new to the forums

Hey guys, New to the forums here but i have taken some time to read up on a lot of the more recent threads and i gotta say the glory days posts are pretty cool. But anyways I have been fortunate enough to make the trip up to erie quite a few times this year so far and every time im up there i cant help but look around wondering whos all active on this forum and such.. not here to spot burn or be spoonfed ( read the etiquette thread lol) just lookin to make casual fishing friends and share some fishing stories (not tales), pics , new products ect. Thanks, and have a good evening.

Thanks man, is it me or has it been an... odd/slow/off year thus far?

Ive yet to catch a brown up there..From what I understand a school came into the NUT-house last weekend.. i know of 6 that were caught.. but im talking all in all yea if you know what your doing your still gonna catch fish but stepping back and looking at the big picture.. smaller spottty runs..smaller fish..less fish in usual spots (atleast what I have noticed) and i have put many many miles on foot in the streams as well as my vehicle on the highway..id like to be more educated on these reasons and would like to hear others input and such because understanding why this is would help me become more successful in the future. Any PM's welcome on this. Thanks

Go out enjoy what IS available try not to get caught up in the what ifs and whys...WCW

I agree with this. Really wanna find out why numbers are down you might have talk to a biologist or someone with more knowledge than me anyway. They stock about a million steelhead and 100 k brown trout so there should be plenty of fish like WCW said different spots see runs at different times. Gotta find the hungry ones I always say. Hopefully they don't go the way of the salmon with poorer returns each year. Plenty of gobies to keep them fed anymore.

Most erie tribs are not conducive for natural reproduction. If you go on line and read some studies some show natural reproduction fish have been found in small numbers. But it is a put and take fishery just like the stockie trout are across the state. The smolt don't stay long enough in the creeks to grow to a big enough size that predatory fish will not eat them when they return to the lake, so stocking them in the bay is an easier option. These fish were breed in a hatchery and will return to any stream, it's not like they will return to the stream they were stocked in. Plus tons osf smolts in the creek will eat anything and they get caught all the time by anglers. It's better I think to stock them in the bay.
Just my thoughts... 

"Documentation of successful natural reproduction in Pennsylvania is rare. Self-sustaining populations of Rainbow Trout are found only in a few scattered streams. But mature Rainbows, especially steelhead that have run up Lake Erie tributaries, successfully spawn and produce young. However, adult returns are mostly comprised of hatchery-released fish" your right that was right out of PA fish and boat website. Supposedly the new york tribs have success in reproducing though. If it is truly a put and take system then im not gonna think twice about keeping a few for the smoker. I wonder what average percentage the success rate is of natural wild returns though.. small im sure but if they get some in there then wouldnt that make some creeks that are more succeptable to natural reproduction have higher numbers of fish ( since the hatchery fish seem to stray and go into tribs at random)?