By Louie Stout

Merrick and Annalie Powell show off a St. Joseph River steelhead caught last week.Looking for a bright side to this ridiculous winter and spring weather?

Look no farther than the St. Joseph River steelhead run.

Apparently, this crazy spring weather has been just what the doctor ordered for steelhead anglers. It extended the run and brought us good water flows with lower water temperatures, the perfect combination to attract a ton of fish into Indiana waters.

Check this out: From April 9-16, 2,262 steelhead moved through the South Bend ladder, bringing the April total to 5,477, the biggest month of the 2013-14 fall/spring run. That means more than 13,000 steelhead have passed the ladder since the run began last summer.

Those numbers guarantee this will be the second largest fall/spring run ever since trout and salmon began migrating into Mishawaka in the early 1990s. It’s not likely we’ll break the record (19,655) set in 2000, but compared to the crummy runs of recent years, this is a true bonanza.

And it’s not over. Fish managers expect April’s tally to climb even more over the next week or so.

River fishermen deserve it. Previous springs have been wrecked by high or muddy water, rapidly rising temperatures or a small run.

The recent fishing has been spectacular and it should get even better if the weather holds as expected.

“The water has stayed cool and the river is dropping,” said assistant Bodine Hatchery Manager Bob Bell. “Unless we get a lot of rain this week, it should remain very good.”

Some of the Skamanias have already gone to the gravel bars to spawn. In fact, just about any of the gravelly, shallow areas could potentially hold steelhead.

“Keep casting and cover water,” advised Dick Parker, an avid steelheader and owner of Central Park Bait and Tackle. “If you’re not getting bit, don’t be content to let your bait sit in one place.”

Parker said quite a few fish are being caught by shore fishermen using a sundry of baits. Spawn has been among the best, but don’t overlook drifting wax worms, shrimp or little Corkies. Drifting crankbaits or flies will get ‘em, too.

“Keep your bait about 12 inches off the bottom and let the natural current carry it,” Parker added.

For equipment, don’t use fishing line over 10 pound and stick with clear lines. An 8- to 9-foot rod with some tip play is a huge plus because it absorbs the shock of thrashing fish and gives you the flexibility to steer fish around the bank.

Panfish improving, too: The warming trend should improve inland lake action, too. Darrin Schaap of Clear H2o in Edwardsburg said anglers should start searching water less than 6 feet deep, especially during afternoon hours when the water is warmest. Although there will still be some fish deep, the panfish want to moved up.

Also, he added, crappies and bluegills will congregate in manmade channels along sun-splashed seawalls that absorb heat.

“It’s best if the wind isn’t blowing, but if it is, fish the leeward side, and better yet, the north side of the lake,” Schaap described. “The panfish schools will be roaming the shallows when they’re up, and any kind of surface bug hatch will get them going.”

For that reason, he recommends an assortment of flies or small livebait, with a slow sinking Black Gnat’s being a good bet. You can tip it with a wax worm or, fish a dangling red wiggler under a bobber.

If you’re not finding the fish shallow, probe the nearest deep water to spawning areas. That’s where the panfish will school before moving up.