bingsbaits
Only arguement for lowering the limit is to have more fish left in the creek to catch.
Nothing to do with reproduction.
Although if more fish return to the lake then more fish should be available to return to the creeks the following year. Those 24-28 inch fish this isn't their first rodeo and have successfully gone back to the lake and returned "bigger". Not sure how you can say they don't return.
Sad they couldn't put a C&R reg on the Brown Trout when they started stocking them. Let the Brownies grow for a few years and see what kind of returns you have and see how big they can get in the lake.

If you put a lower limit or C&R on the fish less people are going to go, and a lot less I would guess, then the stocking numbers would go down, so smaller returns, so the people that still go up will then complain that there aren't enough for there 20+ fish fantasies. Then they will slowly deplete until the fish commission doesn't gain enough money to stock the fish.
 
You think if they lowered the limit to 1 fish per person that people from WV would drive all the way up there? Not a chance, I don't think I would do it and I live close to Pittsburgh, the PFBC, would lose a ton of money as well as the local shops. Sure if you live in Erie you might be cool with it for the first few years until the fish commission started stocking numbers that were only in the 500,00 or less overall

Amen Bings !   Not saying some fish don't make it and return the following year just don't think it's as big a number as many would think. Mainly due to nature's hand. Disease, no food for months , stress from being caught and handled many times over, extremely low water conditions , and the ice flows that crush many fish trapped in small pockets of Winter water. All contribute to very small returns of adults in next year's run. I'm still against allowing fishing when smolts have been introduced into the creeks. We shut down fishing by law on many species of fish for spawning in our state but we keep Erie Creeks open 24/7 all year. Why ? What's wrong with a two month shutdown window ? Does the State allow fishing in Trout hatcheries before they stock ? 

5 facts will solve all of these problems.  furreel.  

Duck bill killer, if u won't listen to me bout some natural reproduction from dem stilliez, listen to genie^..., he's older, wiser and funnier than me. He got more sperience.

I have witnessed first hand natural reproduction, but it is somewhat rare and in places not usually fished, at least regularly. The shale streams are almost sterile for natural reproduction and insect hatches aren't heavy either. It is a put and take fishery because natural propagation isn't possible to support a population.

I won't put anybody down for keeping fish, it is your right and it is also your choice. A 1 fish limit would seem reasonable for steelhead, but it makes no difference imo if fish kept are small or magnum.

As for average size, I don't notice an overall smaller size, but fewer really big ones yes.

People are ok with a 6 fish limit during regular trout season but Bit** about a 2 steelhead limit?
 
6 trout = 6lbs
2 steelhead = 20lbs
Math
 
People will drive very far distances to catch fish. A lower limit will do nothing but allow more hold over fish for people who make the drive. Saying a lower limit will stop people from fishing is PFBC logic.
 
Fishing will be forever and the only way people will stop doing it is if there are no fish. Or maybe if there are only 3 fish per stretch and 30 fisherman like there are this year.
 
Just love the fact that we called this shi* years ago and now we are watching it all unfold. Every year there are more and more "whats going on" threads on here and its really satisfying actually.
 
This forum has one of the most disrespected fishing communities on the internet for a reason. KMARTS
 
P.S natural reproduction does take place in the tribs. We see it every single year. Would be more if some of you could put some of the spawning fish back. But no that is how your daddy raised you. 
 

On that note, I still gotta keep one this year cuz thats what my daddy used to tell me. Maybe I'll go this weekend...

Is it worth it? 

fisherofmen376
U angry? Or maybe hangry?
5 facts
It's still fun to me
I almost always find places with very few guys even on the popular streams
My daddy didn't fish, but I do keep 2 females per season for eggs

Thanks for your 2 facts.
 
Of course you find places with very few people. The issue is there will be very few fish. Everyone knows where the fish are and dont try to tell me you are finding moving fish with the water levels this year.
 
Keep them for eggs? Ok power bait boy. Kmart sells salmon eggs, LMAO!
 
You can tie a piece of yarn to a hook and its just as effective as the real thing. If you like butchering up a fish for its eggs go for it. I have no issue with people keeping a fish from time to time. 3 a person every day is a bit ridiculous with the amount of people that are fishing up there.

mike55
People are ok with a 6 fish limit during regular trout season but Bit** about a 2 steelhead limit?
 
6 trout = 6lbs
2 steelhead = 20lbs
Math

Ideally. On some peoples' stringers in Erie, 2 steelhead = 4lbs
 
But yeah, 2 "keeper" steelhead gives you plenty of meat to eat

The three fish limit is here to stay so be it. Every year we hear the same issues. Catch and release is up to the individual and I'll say there are a lot of catch and release fishermen now days compared to a few years ago. I kept my Trout limits many a day in my younger days but now days dragging a Steelhead on a rope just doesn't cut it. Some people just take longer to adjust but in time they will. Besides there's more on the way............right ?

bingsbaits
What I find to be totally ignorant is they will rant that it is their right to kill their limit for food. I have yet to see fish on a stringer that have been bled out or put on ice in a timely manner. You would think the hungry bastards would at least try and get the best tasting meal they could. Instead drag around dead fish ungutted, unbled in warm conditions for 8=10 hours and then try and tell me how good it is...

While i understand your frustrations with what you perceive as wasted resources. I hope you realize that the vast majority of guys on this site are not likely the knuckle dragging, litter dropping slobs you've come to loath. I keep fish most trips to erie (3 trips in the last 2 years totaling 5 fish. Every one with gills slit, placed on ice within the hour if it was not cold out) How do you suppose you would ever see a fish that was on ice in a timely manner any way? Do you actually get close enough to check their gills? Also, is illegal to gut fish streamside in pa. I hate people who waste fish too. I just think this is not the tree to be barking up. Most of us on here are likely reasonable, ok people with half a brain.

Think half the people bingsbaits was referring to can tell the difference between a brown and a steelhead? No.Think there's a single pfbc officer in erie checking anything ever? No. <-facts

The guy that works at a unspecified bait store up there (lol) told Me a group of Russian guys got busted and it was thsands of dollars in fines, also I do believe more happens rogue then we think as I witnessed a guy keeping fouled fish come to find out when I left that he was seen with another guy ( whom he was not associated with at. The hole but was there) leanin up against a truck with the fish commission gettin boned for snaggin fish.. was that guy an undercover or just a good sportsman that turned someone in? I'll never know.

FishinGuy

kill3ducks1deer
I got checked 2 out of the 3 times I was fishing up there this year, and I just read on the PFBC site that they gave 11 violations to 5 guys, can't remember the total amount of the fines

that's good to hear. In the 12 years I've fished erie steel I've been checked 0 times and seen a uniformed officer outside of his truck exactly 0 times.

Fished Trout Run earlier this year. There was a officer dressed in normal clothing "fishing" for prob an hour. He then started from one side of the wall to the end checking everyone.
One guy gave him a hard time since he didn't have his badge showing. He flashed it and the guy shut hit mouth real quick. He busted 2 people from what I saw. I thanked him and told him they should do that more often.

fisherofmen376
Some posts are gone...admin keepin it clean.

 
dawggonnit...i miss all the good stuff
 
..L.T.A.