# First half of 2014-15 season



## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

With these temps I consider it halftime. What are your thoughts on the first part of the season? For me I had my best numbers in probably 6 or 7 years. The spoon bite was very good too. The size was good early on but in the past 2 months it's been mostly small fish. Most of the guys I have talked to have said the same thing. Any educated guess why?

Would love to hear about your first half and any opinions on lack of size. 


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

This season has been probably my best so far, but I think that's mostly because I'm getting better as a steelhead angler and not because there's more fish.........though maybe that's a factor as well.

Even though one of my biggest fish of the fall/winter came on my last trip, I agree with you regarding the overall size. Lots of skippers/jacks over the past month or so too.


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## flylogicsteelhead (Oct 4, 2006)

The size of the smaller fish is a testament that's Ohio's shift in stocking manistee strain is working. The return fish numbers will continue to improve over the next five years as these fish run much more than previous strains. Size will improve as well. 


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

This was my first fall season, went out at least 10 times, and I caught nothing  But I realize it can take some time for new steelheaders to catch their first fish so I'm looking forward to the spring run


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## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

grant778 said:


> This was my first fall season, went out at least 10 times, and I caught nothing  But I realize it can take some time for new steelheaders to catch their first fish so I'm looking forward to the spring run



Don't get discouraged. My buddy was in your shoes last year. He probably caught about 40 of them this season so far. 


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## ztkaz (Sep 25, 2013)

grant778 said:


> This was my first fall season, went out at least 10 times, and I caught nothing  But I realize it can take some time for new steelheaders to catch their first fish so I'm looking forward to the spring run



Took me 3 months to get my first steelhead. It just made it more addicting


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## oldboot (Jan 9, 2015)

Lots of fish.


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

I'd agree with the numbers and I've had the same experience with size being down this year. But since the big guys usually don't come in until mid-late winter im not ready to sound the alarm yet


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

And KT, I do have a theory as to why size is down but keep in mind this just my theory with no scientific evidence. The big fish in our rivers are returning spawners, and with the rise in popularity and better sticks on the water each year more fish are leaving the rivers on stringers. I've been at this awhile and I've noticed a correlation between the size of fish on pressured rivers vs the less pressured ones


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## oldboot (Jan 9, 2015)

Let's not forget about poor fish handling. That can't be good to get repeat spawners.


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## Steelie.B (Mar 9, 2010)

You gotta be impressed with any fish that makes it in and out of a river more than once, especially on particular rivers. Avoiding the spawn sac gauntlet can't be easy.


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## KTkiff (Jul 30, 2004)

kapposgd said:


> And KT, I do have a theory as to why size is down but keep in mind this just my theory with no scientific evidence. The big fish in our rivers are returning spawners, and with the rise in popularity and better sticks on the water each year more fish are leaving the rivers on stringers. I've been at this awhile and I've noticed a correlation between the size of fish on pressured rivers vs the less pressured ones



That is an interesting theory. I don't think I have fished any smaller creeks that didn't see a lot of pressure. I caught a. Lot of good sized fish in Oct and November but then in December it was skipper city. 


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## flylogicsteelhead (Oct 4, 2006)

These fish have a limited life span. I explained the correlation, just read up on Ohio's stocking efforts and changes over the last few years. Call Craig at Erie outfitters and engage him in this talk. That man is part steelhead. 


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## oldboot (Jan 9, 2015)

Let's not forget about poor fish handling.


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## Steelie.B (Mar 9, 2010)

oldboot said:


> Let's not forget about poor fish handling.


Lots of people think they're biologists around here. You hear things like "these fish are hearty" a lot. They might want to read the findings of Dr. Tufts from Queens University. http://www.tu.org/sites/default/files/Handling_Stress_Summary.pdf

Craig might be part salmon egg. Not so sure about part steelhead.


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## kapposgd (Apr 10, 2012)

flylogicsteelhead said:


> These fish have a limited life span. I explained the correlation, just read up on Ohio's stocking efforts and changes over the last few years. Call Craig at Erie outfitters and engage him in this talk. That man is part steelhead.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Ohub Camfire


Steelhead live 4-7 yrs, if Ohio has reduced stocking the past few years that would only impact future fishing and not this year. When you think about the harvest in the rocky its staggering - the average amount of fish leaving that river per day and multiply it by months is damn near an entire run. I can spend weeks on that river and not catch a fish as big as I can catch in two days of fishing on other rivers


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## ztkaz (Sep 25, 2013)

I don't know what your talking about but 90% of the guys I see on the river are catch and release. 


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## oldboot (Jan 9, 2015)

Poor fish handling.


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## Willyfield (Apr 1, 2007)

My Amish buddy went a charter out of Conneaut this summer. They caught and kept 30 steels, so I wouldn't worry too much about the guy in the river you see keeping two. Not like these are reproducing. It's a put and take fishery. I actually enjoy smoked trout better then the perch, and walleye we catch. We throw back the walleye out of Pyma and give away our perch out of Lake Erie.


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