i appreciate everyone chiming in. Lots of respect to those who keep fish but will admit they will still steelhead fish if it were c&r..
 
I do know that catch and release will not fix the issue. However a lower limit would greatly help a lot of people.
 
People need to understand there is no water in the tribs anymore. It may stay up for a day or two then drop to a pond. Fresh fish come in, get wiped out. Nothing else comes in for a month.
 
Some people like to fish even for the old ones.
 
We have had about 10 days of decent flows this year.
 
New yorks runs were awful as well. There are still fish in the lake forsure. But not enough are being let go to support low water and the amount of fisherman anymore.
 

mike55

Divemaster
You guys should try for them in August too. That's when we fish them the most and it's a heck of a lot of fun catching big silver bullets in 100 FOW, especially when they're jumping in every known direction every 10 seconds!

 Not that I blame you for doing it or that I really care but a lot of fish are killed before they ever even get to run this way. bringing a steelhead up from 100 feet of depth will probably kill it. Fish get gas embolisms and other related barotrauma if you bring them up to fast from depths that deep. Especially a trout.

You are probably hooking tons of them and most die later after release. 100 feet of water is deep. Humans can get this scuba diving as well.

I'm well aware, I'm an avid diver myself (hence, my screen name) and a good rule in diving is a to rise no more than 1 foot per 1 second to avoid getting "the bends", you also never want to hold your breath coming up or else you risk your lungs popping like balloons from gas expansion as the pressure decreases, but that's not as much a problem in fish outside of swim bladders with Percids. The 1:1 rule, however, is why I try when fishing in water over 30 feet to bring fish up as slow as I can yet still avoid wearing out the fish overly much and creating unnecessary lactic acid buildup to attempt to ease them towards the surface and decreasing water pressure. This works very well for lake trout and drum, which dive vigorously towards the bottom during the majority of the fight and allow me to slowly bring them up (which I theorize is why lakers are so energetic in boats and swim back down much quicker and livlier than steelhead do).

Well, maybe I should keep more steelhead then if they're less likely to survive XD. Kidding, of course, I'll still release most unless they're obviously dying and if by chance it did die after released then either a channel catfish, sucker, burbot, or seagull can eat the fish.

Any news about the meeting? Interested to see what was discussed.

dano
not much to reportrestrictions of LE stamp money funds is in the process of being eased so more cash can go towards open water projects/improvements.

Did they say specifically what projects or improvements?

old dog
dano, the thought of doubling the license fees may chase a lot of non resident anglers back across the state line.  that is a hefty increase.

 A decrease last yr. to a double $$ ov 850,000 license sales in a few yrs. 
 
crappy

Fish are afraid to come into Walnut.  The Wall of Nuts is being occupied by armed Wing Nuts who are screaming stuff about Obummer coming to take urrr gunnz!

Were any questions about steelhead asked/answered re low numbers?

After editing, rendering and uploading, the crack team at FishUSA uploaded to YouTube a video of Commissioner Ed Mascharka's presentation at Wednesday's PA Steelhead Club meeting.
 
[tube]https://youtu.be/6tHCnoZ7SKE[/tube]
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tHCnoZ7SKE
 
 

"80% of steelhead are caught and released"
 
I wonder where they stood to get that calculation at. I bet Walnut alone is 80% keep.

Some people can sing, some people can dance and, from the presentation given I'd say Commissioner Ed Mascharka is talented.
 
Of course one, should "never judge a book by it's cover" but first impressions are, the Trout Guyz able to attend that meeting got to see a darned good "Song and Dance" show.
 
Free of charge too or, was it a 'play now pay later' deal?  I thought I heard something about a 'slight' fee increase?
 
 
 
 

There's a sandwich shop near where we fish that's been making the same large size subs for 40 years! They still have a great business today. They never changed the size or cheapened up on the amount you get , still the same. The price has gone up but you still get exactly what you did 40 years ago !
Lesson of story......Most people don't mind paying more as long as it's the same and not cheapened up or cut back ! 

Teresa's opened in 1987, shortly after the Sky-Way was torn down. Barbato's in Wesleyville maybe, but their subs aren't very big. Armand's was the place for subs back then, not big but the best tasting in the Erie area.

Did they say 85% of the steelhead fishermen come from outside Erie Co? Does the PFBC post their methodology of analysis?

Lock Stock & Barrel, Sharpsville Pa. near the Shenango River best subs around for over 40 years, with over 50 plus sandwiches too choose from. Just comparing that to Fish Commission changes in Trout stocking and limit policies a few years back. They surveyed if people would like to see more fish stocked, or lesser numbers but better size fish stocked. They said that the majority wanted lesser numbers but larger fish.  I don't know exactly how things are recently because I don't chase stockies too often, but from what I've seen and heard from others I know locally , it seems we lost again. Seems like lesser fish are stocked and size is still about average as compared to the past. Like I said most people don't mind an increase in prices as long as it maintains to be the same or improves . 
 
https://www.facebook.com/...Barrel/161323443934485

What's the most important piece of equipment for Pa. Steelhead fishermen ? Drum roll please, ANSWER! A .99 yellow rope stringer. One reason I quite doing it.I'm releasing fish and the****clown next to me snags and keeps the same fish I let go. I'm not saying I never kept a 4-5 a year to smoke,I  don't know what some local guys do with all the fish they keep,I think they sell them. Years ago when there where runs,one local guy told me he kept over 150 fish.

To everyone involved in taking/editing/posting video of meeting THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
Watched learned me a thing or 2 laughed at a few comments.
Glad to hear some habitat issues might be addressed it could really help the situation.
Walnut needs to be addressed so fish can spread out better upstream.
Still question stocking sizes and numbers of smolt recently both seem to have decreased in my opinion but not so says him.
He said they are trying to make it possible to spend stamp money on OTHER things for fishermen not fishing tribs -LIKE WHAT? Maybe I missed examples but seemed he did a verbal dance there.
As for License price increase I am all for it if it ends up benefiting fisherpeople.
I like the idea of separate stamps for walleye- steelies- trout -bass -whatever if I helps those individual fisheries get the needed attention.
Thanks again for posting video!
WCW