Cold Water Steelheading

Ed Moody

Ohio is blessed with some of the best angling available -- that is if fishing in cold water is what you consider enjoyable. When steelhead enthusiasts are not in the frigid streams they are probably glued to weather channels waiting for a forecast of a break in the weather that will be opening up the streams to angling.

Prolonged open-water streams can often encourage fresh steelhead runs into tributaries to Lake Erie.

Although lake-run rainbow trout seldom have feeding frenzies during wintertime slowing of their metabolism, they can be encouraged to strike and run. All a steelhead angler needs to do is to drift spawn sacks, artificial mayfly nymphs, stone fly tipped with a big maggot, and tiny spinners or spoons (all tied to ultra-thin lines) in front of the feisty fish.

To rig a line for steelhead, tie the main line directly to a three-way swivel, the drop-line with a lightweight sinker to another and the ultra-light leader to the third ring.

Sinkers And Floats

The proper sinker weight can be determined only by the stream's current. The sinker, usually a split-shot, needs to be heavy enough to reach the bottom, yet light enough for the current to tumble it along the bottom. It is best to have an extra-light sinker than one that constantly hangs up or doesn't move swiftly enough with the current. A word of caution: When fishing deep pools in the stream be prepared to lose a good number of sinkers and lures. If you don't, you're not fishing properly.

It must be noted that when resting on the gravel bottom steelhead are constantly looking into the current. Their sighting ability is limited to about six inches above the gravel. This requires the attractant, be it spawn or fly, be no higher in the stream than the steelhead's line of sight.

A good rig when drifting in slow current is the use of a drift lure tied above the main lure. The drift lure should be buoyant enough to somewhat tend to lift the lure over the gravel and with enough color or flash to draw the steelhead's attention. Drift lures can be a brilliant fluorescent or two-toned to make them even more eye-catching.

A strike indicator can be put to the same use. These are somewhat larger and float on the water's surface. When they disappear, the angler knows that he has either a hang-up or a steelhead is mouthing the lure. Panfish anglers call strike indicators bobbers.

Instead of a sinker, try using a tiny spoon tipped with a maggot under a strike indicator. The main purpose is to keep the main lure moving with the lure off the rocks and gravel.

Spinners

Anglers interested in more action on their part can use small, flashy spinners. When retrieved crosswise in the current, blade flash can be an awakening call to a resting steelhead. Spinners have proven themselves to be especially effective in deep, clear-water pools and when ice requires the angler to be a distance from open waters. Spinners make excellent "search" lures when attempting to locate the whereabouts of steelhead. When they are located, switch to more productive methods.

An excellent method in the use of spinners is to cast quartering upstream, allowing the spinner to drift along with the current, that is if it's swift enough. When fishing swift current, try letting line out, allowing the spinner to drift naturally downstream. If an adequate drift is taking place, the blade will spin, sending flashes along its path. When doing this be extra alert, a steelhead may be mouthing the spinner, giving the angler the impression the lure is still drifting free. Watch the line where it enters the water. If drifting free, it should be moving. When an angry steelhead strikes a spinner, expect a truly feisty fight. When this happens, and the fish heads downstream, anglers without spare line may want to consider stopping the run at a cost of lost line.

Fluorescent Tape

Another unusual attractant that works is to use a slender piece of florescent tape a few inches above the hook. A piece of tape about 1/8-inch wide by one-inch long doubled around the line a few inches above the hook can draw a steelhead's attention to the main lure tipped with a maggot.

Small Lures

Several fishing trips ago, two anglers new to steelheading showed up with small flatfish as terminal tackle. Casting into ripples of a fast stream, these two inexperienced anglers caught four hefty steelhead in a matter of minutes, while two flustered flyrodders remained fishless.

Private Property

It must be recognized private property along the streams means that the land under the stream belongs to the landowner, while the fish and water belongs to the public. An excellent method to fish waters over private property is to use a lightweight canoe to drift with the current. This may open up a tremendous length of water to the canoeing angler.

Getting Started

An outstanding method to learn what land and stream is public property is to obtain a Lake County Lake Metroparks Map. These may be obtained free of cost by contacting either the Lake County Metroparks at 1-800-227-7275 or the Lake County Visitors Bureau at 1-800-386-5353.

Where To Go

An excellent starting of stream, especially midweek, is in the Chagrin River adjacent to Daniels Park on Johnnycake Ridge Road in downtown Willoughby. Steelhead bunch up here because the lowhead dam halts their upstream travels. Another much smaller stream is located in the Hogback Ridge Metropark, adjacent to Griswold Road, east of Ohio Highway 528 and south of Interstate 90.

Helen Hazel Wyman Metroparks is an excellent location to take youngsters on their first adventure steelhead fishing as the stream is not deep, wide or with a fast current.

The Metroparks map can open an entire new world of angling pleasures.

When To Go

Steelhead can be caught from late September through the winter months until the freeze-up, and again from the time ice breaks up, and until the water begins to warm up in late April or May. March seems to be the most productive month for steelhead. Then it's smallmouth bass time.

An Adventure To Remember

Youngsters, as well as adults landing a steelhead for the first time, will never forget the adventure. It must be remembered, just because a steelhead is hooked doesn't mean it's caught or it's yours. They'll tear line off the reel quicker than you can respond. They think log jams and fallen timber are for hanging up line of their tormentors.

The use of a camera to record individual catches is a necessity.