# Lake run brown trout.



## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

Are there lake run browns in OH? Off of erie? I saw a few in pennsylvania and was wondering if any fish from erie run uo the tribs here.


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## thephildo0916 (Mar 4, 2009)

I am sure there are a few, but not enough to target specifically (I would think). Browns are randomly caught in our tribs throughout the season.


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

ok it was just a thought. That would be pretty cool if they someday populate enough or get stocked into the tribs to target someday.


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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

Ohio doesn't stock them. They really should though. The data from the PA brown trout stocking should be out in the winter and things look great! They only stock 50,000/yr now, but the returns have been solid!. It appears the NY strain from Ontario loves Lake Erie and their favorite food is gobies. 
With the expansion of Castilia, we should keep the pressure on the ODNR to re-assess their lake run brown program and keep an eye on what is happening over there. There are a few brownies in our streams and the first stockings will be 8-12lbs this year, lol. Everybody wants a more exciting fall fishery and it seems the brownies are the answer.


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## brodg (Sep 6, 2010)

I heard rumors that they did a pilot stocking program on browns in Ohio last year, can anyone confirm?

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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

If they did do a pilot stocking, I hope they used the NY lake run strain. Ohio tried a brown trout program before, but it failed. The strain that was used was not a true lake run and the forage base and Lake Erie were different environments in the early 90s. Those damn things were a pain in the arse to find, let alone catch. 
Ever since the mussels ad gobies invaded the Great Lakes, the game has really changed. If you have been noticing, Brownies in ALL the Great Lakes have exploded in size and seem to be the benefactors to the new conditions. Since they are close to shore bottom orientated feeders, they are taking full advantage of the clear water and the billions of gobies scooting around the bottom. Lets pray the ODNR is on top of this new phenomenon and takes thorough notes. Having and additional goby predator AND and booming fall fishery sounds like a winner too me.


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## nforkoutfitters (Jan 25, 2010)

For those those of you who do not know, Phil Hillman is the chief biologist over our northeast district. He is a good guy and a great biologist (even though we disagree on a few things) Hillman is primarily responsible for booting the Chinook (Or king salmon) Stockings and introducing the current steelhead program we enjoy today. So everytime you catch a 32 inch beast little manistee strain steelhead instead of a 23 inch half breed rainbow mutt (nuff' said) You can thank Phil Hillman. Having said that, I ran into Hillman not so long ago and asked him of the rumors of, and any intention, of the implementation of lake run browns into Ohio tributaries. He informed me that it had already been tried recently in Ohio with a LAKE RUN strain of brown trout. The follow up investigation showed very poor return data, with most fish returing to PA and NY tribs. This is because the majority of Lake Eries most extreme depths as well as most food sources that anadramous salmonids (Lake run Trout and Salmon), prefer are found directly north of the PA and NY coasts. This was the major problem with the old groups of Ohio stocked Kings and Cohos. Since Pacific Salmon and Lake run browns are not as particular as Steels and will run into the nearest trib at spawning time as opposed to steels generally returing to the same stream or one closeby to which they were initially stocked, We would be paying for PA and NY to have our fish. By the way............ PA instilled their initial look into stocking Lake run browns some 2-3 years afte Ohio Tried it here. Hmmmmm...


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## LilSiman/Medina (Nov 30, 2010)

I would definatly take a trip to pa and go for some browns in the future!-


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## fishinnick (Feb 19, 2011)

I've seen a lake run brown caught in Conneaut Creek, and know people have caught them in other OH tribs, but like others said head to PA or NY. They've always been in the PA tribs(probably strays from NY or something) but they didn't REALLY start stocking them until recently. Saw a bunch last year and hooked a beast.


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

nforkoutfitters said:


> For those those of you who do not know, Phil Hillman is the chief biologist over our northeast district. He is a good guy and a great biologist (even though we disagree on a few things) Hillman is primarily responsible for booting the Chinook (Or king salmon) Stockings and introducing the current steelhead program we enjoy today. So everytime you catch a 32 inch beast little manistee strain steelhead instead of a 23 inch half breed rainbow mutt (nuff' said) You can thank Phil Hillman. Having said that, I ran into Hillman not so long ago and asked him of the rumors of, and any intention, of the implementation of lake run browns into Ohio tributaries. He informed me that it had already been tried recently in Ohio with a LAKE RUN strain of brown trout. The follow up investigation showed very poor return data, with most fish returing to PA and NY tribs. This is because the majority of Lake Eries most extreme depths as well as most food sources that anadramous salmonids (Lake run Trout and Salmon), prefer are found directly north of the PA and NY coasts. This was the major problem with the old groups of Ohio stocked Kings and Cohos. Since Pacific Salmon and Lake run browns are not as particular as Steels and will run into the nearest trib at spawning time, We would be paying for PA and NY to have our fish. By the way............ PA instilled there initial look into stocking Lake run browns some 2-3 years afte Ohio Tried it here. Hmmmmm...


PA needs to stock more fish..lol... and Ohio less fish... Phils a good guy he got me into steelhead fishing to begin with..lol..


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## Chef T (Feb 28, 2011)

nforkoutfitters said:


> For those those of you who do not know, Phil Hillman is the chief biologist over our northeast district. He is a good guy and a great biologist (even though we disagree on a few things) Hillman is primarily responsible for booting the Chinook (Or king salmon) Stockings and introducing the current steelhead program we enjoy today. So everytime you catch a 32 inch beast little manistee strain steelhead instead of a 23 inch half breed rainbow mutt (nuff' said) You can thank Phil Hillman. Having said that, I ran into Hillman not so long ago and asked him of the rumors of, and any intention, of the implementation of lake run browns into Ohio tributaries. He informed me that it had already been tried recently in Ohio with a LAKE RUN strain of brown trout. The follow up investigation showed very poor return data, with most fish returing to PA and NY tribs. This is because the majority of Lake Eries most extreme depths as well as most food sources that anadramous salmonids (Lake run Trout and Salmon), prefer are found directly north of the PA and NY coasts. This was the major problem with the old groups of Ohio stocked Kings and Cohos. Since Pacific Salmon and Lake run browns are not as particular as Steels and will run into the nearest trib at spawning time as opposed to steels generally returing to the same stream or one closeby to which they were initially stocked, We would be paying for PA and NY to have our fish. By the way............ PA instilled their initial look into stocking Lake run browns some 2-3 years afte Ohio Tried it here. Hmmmmm...


Yeah, I knew Phil from the late 80s, lol. He is a good guy, I can vouch for that. For those that remember, they stocked the browns in Geneva Harbor/Geneva State Park too. Not surprised a lot when East either, lol. We would some times go catch them right at the boat ramps as well. Didn't see the monster size I see from the first stockings with the NY fish either. Next time I bump into him or Kevin, I'll ask them what strain of brown was used for that pilot program.
Hell, the worst that could happen is PA steps up their program. That would definitely be nice, it would cut out 2hrs on the drive to NY.


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