Hit 5 streams all across Erie to throw hardware into the lake and Flatfish lures and jigs in the streams.  Many streams on the East side do not even have an opening for fish to get into yet as of yesterday.  Some fish are staging off the mouths but few hookups were had by myself and others.  The West side is seeing more fish in the streams and in the lake but still not the numbers we can have at this time of year.  I was able to get on a nice pack of fish in a larger trib and they went through periods of varied activity through the day.  I was able to land quite a few fish and miss a few others and it was a good day considering the slow start we are having.  I released a few nice fish and roped up a few chromers for some football games this season.  For me a smoked fish spread and some fish kabobs on the grill are perfect for Sundays.  All of my fish took Flatfish lures in various colors and sizes.  It was tough to do much else with the strong breeze.  Jigging and float fishing anything are tough with strong winds, but using these lures in wind is never a problem and at times a little chop on the water can help the bite.  I did lose 1 fish on a trout magnet, and it continues to amaze me how violently fish will dart at these lures.  Another angler next to me did well floating single eggs in the morning.  Hopefully a calm lake, cool temps, and some rain this week will bring in many more silver bullets.  I’d say the season has begun, and a new bottle of Macallan Cask Strengh Single Malt was opened last night.  Perfect end to each and every day of fishing in Erie.  Good luck and have fun on the streams this season, and take a kid with you!  -JB

I will be on the streams and lakeshore soon looking for early fish.  No doubt some are already around looking for a stream to enter at night or early morning and disappearing shortly after sunrise.  I will be on the streams on a limited basis this season as I have 2 twin boys on the way in late October or early November.  My wife and I have been blessed.  I will be on the streams as much as possible up to that point but even after they are born I will still be fishing.  I’m running the same pattern as always….September- spoons and spinners in the lake, Flatfish lures in the streams, and some jigs and single eggs if we have deep enough water to float to weary early runners.  October to freeze-up in the streams I will be fishing jigs, Flatfish lures in pools, runs, and drifts, and float fishing single eggs, sacs, skein, and various fly patterns from egg patterns to nymphs.  Bottom line is wherever I am fishing from the lake shoreline to the upper most sections of our streams, I am prepared to catch fish using the best presentation possible according to water conditions and fish behavior.  No situation is unfishable outside of a blown out river of mud.  Even low water fish can be caught.  I look forward to another season on the Erie tributaries and as always meeting new faces and fishing with old friends.  Hope to see you on the streams and if you’d like to spend a day with me learning water or technique, please give me a call.

Have fun and be safe this year,

Joe Baker

Erie Steelhead Experience

Highlights this year include a personal best for me, a 40″, 30 lb fish, my nephew landing his biggest fish at 37″, 23 lbs, and my best friend and fishing buddy landing his fish of a lifetime, a 46″, 51 lb near state record river monster!  Unbelievable trip.  Here is a public gallery to view the pics. 

Trolled the bay last week and hooked 5 dime bright Steelhead on Spoons.  Flatfish and stick baits did not draw strikes.  Spoons trolled slow.  Fish jumped as soon as they struck and long fights for even smaller fish.  Here is the best fish of the day.  They will leave for the lake soon with the rising water temps.  Lots of fun!

Fished with Jay from Green County on Thursday and Larry, Larry Jr, and Lance on Sunday.  In the two days we were on small and large streams with so so results.  Thursday yielded better numbers of fish with dark green water.  Sunday’s water was clear to green and not many fish were seen in pools or fast water.  A few nice fish were landed both days but the season is clearly coming to a close.  Some fish may trickle in through the first 2 weeks of April and many fish will spawn and head back to the lake starting now, but as far as great fishing for Erie Steelhead we’ve probably seen the last few days of the season.  It can get better if you find groups of fish in fast water but fishing to solitary or paired up spawners can be very frustrating, if not a little unsporting.  The invasion of the smolts that are stocked (our future adult Steelhead) and runs of suckers in the lower parts of the stream can both be a nuisance to anglers targeting adult Steelhead.  I might see the streams just a few more days and for me it’s on to large West Virginia Bass, SW PA trout, and everything else that starts swimming and feeding in the coming weeks.  I’ll report back on any other days I spend in Erie either fishing or guiding.  It was a pleasure to spend the last few days in Erie with Jay, Larry, Larry, and Lance.  For me it was the first chance I’ve had to fish with 3 generations in one day.  Makes me wish I still had a Grandfather to fish with and also makes me look forward to fishing with a future son or daughter on the streams.  Here is a gallery of photos from the 2 days on the streams. 

What a winter it has been.  Frozen streams for months, and when they thawed they were going from flood conditions to slush in a matter hours.  Very hard to keep planned dates for guiding and even my own personal fishing.  Got out yesterday with Robert and Steven from the Mars, PA area and fished up high on a larger trib.  Water conditions weren’t bad but visibility wasn’t good either.  We float fished eggs through the day and had some slow periods and some fast action periods.  They both were able to land a few nice fish and have respectable numbers for the conditions.  More importantly all of us were due for a long day outside and hiking some rugged terrain in search of fish.  We would have liked to do more but drift fishing was really the only way to get into fish.  Once the water clears more and warms we will be back at fish with lures and jigs along with float fishing.  The highlight for me was fishing with two outstanding gentleman that I would gladly fish with anyday for anything.  We covered some miles in our boots going after these fish, and sometimes that is the whole point of fishing.  Covering miles of streams, searching for something that in the end isn’t the fish.  Wonderful day.  Look forward to the next.  Here are some photos from the fishing, click this public link to see them. 

Fished through the ice on a few streams yesterday and didn’t find a huge number of fish to go after, but fish were hooked and landed.  As you can guess most all of the water that holds fish in the winter is frozen in Erie.  This 9 lb male slammed a jig just a few feet below the ice.  He gave a nice fight and was the fish of the day.  A few holes I checked out were filled with slush and any water below it was either void of fish or had just a couple roaming around. 

I’ve had fun for a month now ice fishing Erie and locally on some lakes and ponds for bass and panfish, and even managed some bruiser trout on a local stream before it froze up,  but I’m looking forward to open water like many of you are.  I’ll let you know when it happens, but it looks like it’s at least a few weeks away judging by the forecast.  Guess I’ll buy some new auger blades and keep on drilling until the thaw. 

-JB