29th Annual Steelhead Expo
Saturday September 23, 2023
Rocky River Nature Center
24000 Valley Parkway
North Olmsted, OH 44070

We will kick of the 2023 to 2024 Steelhead season with our 29th annual Steelhead Expo on Saturday September 23, 2023 at the Rocky River Nature Center in North Olmsted, OH.

We have a great lineup of seminars, conservation groups, fishing clubs and tackle vendors on hand to help you unlock the secrets of catching steelhead.

 

2023 Steelhead Expo Seminar Schedule

9:00 – 9:10 Steelhead Expo Welcome
Tom Blotzer – OCBS President

9:15 – 9:50 Ohio Ohio DOW Steelhead Report
Curt Wagner, DOW Fishery Management Supervisor

10:00 – 10:50 Steelhead Steel Mind
Jessica Suvak, Women on the Fly

11:00 – 11:50 Center Pin Fishing for Steelhead
Mike Durkalec, Cleveland Metroparks Aquatic Biologist

Mike Durkalec

12:00 – 12:50 Single Handed Fly Fishing for Steelhead
John Brochue – Orvis Westlake, OH Manager

1:00 to 1:50 Advanced Float Fishing for Steelhead
Roger Hinchcliff Steelhead Manifesto & Lamiglas Pro Staff

2:00 to 2:50 Spey Fishing for Steelhead & Casting Demo
Jeff Liskay – OCBS Founding Member and Patagonia Ambassador

Jeff Liskay Big Steelhead

Fishing Equipment Vendors, Conservation Groups and Fishing Clubs at Expo

Fishing Equipment Vendors

Cleveland Fishing Company
Dunkin Down Floats
Eggman Fly Company
Furball Baits
Great Lakes Fly Fishing
Lake Erie Kayak Fishing with Chuck Earls
Lamiglas Fishing Rods
LS Fish Smoker
Orvis Crocker Park
Patagonia
River Roe
Scott Rods
Steelhead Manifesto
Steelhead Stuff
The Fly Guy Fly Shop
Voodoo Custom Tackle

Conservation Groups

Chagrin River Watershed Partners, Inc.
Rocky River Chapter of Project Healing Waters
Rocky River Watershed Council

Fishing Clubs

Firelands Fly Fishers
North Coast Fly Fishers
Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders
Women on the Fly

September OCBS Membership Meeting
Emerald Necklace Marina Cafe, Lakewood, OH
Thursday September 28, 2023
Speakers: Chris Aman DOW District 3 Fisheries Bologist and
Graham Montague Fairport – Lake Erie Fisheries Biologist
Topic: Annual Ohio Steelhead Program Report and New Steelhead Creel Survey

Chris Aman with a rare large blue catfish from Clendening Lake.

Walnut Creek with David

Chris Aman and Graham Montague have a lot of information to share with OCBS members regarding the new steelhead creel survey and the Ohio steelhead program. 

This will be another excellent meeting you will not want to miss. I hope you can attend.

Location: Emerald Necklace Marina Café, Scenic River Room
                 1500 Scenic Park Dr, Lakewood, OH 44107

Time: Doors open at 6:30 PM; Meeting Starts at 7:30 PM

October OCBS Membership Meeting
Firehouse Grille & Pub, Willoughby Hills, OH
Thursday October 26, 2023
Speaker: Mark Signorino, FFI Certified Fly Casting Instructor
Topic: Fly Fishing for Steelhead in Erie, PA

Mark Signorino with a trophy Brown Trout caught through the ice on a PA Trbutary.

Mark is a Fly Fishers International Certified Casting Instructor from Erie PA. He is involved with the Gem City Outdoorsmen Fly Tiers (they started and ran the Landowners Fruit Basket Program), is the current Vice President of the FFI Affiliate club Keystone Fly Fishers based in Franklin PA.

He has competed in several American Casting Association events, is a helper/instructor for several Pa Fish & Boat Commission seminars, teaches numerous Fly Fishing 101 class in Western Pennsylvania and is a volunteer with Project Healing Waters.

Mark is involved at the state level as a member of the Lake Erie Advisory Council. Their purpose is to present new projects, easements and land acquisitions that are funded through the monies generated from the Lake Erie Stamp fishing permit.

His first article was published this year on midcurrent.com entitled “So you received a fly tying kit for Christmas – now what?”

When not teaching, Mark is an avid steelhead, trout and bass fisherman.

Pennsylvania stocks about 1 million steelhead each year and provides great steelhead runs each year from September to April. The PA streams are the first to clear after a heavy rain and can provide non-stop action when the tributaries are on the drop. Mark will have all the information that you need to fly fish the Erie PA streams.

Mark is another excellent speaker that you will not want to miss,

Location: Firehouse Pub and Grille
                 2768 Stark Drive
                 Willoughby Hills, OH  44094 

Time: Doors open at 6:00 PM; Meeting Starts at 7:30 PM

OCBS in Action

OCBS conducted the raffle at this year’s Barbie Rod Steelhead Fishing Tournament which was held on the Rocky River on Saturday April 1, 2023. This is a fund raiser for the Cleveland Metroparks fishing fund.

We ran both a 50/50 raffle and a fishing equipment raffle which generated $2,290 for the fishing fund.

Thanks to OCBS members John Beedlow, Jr, Scott Grossnickle, Tom Blotzer, Bob Hajek, Ben Mott, Jim Berryman and John Brochue for working the raffle.

OCBS Member Photos

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OCBS "Members Only" David K. Esner memorial
Steelhead Fishing Tournament

2022 to 2023 OCBS Championship Steelhead Tournament
Final Results

2023-2024 OCBS “Members Only”
David K. Esner Memorial Tournament
Sponsored by Erie Outfitters

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 5, 2023
November 19, 2023
December 10, 2023
March 10, 2024
March 24, 2024

Dave Esner - Always Our Friend

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:

  1. US Postal Service: Print the below registration form, fill it out and mail with check for payment to OCBS PO Box 29577 Parma, OH 44129.
  2.  Online: Complete online registration form and credit card payment on our tournament page. Click here to go to online registration.
  3. OCBS Meetings: You can register and pay in person at our monthly meetings.

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.

Click Here for OCBS Tournament Registration Form to use to register via US Postal Service

2022-2023 OCBS Championship Tournament Series
Winners

Casey Smith, the OCBS 2022 – 2023 Steelhead Tournament winner releasing a huge, colored up buck. Congratulations Casey!

Adam Hillman., second place winner in the 2022 – 2022 OCBS Steelhead Championship Fishing Series with a hefty male fall run Ohio steelhead.

Tom Blotzer, third place winner in the 2022 – 2023 OCBS Steelhead Tournament Series with a fat Fall run hen caught on an Ohio Tributary.

THANKS to our OCBS Sponsors!

Erie Outfitters - Sheffield OH

THANKS to our OCBS Sponsors!

Backpackers Shop - Ohio Central Basin Steelheaders