Fewer fish don't always equate to poorer fishing. That's what fall steelhead anglers are discovering this season. "Even though we've got fewer fish this fall, I think we're catching more," said steelhead guide Dick Parker, owner of Central Park Bait and Tackle.

Through the same period this year, only about 1,900 fish have been counted. That's about one-third of what was in Mishawaka last year.

So why is fishing better this year?

"The difference is that last year those fish came in early and got acclimated," said Parker. "I'm beginning to think that early run fish aren't as aggressive as they are when they're fresh out of the lake."

Based upon Bodine records, this is the smallest run for mid-October since 2002 when there were only 934 steelhead in the river. In 2003, nearly 5,000 steelhead were here during the same period.

That doesn't mean that more fish aren't on the way, but Bodine Manager Dave Meuninck says the run has probably peaked.

"Fish are still coming," he said. "I talked to Michigan's ladder operator at Berrien Springs earlier this week and he said fish are still moving. But not in the great numbers."

Meuninck blames the hot summer, warm water temperatures and low water conditions for the poorer run.

"It's another situation of a hot summer," he explained. "The fish won't come into the St. Joe when water is warm. From mid-June to mid-September, water temps were above 75 degrees and that kept them out of the river."

Parker said fishing has been good for both shore and boat anglers.

"It's been a mixture of tactics -- spawn, plugs, spinners and wax worms fished on flies," he noted. "Some of the salmon are bedding but not in the usual places because the water is so low on those gravel flats. You have to hunt for new places."

Elsewhere, panfish continue to make the headlines. Bluegills and crappies have been feeding heartily in the St. Joe above Twin Branch and on area lakes.

"Panfishing has been outstanding," said Randy Jesensky of Lunker's. "We've been getting bluegills and perch on little lakes along the outside edges in 12 to 15 feet of water and it doesn't seem to matter what we use for bait, wigglers, red wigglers or red worms. This much I have noticed -- the bigger the livebait, the bigger the fish."

The panfish around Kosciusko County lakes in northern Indiana have been a little shallower. Larry Stover of The Tackle Box in North Webster said a lot of crappies are being caught in 2 to 6 feet of water, around cover.

"Crappie fishing has been fabulous," he said. "Muskie fishing is fair, although the guys are seeing more fish right now than they're catching."

Mike McNulty of Midway Bait and Tackle in Osceola said crappie and bluegill fishing has been good on the St. Joseph River.