About

Welcome to the home of Erie Steelhead Experience, a fishing guide service for the one of the best steelhead fisheries in the world. Lake Erie's Pennsylvania tributaries are loaded with trophy Steelhead 8 months a year. I want to show you how to catch them all day, all season, and every time you come back. On this site you will find as much information as you are after to help you decide on taking a trip for Erie Steelhead. If the pictures alone aren't enough to get your blood flowing I have put a lot of information up on the fishing I do, the fish I guide for, my fishing philosophy, rates and other info about my guided trips, what to bring/what I provide, and a reports section to show you what has been happening recently on the creeks. My goal is that anyone booking a trip with me will get immersed in the beauty of the streams they set foot into and catch that fish of a lifetime. The memories you will make and pictures you will take will last you forever and I will do everything I can to make that happen. I hope that all of your questions are answered on the site but please do not hesitate to contact me for any questions you have. Enjoy the site and I look forward to seeing you on the streams. FISH ON!

About the Fishing

When I am guiding all fishing is done with 10'6” light action noodle rods and spinning reels. I use 6 lb fluorocarbon coated line that withstands all of the stress from large fish while staying out of sight to the fish before the bite comes. The noodle rod setup allows large fish to be landed with almost no break offs as it acts like a giant shock absorber. It also gives you the most versatility on the stream to use many different presentations. On the business end I am jigging for fish much of the time when clear water calls for fishing pools full of Steelhead. Depending on the fishing situation and skill level of each angler a guided trip with me may involve many other presentations however. With low and clear water much of the time jigging is the number one way to hook up with fish all day. Fish aggressively chase after and strike jigs while shunning many other baits and flies drifting by. I tie 90 percent of the jigs I use from a variety of natural and synthetic hair and flash. Years of experimenting has given me the knowledge to produce about a dozen jig patterns that put fish on the line every trip throughout the year. When fishing jigs you will be fishing patterns no one else will be using and you will likely be asked by another fisherman what exactly you have on the end of your line. The excitement of watching fish chase down your jig and inhaling it, sometimes right under your feet is unparalleled in fishing.

Erie Steelhead fishing is sight fishing most of the time but when conditions change I adapt to a float and split shot setup to float skein or spawn (chunks of steelhead eggs), single eggs (deadly in clear water), fly patterns including nymphs, San Juan Worms and egg patterns, and even jigs below floats. These options can work from September to April. From September to December Flatfish lures are a large part of my arsenal. I will show you how to work these lures for fish at the mouths and in the streams and have fish chasing after them almost every cast. These lures are all about the right color at the right time, the right angle of retrieve, and the right sizes. “Swinging” these lures in current and even holding them still in current drives fish just crazy enough to hit them with violent strikes that often don't come with other offerings. In the fall until November fish can be caught at the mouths of the streams on a variety of spinners and spoons. This type of long cast fishing is extremely exciting with fish hitting lures 50 yards out and jumping over and over during the fight. A fresh chrome Steelhead still in the lake can provide 5 or 10 minute battles to land the fish. Wherever the fish are through the seasons a fisherman will always be put in the best spot with the best lures and baits to catch fish. Over 10 years I have learned to adapt to each fishing situation throughout the day and season. Most of the time continuous changing of baits and lures will keep you in fish all day long. Even when using jigs and Flatfish lures it is necessary to change colors and sizes constantly, and when you have fished out a pack of fish or pool, switch presentations to a float rig and get non-aggressive fish on single eggs and fly patterns. Some fish will chase and attack, some will sit in a drift and lightly inhale flies and baits passing by. At times you will be taking the presentation to the fish, other times you will be making the fish come to you! Playing on the fish's instincts and making them chase lures and jigs will truly make your heart pound out of your chest.

About the Fish

Erie Steelhead are lake run rainbow trout like their ocean going cousins on the West Coast. They are stocked as smolts into the streams at just a few inches long and spend about 3-4 summers in the lake before returning in the fall of each year to spawn. Beginning in late August to early September the fish will stage off the mouths of the tributaries of Lake Erie and a few will enter the streams early. Once the first big rains and cooler temperatures arrive the fish will run into the streams in large numbers, followed by continuous waves until late November. The fish will holdover in the streams through the winter to spawn in the Spring which can provide for very high numbers of fish landed if the creeks are open. Some runs do occur in the winter with many “Jack” fish running 15-20” coming in, along with many solitary fish that can be real giants, up to 15 lbs. Many of my largest fish have been caught in the Winter close to the mouth of a stream. In the Spring there can be fresh runs of fish but not nearly as heavy as the fall runs. Mix fresh runs with dropback fish heading back to the lake and the Spring can be outstanding, especially in years with a hard winter. Warmer winters provide more open water and more movement, so you generally have either good Winter fishing and a slower Spring, or a hard winter with iced over creeks and excellent Spring fishing.

Most Erie Steelhead average 5-6 lbs, with 8-10 lb fish being fairly common. 10-13 lb fish can be had throughout the year but 14 and up are rare with only a handful caught each year above that mark. Good anglers can catch 20-50 fish in a day when the fish are in heavy. I have had dozens of these days over the years, sometimes 4-5 each Fall and early Winter when conditions are right. The limit for keeping fish is 3 fish a day per angler, but catching 3-4 times your limit is not uncommon for the experienced fishermen. I aim to get each angler into situations where they can land as many as possible, but numbers can go from just a few fish a day to much higher depending on the time of year and water conditions. Huge pools filled with fish are commonplace in the fall and other times you may find long runs with just a few small packs of fish. In quicker water and runs a float setup will be run and in slower pools jigs, flatfish lures, and single eggs and flies will be the norm.