Hello,
Skipjack and I will be going Steelhead fishing out in Northeastern Ohio, and I would like to extend an invitation to other forum members that would be interested in meeting and fishing. We are going during the week, however. It seems like a Thursday (Nov. 29th) afternoon meeting with some possible fishing, and then Friday (Nov. 30th) morning fishing. I am very interested in getting as many Steelhead as possible (within Ohio fishing regulations) for aid in a Steelhead study being conducted by Bowling Green State University fisheries biologists. PM me if you are interested in attending.

-Nate-

Hello,
Skipjack and I will be going Steelhead fishing out in Northeastern Ohio, and I would like to extend an invitation to other forum members that would be interested in meeting and fishing. We are going during the week, however. It seems like a Thursday (Nov. 29th) afternoon meeting with some possible fishing, and then Friday (Nov. 30th) morning fishing. I am very interested in getting as many Steelhead as possible (within Ohio fishing regulations) for aid in a Steelhead study being conducted by Bowling Green State University fisheries biologists. PM me if you are interested in attending.

-Nate-

Do you know where your going to be?

I could suggest a few spots on the Grand.

Call me if you want suggestions.

Tom

I am very interested in getting as many Steelhead as possible (within Ohio fishing regulations) for aid in a Steelhead study being conducted by Bowling Green State University fisheries biologists. PM me if you are interested in attending.-Nate-

Tell yah what, if the university will subsidize my trip out there, I'd be glad to lend my expert fishing talents at no additional cost.

I've got to work during the week. But if you feel like extending that into Saturday, I'd be game for some seining and/or hook-and-line fishing in NE OH or NW PA. I've identified on the USGS topo and Google Earth some spots in French Creek and tributaries that I want to investigate soon. 2008 PA fishing licenses go on sale on Saturday, and they're good in December 2007 as well as all of 2008. If you don't have budget for a PA license right now, or if you just prefer not to cross the border, I can reach the OH border on the Turnpike in an hour, and I already have an OH license. IF you want to stay through Saturday, that is.

On the other hand, considering that it might rain this weekend, some Saturday collecting on one of the next couple of weekends would be welcome.

Regardless, good luck getting your steelheads, Nate!

I've got to work during the week. But if you feel like extending that into Saturday, I'd be game for some seining and/or hook-and-line fishing in NE OH or NW PA. I've identified on the USGS topo and Google Earth some spots in French Creek and tributaries that I want to investigate soon. 2008 PA fishing licenses go on sale on Saturday, and they're good in December 2007 as well as all of 2008. If you don't have budget for a PA license right now, or if you just prefer not to cross the border, I can reach the OH border on the Turnpike in an hour, and I already have an OH license. IF you want to stay through Saturday, that is.

On the other hand, considering that it might rain this weekend, some Saturday collecting on one of the next couple of weekends would be welcome.

Regardless, good luck getting your steelheads, Nate!

Yeah, a Saturday collecting trip!!!! Come on Nate! Hope you get more this trip.

No dice,
I've got to be at work on Saturday morning. I'll be leaving the Ashtabula area on Friday afternoon/evening.

No dice,
I've got to be at work on Saturday morning. I'll be leaving the Ashtabula area on Friday afternoon/evening.

2 words- Play Hookey!

Tell yah what, if the university will subsidize my trip out there, I'd be glad to lend my expert fishing talents at no additional cost.

haha...this guy...

haha...this guy...

I could provide lodging at no charge for him!

I could provide lodging at no charge for him!

I was just kidding of course.
Sure would love to participate in a trip like that. Just too far away at this point. Maybe next season.

I was just kidding of course.
Sure would love to participate in a trip like that. Just too far away at this point. Maybe next season.

I figured.

Got one in the Grand River!



Picture was taken after the fish was on ice for about 5 hours. (23.5 inches TL)

What are you studying?

I personally would love to see a study on what adult Steelhead eat. When I worked for ODNR a few summers back they were dumping about 500,000 fish into the rivers every year (I am sure that number is about the same if not higher) with MANY large 6-8lbs and even 10+ lbs fish returning every year. I am sure adding that many top predator fish into Lake Erie (no to mention Michigan, PA, NY and Ontario adding their fish also) has some effect. Maybe part of the reason why walleye and perch fishing isn't what is was supposed to be like.

Try getting funding for that study though.

Andy

The number is up to 100 thousand per stream in Ohio yearly and they also say they don't reproduce on their own and have very little effect on stream fish in tribs or fish in the lake and I just don't buy it. I have seen first hand some offspring do survive the summers in some of the cooler tributaries and there is no way that many large predators is not having an effect, but it's all the money they make from people buying licences just to fish for steelhead that keeps them doing it. It's all about the money. The worst stream has to be Conneaut creek, Ohio's aprox 100 thousand a year plus PA puts over 1 Million a year in the upper reaches which also make their way down to the lake! Thats an amazing amount of fish, not to mention all the minnows the 4-6" (stocking size) fish eat on their way out of the streams to the lake. I would also think there is competition with suckers for spawning areas in the spring. I don't really like the program but I don't think it is going to change, it's too much of a cash crop for the state. I have to admit I do fish for them from time to time but if I land them they aren't going back in the water. Then you get guys who get upset about you keeping them when they are too small or because we should be conserving the fishery. When someone says that, they need to be educated... Anyways sorry for the ranting and I know it is more than likely everyone here will take my point of veiw but the vast majority of fisherman do not.

In Ohio it was 100,000 in Rocky River, Grand, and Chagrin with Conneaut and one other (can't remember offhand) were slightly less at about 75,000 each. They must have boosted the numbers since '00. I personally caught and saw many baby trout in Paine Creek this year, a trib of the Grand. There were schools of them. And this was a hot, dry, drought year with very low, warm water. I have also caught babies in Lake or Cuyahoga County (in North Chagrin Reservation) in a very small trib of the Chagrin and that was about 15 years ago. These fish were all about 2-3".

This spring though I was out at a salamander workshop and we netted up a few tiny (~.75") Brook Trout in Geauga County, that was pretty cool.

Your mentioning of the money that pours into the state for steelhead fishing and the number of hardcore steelhead fishermen is exactly why I said to try and get funding for that study. I believe you will make enemies fast.

Andy

In Ohio it was 100,000 in Rocky River, Grand, and Chagrin with Conneaut and one other (can't remember offhand) were slightly less at about 75,000 each. They must have boosted the numbers since '00. I personally caught and saw many baby trout in Paine Creek this year, a trib of the Grand. There were schools of them. And this was a hot, dry, drought year with very low, warm water. I have also caught babies in Lake or Cuyahoga County (in North Chagrin Reservation) in a very small trib of the Chagrin and that was about 15 years ago. These fish were all about 2-3".

This spring though I was out at a salamander workshop and we netted up a few tiny (~.75") Brook Trout in Geauga County, that was pretty cool.

Your mentioning of the money that pours into the state for steelhead fishing and the number of hardcore steelhead fishermen is exactly why I said to try and get funding for that study. I believe you will make enemies fast.

The Vermillion is the other that is slightly less you were trying to think of.

The few native brook trout is one of my reasons for concern with the non-native steelhead or rainbows.

And I think you are correct in saying you would quickly make enemies, sad but very true.

I personally caught and saw many baby trout in Paine Creek this year, a trib of the Grand. There were schools of them. And this was a hot, dry, drought year with very low, warm water. These fish were all about 2-3".

Me too. 100's of babies in Paine creek

I'm surprised we never bumped into eachother.

I just went to a workshop and one of the programs was on the Brookie introductions, with a focus on the Geauga populations. I have seen a few of them. Really pretty to see 6" trout swimming around COLD Ohio streams. I believe most of these populations are so deep up headwater streams the Rainbows (hopefully/maybe) won't have much effect on the Brookies. But could negatively influence any dispersal of the Brooks. Either way I hope the Rainbows never become self sustaining so if the ever state decides to stop introductions the population will just die off.

Tom, if you are ever out and see this goofball walking around (complete with net) go up and say hi.


Although I will likely be in uniform and not watching a Hellbender.

Andy

Tom, if you are ever out and see this goofball walking around (complete with net) go up and say hi.


Although I will likely be in uniform and not watching a Hellbender.

Andy

I tend to say Hi to anyone with a dipnet or siene, If you ever see me do say Hi!

Although we will have to arrange something come Feb.

No reproduction is just B.S. and we all know it. I bet there is a half dozen of us or more that have found YOY rainbows in multiple Lake Erie draiange streams. It may not be enough to call them "wild" but there some part of the population is coming from spawning fish. When they lowered the number of fish going into certain streams (Vermillion being one) and added more to others they essentially admitted that enough fish survive/return and there is minimal (at the worst) reproduction. The really B.S. thing is that if Ohio is going to continue to build up this fishery and spend so much money they should have a trout stamp. I got the worst answer of all (basically it woukd necessitate a legislative change and funding allocation). Instead Ohio doesn't have a stamp and money isn't directed properly. General funds support a 'put and take' fishery rather than targeted funds. It really baffles me because the reluctancy and downright laziness doesn't effectively exploit the economic potential of the fishery.

On the topic of what they eat and the various sizes stocked...you can bet alot of those small trout get gobbled up when they reach the lake, if they make it that far. I'd love to know what they are feeding on in the lake though since the food web dynamics have changed drastically over time.

My last final rant. Brian you are exactly right about the ignorance to the fact it is essentially a put and take fishery. There is this urban legend about how bad they taste and conserving the fishery blah blah blah. It's one of those cases where the user group (fly fisherman) have good intentions but they are entierly unnecessary and almost detrimental to the fishery. They're not stocking 100,000 to save the species, they're stocking 100,000 so whatever survives can be caught and at a reasonable successful rate by the average fisherman.