# So where did you catch your first steelie.



## promag

When I first heard about the great steelie fishing up on the tributaries. I thought wow what a blast that would be. I went up not knowing much about it. I fished with a few lures and also tried using a fly on a bobber. The water was fast and cold. I didn't do much but slipped and fell down a few times. I fished in several places on the grand with no luck. I talked to a guy from work and he told me about arcola creek. So I went up there with my dad. We got there thinking there can't be any fish in hear especially since you can cast across it. but we tried it out any way. We saw a few people there fishing and having a few get away. Then out of nowhere WHAM! And she jumped and swam up stream. Pulling drag unlike any other fish. Wow what a fight. My dad got the net and I landed my first steelie a 6.5 pounder. I ended up with a few more bites that day but the first will always be on my mind. So what was your first experience like.


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## westbranchbob

I can't belive I actually still remember it but my uncle had told me for a while about the steelhead he was fishing for,and one day he takes me up to Mill creek and it was just getting light.We walked down those 89 hellish steps into the creek bottom and walked downstream to the little slate falls that are no longer there.He showed me a pair of spawning fish and told me how to drift a yarn fly into them.I must admit it was quite frustrating to get a fly wihtin inches of them and not have a strike,but eventually the hen took it and the fight was on.I don't remeber it being a great fight but I do remeber how beautiful the fish was.Hooked for life for sure,only now I have to get my own children hooked!Oh and really don't fish the tribs anymore,just not interested in the puddle fights I guess.


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## freyedknot

E72 nd st power plant, when they first started stocking them . can,t even remember how long ago that was. got it mounted and weighs about 5 #s. we used to fish on the south side of rt 90 at the discharge.


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## sherman51

manistee lake by the launch ramp about 8:30 am 1976. and i dont think i will ever forget.
sherman


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## FISHIN216

Rockliff on a lil cleo....was drifting jig and maggots and got bored...saw one roll casted in front of it and she slammed it

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## FISHIN216

freyedknot said:


> E72 nd st power plant, when they first started stocking them . can,t even remember how long ago that was. got it mounted and weighs about 5 #s. we used to fish on the south side of rt 90 at the discharge.


Good spot....very sketchy

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## jamesbalog

Beaver creek, way down in south amherst. On shiner and bobber

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## fredg53

Lower grand on a rod I borrowed from my buddy cause I only had bass and cat set ups like third cast on a blue n silver cleo the next morning I went to gander and bought new rod n reel tons of cleos floats jigs etc still can't shake the sickness love it

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## tjc7t7

The east breakwall of geneva marina my very first time out for steelhead. it was on a red and white spoon i had got from my grandfathers tackle box. I was using a short rod and a zebco 33 reel i'll never forget it!!! Luck was on my side that day. I fished long and hard after that to get my second one. I had a lot to learn but loved every minute of it! Generally i can't remember anything but it's amazing how some memories stick with you.


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## short rod

Crazy but,.... july on the Chagrin 6 yrs ago, fishing for smallmouth with a little rebel crawl. I thought.... "oh,...so this is how it goes!" Been learning ever since!


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## floater99

Santa got me a 9ft noodle rod i bought a new reel,hooks,floats(not bobbers) a doz minns.I fished under Cedar Pt bridge cold n rainy I landed 4 fish my first day fishing,this is easy,took several more trips to get another one.


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## freyedknot

FISHIN216 said:


> Good spot....very sketchy
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


not in january. that was always the best time to fish there,just like eastlake power plant.


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## gmotsu23

Caught my first one at the Grand. I will never forget it! I had been out several times prior to it and had several bites but was never able to get one hooked up. I was using an ultralight setup and didn't really understand why I would need a 9 ft. Well needless to say after I hooked up with my first fish and felt the fight I completely understood. The absolute best fighting fish I had ever caught. Definitely won't ever forget it that's for certain!!


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## salmon king

short rod said:


> Crazy but,.... july on the Chagrin 6 yrs ago, fishing for smallmouth with a little rebel crawl. I thought.... "oh,...so this is how it goes!" Been learning ever since!


Thats crazy but in my opinion not as crazy as my first time....
So my dad just got back from a meeting when some guy walked in and showed off a steelhead he had caught at Euclid creek...So my dad tells me about it so the next morning we go and try are luck. Its the dead of winter and its snowing like crazy and my dad not knowing any better puts an Agitator and ties on a jig n maggot kinda like if you were to use a bobber...
so second cast Im reeling it in not knowing any better when WHAM... fish on 
So we finnaly bring it in and it was about 28 inchs long...
If it didn't happen to me personally I probably wouldn't believe it but I did... After that I didn't catch another one until the middle of april...


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## Fish Scalper

Klamath River, California, back in 1969. Nothing out here compares to a fresh sea run fish.


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## brodg

East Branch Chagrin, last October. I hadn't been out many times before and after I landed that first hen I thought I had it all figured out. Little did I know it would be after ice out that I'd land my second. 

Caught her under that first log up from the old dam. Had an egg/hare's nymph setup. On the third drift along that log the thingamabobber went "plunk". She wasn't huge (18 in) but she was fresh. She spent more of the fight above water than below. She took the hare's ear. Most fun I had fishing up to that point.

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## FISHIN216

freyedknot said:


> not in january. that was always the best time to fish there,just like eastlake power plant.


Did you still have to jump that crazy fence to fish back there? That's what I meant by sketchy

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## TheCream

Funny story, it was 2 years ago in the spring on the Chagrin. My buddy and I (think he's still a member here) went out at first light. We spotted some fish in shallow and he gave me the first shot at it. We were both fly fishing, I sent the cast long and got snagged on the bank not far from the fish. As I was re-tying, he hooked a fish close to the one I was trying to cast to and chased downstream after it. I got tied up, cast in, and hooked my fish, so we ended up with a double at first light, barely a few minutes in. We crushed fish that day, all morning in the rain, but after a few hours it was too much rain and the water went muddy, game over. Still an epic day!


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## creekcrawler

I can't say the name of the crick,
but a few weeks earlier my bro' got a 
34" King Salmon at the same spot.
I went there and got four nice steelies that afternoon.
I was shaking so hard it wasn't funny.
That was in 1992!


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## fishinnick

The first time I ever went steelhead fishing was in Conneaut Creek. We first got to the stream and there were a couple of people fishing but the stream was low and clear and we didn't even see one fish. So we kept walking, fishing here and there without a bite or seeing a fish, and eventually we get to this one hole where a few guys are fishing. We asked them if they had any luck and they said no, but showed us a pod of steelhead that were in the hole. We fished that hole for a good while without catching anything except for a chub or 2, and one of the other guys fishin hooked a nice steelie, and that was the moment I was hooked! That fish put up a very intense and acrobatic fight, but he eventually lost it. After that we tried a new spot on the same creek and found an even bigger pod of fish. There was a guy already there but since it was a big enough pod we decided to fish it also. We watched him land one. I hooked my first steelhead in that spot, but I think it was foul hooked. No fish caught that day except for a few chubs and shiners, but I couldn't wait to go back!

About a week or two later we went back to Conny with higher hopes of catching my first steelhead, and I did! It was a nice fresh buck at 26in, caught on a live minnow. I had 2 others on that day but they came off. Since I was so happy of catching my first, I went back a week later and caught another, which was a Fish Ohio!


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## freyedknot

FISHIN216 said:


> Did you still have to jump that crazy fence to fish back there? That's what I meant by sketchy
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


no fence climbing, there were holes cut out,or duck walk under the bridge to get back there.


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## Shortdrift

River Fish............Rocky Lewis Rd. bridge area 8wt flyrod & yarn egg. 30"

Lake Erie.............Trolling with freyedknot on a Stinger spoon

Turned the Rocky fish loose. Took the Erie steelhead home and cleaned it then fried it. Couldn't believe a freshwater fish could taste so lousy.


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## Steelhead Fever

in the water


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## Fishman

I've only caught one, last year on the rock. It was in November and there was snow on the ground. Float went down, I set the hook, and she proceeded to swim right onto the gravel bank like a boat going on a trailer. Took less than a minute to land, really confused me as to these fishes fighting ability, was told it was the water temperature


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## Ry440

I just started fishin for them last year. For Christmas my girlfriends dad got me a full steelhead setup and waders. I had never fished for them before, nor did I know a thing about them. Well the day after he says lets go fishing and it was basically a blizzard out. (i thought he was CRAZY, thinkin back now I think he just didn't want to go alone) So anyway we ended up going out to the rocky. I was cold, my eyelets were freezing, and I thought there was NOOOO way we were going to catch anything. Then BAM! The fight of a lifetime. I have caught sharks and 35+ pound red fish in south carolina and the steelhead are still in my opinion the best fighting fish. Hooked for life


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## Chef T

Caught my first on the Chagrin, back when they stocked the London Strain. Couple hard runs and some good rolls, but it hooked me ever since...


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## buckzye11

I got my first one at Arcola too, fished the mouth on a vibrex. Ive only caught 4 total..... time to get back up there


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## catfishking7

first time was white oak pond in mentor ohio...marsh creek which runs out of the lagoons runs into a pond in the middle of a development...greatest steelheading ive ever had...i went 2 years of just attempting to catch a steelhead with no real guidance...i learned a lot of valuable experience...one day we decided to try this pond...we were there for 2 hrs and i saw a few others pulled out...but i thought yet again my first steelhead would elude me...i was cursing to myself and getting ready to pack up when my bobber disappeared...greatest feeling...ever since then ive had the steelhead fever...since then(bout 2-3 years ago) the creek going to the small pond was damned up...sadly the steelhead dont get there anymore


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## Steelhead Fever

Ry440 said:


> I just started fishin for them last year. For Christmas my girlfriends dad got me a full steelhead setup and waders. I had never fished for them before, nor did I know a thing about them. Well the day after he says lets go fishing and it was basically a blizzard out. (i thought he was CRAZY, thinkin back now I think he just didn't want to go alone) So anyway we ended up going out to the rocky. I was cold, my eyelets were freezing, and I thought there was NOOOO way we were going to catch anything. Then BAM! The fight of a lifetime. I have caught sharks and 35+ pound red fish in south carolina and the steelhead are still in my opinion the best fighting fish. Hooked for life


best story!


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## ShutUpNFish

Was back in 1987...My college buddy and I decided to take a trip up to Erie and hit Elk Creek up for some steelhead/salmon action. It was mid winter, so we figured the salmon run was done by then and our best chances were for steel. We weren't expecting much since we were total greenhorns at this, but certainly the adventurous types. See, if it were summer, we would certainly be towing our little aluminum boat to some remote lake somewhere in PA or OH after muskies. It was winter, and we were itching for some screamin' reels! It was mid week, we skipped out classes for the day figuring there'd be less crowds....we were right. We pulled down into the access parkin lot at Elk where there were about 5 cars parked. You know the place....I'll never forget the slowly dropping, golfball sized flakes coming out of the sky....it just reminded me of a perfect Christmas postcard. Now these were the days before the rock wall and before you could see the lake from the mud hole. We took the infamouse trek up the hill and through the woods towards the mud hole, came to the spot and nobody was there except for a guy that was fishing across the creek. We had NO bait, so we were chucking some spoons, and drifting some flies. The action was slim to none for us, but there were fish surfacing all over. I decided to put on this little watermelon colored tadpoley bait. First cast, and WHAM!! I catch a smalish hen and it was GAME ON from then....we had read reports of people using the eggs or skein for bait. We slit the hen open and were cutting up the fresh skein on the big tree that fell over into the water. Fish after fish that day on the fresh skein....I never looked back after that and continue to utilize the most natural and potent form of bait there is for trout.....EGGZ! I also caught the biggest hook jaw male steelie of my life that day which was about 13lbs and mean as Hell looking! To this day, I wish I had that fish on my wall. 

We went home cold, damp and tired as hell! But we couldn't stop talking about the day the whole way home. These memories were before the days of mega hyper technology and even before we ever had the notion of bringing a camera with us on the stream. However, the memories will be imprinted in our minds for life. Times seemed so much more memorable then.


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## pymybob

The long wall at Fairport Harbor.


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## c. j. stone

One Fall in the late 80's/early 90's at the slow bend in front of the marina by Rt 2(maybe Lakeshore Dr?) bridge in Eastlake(Chagrin R.). Casting Rooster Tails for cohos when the steelie hit. These were the original Fall spawning Ohio hatchery fish, not the Manistee strain we fish today. Still gave a decent account of herself! Young sons with me that day and they still remember it today! Lot of guys back then 'thought' they were catching steelies but they were actually immature cohos.


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## Guest

my first was a smolt, caught at conneaut creek, in 1983. my first keeper was also from conneaut, about five years later. man, i should go more often...lol


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## salmon king

catfishking7 said:


> first time was white oak pond in mentor ohio...marsh creek which runs out of the lagoons runs into a pond in the middle of a development...greatest steelheading ive ever had...i went 2 years of just attempting to catch a steelhead with no real guidance...i learned a lot of valuable experience...one day we decided to try this pond...we were there for 2 hrs and i saw a few others pulled out...but i thought yet again my first steelhead would elude me...i was cursing to myself and getting ready to pack up when my bobber disappeared...greatest feeling...ever since then ive had the steelhead fever...since then(bout 2-3 years ago) the creek going to the small pond was damned up...sadly the steelhead dont get there anymore


you must know Adam...


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## bradymar45

After fishing w/ some friends at Conneaut Creek, i wasnt feeling too well, so decided to head back home to youngstown. on the way back, I passed this spot where my buddy had taken me on my first trip for chromers. in fact, this was about my 10th time up there,and still hadnt caught bupkiss! anyway , decided to stop and after about an hour, my bobber dropped and i tied into a large female. my heart was in my throat, and i dont need to tell you where other parts were!! afterwhat seemed like forever, i finally got her to the bank and just as i reached down for her, she got off and started shimmying away. i always thought my Dad woulda been proud as i threw myself onto her in about 6 inches of water, and tried to recover that fumble! well she got away, but after another 1/2 hour i caught a male that stayed on the hook and i was hooked too...


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## harle96

I remember taking the bus to westagte mall and picking up my first open face reel combo, coming home and then riding my bike to the Rocky casting roster tails. Ended up with 1 right at dusk. This was around 25 years ago.

Each time I see a gold body, black feather roostertail, I buy all of them.


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## BMS

first salmon i caught was at wildwood, off the pier back in the 80's. everyone was fishing with small jig and maggots or other small rooster tails. all i had was my dads outfit with big daredevile spoons, hooked into a big fish and ended up landing him with some help from others with a net. after that you should have seen everyone looking for any big spoon they could find. last fall got a nice steelie at the mouth of the rock. smoked him and am looking for more. soo tasty done right.


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## Steel Cranium

Upper Vermilion river in the mid-1970s. Had an uncle who loved fishing for the few strays that would make it up there. No crowds. Seemed to be a bigger accomplishment to catch a few a year back then vs. more than that in a single day nowadays.


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## allegheny river kid

The day before thanksgiving 91' above the boat launch at elk creek. White River marabou jig, Dad hooked it and i got to reel it in!


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## salmon king

harle96 said:


> I remember taking the bus to westagte mall and picking up my first open face reel combo, coming home and then riding my bike to the Rocky casting roster tails. Ended up with 1 right at dusk. This was around 25 years ago.
> 
> Each time I see a gold body, black feather roostertail, I buy all of them.


so thats whos been buying all them rooster tails .... that pic is a blast from the steelhead past...


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## salmon king

BMS said:


> first salmon i caught was at wildwood, off the pier back in the 80's. everyone was fishing with small jig and maggots or other small rooster tails. all i had was my dads outfit with big daredevile spoons, hooked into a big fish and ended up landing him with some help from others with a net. after that you should have seen everyone looking for any big spoon they could find. last fall got a nice steelie at the mouth of the rock. smoked him and am looking for more. soo tasty done right.


Hey do you know my buddy Pat down at the Wildwood..


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## ChromeBone

My First steelhead was 2 years ago at the Chagrin soccer fields.. Me and my best bud drinking\fishing partner usually fish for browns in the Mad. Decided to come see what all the buzz was about these Chrome things. about 2 hours of walking and fishing I Hook up with a small bucktail tipped with wax worm popping it threw the current, But he got away. A few hours later my buddy goes to cast and his leader was so long he snag on a branch behind him and broke his favorite rod!!! it was pretty funny to me but he was REALLY pissed!! Soon after i was just sitting and slow like a crappy Bite goes down my bob set the hook !!! Blammooo!! Huge Monster Buck was about 32 inch no chrome but it was nice strong fish Been Addicted ever since.


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## flylogicsteelhead

Rocky river below the first riffle, jig and maggot, 10 years old. The fish was about 18" long. I'm glad it wasn't bigger because it felt enormous to me at the time. I laugh now thinking about all of the 30"+ fish I've handled since. I caught it with my Dad next to me. My daughters first was when she was 5 and it was a 29" female. I guess it runs in the family!


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## Brian.Smith

My first was with My dad and grandfather on lake Erie out of Fairport I was 7 and they thought it was a walleye so they told me to get it and hold on was all I could do. My first river was Arcola he said he wanted me to get the feel for them before trecking me round the Grand.


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## Time2fish

Caught my first steelhead last weekend. It was the first time I had ever been out steelhead fishing and my first hookup. Caught on the Elk.


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## Sonder

Well I did not know what a steelhead was and ended up making a life long friend Phil Hillman. He told me a spot to go to high on the Grand and with her at 350 cf/s and a 6wt clearwater rod and a reel with no drag I thought I was gonna have the rod blow up. He would also inhale the size 14 caddis nymph and I tied. Sure hes dark but it has been my first and one of my faves "thank you Phil" Here he is.....










The size of the wrist and tail was large


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## TRIPLE-J

when i first started fishing for them there was no such thing as a noodle rod around here ....you only read about them in field and stream or sports afield...so i took a 9 foot fly rod and put a shakespeare ultra light spinning reel on it ...think i was around 10 or 12 at the time...hooked my first one on rocky river down off the washed out ford down by the nature center by cedar point rd...maybe it was a salmon back then i really dont remember now, that was back in the early 70's ...hooked it on a KO wobbler spoon, it took off down stream and i had to chase it for a while before i finally caught up with it and landed it...i will never forget that...changed my whole outlook on fishing...back then everyone was a bass fisherman, if you werent catching bass you werent fishing....when that fish took me down river i was like ...YEAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!! ive NEVER had a bass do this, and i was hooked...ive never looked back and bass fishing is a thing of the past for me lol....noy knocking anyone that bass fishes, dont get me wrong, just my preference changed totally after that fish


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## Lewzer

Rt82 dam in Brecksville on a big husky jerk while catching shad in November.


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## 1MoreKast

Spring of '99 at Emerald Necklace on a Cleo. My dad read in the paper about the stocking of steelhead and asked if I had known anything about them. Heard of them but that's it. He hardly fishes but he knew I was intrigued so he took me down there. I was hooked before I even caught one watching all these guys with long noodle rods doubled over, drag screaming. Some things are never forgotten...


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## ejsell

Platte River in Michigan a few months after I started fly fishing in the middle of the remnants of Hurricane Sandy reaching the area. 32 inch steelhead in the sleet and rain. That was the 2nd one I had on that day, great experience.

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk


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## Karl Wolf

1999 Grand river, sucker hole. Tight lining powerbait if the bottom.


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## floater99

I got a float rod for xmas and couldn't wait to try it out The rocky was finally open I got a dzn minnys a cpl floats some hooks n splits 2nd drift first steely under Cedar Pt bridge I caught 4 fish WOW this is easy then it took four more trips before I got another one But watching that first fish jump then skreem drag down stream under the bridge was amazing


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## mas5588

Obv didn't have Steelhead where I came from. Moved here in Jan '15 and didn't even know about them until a buddy got me thinking about them in the fall of '17. Went to the old 82 Dam on a lunchbreak (!!!!) and I caught my first on a Cleo. 

Fish for them a bit in the winter/spring (they are super fun), but have probably only caught 8-10 total since. I typically don't stay out long enough...get bored and go back home.

Also, this is a really good way for someone to burn a spot if you're too specific. Not too worried about mine since the dam is no longer.


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## Ten Bears

promag said:


> When I first heard about the great steelie fishing up on the tributaries. I thought wow what a blast that would be. I went up not knowing much about it. I fished with a few lures and also tried using a fly on a bobber. The water was fast and cold. I didn't do much but slipped and fell down a few times. I fished in several places on the grand with no luck. I talked to a guy from work and he told me about arcola creek. So I went up there with my dad. We got there thinking there can't be any fish in hear especially since you can cast across it. but we tried it out any way. We saw a few people there fishing and having a few get away. Then out of nowhere WHAM! And she jumped and swam up stream. Pulling drag unlike any other fish. Wow what a fight. My dad got the net and I landed my first steelie a 6.5 pounder. I ended up with a few more bites that day but the first will always be on my mind. So what was your first experience like.


The docks at Connie.


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## bustedrod

ice fishin the conny bay , 8 lb fish thru a 8 inch hole , use a gaff lol


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## ohiotuber

It had to be at least 10 years ago, caught on a fly (can't recall the fly used but it was in the Chagrin River not too far below the waterfall).
Mike


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## Flathead76

Chagrin river in 89 or 90 just down stream of the route 20 bridge by the submerged concrete pipe. I bet it is still there.


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## tnt1958

2 in Rocky River. March 9 2020.


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