Steelhead Numbers Diminishing????

ORIGINAL: slmajma33

I am younger so I wasn't around for the Steelhead runs of old that I hear from others that used to be filled with fish and dubbed the glory days of steelhead fishing. I was wondering does anyone have any ideas as to what might have cause these bad runs the last 3 years or so. Is is just that people are taking too many fish and it has affected the numbers of the fish??? Or is it simply something natural such as a change in the lake or that they are headed elsewhere?? Does PA still stock the same amount of fish as they used to? Would it hurt to do catch and release for a year to see if it helps the runs at all?? I know Erie makes lots of its money from fishing and by doing catch and release could hurt the industry, but if we don't figure out what's wrong with the drops in numbers than there might not be one at all....Just curious.

The glory days are over.

The Russians snagged all the ones below Rt. 5, the Sasquatches, bears, gators, and pacu  ate all of them above Rt. 5


PA stopped stocking steelhead, they now stock gobies.


If we were to catch and release for a year, the stock in the yellow rope company would fail resulting in loss of jobs. PR would also close due to lack of fish to smoke.

As long as they stock steelhead, there will be steelhead, and there will be people to try and catch steelhead. That is why they now stock gobies. Occupy Walnut worked and has successfully  ended capitalism in NWPA.

ORIGINAL: Claypool313

I wasn't around in the prime years, but the numbers I've seen so far this year have been just fine for me.

What he said.

seriously man, not to be a tough guy like Loomis, but if you aren't catching good numbers of steelhead, YOU are the problem.  If you aren't experienced to fish in low and clear water, you need to plan your trips around conditions, plain and simple.  If I can catch chrome with yarn on a hook, you can catch them on cheetos. 

I suggest practicing your drifts, learning not to spook fish when you come across a pod by not casting directly at them, and doing a little reading on others' success stories.

Some of the most technical waters in the US reside within our state... it's a sure shame that the majority of this forum will never experience some of the most tranquil fishing the world has to offer. 

Plenty of fish this year. In fact I'll go as far to say much better than last year. IMHO.

ORIGINAL: CAPTAIN HOOK

Anyone who has been around Erie Steelhead fishing knows the numbers are way down. Not only in Pa. but also in Ohio as well. I know get out and walk and you will find fish...........yea right. Maybe you can walk into the posted areas and find some fish.........good luck. I know too many people are keeping fish ......wrong ! The numbers are down that's it. What is the exact reason ? I think it is a combo of problems mainly the stocking problems and Mother Nature that take the toll. The 3CU has done a excellent job over the years but continues to run into problems every season. Maybe this will be the normal runs for the future. One thing I do know if you think fishing is as good now as it was in the 90's you have no idea !

+1

ORIGINAL: CAPTAIN HOOK

Anyone who has been around Erie Steelhead fishing knows the numbers are way down. Not only in Pa. but also in Ohio as well. I know get out and walk and you will find fish...........yea right. Maybe you can walk into the posted areas and find some fish.........good luck. I know too many people are keeping fish ......wrong ! The numbers are down that's it. What is the exact reason ? I think it is a combo of problems mainly the stocking problems and Mother Nature that take the toll. The 3CU has done a excellent job over the years but continues to run into problems every season. Maybe this will be the normal runs for the future. One thing I do know if you think fishing is as good now as it was in the 90's you have no idea !

 
That looks like the Fishing Pond at the Outdoor Show.  That's not fishing...that's catching.  Does not seem too sporting to me.

There are countless reasons why the numbers could be down, that is if they are actually down because we really don't have any scientifically collected data to back that conclusion.  Hell, I've been fishing for steelhead in Erie for twenty-four years now and I've never even been asked to participate in a creel survey to see how many fish I caught or kept on any given outing.  Well that is a whole other topic for discussion so back to the topic at hand.  Lake Erie has been changing a lot over the years and maybe it has finally hit a point that it is having trouble supporting the steelhead population.  The plankton that makes up the base of the food web in the lake has greatly been effected by invasive species so the populations of forge fish like alewives and rainbow smelt have declined along with other fish that are food sources for sport fish like the steelhead.  With the decline in plankton eating fish species, you can expect an increase in predation on the young of different sport fish species by other predatory sport fish species like walleye.  That is why you hear the Fish Commission Biologists saying that when there is a better then average size class and population number for walleye then there will probably be a decreased steelhead run two to three years later because the larger hungry walleye eat up every steelhead smolt they can get their mouth on.  When they are bigger and faster they are more successful and the smolts don't stand a chance compared to a normal size class year.  There is plenty of research out there on the change in the base of the food web in Lake Erie and how it could effect fish populations.  Even if the Fish Commission decides to triple its stocking program and added two salmon species make us fisherman happy; if the fish don't have the food to eat in the lake then they won't get big and sooner or later their population will collapse under their own numbers...

the numbers might not be the same, but how are you not catching at least a few fish each outing?  I may be young, but i fished the latter 90's and early 00's.. it was just too many fish it wasn't even difficult.  I remember watching my father catch more than I could count on live bait.

I really really believe a lot of erie fisherman do not fish the right areas... when I was mup 2 weeks ago, everyone crowded the deep pools while we fished tailouts and turbulent water.  Didn't line a single fish; pretty easy to feel a strike and head shake when you're high sticking. 

type of water:

this year



last year



right in the upper jaw



so many guys skip that type of water and it's where I see the most action; not to say pools don't put numbers up either.

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

And y'all can tell me I'm full of crap. I really don't care. I logged many, many hours fishing those first two years. 120 to 140 days fishing, both years. Rarely had a day when I couldn't find large pods of fish. Now the opposite is true. And I'm not saying I know why, either. Maybe predators, less fish stocked, some type of environmental problems on the east side creeks, or something completely unknown. But, please, don't tell me that the numbers are the same as they've always been. They're not.

The numbers are not the same.

 It has been off for a couple of years.  The last year that I can remember seeing fish in any real"fish carpet" numbers was 2006. Then a slow decline. Then there was the last two years. It will come back around. The web of life usually returns to a point of stasis. Predators over eat, prey declines, declination of prey reduces predator numbers, prey increases. Disease hits both predator and prey, both decrease to resistant subjects. Resistant subjects repopulate. In our case the predator/prey relationship is continually affected by the stocking program. I know that there are possible factors such as catastrophic loss, but I think it will come back around. Seen it before.

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

Wow, I never thought of that. Thanks a bunch. I'll have to try that. I haven't caught one steelhead this year yet.

I give free lessons

ORIGINAL: Skip16503

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

Wow, I never thought of that. Thanks a bunch. I'll have to try that. I haven't caught one steelhead this year yet.

I give free lessons

Skip, you may have already taught me that, and I forgot it. Remember the aquarium hole? It is now the goldfish bowl. I almost caught one above there last week.

Well you convinced me im selling all my fishing gear and stocking up on Nordic frozen haddock. A cpl guys dont see the numbers and right away they want to reduce the number you take home. Well why not stop everyone from fishing until they are done having their fun. I love fishing and i love eating my catch but dang if everytime i go out and have a bad day of fishing do i BLAME it on the other fishermen!!!!!! I hate the guy that crys because another fisherman takes his catch home. Some of those guys actually may need to take them home. It may be all they have to eat you never know. If you have to have a banner day of fishing all the time then i suggest you take up fishing for bluegills or maybe just thank the guy above your able to go fishing and take time out to enjoy the day with your kid or buddy.

ORIGINAL: FiveMilePete

Wow, I never thought of that. Thanks a bunch. I'll have to try that. I haven't caught one steelhead this year yet.

no offense pete, but you're not that impressive.

Sorry guys the post i put up was not for this forum. I meant to post a new one because FISHERIE1 posted a report and it just ****ed me off and i put my post in the wrong place. No hard feelings i hope

looks like black friday at walmart.
don't worry the shelves will be restocked for next year.