Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021 - 25

Rich Morder caught this steelhead using a Black Marabou Jig.
and having your own section of water makes a huge
difference to your success.
Fall and late winter are my favorite times to target
steelhead with lures. The months of January and
February may offer brutal weather conditions, but I find
that by braving the cold, I can escape the pressure of
other anglers. Fish with a buddy in cold weather, have
hand warming devices, and wear a life jacket when close
to the water. Cold water in the winter is no joke, and
with ice being abundant, slips and falls do happen.
When you locate an area of water that looks
promising, select a lure. Your choices are seemingly
limitless and so comes the fun of targeting steelhead
with lures. Try a spoon or inline spinner to cover water
and draw reaction strikes from migrating fish. I also
use white and black marabou jigs drifted through the
current and lightly bounced off the bottom. Strikes will
come if there are fish moving through water.
If you locate a pool with several steelhead holding, switch
to a more finesse presentation. Small 1/16- or 1/8-ounce
jig heads paired with small grubs or plastic worms can
be irresistible to aggressive steelhead. I wear polarized
sunglasses to spot steelhead while the fish are holding in
an area. Then, I cast a jig upstream of the steelhead and
let it drift in its direction. Once close to the fish's mouth,
I begin to lightly bounce the jig in a fast, repetitive action.
This triggers a reactionary strike time and time again.
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If the fish are finicky and dodging your drifted lure
presentations, it is time to get creative. If you are not
familiar with the presentation, I recommend reading
about the drop shot rig. It is a common presentation for
bass anglers targeting Smallmouth Bass in clear water.
When Walnut Creek and Elk Creek are clear, I adopt
this presentation to use on steelhead. For your drop
shot lure selection, opt for a small baitfish, soft plastic
hellgrammite, or leech. Use a light drop shot weight
as well. Cast your drop shot upstream of a group of
holding steelhead. Once it drifts into an area with fish
around, let the weight settle into the bottom. Maintain
tension on your line to keep the drop shot lure up, and
let the stream current do the rest. The current will wash
your soft plastic lure around, making it look alive. After
a few minutes, steelhead may become convinced and
rush in to take the lure.
Lure fishing for steelhead is an exciting way to target
hard fighting and aggressive fish. Due to the steelhead
seeing egg sacs and live bait options so often, lures
may be more effective on some days when the fish are
looking for something different to catch its interest.
Get creative with your lure selection, have fun when
you hook into a fish, and you will have a memorable
day. Pennsylvania steelhead fishing is something to
experience, and targeting fish with lures adds a twist to
the experience.
Pennsylvania Angler & Boater * November/December 2021
25
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Pennsylvania Angler & Boater - November/December 2021

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