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Lake Erie Charter Captain Dave Adams of D & D Charters answers questions and provides tips and insights into fishing the region.
If you would like to Ask the Captain a question, please click HERE.
January 18, 2004
Karl Weixlmann talks about minnows and steelhead
John Asks:
Capt. Dave -
I have been fishing for steelhead in Elk Creek and just recently discovered that shiners are one of the best baits to use. I have talked to several people about the best way to put them on the hook. Some say through the eyes others the back and still others the lip.
What is the best way to keep the shiner on the hook and alive? Does it matter if the shiner is alive? My second question is how long should the line be from my float to my hook, and how far above the hook should I place my split shot?
Thanks,
John
Captain Dave's Response:
Hello John,
I'm a complicated angler. On Lake Erie I use a variety of tactics and I'm always looking for the edge. And I'm successful at that. But when I'm fishing for tributary steelhead, it's simplicity. I hook a minnow through the tail and catch a fish. Ultimately, I am not that successful on the tributaries because steelhead fishing is more complicated than hooking a minnow on a hook.
So, I asked local steelhead guide, Karl Weixlmann for advice on your question.
Good Fishing,
Capt. Dave Adams
Here is Karl's answer:
Shiners and Steelhead
It was an unseasonably warm April day in the early 1980's when I became stricken with the "sickness" of steelheading and fishing with emerald shiners was the conductor for obtaining this disease. It seemed that every time I dropped that sliver of silver shiner into the current seam of a deep plunge pool on a favorite East Side tributary, the hard rap of a steelhead would telegraph up the line and into my soul. The rush of a leaping steelhead fresh from the lake became the only palpable way of relief, and fishing with shiners, alive or salted, became my panacea taken in heavy doses.
Everyone knows that big fish eat little fish. Shiners were my original ticket of entry into the steelhead show along steelhead alley. Back in those days, I lived in the town of Wesleyville on the East Side of Erie and bait stores were hard to find. So we relied heavily upon salted emerald shiners as our main source of connecting with steelhead.
Today, the steelheader has many options for procuring and carrying live baits along the tributaries. Presentation methods with these baits can vary greatly depending upon the type of water being fished or time of the year. And the good old salted minnow still catches a lot of fish.
Emeralds and Fatheads
Common minnow baits available in local shops include emerald shiners and fathead minnows. Each bait seems to have its place with emeralds getting the nod in winter and spring, fatheads getting the nod during the fall months. That's not to say that emerald's do not work in the fall. They're just harder to keep alive during warmer weather when a lively, active bait attracts the most interest from fish.
Several October's ago, I stood nearby a young angler at the Elk Creek Access that was cleaning house on fathead minnows while the egg patterns from my fly box received sparse attention. Only when I switched over to a streamer, imitating the minnow and it's action, did I receive comparable results.
Native emerald shiners begin making their appearance in the lower ends of tributaries during late winter and are found in abundance throughout the spring, making this the right time to "match the hatch" with this bait.
Bounce it on the bottom
In runs, riffles, and the fast, deep water at the head of a pool, it's best to use the time-honored tradition of drifting your shiner along the bottom with the bait hooked through the eyes or lips. Dead or live baits work well when fishing these water types. Dead baits like salted minnows will draw attention when hooked through the eye sockets and cast up and across from a steelhead's location. Crimp split shot, the amount determined by depth and speed of water onto the line 6 to 12 inches from a size 10 or 12 bait hook to achieve the proper "drift". Live baits work best when hooked through the lips when fishing faster, moving currents.
Live line it
The slow, deeper sections of pools are better spots to fish with a float and your bait set at the approximate depth of the water being fished. Here, live baits are more effective because a steelhead has more time to inspect your presentation. An even better way to draw strikes in these areas is to "live line" your shiner. Lightly hook the shiner through the back with a size 12 or 14 hook with a small split placed up the line. Put your split shot farther away from the bait in clear water conditions and cast into the deeper holding spots. Lip hooked baits also work here. The shiner will slowly sink, wiggling in an enticing manner.
If steelhead are near, the shiner will try to dart from the area, triggering vicious strikes that can literally rip the rod from your hand.
The Quick Minnow
I was lucky enough to witness the evolution of Ron Kuhl's invention from prototype to the product that is now found at numerous sporting good distributors and bait shops. The Quick Minnow is a unique bait holding dispenser that has revolutionized the way an angler carries live bait on the stream and shoreline. Gone are the days of bulky buckets, spilling water, and wet hands ineffectively trying to catch your shiner. The container holding the bait features a unique bearing operated nozzle. The minnow is fed into the nozzle simply by tipping down the container. Water drains automatically away from the bait and the minnow easily pops into your hand. This product is a must for those anglers who enjoy the spank of a steelhead on a shiner.
Next up, lead core fishing line
Capt. Dave,
"What type of a setup, (rod & reel) do you prefer for lead core..."
Here's a sample:
Tommy Skarlis of Walker, Minn. won the $63,000 first prize as the top pro angler in the MinnKota Northeastern Pro-Am (Professional Walleye Tour) at Dunkirk, New York on July 9-11, 2003. Skarlis found his fish less than 30 feet deep over nearly 90 feet of water, and trolled lead core line to take his lures to them.
Tom Mears, winner of the 2003 Western Pennsylvania Anglers Lake Erie walleye tournament At North East recommends lead core because it gives the angler the ability to easily present a lure at a desired depth. "For the Eastern Basin, six colors of 18-pound test lead core, with a 50-foot fluorocarbon leader is a good rule of thumb," he said. "If the fish are deeper, add a color."
Until then,
Good fishing and think spring,
Capt. Dave Adams
Dave Adams is an author and professional charter captain who operates D & D Charters on the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie.
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