Come join us for an evening of education, comradery and fun. This month’s meeting is one you do not want to miss.
The Steelhead Workshop meeting is focused around getting to know your fellow members and angler education. No matter if you have been running up and down the rivers for twenty plus years or just getting started in the game, you will learn something new.
We will have the following learning stations set up around the room covering everything from center pin fishing to fly fishing to near shore lake trolling as well as the popular egg curing/tying station, fly tying and anything to do with catching the steelhead that we love chase.
Bead Fishing
Center Pin & Float Fishing
Ice Fishing for Steelhead & Browns
Fly Fishing Basics
Fly Tying
Near Shore & Harbor techniques…Fly fishing, Trolling, Casting
Spey Fishing
Spawn sack tying
We hope to see you at the meeting. It will be a good time.
Jeff Liskay
OCBS Board of Directors
Leg 3 of the OCBS “Members Only” Steelhead Tournament was held on Sunday 21 December 2025. It was a partly cloudy day with air temps in the twenties and wind chills in the teens.
Anglers had to contend with icy rod guides, elevated stream flows, slushy conditions, and water temps in the low thirties.
The cold-water temps contributed to the low catch rate as those fish in the river systems were lethargic and had lockjaw.
A total of 6 fish were checked-in by 4 steelheaders. A tough day on Steelhead Alley
Congratulations to Chris Dietrich who placed First with two fish totaling 50.75 inches in length.
The 4th Tournament Leg will take place on Sunday 1 March 2026; be sure to save the date.
John Beedlow Jr
Tournament Director
Matt Hainzey with a beautiful 32 inch alpha male steelhead caught in the March 13, 2022 OCBS Tournament. Well done Matt!
This season’s OCBS Steelhead Tournament is dedicated to the memory of David K. Esner, a long-time Ohio Steelheader who passed away on May 6, 2018.
FISHING DATES:
November 2, 2025
November 23, 2025
December 21, 2025
March 1, 2026
March 22, 2026
Our annual OCBS Steelhead Fishing tournament, sponsored by Erie Outfitters, is for OCBS members only. If not a member, you are welcome to join OCBS in order to register for the tournament.
Members can register for this year’s tournament as follows:
All participants are required to fish with another OCBS member who is in the tournament and is responsible for verifying the length of each fish checked in.
Check in has been modified to permit members to call or text their catch to the Tournament Director.
Entry fee is $20.00 per participant.
Be certain to read the tournament rules.
A record 218 anglers attended a Barbie Rod Steelhead Derby fundraiser on Saturday March 30, 2025
Several steelhead were caught by anglers who persevered. Jason Lawson took first place with a 29.0 inch steelhead. In second was Kevin Kolesar with a 28.25 inch steelhead and Sam Gibson was the 3rd place finisher with a 26.25 inch steelhead. The “coveted” biggest sucker award went to Marcus During with a 21.625 inch white sucker catch.
Everyone enjoyed the cookout and went home with a full belly and a 38 folks won some great raffle prizes.
We raised a new event record $16,460 for our Metroparks Fishing Fund in the process (we’ve raised $79K for public fishing over the past 10 years of these events!).
A huge thank you to all our volunteers who helped pull this off, our awesome sponsors, and Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders for hosting the raffle portion (which a good chunk of the proceeds). Additionally, OCBS awarded Cleveland Metroparks a grant check for $4,400 from the Ohio Division of Wildlife and OCBS to support our Spring Children’s Fishing Derbies coming up on May 17 & 18, netting a grand total of just shy of $21K for public fishing for the day.
Mike Durkalec
Cleveland Metroparks
