Chris DePaola and John Breedlove can talk for hours about their passion for steelhead fishing and the tactics they deploy in pursuit of the chrome treasures of Lake Erie.

But they do not hesitate to boil it all down to one word when asked to sum up their expectations for the upcoming steelhead season.

“Excitement,” Breedlove said. “Exceptional,” DePaola said.

One other “E” word comes to mind as they eagerly look ahead to the first runs of steelhead into Erie’s Ohio tributary streams. Bright silver trout, fat after a summer of gorging on Lake Erie emerald shiners, smelt, shad and alewife, show up in the Ohio harbors soon after Labor Day.

Breedlove is decidedly optimistic about an early (another “E” word) start to the 2025 steelhead season.

“With the Shasta strain making up the majority of the fish here in Ohio, we should be getting an early start like we did last year,” he said, noting the genetic tendency of the Shasta fish to migrate into their home streams earlier in the fall than the steelhead formerly stocked by Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Breedlove said fishing was excellent last year. He caught and released more than 300 steelhead.

“It was heading to be a phenomenal fall until the big snow in late November that shut things down until just about Christmas, and then the big freeze that came after the new year that shut it down for good until almost spring.”

DePaola’s 2024 season was curtailed by knee replacement surgery in December.

“So I did not get out as much as I would have liked. I was finally able to get out in late February and early March when the fishing was spotty. But I have to say, I did have some exceptional days last season,” he said.

Breedlove will soon store his Skeeter bass boat and bring out his aluminum boat that he has rigged specially for trolling for steelhead. His expertise includes years of experience with lure selection, fishing locations, trolling speeds, baitfish locations and all the little details that add up to big success.

“Good lures to use are, of course, Little Cleos and KO Wobblers, but don’t forget your Shad Raps and Flick’r Shads, plus Kwick Fish,” he said, reminding anglers to go to Erie with new fresh line and quality hooks on their lures.

He recommends anglers troll the breakwalls, inside and outside the harbors, as well as the river mouths and freighter ship slips. He fishes the Ashtabula, Conneaut and Fairport harbors.

DePaola is an expert on flyrod and center-pin fishing tactics that he deploys while wading the runs of the Ashtabula River, Conneaut Creek and other Ohio streams, as well as Walnut Run and Elk Creek in Pennsylvania.

The fishes’ moods range from skittish to aggressive in the rivers, depending on the level and clarity of the water.

DePaola’s advice to anglers starts with the basics about fish behavior in different conditions.

“Learn and understand the flow rates,” he said. “Be willing to adjust as needed. You may need to try different techniques or move to other rivers. It’s not uncommon to fish three different streams in one day.”

Anglers are well advised to bring another “E” word on Erie steelhead fishing trips: Energy. You’ll need a lot of it to bring the chrome torpedoes to the net.

Jack Wollitz appreciates comments and questions from readers. Contact him at jackbbaass@gmail.com.