# The steelhead site



## GrandRiverBassman

Down and out after 20 years. It was an awesome resource when I got started. Too bad they didn't archive the Ohio posts. Lots of valuable information was shared on it.


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## creekcrawler

Wow. I had just looked at it a few days ago.
It really was pitiful compared to what it used to be years ago.
I was on there when it started. Used to be some good info there.
Wonder whatever happened to the Artic Snow Monkey?
Raised some heck there a few times.
Not sure why, but it just when downhill quick.


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## creekcrawler

Whoa. Just found this - http://web.archive.org/web/*/steelheadsite.com
Has it saved from 1998 on!
Neat-toes.


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## 1morecast

lots of great people and info on that site, after a while it got ugly with comments and then no one was posting any real info any more...shame to see it go.


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## Steelhauler

It was a great site for a while. Toward the end most worked harder on there to avoid giving out info than they did to share it. I got blasted a couple of times for just mentioning what river I was fishing. Needless to say it had me gun shy of posting. But it is sad to see it gone after 20 years. I'm pretty sure that Frank from the Rodmakers shop was a big part of the site. Maybe his passing had something to do with the shutting down of the site.

Wes


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## KTkiff

Arctic Snow Monkey is Mike Durkalec from the Rocky River fishing report.


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## Rippin

it was was a great site at one time, just got the wrong monitor, and everything went down hill after that


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## Steel-Addicted

That site was great! It helped me get started steelheading and I still fish with some of the guys that I met from there. I think it went downhill after "Cornbread" had a meltdown and the moderators really clamped down on the postings.


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## 1MoreKast

reminds me of when noodlebagger got shut down...just dust in the wind now


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## creekcrawler

Huh. Didn't know Mike was the ASM.


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## bassclef

creekcrawler said:


> Whoa. Just found this - http://web.archive.org/web/*/steelheadsite.com
> Has it saved from 1998 on!
> Neat-toes.


Good find!

Unfortunately, most of the forum posts aren't archived.


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## Osmerus

Ya, used to love that site. I was on there from the early days. Unfortuantly the site took a negative turn. Just like steel hauler i got into several disagrements with mods and posters just for mentioning the rivers i was fishing. At one point it seemed like it was a daily occurance for at least one person to get booted. I was done with the site when just a simple mentioning of a river would get you a warning from the mod. Oh well, it ran its course but it was a good site when it first started.


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## GrandRiverBassman

I get the whole idea behind the mentionables (stocked) v unmentionable (unstocked), but getting a warning for mentioning the V or Rock is crazy. Everyone knows the big 5 have fish in them from aug-may. Some people were supper sensitive on that site too.


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## dfox

creekcrawler said:


> Wow. I had just looked at it a few days ago.
> It really was pitiful compared to what it used to be years ago.
> I was on there when it started. Used to be some good info there.
> Wonder whatever happened to the Artic Snow Monkey?
> Raised some heck there a few times.
> Not sure why, but it just when downhill quick.





creekcrawler said:


> Huh. Didn't know Mike was the ASM.


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## dfox

wow, trip down memory lane. not sure why but a particular post by ASM was so funny I literally shot beer and snot out my nose... It was about a minnow bait he had tied up with a big treble hook "fish liked it so much they were getting hooked from head to tail" not an exact quote at all but if you can find the post I would love to read it again, see if it was really that funny.


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## fishing pole

Ahh the good old days. I remember all those guys fished and still fish with many. Lot of ---- busting on there. Took it in stride


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## FAB

creekcrawler said:


> Wow. I had just looked at it a few days ago.
> It really was pitiful compared to what it used to be years ago.
> I was on there when it started. Used to be some good info there.
> Wonder whatever happened to the Artic Snow Monkey?
> Raised some heck there a few times.
> Not sure why, but it just when downhill quick.


You will see Mike post on here occasionally as Cleveland Metro Parks. or something like that.


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## FAB

I was a regular on that site for several years, had many friends there. You may remember a few:
"Grabbit", "Streamurchin", " Cornbread", "Irish", "Blackie" and of course "Arctic Snow Monkey". We had a lot of fun on that site and the Ohio forum was the largest of all with normally 5 to 10 times the posts of the other locations. I think the downfall of that site started when "Cornbread" was fired as a moderator and replaced with a no exceptions, no tolerance policy of the new moderator. We learned a lot from each other and we taught a lot to the new guys. Yep we got into some heated exchanges on different subjects but at the same time we met up on the river and continued our friendships that weekend. I do miss those days, they were a lot of fun. I also miss the 20 + days on the "V" , that's another thing that has seriously changed in the last few years.


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## steelhead

Hmmm, I was a real early poster on there, had not been by for years... Used to be fun people talking junk some decent posts...I did a couple fly swaps.... Time marches on


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## fishing pole

FAB said:


> I was a regular on that site for several years, had many friends there. You may remember a few:
> "Grabbit", "Streamurchin", " Cornbread", "Irish", "Blackie" and of course "Arctic Snow Monkey". We had a lot of fun on that site and the Ohio forum was the largest of all with normally 5 to 10 times the posts of the other locations. I think the downfall of that site started when "Cornbread" was fired as a moderator and replaced with a no exceptions, no tolerance policy of the new moderator. We learned a lot from each other and we taught a lot to the new guys. Yep we got into some heated exchanges on different subjects but at the same time we met up on the river and continued our friendships that weekend. I do miss those days, they were a lot of fun. I also miss the 20 + days on the "V" , that's another thing that has seriously changed in the last few years.


Those guys are still on our rivers. MOst, some, don't chase steel at all anymore


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## rickerd

I did learn a lot from people on that site and those involved. I remember watching it go downhill quickly and stopped posting years ago within 6 months of Cornbread leaving. I never did understand why so many people would join into a "rager" just to keep the fire lit. I left then and went back a couple months ago. I was surprised then that the site was locked up and out of commission. I hope this site OGF, keeps things positive and going good for years to come.
Happy New Year to all!
Rickerd


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## Rippin

it went downhill right after cornbread had his meltdown, it was one for the ages...that guy is still a ball buster, there defiantly was a few characters on that site.


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## GrandRiverBassman

fishing pole said:


> Those guys are still on our rivers. MOst, some, don't chase steel at all anymore


What would one do on the river (Sept-Mar) if not chasing steel?


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## Chef T

hahaha, good times on that site indeed.


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## fishing pole

GrandRiverBassman said:


> What would one do on the river (Sept-Mar) if not chasing steel?


They chase the native fish - smallmouth!!!

I think many got fed up with the crowds and such.


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## Longhorn

When I first moved up to Ohio, I found that site was an invaluable source of information on steelheading as I didn't know squat about fishing your rivers. I lost touch when I moved back home (not too many steelhead run the Gulf of Mexico tributaries). A year or so ago, I drifted back in there and found it to be completely dead. Kind of a shame. It was a good site in its day.


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## fisher person

yeah, that site was a hoot. I remember duking it out w/ ASM/Mike over his rants at my posting on the Vermilion like it was a 5 ft wide creek. I enjoyed meeting some folks from that site I met during stream cleanups that got organized from that site. sifting though the non fishing related talk was tedious at times, entertaining at times....


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## Longhorn

The thing that used to crack me up about that site was if someone dared mention an "Unmentionable" tributary, certain individuals would go bat %$#@ nuts! Yeah, right! Like no one has ever heard of places like Paine Creek or Hogback Ridge. If I was able to figure it out, I'm pretty sure they people who were from there knew where the creeks were and that there were fish in them.


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## 1MoreKast

if any of you guys have the "pleasure" to see what is posted, said, or commented on in the Facebook page OHIO STEELHEAD...it is quite entertaining. Nothing is really a secret anymore.


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## reelwonders

Wow, just looked for steelhead site and found this thread. Sad to see it go, but I quit posting there years ago when the drama started over stupid crap. Was a great resource and met a few guys on the river from there.


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## Ten Bears

Steel-Addicted said:


> That site was great! It helped me get started steelheading and I still fish with some of the guys that I met from there. I think it went downhill after "Cornbread" had a meltdown and the moderators really clamped down on the postings.


The fly byes, stealing Steeles avatar and Conebred. What memories of chaos.~ MOS, Man of Steel~.


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## rickerd

I loved it when someone requested to be "spoonfed" about something and the picture of a young brat crying with a spoon near his mouth would appear get posted.

The best thing that site did was discourage posting an unstocked tributary. Follows the spoonfed idea. Most of those tribs are as big as a single spot and having more than a few fisherman it is full. Specific spots don't ever need to be posted to a billion people, for any reason. Open up an online map and find the "spots" yourself. Even if they are not secret, the feeling you get from finding your own "new" water, is part of the joy of learning steelheading.

I ended up leaving the site because there were too many people arguing compared to the early days.

Rickerd


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## MotoSteel

rickerd said:


> I loved it when someone requested to be "spoonfed" about something and the picture of a young brat crying with a spoon near his mouth would appear get posted.......


Like this? Sorry couldn't resist.









Still friends with some of the people I met from TSS 15+ years ago...

I'm always trying to match some the old TSS names to names here. Keep thinking .blackie is here as someone ???.

Learned a few lessons the hard way back then. I still have an entire copy of the old Noodlebagger.com site from just before it shut down (the hardest lesson learned). Might resurrect it someday just for fun.


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## heron153

creekcrawler said:


> Wow. I had just looked at it a few days ago.
> It really was pitiful compared to what it used to be years ago.
> I was on there when it started. Used to be some good info there.
> Wonder whatever happened to the Artic Snow Monkey?
> Raised some heck there a few times.
> Not sure why, but it just when downhill quick.


ASM is around. I know his true identity! He even posts on OGF


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## heron153

I see above that ASM has already been revealed. Anyone have the "please don't hurt him" machete guy pic?


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## creekcrawler

fishing pole said:


> Those guys are still on our rivers. MOst, some, don't chase steel at all anymore





fishing pole said:


> They chase the native fish - smallmouth!!!
> 
> I think many got fed up with the crowds and such.


Gotta agree with that. Used to chase steel every chance I got back then. Now, maybe 10 times a year? I have just as much fun getting stream smallies where you rarely see another person.
Chalk it up to the crowds nowadays, or just me getting grumpier . . . . .


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## creekcrawler

heron153 said:


> ASM is around. I know his true identity! He even posts on OGF


Heh. Last year I called him "Spot-Burner Durkalec" after one of his Metropark's reports pointing out a few "unmentionable" lil tribs.


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## Ten Bears

MotoSteel said:


> Like this? Sorry couldn't resist.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Still friends with some of the people I met from TSS 15+ years ago...
> 
> I'm always trying to match some the old TSS names to names here. Keep thinking .blackie is here as someone ???.
> 
> Learned a few lessons the hard way back then. I still have an entire copy of the old Noodlebagger.com site from just before it shut down (the hardest lesson learned). Might resurrect it someday just for fun.


Blackie may have been the Connie Kid.


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## rickerd

Thank you for the good memories. LIke a true fisherperson, I guess I exaggerated the emotions of the toddler.


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## fishing pole

creekcrawler said:


> Heh. Last year I called him "Spot-Burner Durkalec" after one of his Metropark's reports pointing out a few "unmentionable" lil tribs.


That he did and the pressure sure made a difference.


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## icingdeath

Just found this post...TOO MANY great memories and still friends with the group I met from there.


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## steelhead sniper 860

FAB I Had a 28 fish day on the V a few years ago, another day the same season I landed 20 and a buddy landed the same amount or more.


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## EyeCatchEm

steelhead sniper 860 said:


> FAB I Had a 28 fish day on the V a few years ago, another day the same season I landed 20 and a buddy landed the same amount or more.


That's a bad day on v! Haha, had a few 40 plus days, a whole week of no less than 30 a day for about 4-5 hours! The fishery is strong


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## FAB

Yep, I remember more than one day when I just got tired of catching them and broke my rod down and went home. Only to return to my addiction a couple days later.


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## steelhead sniper 860

I've also had 40-50 fish days but not on the V.. yet


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## fishing pole

That site was great to watch and sometimes chime in. Kind of like the WWF. I still keep in contact with many of those guys. The one thing that site did is EXPLODE the popularity of steelhead fishing here in NE Ohio. Late 80's early 90's it was mostly deserted if you could walk more than a 1/10th of a mile


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## Longstick/chromer

Oh I missed this.I was there from the start till Mike was banning me daily for this.







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## Longstick/chromer

Longstick/chromer said:


> Oh I missed this.I was there from the start till Mike was banning me daily for this.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> [/URL][/IMG]


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## Longstick/chromer

Oh need 3 more post to add images


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## Longstick/chromer

The real crybaby pic coming soon


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## Longstick/chromer




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## Bwana J

Mike's Deleter 2000 button was well known. Those were fun times.


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