Minnesota Steelheader

Steelie Stikes : Now you can make your own. We have uploaded our detailed instructions, including photos, on our website http://www.minnesotasteelheader.com/ . Our Steelie Strikes are the originals made from 2mm foam, a bit of thread and a rubber O-ring. Pretty simple stuff here. We created the Steelie Strikes after several years of using various strike indicators. The foam version evolved a couple years ago after frustrations of using yarn indicators. Don't get us wrong, the yarn indicators worked ok , we just got sick of adding floatant to the yarn to keep it floating high. What we really like about the foam is the the ability to adjust on the water. If the situation requires a smaller indicator, just a simple trim does the job. The fact that the foam will never absorb water is a big plus too. Check us out and tie one on...... http://www.minnesotasteelheader.com/MINNESOTASTEELHEADER/strike_indicator.html

Do you know your Steelhead Tags? Individual numbered tags are inserted at the base of the dorsal fin on hatchery (clipped) and wild steelhead that are caught at the Knife and French river fish traps. Grey numbered tags are used on steelhead that return to the Knife River and yellow numbered tags are used at the French River trap. Individual numbered tags are used to gather information on steelhead movement patterns within Lake Superior, occurrence of repeat spawning, age and growth, and trap efficiency. If you catch a tagged steelhead, leave the tag in the fish and record the number. Report the tag number, along with the date, location, and if the fish was harvested or released to Lake Superior Fisheries. We can provide you with information on when and where the fish was tagged and also the age of the fish. Information from: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us

A study began in spring 2006 to determine the habitat used by Kamloops and steelhead in Lake Superior. Information about habitat preferences will reveal how similar or different the requirements of these fish are and aid management decisions. The archival (data storage) tags record date, time, temperature, and depth. When a tag is recovered, data can be downloaded onto a computer. The tags do not transmit a signal, so we rely on angler and trap returns of the fish to recapture the tags. Each fish was also marked externally with yellow tags printed with “$50 reward for return, MNDNR Duluth, call 218-525-0853 x223”. We hope to get most of the fish back during the late winter, and early spring spawning run in 2007. If you catch a tagged fish, please return the whole fish, without freezing, so that we can obtain growth and diet information along with the tags. Do your part to spread the word so more can be learned about this important fishery.