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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.
September 22, 2004
Open Water Steelhead
By Karl Weixlmann
The planer board sliced through the gentle rolling waves with its bright red flag bobbing in the morning sun. Suddenly the board jerked violently backward, sending a plume of water into the air as a steelhead trout viciously hammered the plug on the outside release. Another rod jerked down on the starboard side of the boat and two chrome bright steelhead hit the air simultaneously in a thrashing, tail walking ballet. Another double header was on as the First Mate scrambled to clear lines and the Captain slowed the boat. Multiple hookups like this are common along Pennsylvania's Lake Erie shoreline during the months of August, September and October.
A virtually untapped bonanza for steelhead can be found in the waters of Lake Erie by trolling plugs and spoons both inshore and offshore of the tributary mouths. While the popular holes at Walnut, Elk, and Twenty Mile Creeks are clogged with anglers, boaters and Charter Captains have free reign over a huge expanse of water.
To give you an idea of the success that this fishery can bring, a chartered trip with Buckets Charters that was raffled off by the P.A. Steelhead Association yielded 17 fish in the net, and that's not counting the steelhead that threw the hook. With open water in which to leap and run, these fish really put on a show with line burning runs of 100 feet or more. Most of the fish hooked are out of the water more than in it, making these rainbow trout on steroids one of the world's premiere gamefish.
Instead of tackling the big lake on your own, I recommend that you hire a professional Charter Boat Captain. He will have the latest technology, (such as a thermo-troll to determine where the thermocline or water temperature change is); electronics and gear such as downriggers and planer boards, along with an intimate knowledge of Lake Erie that will result in a successful trip.
For those of you with big water experience and a seaworthy boat, you can utilize the following guidelines. Remember that with all fishing there are variables which can increase or decrease your catch.
The fishery starts to heat up in the month of August 5 to 17 miles offshore, in or above the thermocline with lines set 45 to 65 feet down. Spoons along with dodger/fly combos will be consistent producers at this time. As a general rule, try 4-inch chrome/blue spoons and other flashy color schemes on sunny days, then switch to black, green or purple (with glow tape) on cloudy days. Good product choices for spoons include Northern Kings (NK's), Pro Kings and Alpena Diamonds. Use a 50 to 60 foot lead off the downrigger ball.
Dodger/Fly combinations are under utilized and will put a lot of trout in the boat. Steelhead will smack a black/white/silver fly pulled on 20lb. line, 15 to 20 inches behind an 8-inch dodger. With a slow troll between one and two miles per hour, salmon, brown trout, lake trout and walleyes can all be caught at this time.
September and October are the premier months for steelhead trollers. Early in September most fish will still be found offshore with increasing numbers of fish moving inshore toward the end of the month. All along the lakeshore steelhead put on the feed bag by crashing into schools of baitfish before charging up the tributaries. Huge schools
of steelhead are seen by charter captains at this time.
Now is the time to pull plugs, working the 10 to 20 foot depths with Thundersticks, Thin Fins, Bombers and Blakemores in orange, red, black or green. Main mast planer boards pulling multiple sets of plugs and in-line boards keep the lures away from the boat and in front of spooky steelhead. Lighter tackle can be used at this time using 10 to 17lb. monofilament and reels with lightly set drags for those bone jarring hits.
For a new perspective on the Erie steelhead fishery, bring your boat on up or hire a professional charter boat captain. You will experience the full measure of the species and realize why the Steelhead Trout is King in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Karl Weixlmann is an author and steelhead guide from the Erie, Pennsylvania area. For information on his guide service, Fly Fish Erie, please click HERE.
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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