# Steelhead central ohio



## bumpus (Jan 17, 2015)

Not that I know of


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## johnboy111711 (Apr 7, 2004)

steelhead are lake run rainbow trout. the fishing styles are similar, but ultimately very different. hire a guide or make a friend that has a clue. It will shorten the learning curve greatly. Also, do research on techniques and locations. Both are more important than many other factors.


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## reyangelo (May 28, 2014)

Clevelandtocolumbus said:


> Hey,
> 
> I'm getting ready to make a run up to Cleveland to see some family but was trying to get a little practice on the steelhead...are there steelhead in columbus area?


I am not aware of any steelhead, closest would be the stocked Trout but aside from color and similar features - they are different especially in the fight and size.

I did give Steelhead a try last year - it was a blast. I would suggest read some of the Steelhead forums for good info. I can tell you that as an inexperienced Steelhead person, I was able to capitalize using different methods. I did not purchase a Steelhead rod until after a couple outings - I used my long Crappie and Saugeye rods first couple times. I caught some using a simple micro jighead tipped with waxworms - sometimes i would put 2 waxies to make it look like eggs. The Steelhead are picky and I did manage to catch some using artificial eggs (i used pink netting) with a tiny single hook (barey could see the hook).

I'd say if you have access to some tiny hooks, waxies, and a float with clear mono then it is a start. Look at the maps - bends are great areas and drops which hold deeper water. I had the best luck with that blue/silver 1/32 jighead with a painted eye tipped with waxies - i used split shots to get weight on it and used a large float bobber to help view. I had enough weight from split shots to view twitches on the bobber. Look at the CFS charts to ensure it is not blown out or overflow as this will make the bite hard. Once I caught my first one on day 1 - i made notes on temps and CFS which helped gauge when to make the drive worth it.

NOTE: I have viewed some caught on minnows and blade lures, but majority was on eggs.

Goodluck and stay safe. If you have any luck - show pictures and what worked. Tightlines .

Thread I opened during my first outings in March 2018: https://www.ohiogamefishing.com/threads/hooked-on-steelhead.325257/


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## HappySnag (Dec 20, 2007)

Clevelandtocolumbus said:


> Hey,
> 
> I'm getting ready to make a run up to Cleveland to see some family but was trying to get a little practice on the steelhead...are there steelhead in columbus area?


cast cleo or spiners or use bober and small black fly with bait.


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## Clevelandtocolumbus (Sep 13, 2010)

I'm pretty good at catching them in cleveland...I fish the rocky, grand river, east lake and wildwood...I was really wondering if there was a place in central ohio that they visit...I've heard they stock Antrim but I have never fished it


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## Snookhunter52 (Apr 1, 2019)

Clevelandtocolumbus said:


> I'm pretty good at catching them in cleveland...I fish the rocky, grand river, east lake and wildwood...I was really wondering if there was a place in central ohio that they visit...I've heard they stock Antrim but I have never fished it


They only release small stocked rainbows (12-15 inches) in the spring, which pale in comparison to full grown steelhead. Those young fish usually don't survive the warm water temp and low DO during summer to attain any serious size. They used to release broodstock (2-5 pounds) in the fall every year but they stopped doing that several years ago. Unfortunately, the trout fishery isn't what it used to be in central ohio. That said your best bet to catch big trout is in the mad river but I have no experience fishing there.


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## Saugeyefisher (Jul 19, 2010)

Clevelandtocolumbus said:


> I'm pretty good at catching them in cleveland...I fish the rocky, grand river, east lake and wildwood...I was really wondering if there was a place in central ohio that they visit...I've heard they stock Antrim but I have never fished it


There is nothing in columbus comparable to lake Erie steelhead.. there are seasonal stocked trout,the mad river and clear creek. All have stocked trout. None comparable to eries tributaries.... .


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## dbortolani (Jun 1, 2016)

Here is good sight regarding the Rocky River. I fish this Metro Park and if the water is clear you can sight fish them. https://www.clevelandmetroparks.com/parks/education/blogs/fishing-report


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## hailtothethief (Jan 18, 2017)

Ohio river cant support steelhead?


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## Vin (Oct 7, 2014)

hailtothethief said:


> Ohio river cant support steelhead?


Steelhead need much cooler water than that found in the Ohio and its tributaries to persist year round


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## TugIsTheDrug (Sep 18, 2017)

Antrim is your best bet, I'm pretty sure they stock the rainbows on good Friday. But it's a mad house. I like to fly fish for them, they seem to like it opposed to the trout bait they see for weeks at a time
Mad river and clear fork have nice brown trout too. I think they can reproduce in some parts of those rivers aswell 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk


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