Big Tuna
Power bait,rubber salmon eggs,pink bubble gum trout worms,yarn on a hook,( your choice of color),kernel can corn, a piece of ( color of choice sponge soaked in cod liver oil,Berkley assorted fake minnows and worms. Those steelhead are extremely smart. Just like the king salmon that run up to Burts damm. I seen local kids pounding the on hot dogs. Yea there extremely smart. Yea there are days when the fish don't cooperate  but most days they can be caught. They'll hit something,you'll got to be smarter than them and figure it out. Just like all fishing,they can be caught,presentation,the right bait or lure,right color even seen where the wrong color line wouldn't work.

well said  well said

FiveMilePete

Erie_flyfishing
What are predictions for this years run? I hope with the colder temps and the rain predicted , the run will be plentiful this year. Goodluck this season everyone and tight lines

Cooler temps?   Rain?   September is going to set a record for high temps, and least rain.   We may not get any steel in the creeks until Thanksgiving, especially on the East side.  My opinion.  IANAW  (I am not a weatherman)

Catching steel in inches of water while it's 90 degrees

Erie_flyfishing






Catching steel in inches of water while it's 90 degrees

I rub them down with sunblock lotion before I release them !

All depends on how much company is next to you. Nothing better than fighting fresh Steelhead on the lake shores. They actually have room to burn your drag and head to Canada. If you have no company, light line and rods are fine. If everybody is standing and waiting on you to reel the fish in so they can fish you better beef up !
 
Don't forget to bring your own net that helps, especially if your releasing fish.   

I dont have any issues horsing a lake steelie on 6lb mono

pafisher
I'm under the opinion that the smolts exit the streams as soon as the water warms up in the late spring.

 
 
I have caught them in lower walnut in mid to late June and used them for bait. Amazing how the big smallies and walleye loved them. That was before I was an upstanding law abiding member of society. 

Funny watching the wallaye fishermen taughnting the steelhead fishermen! I heard " jump in, you will catch em quicker" and "powerbait throwers " as they drove by haha

It's true that steelhead, like most fish, are dumb when you look at the big picture. Fish don't really have any sort of problem solving or critical thinking skills. The only way for them to learn if something floating by is food, or something they should strike at, is to take it with their mouths. Unlike us, they don't have any way of feeling, smelling, holding, and thinking about if they should strike at it or not. However, with how these fish are cast to by countless anglers day after day from September through April, they become conditioned at deciding whether or not all the bits of fluff floating by are behaving like food, and if it isn't, they are good at waiting for one that is.

As for right now, while I've caught fish, and there are a few around, wet wading into bathtub water in 90 degree heat just doesn't feel like steelhead season to me yet. It's not just about the fish, always love the crisp fall mornings and dressing in layers, hot coffee, fall foliage, and more. 

hows this for an august fish on a size 20 hook and 2 maggots 

 
cant forgot my 2nd big brownie 
 

 
wait for rain fishing hard for pressured fish isn't fun 

Good ones Mike....
 
I'll bet almost every fish swimming in Walnut has a hook, fly ,or lure stuck in them by now ! 

CAPTAIN HOOK
You notice Fred it's always a hot pink, white or chartreuse colors too ! 

Those fish have plenty of jewelry