April steelhead action can be intense especially this year, with the "winter-like" weather through most of March.  For now, it looks like April will begin on the spring side of the weather chart.

You can expect to catch plenty of steelhead this month.  Tributaries will also see the spring migration of spawning suckers too.  If the weather gets warm enough to drawn in large schools of emerald shiners, smallmouth bass will follow them into the streams – that is an annual bonus!

Steelhead smolt stocking will be completed this month so be on the lookout for those hungry little guys.  They have a big appetite so you may need to change fishing locations to avoid countless hookups. You must be gentle with these smolts because they represent a future fall run.

The formula for catching steelhead in April is the same as March.  Single eggs or egg pattern flies, emerald shiners, small jigs, egg sacs and nymphs.  Some anglers like to throw small spoons or spinners to get reaction bites.  Gulp and Power minnows fished on a small jig catches plenty of steelhead.

If you decide to target smallmouth bass, fish with small tube lures that are "crawfish" colored.  Or do what most anglers do.  Just fish for steelhead with marabou jigs until you start catching smallmouth bass.  Then you can start to experiment with more bass tackle when the steelhead bite ends.

Don’t forget! Saturday April 12th is the first day of the Pennsylvannia trout season.  Lake Erie tributaries will be closed to fishing from 12:01 a.m. Friday April 11 until 8:00 a.m. Saturday April 12th.