and Roostertail early and late in the day have reported fair to good success.
Stick floats and tiny black-haired marabou jigs allowed to drift in the current of the lower portions of the Northeast Ohio streams by wading anglers are hooking steelhead. The rivers are now down after last weekend’s rains, and fishermen would welcome the rain forecast.
Rick Kustich steelhead trout photos are outstanding: A long-time steelhead trout fishing friend, Rick Kustich of Western New York has shared a few of his magnificent steelhead trout fishing photographs. Kustich is a fly fishing author whose Advanced Fly Fishing for Great Lakes Steelhead has received rave reviews, and he has penned four other fly-fishing titles.
Anglers are invited to enjoy his trout photos on his Instagram and Facebook sites @rickkustich or on his website at www.rickkustich.com.
Jeff Liskay at Chagrin River Outfitters: Noted Avon Lake fly fishing instructor and guide Jeff Liskay is featured in clinics Saturday at Chagrin River Outfitters, 100 North Main St., Chagrin Falls. Trouble Shooting Common Casting Faults is at 1 p.m., with Fall Swim Tactics at 2:45 p.m. Call 440-247-7110 to reserve a spot for the clinics, or its popular Steelhead 301 Class on Nov. 5-7.
Pribanic’s trout forecast: Owner Dan Pribanic of Chagrin River Outfitters said it does not seem like too long ago that fall steelhead fishing in Ohio always got off to a slow start, with little momentum until late November. Because of forward thinking by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and experimenting with the strains of steelhead trout they stock each spring, it seems like that trend is shifting.
The stocking of steelhead strains whose runs are more spread out now, and enter the streams earlier than the Manistee strain from Michigan, has resulted better fall fishing. Last year it was very apparent, and I expect the same to be true this year.
It’s not the outstanding spring-like fishing, but encounters with fish seem to be on the rise in October and November, and that should put a smile on anglers’ faces. December is a great month now, our overall favorite. Fish numbers are good, crowds are light, and there is excitement it is steelhead trout time once again.
Lake Erie fall walleye bite is on: The schools of walleye continue to move west on Lake Erie to feed and stage before the spring spawn. Anglers from Cleveland to Huron are now reporting good success. The top water depth from Vermilion to Huron has been 41-42 feet, and spoons and spinner rigs are working well for trolling fishermen. Some shallow-water walleye are cooperating in the Ruggles Reef area in 30 feet of water.
Catfish, trout are waiting: The Family Fishing Fest is Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation ponds south of Cleveland. It’s free, there are prizes for the kids, and bait and some loaner fishing rods are available. The parks have released 600 pounds of channel catfish and 1,000 pounds of rainbow trout.
Roosters on the run around Ohio: A total of 14,000 colorful male pheasants will be released at 25 public hunting areas around Ohio starting this month.
The release dates include weekend youth hunts on Oct. 23-24 and Oct. 30-31. Pheasants will be released for youth and adult hunters on the regular season opener on Friday, Nov. 5; the second Saturday of the season on Nov. 13; and Thanksgiving Day, which is Thursday, Nov. 25.
Pheasant stockings in Northeast Ohio are at Camp Belden Wildlife Area, Charlemont Metro Park, Berlin Wildlife Area, Grand River Wildlife Area, Highlandtown Wildlife Area (no youth releases), Spencer Wildlife Area, West Branch Wildlife Area (no youth releases) and Zepernick Wildlife Area (no youth releases).
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