# Steelhead slot limit changes in PA



## RiverDoc (Mar 12, 2010)

More uncertainty about more uncertainty. Anyway, in less than 4 months we will be back at 'em.

http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110522/NWPAOUT10/305229905/-1/SPORTS


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## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

Good article Riverdoc,maybee there was a kill off for some reason at the hatchery???


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## RiverDoc (Mar 12, 2010)

Hey, Salmon King, It's sad to see though, that the fisheries biologists haven't a clue with what's going on in the populations.


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

Bad idea. If I were to keep a fish for the table, it would be in the 18" to 24" slot, unless I had a fish of a size outside the slot that could not be revived. If a fish is caught in the early or late season that was in the slot but did not revive successfully after the fight due to warmer water, would it have to be released to die?


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Its a catch and kill fishery why would it matter? Not all ppl over but some could not tell the difference between a smolt or a rainbow on opening day of trout season!..lol.. Let em all be kept!


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## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

RiverDoc said:


> Hey, Salmon King, It's sad to see though, that the fisheries biologists haven't a clue with what's going on in the populations.


I know man it stinks.. this season was way worse for me... In the fall it didn't rain soon enough and in the spring it rained to much..


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## acklac7 (May 31, 2004)

Ohio guys really don't need to worry: the thought of a slot limit on basically _any_ species seems blasphemous to the DNR


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## RiverDoc (Mar 12, 2010)

acklac7 said:


> the thought of a slot limit on basically _any_ species seems blasphemous to the DNR


I've said this a million times: if biologists do not know the true parameters of a population then it ends up being armchair philosophizing. I think the lack of fishable days this past autumn, winter, and spring will give the numbers a much needed boost.


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## ironfish (Jul 31, 2010)

RiverDoc said:


> I've said this a million times: if biologists do not know the true parameters of a population then it ends up being armchair philosophizing. I think the lack of fishable days this past autumn, winter, and spring will give the numbers a much needed boost.


 Ha and in the upcoming years the more generous posting of land should be a slam dunk plenty of fish to kill
ironfish


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## Streamhawk (Apr 25, 2008)

I don't know about anyone else, but I have seen more steelhead in grocery stores being sold. Are these caught out of Lake Erie? or are they farm raised. Just wondering.


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## steelheadBob (Jul 6, 2004)

From what I was told from my buddy who works for ODNR,,,,, just wait to see what takes place to the Ohio stockings and limits.....


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## RiverDoc (Mar 12, 2010)

steelheadBob said:


> From what I was told from my buddy who works for ODNR,,,,, just wait to see what takes place to the Ohio stockings and limits.....


SteelheadBob, Can you give us some hints???


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Im going to have to call our good ole buddy at district 4! Should be interesting.


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## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

steelheadBob said:


> From what I was told from my buddy who works for ODNR,,,,, just wait to see what takes place to the Ohio stockings and limits.....


let me guees pa like numbers!!!! 2 million trout and 3 fish a day... SAWEEEEET
:G:G


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## Mepps3 (Apr 23, 2006)

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/Fis...hingfairportsteelhead/tabid/6166/Default.aspx

"For the near future, the Rocky, Chagrin and Grand rivers are scheduled to receive 90,000 fish. Conneaut Creek is scheduled to receive 75,000 fish from Ohio and 75,000 fish from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission. The Vermilion River is scheduled to receive 55,000 steelhead. Total targeted annual stocking numbers projected from Ohio hatcheries will remain at 400,000 steelhead; *there are no current plans to deviate from this target*. All steelhead for Ohio's program are raised at the Division of Wildlife's Castalia State Fish Hatchery. *Stocking numbers were lower in 2011 due to hatchery contingencies, external production losses, and some disease issues."*


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## RiverDoc (Mar 12, 2010)

Mepps3 said:


> http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/Home/Fis...hingfairportsteelhead/tabid/6166/Default.aspx
> 
> "hatchery contingencies, external production losses, and some disease issues."[/B]


"Hatchery contingenies, external production losses, and some disease issues?" I didn't realize that attorneys were running the hatcheries!

Try explaining that to the guy that is fishing next to you in the river.


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## Mepps3 (Apr 23, 2006)

http://www.johnnagysteelheadguide.com/2011/03/2011-spring-steelhead-report-and-news.html

"Kevin Kayle of the Ohio Department of Wildlife reports that there *will be a reduction of steelhead smolt plantings in the Ohio tributaries this spring (down to around 275,000).* All the Ohio steelhead tributaries will be stocked (with stocking percentages staying the same from previous years).

A number of factors contributed to this reduction including: *renovation at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery* (the facility will not be able to incubate eggs until renovation completion in late 2011 or early 2012),* a reduced/strictly all fingerling source of juvenile steelhead from Michigan (only 275, 000 fingerlings were available due to a shortage in Michigan) and some mortality from cold water disease at the Castalia hatchery.* Kayle believes that this should not have a significant impact on future steelhead runs due to natural variables that typically occur in the Lake Erie ecosystem from season to season. In 2012 the ODW plans on getting back to its targeted number of steelhead plantings which is around 400,000 steelhead smolts".


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## Steel Cranium (Aug 22, 2005)

This is the opportunity to add some london (fall run) fish to the mix and maybe some browns, placed in a river and not in a harbor (as they were in the late 80s) to make up some of the number shortfalls. Unfortunately, a lot of the Metroparks trout stocked in the spring ended up in lakes due to high water levels. Instead of becoming catfish food in wallace, these fish often made it back to the lake in late spring after being stocked in the east branch of the rocky.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

Mepps3 said:


> http://www.johnnagysteelheadguide.com/2011/03/2011-spring-steelhead-report-and-news.html
> 
> "Kevin Kayle of the Ohio Department of Wildlife reports that there *will be a reduction of steelhead smolt plantings in the Ohio tributaries this spring (down to around 275,000).* All the Ohio steelhead tributaries will be stocked (with stocking percentages staying the same from previous years).
> 
> A number of factors contributed to this reduction including: *renovation at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery* (the facility will not be able to incubate eggs until renovation completion in late 2011 or early 2012),* a reduced/strictly all fingerling source of juvenile steelhead from Michigan (only 275, 000 fingerlings were available due to a shortage in Michigan) and some mortality from cold water disease at the Castalia hatchery.* Kayle believes that this should not have a significant impact on future steelhead runs due to natural variables that typically occur in the Lake Erie ecosystem from season to season. In 2012 the ODW plans on getting back to its targeted number of steelhead plantings which is around 400,000 steelhead smolts".



Thats to bad I was just hoping for 100,000 smolts for all creeks. .lol.. Darn!


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## Steelhead Fever (Dec 31, 2009)

#1-If anything they should just raise the min. size to keep, say up to 18 or even 20 in. because the fish >24 in or so are the ones that are going to be having a slimmer chance to come back to the creeks, but the fish less than that will be the fish that are returning....

#2-I sure in hell hope they dooo nottt slow down on stocking in out program...

#3-They really should consider brown trout stocking, i think they would surprisingly take off, we caught one out of geneva this past weekend...

#4-Finally, about slot limits in general- there should be one on walleyes, hands down, if we would release the bigger fish(26+ inchers) I think we would have a much better reproduction level, besides, the smaller fish are the "good eaters" anyway 

This is just my small $.02.....only a few months guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## KSUFLASH (Apr 14, 2004)

Implementing a slot limit is great in theory, but it is the enforcement of such that is lacking. If stocking numbers are a concern due to cost increases and less in funding, I would support a trout stamp program. I get alot of enjoyment out of our steelhead fishery, and the increased cost would be worth it for me.


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## salmon king (Aug 20, 2008)

Just thought Id keep the whole Steelhead talk in July goin!!! You know what stinks is the fact that a 3 day non resident pa liscence with the lake erie/trout stamp is around 41 dollars.. youre better off buying the annual!!!!


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