Regulation change needed

[lockjaw]

Steelie limits from 09-01 to 05-15 is 2. The rest of the year it's 5. I think it should remain 2 fish year round. Walleye limits are 6 and they reproduce naturally, whereas trout are stocked with our $. Not cheaply either. Imagine 4 people trolling, 20 fish in the box times who knows how many boats, over the period of a season. Also once the limit has been reached they continue to target the species and mortality is probably pretty high on released fish. Even when aspirating bladders I've seen them belly up after release. It's a predicament I have no answer for. Charter captains are entitled to a living too, but between them and all the privateers they make a significant impact on populations. Lactic acid buildup occurs faster in warmer waters which is why I quit skamania fishing in the summer. Don't even get me started on Canadian netters.

[Gloomis134]

I agree about changing the limit from 5 down to 2 all year round. Cause when these fish group up in the lake and you find them you can catch them all day. So who knows how many die for that reason.

This is one of the problems.

The other is lampreys which is really bad. I think the state needs to spray lampricide in some Westside rivers too.

[Cornbread]

My opinion is that if they do any of that, then they need to close the season during the spawn. I know reproduction is very rare but since we are talking about fish dying I figured I'd throw it in. A ton of fish die from the stress of spawning and rising water temps, so why exhaust them more by dragging them out of the water? Just my thoughts.
CB

[Bow Buster]

Why close a season? First off the fish do not naturally reproduce, the fishery is designed to be a put and take fishery and thus does not rely on natural reproduction. Maybe close the upper portions of the streams/tributaries where documented reproduction takes place this makes the most sence.

Limiting the amount of fish the Lake fishermen kill down to two fish will only lead to more fish floating on top of the lake from the stress put on their bodies during a fight in water that's too warm for them after being released. Instead if we are all concerned about these guys fishing beyond their limit why not just raise it so those dead floating fish are in a cooler instead of floating in open water .

Do I think there should be a limit? Absolutly. As lockjaw stated once the fish are found they are very easy to catch and a few boats that actually know what they are doing can put a HUGE hurtin' on the population.

I think the last steelhead I kept in on my wall and it was caught back in 2001. I've kept some browns and kings but the steelies go back. It's nice to let them go and return bigger and with more spunk each year.

BB

[zotman]

Why not catch & release only? Does mercury taste good?

How about fly only sections of a river? CPinners can use flies.

[BWANA-J]

I think the rules and regulations that the ODNR have set forth concerning Steelhead would be difficult to improve on. IMHO restricting streaches of water to "Fly only" would be wrong, we all paid the same money for our license. I'm a fly fisher only for steelhead and know how I'd feel if someone told me I couldn't fish flies in certain areas. What I would like to see is a State Steelhead stamp with all the funds earmarked for increasing the numbers of steelhead stocked every year. I would gladly pay an extra $5.00 if the State would use it to improve our fishery.

I would also like to see Ohio charge the out-of-state fisherman the same price that their state charges an Ohio resident to fish there. This money should also be added to Fish Managements yearly budget to help improve the fishery....Jeff

[Possum]

I'd be in for a Steelhead stamp as well. Especially if it was a colorful art type stamp like many states trout stamps are.



CB - do you remember the old WV stamps, before they got cheep.

[Bow Buster]

In all reality doesn't Ohio stock enough steelhead in our rivers? If the state stocks anymore fish our rivers will look like PA. You know what I mean. Fish holding in every little nook and craney. How can the lake support all of these predator species? There has to be a limit somewhere. Maybe our resident aquatic biologist can shed some light on this subject. Monkey where are you!

If Ohio were to add a trout stamp wouldn't it be better t see the money go towards riparian improvement and the aquisition of stream side access? Restoring the riparian zone will help keep the water a tad cooler and would help with the runoff and siltation. Any thoughts?

[Cornbread]

BB, you make a lot of sense. I think you took my last post serious when it wasn't meant that way. My thoughts are, the native fish are the ones that need tighter regulations.
CB

[Steelio]

When was the last time you had problems catching steelhead in our rivers. Believe me the population is quite strong and manistees have been going on for a while now. What do they live 5 years tops.. maybe 6. In that time charters and rec anglers havn't put a dent in the population. Maybe catching 10 fish on a given day isn't good enough for ya.
This is a put and take.. remember that!
If these fish were natural reproducers it would be different. Walleye and Perch are the protected species on Erie. Don't worry about the Steelhead, next year we'll put another 400,000 in there.
Trust me the ODNR has a good program in place and the only thing that would change it is if the Steelhead population begins to negitively impact the Walleye or Perch.
I guess if there is nothing to whine about people start really searching for something.
Geeeeeeze.

[River Rat]

Steelio hit it...there is no problem with the numbers of steelhead in our rivers, and for the most part, charter fishermen don't impact the populations to any significant degree.

With all of the catch and release that takes place on our rivers, adding more fish to the rivers (by reducing lake run catches to 2 fish) would add additional river fishermen, thus spawning another round of whining by those who already don't care to have fishermen within a quarter of a mile of them. There is no way that all sides of this debate are ever going to find common ground, so like Steelio said, let the ODNR continue to do its job. Thier decisions are well balanced between science, biology, recreational demands and financial budgets. For armchair biologist and those chanting their personal agendas to have any influence on ODNR would not be in the best interests of the majority of steelheaders. IMHO

RR

[FlyFishinFro]

I agree that the out of state liscence fees should be upped to 52$ with an optional trout stamp for everyone at 10$ and lake earie stamp for 10$ or a combo stamp for 15$ making the final price for out of staters 67$ like it is for us to go to PA. I think this money could best be used, as BB said, for stream restoration and perhaps be used to do some research on inland streams/rivers/lakes because lake earie is not the only body of water around that has pollution problems.
just my.02

[Bow Buster]

Check out silverdreams second article about the salmon on the west coast. 14 million + salmon between three states in a monstrous watershed like the Columbia only to see a return of less that 100K fish. And we are complaining that there should be more fish in our systems. I think we all should give a thanks to the ODNR for the fine steelhead program they have now.

PA's is better (more fish = more hook ups) .

disclaimer: the last statement about PA is to tell people to head EAST during the months of Aug. - April.

[wish4fish]

As I love to eat steelhead (not huge ones but midsizes), I think that the limit should be 3 steelhead year round.

[Rickerd]

I agree with the others that think the limit on Steelhead from May through August is excessive. Its a principal issue, why would you allow the boaters to take 5 when you can take only 2 in the rivers? The number of steelhead in the lake is far less than the numbers of walleye. This is the reason to protect the ones we pay to put in. 3 fish a day should be enough for anyone May through August.

I love the steelhead fishery we have. I appreciate the efforts of the state and the private volunteers who support this fishery. Suggesting a few adjustments to the program does not make some one a whiner.

My only other wish would be for the state to stock about 20% new london strain along with 80% manistee. In my opinion, the new londons made fly fishing much better for steelhead in Ohio during the fall and winter.

Like I said though I do love our fishery. I grew up in NE ohio and could only dream of catching a decent trout in our waters. I see kids run down after school to wade in tennis shoes for a chance to battle a trout, and I enjoy helping them too. I used to fish a stream all summer to catch a 12 inch creek chub and that was the best I could hope for. Now that same stream will see a few steelhead each Spring. Life is good.

Tight lines,
Rickerd