A good day on steelhead waters for senior citizen brothers
Fishing continues to be a family affair for John Ungerman, 68, of Wexford and Ed Ungerman, 67, of the North Side. Under 43-degree Erie County skies Monday, the brothers netted several nice steelhead on slightly murky Elk Creek about a mile south of I-90.
“I thought I had a snag, a log,” said John Ungerman. The colorful hook-jawed 10pounder was taken on a submerged dry fly attractor anchored by a Berkley PowerBait minnow.
Ed Ungerman landed a fresh chromer also using a Berkley minnow fished deep. In all, the Ungermans landed three steelhead and lost several others in four hours of “quality fishing,” John said.
After six decades together on the water, Ed holds the angling edge.
“He’s the master, he knows it all really well,” said John. “Fortunately there’s no competition between us. We learned that from our father and have passed it on to our kids.”
Statewide, most stocked trout waters will be closed March 1 through April 18. Lake Erie and tributaries
(Erie County) With no hardtop on the bay, boat anglers tried unsuccessfully to find yellow perch in very cold water. Fresh silver bullets and dark survivors of fall runs were taken throughout the bigger tributaries, particularly on middle and upper Elk Creek. Live minnows and single eggs were hot. Pittsburghers including Jim Kramer of Bulger and Tony Fazio of Forest Hills caught and released goodsize brown trout on Elk and Walnut creeks.
Lake Pleasant (Erie County) Solid ice supported anglers. Perch and panfish were caught.
Eaton Reservoir (Erie County) Panfish were pulled through the ice at a Western Pennsylvania Hardwater Tournament.
Pymatuning Reservoir (Crawford County) Bluegills and crappies continued to be taken off the Jamestown docks, and a few perch and walleye were caught from shore in the dam tailrace.
Canadohta Lake (Crawford County) Ice anglers fished through a hard top.
Shenango Reservoir (Mercer County) Boat anglers caught yellow perch and crappies.
French Creek (Mercer, Venango counties) One angler took nearly 20 walleye as large as 22 inches on live minnows at dusk.
Sugar Creek (Venango County) Brown trout in excess of 18, 23 and 25 inches were caught by anglers drifting live minnows.
Pine Creek (Allegheny County) Browns, rainbows and golden rainbows are the March 6 stocking list in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only area.
Deer Creek (Allegheny County) The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section is scheduled for a state stocking of brown and rainbow trout March 6.
Loyalhanna Creek (Westmoreland County) The Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures Only section, part of the state’s Keystone Select Stocked Trout Waters program, is expected to be stocked with 14- to 20-inch trophy trout, as well as a general stocking of 9- to 11-inchers, on Monday.
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