# 1st river steelhead of the fall 2012 season



## I_Shock_Em

While at work today I was near the effluent channel from the Southerly WWTP (which feeds into the Cuyahoga River). I looked into the channel expecting to just see common and grass carp and there was a fresh 23-24 inch steelhead cruising along the edge of the effluent current. This is the earliest I have personally witnessed steelhead in a river/stream. Not much longer and it will be on!!!!


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## BobcatJB

Woohoo can't wait!

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## Fishman

Sure it wasn't a brown trout?


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## LilSiman/Medina

Fishman said:


> Sure it wasn't a brown trout?


Why would there be a brown in there? Especially earlier than a steel.


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## FISHIN216

my buddy caught one in the rocky last week....just saying

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## I_Shock_Em

FISHIN216 said:


> my buddy caught one in the rocky last week....just saying
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


obviously you are lying.....I'm not. Don't believe me if you don't want to. I got nothing to prove to you.......just saying


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## I_Shock_Em

LilSiman/Medina said:


> Why would there be a brown in there? Especially earlier than a steel.


Wastewater treatment effluent......think about it


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## thephildo0916

I_Shock_Em said:


> obviously you are lying.....I'm not. Don't believe me if you don't want to. I got nothing to prove to you.......just saying


His buddy found it floating, as it was dying in the river. He didn't actually catch it.


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## I_Shock_Em

thephildo0916 said:


> His buddy found it floating, as it was dying in the river. He didn't actually catch it.


That sounds a little more believable...


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## thephildo0916

There are pics, so it is true.


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## ReelPower

Hooked one in first week of August years ago during an exceptionally cool summer, fishing Walnut creek PA. Made an errant cast with a spawn bag to a visible fish in the harbor, was reeling fast to re-cast and the stupid fish swam into inches of water at mach 2 to eat the bag on the retrieve. Came off quick too.

Crazy PA fish have heavy west coast summer run genetics in their blood. Steelies are on their way back from Canada with a fair number being picked off by offshore trollers. If I can get the weather to coincide with a free day I'll be offshore targeting them, freezer be full and Erie chrome is on the mind.

For what it is worth I can vouch for Shock Em's credibility and fish ID skills.


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## promag

In the larger rivers isn't there steel all year. Maybe a few that don't leave? I've caught them as early as the first week in September and the water still around 75 degrees

promag


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## FISHIN216

thephildo0916 said:


> His buddy found it floating, as it was dying in the river. He didn't actually catch it.


ha I left out that part.....this is true but weird....why would it even be in there? stupid steelie. I never questioned Ishockem's fish ID skills. I've never disputed that

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## CARL510ISLE

It's still over 80 degrees; not even close to fall although it sure is nice to be closer to the start of fall than beginning of summer. There's nearly always a few fish found in some strange places every summer.


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## FISHIN216

I_Shock_Em said:


> obviously you are lying.....I'm not. Don't believe me if you don't want to. I got nothing to prove to you.......just saying


I NEVER LIE....its a policy that treats me well...and has gotten me in trouble

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## Lundfish

I_Shock_Em said:


> obviously you are lying.....


This is interesting that you say this after you just saw one in the river.

I also saw the pictures of the fish that was "caught" (grabbed while gasping for air). It later went in the smoker.

This is what happens with a man made fishery.


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## fishinnick

> Why would there be a brown in there? Especially earlier than a steel.


Browns are occasionally caught in the Ohio tribs, obviously strays from other states. Browns can survive in warmer water, but they still tend to run at about the same time as steel. 

FYI, the PA state record brown, a lake-run fish caught in Walnut, was caught on July 4th. Anything can happen! Actually one March I saw a brown caught in Conneaut Creek, which I found weird since they are usually in and out in the fall. Unless it was just a big fish that swam down from PA waters which is stocked in the spring for trout season and not a lake-runner.


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## BobcatJB

Brown trout...wastewater humor...lighten up guys!

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## fishinnick

LOL nevermind then, finally got it! This is the second time I fell for the "brown trout" joke on here haha.


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## Ten Bears

I have never seen a steelhead in warm water like we have at this time. And I have been fishing for them over 30 years.
I am not saying you are wrong, just mistaken. These temps would kill a fish before it ever got upstream or even near shore. The lake is now 80*.


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## I_Shock_Em

Ten Bears said:


> I have never seen a steelhead in warm water like we have at this time. And I have been fishing for them over 30 years.
> I am not saying you are wrong, just mistaken. These temps would kill a fish before it ever got upstream or even near shore. The lake is now 80*.


So just because YOU have not seen one means it cannot happen? If you read the whole thread, you are now aware of not one but TWO reports of steelhead being in the river. Don't get me wrong, the rivers are far from loaded, but there are obviously a couple of strays in the system. I have to ask, what exactly am I mistaking??? Please explain. The fish was there, clear as the water it was in. My background is in fish biology and identification. There is no doubt to what I saw. With lower temperatures near the bottom of the river and the depth of the Cuyahoga River from the mouth (about 35 ft) to approximately 8.5 miles upstream (6-8+ ft), it is perfectly feasable for a steelhead to make it into the river system.


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## BobcatJB

With all this rain and the cool nights ahead, I don't doubt that we'll see more entering the streams.

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## FISHIN216

NativeSteelhead said:


> The only thing you power posters are good for is a good laugh:Banane57::Banane57::Banane57::Banane57::


care to elaborate?............ anyway here is a pic. if your crazy and jaded enough I'm sure you could digitally analyze the image and you will know 100% positive that its real and probably even where it was taken









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## FISHIN216

I know for a fact I landed over 250 last season as did my friend that you dissed.....its all I do when there in the rivers......its fun. nothing to get bent out of shape over

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## steelheadBob

We value the opinions of members here on OGF, but when they become stirring the pot, trolling or attacking another member, then we have to step in and clean up the comments and hand out infractions and onto bans! I've already deleted 5 posts on this thread. Let's try to work together this season as a site of steelheaders, and not just one solo person thinking he is gods gift to the rivers and getting threads lock.... Hope everyone has a good and safe season this year,,,, see ya on the water.


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## fredg53

FISHIN216 said:


> care to elaborate?............ anyway here is a pic. if your crazy and jaded enough I'm sure you could digitally analyze the image and you will know 100% positive that its real and probably even where it was taken
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Lol the toes prove its hot 

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## salmon king

steelheadBob said:


> We value the opinions of members here on OGF, but when they become stirring the pot, trolling or attacking another member, then we have to step in and clean up the comments and hand out infractions and onto bans! I've already deleted 5 posts on this thread. Let's try to work together this season as a site of steelheaders, and not just one solo person thinking he is gods gift to the rivers and getting threads lock.... Hope everyone has a good and safe season this year,,,, see ya on the water.


Hey Bob good to see ya back on the posts...


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## steelheadBob

salmon king said:


> Hey Bob good to see ya back on the posts...


Yea, I'm still here.


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## Ten Bears

I saw this on Conneaut last July.


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## Fishman

It's on full tilt guys, cold rains have pushed a fresh batch of chrome into the system. Set forth and lay waste!


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## mbarrett1379

What river has a fresh batch that your sure of?


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## creekcrawler

Really not surprising.
Look at the water temps from last weekend.
Water dropped from the 80's to below 70 degrees.


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## Cleveland Metroparks

Observed at least a half dozen healthy steelhead in the northern Rocky River by the boat docks during an hour of electrofishing this afternoon (8/17), including a few really nice ones. Here is a link to an album with photos of a few:
https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandM...a.10151005284073603.430754.23882518602&type=1
It is indeed early, but there are definitely a few around! By the way, water temp at the time of collection was between 76-77 deg F.

Mike


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## Fishman

Very nice Mike! Awesome news on the flattie!

Wanna question me now Mbarrett?


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## mbarrett1379

Nope haha I believed you I'm just so dang excited haha


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## Jbass

i have heard that if a stealhead likes a river he will stay in it the rest of his life but i tend to be wrong alote so i could be wrong


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## Bwana J

Cleveland Metroparks said:


> Observed at least a half dozen healthy steelhead in the northern Rocky River by the boat docks during an hour of electrofishing this afternoon (8/17), including a few really nice ones. Here is a link to an album with photos of a few:
> https://www.facebook.com/ClevelandM...a.10151005284073603.430754.23882518602&type=1
> It is indeed early, but there are definitely a few around! By the way, water temp at the time of collection was between 76-77 deg F.
> 
> Mike


Thanks for a job well done Mike. Appreciate your post and the link to the pic's. Guess we now know the truth from another very reliable source. Jeff


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## Lundfish

Jbass said:


> i have heard that if a stealhead likes a river he will stay in it the rest of his life but i tend to be wrong alote so i could be wrong


If that were true, it wouldn't be a steelhead (aka lake or ocean run rainbow trout that comes back into the rivers to spawn) it would be a rainbow trout.


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## TRIPLE-J

i can tell you this when we troll for steel in lake ontario im lookin for 65 degree water to start. And we almost always find them in those temps.


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## MadMax1

This is quite entertaining reading back on all the quarreling about the rumors / confirmation of tiny numbers of early run steel - y'all must have the itch real bad too  Makin everyone crazy!! I'll be filling the freezer with perch until then. I try not to let it get the best of me until mid October, when the rivers really start to load up - 10+ hookup days!! Good season to everyone!


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## jjshbetz11

Anybody payin attention to the forecast??????


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## FISHIN216

jjshbetz11 said:


> Anybody payin attention to the forecast??????
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


ALWAYS

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## iggyfly

Got my first chrome of the fall yesterday around 4:30 in the Rocky. Chartreuse jighead with white twister tail, intended for Smallies. Thought I was snagged until it ran out about 20 yards of line. Good 5 minute + fight to get it in, the 6lb mono had me nervous. Didn't get a measurement, but it was roughly 2 size 11 1/2 shoe lengths long. 

Recent rains seemed to have started the run


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## ShutUpNFish

Wonder why this crap only happens regularly in the steelheaders forum??


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## yonderfishin

ive caught healthy rainbow trout in tiny pay to fish ponds no bigger than a back yard swimming pool , on a hot day , in july , in Georgia ! And they live year round in those ponds. Trout are sensitive to warm water temperatures , but you can bet a few of them stray up into the rivers now and then even during the summer. Thats not even taking into account that there are stray skamania from michigan out there.


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## fredg53

yonderfishin said:


> ive caught healthy rainbow trout in tiny pay to fish ponds no bigger than a back yard swimming pool , on a hot day , in july , in Georgia ! And they live year round in those ponds. Trout are sensitive to warm water temperatures , but you can bet a few of them stray up into the rivers now and then even during the summer. Thats not even taking into account that there are stray skamania from michigan out there.


Pay pond really?????

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## jjshbetz11

iggyfly said:


> Got my first chrome of the fall yesterday around 4:30 in the Rocky. Chartreuse jighead with white twister tail, intended for Smallies. Thought I was snagged until it ran out about 20 yards of line. Good 5 minute + fight to get it in, the 6lb mono had me nervous. Didn't get a measurement, but it was roughly 2 size 11 1/2 shoe lengths long.
> 
> Recent rains seemed to have started the run


By the necklace? Seems a bit early to me but weirder things have happened


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## yonderfishin

fredg53 said:


> Pay pond really?????
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine




Yes ,..... pay pond really ( rolling eyes )  that was fishing with the kids , but it shows that rainbow trout "can" be more resilient than you think. I used to fish the chattahoochee river but my kids were too young for the rocks and trails so I stopped at pay ponds too so they could have a chance to catch something. If rainbows can survive in those little ponds then they can make occasional trips into a river during summer , probably only the strongest ones survive it but that dont mean it dont happen.


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## Lundfish

yonderfishin said:


> ive caught healthy rainbow trout in tiny pay to fish ponds no bigger than a back yard swimming pool , on a hot day , in july , in Georgia ! And they live year round in those ponds. Trout are sensitive to warm water temperatures , but you can bet a few of them stray up into the rivers now and then even during the summer. Thats not even taking into account that there are stray skamania from michigan out there.


Those trout normally cannot live after being caught. That includes skamania. Just like catching them trolling out of Erie.


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## yonderfishin

Lundfish said:


> Those trout normally cannot live after being caught. That includes skamania. Just like catching them trolling out of Erie.


True , once caught they are finished.


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## fishinnick

> ive caught healthy rainbow trout in tiny pay to fish ponds no bigger than a back yard swimming pool , on a hot day , in july , in Georgia ! And they live year round in those ponds.


Maybe the pond was spring fed(natural or man-made)...?



> By the necklace? Seems a bit early to me but weirder things have happened


There has been quite a few steelhead caught in the Rock already.


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## Carpman

There are guys trolling up and down the river already......crazy.


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## yonderfishin

fishinnick said:


> Maybe the pond was spring fed(natural or man-made)...?



From what I could tell it was basically just a big hole somebody dug , not spring fed from what I could see and the water did not have that chill to it that spring water has.


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## NativeSteelhead

There are plenty of fresh chromers in! Get your butts out and stop talking about it!:S.... Stay low on the rivers theyre there!


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