Steelhead becoming wider target

Chatter around Lake Erie’s central basin and news from Ohio fisheries’ folks indicate the silver bullets are getting busy out in the big water.

Steelhead, the big bruiser rainbow trout that summer in Lake Erie and migrate into the tributaries once they cool to troutlike temperatures, are ganging up offshore and feeding heavily.

Walleye anglers are reporting steelhead action on their trolled baits seven to 15 miles off the coast from Geneva and Ashtabula. The best action is reported to be between 65 and 74 feet of water.

Soon, the steelhead will be heading toward the beaches, where they’ll sniff out the rivers and streams where they’ll spend the balance of the fall, winter and early spring.

The fish will blitz the rivers when the next significant rain falls. Late summer and fall precipitation raises the streams’ levels and cools them to the steelhead’s liking.

When the run is in full swing, the fish will be in most of Erie’s Ohio tributaries, from Conneaut Creek in Ashtabula west to the Vermillion River.

In the meantime, the walleye fleet is enjoying the spectacular fighting steelhead, which leave little doubt as to their species when they strike.

While walleye are excellent table fare, they are not known as acrobats, so when the line starts to rise to the surface, Erie trollers know they’ve hooked up with a steelie.

It won’t be long before beach-bound anglers can catch steelhead by casting spoons and spinners around the stream mouths.

Just wait for the next rainstorm and make sure your waders aren’t leaking.

Humble pie

Lest readers think I write too much about catching easy limits of fish, I share my experience last weekend at bass-filled Chautauqua Lake near Jamestown, N.Y.

I traveled there for a small bass tournament with other Youngstown-area anglers over Labor Day weekend. My eight hours on the water Saturday, during a day spent scouting for catchable largemouths, left me believing I’d be able to put together at least a modest catch during the tournament day.

Sunday dawned foggy and calm. I zoomed up and across the lake three miles to a point where I thought I could catch a couple bass.

Nobody was home.

So I hit another point. Nothing.

As the sun burned off the fog, I moved into a row of docks that was productive the previous day.

Again, no bites. Wow. I was getting worried.

Finally, at 10:30, I hooked a little keeper. Finally! But then I went two hours without another bite.

I finished the day with a limit, built out 10 keepers, but they were skinny little fish just barely legal.

It’s good to have a few tough days. Not exactly fun, mind you, but a little humble pie goes a long way toward reminding you that the fish really do have the upper hand in this game we call fishing.

jwwollitz@aol.com