The fishery is managed as put and take. it seems to be working well so far as I seem to manage to be able to find and catch fish.
If we had a self sustaining population of steelhead, I could see the need for catch and release.
But, we don't and never will.
 For me, catching fish that have been caught before is a big let down. They fight like crap and I feel cheated.
 

I only make it to Elk once a year because of friends that like to go.  A lot of the places I used to fish are now posted and running guides.  I still catch plenty of fish in a days fishing but this problem is disheartening and the reason I stay away.  I do keep a few fish every year.  I do like them and you have to know how to prepare them.  I run into guys every year that grumble about the fish being kept.  To this I say tough ****!!!!!!!!  If a fisherman is abiding by the laws set by the fish commission, why is it your right to **** about it?????  Some of these guys need bonked on the head just like a nice fat steelhead for opening their mouths.  There is a time and place for catch and release, and the tribs stocked with put and take chromers are not one of them.  If you release all of them, great for you, but enough on beating up the ones that are keeping them " according to the law".  I have owned a camp on erie for 29 years and have been fishing the tribs for as long.  I do flyfish and catch and release many except for the few I take home.  Honestly, these fish are some of the dumbest I fish for.  They are not as smart as people like to make them out to be.  Not very hard at all to catch them and I have taught many people how to do it.  Personally if the problems on the tribs don't get corrected with the landowners and guides making money off of pa liscense holders, I would like to see the numbers reduced and the money put to better uses where everyone has access to fishing. 

H3Fisher

chartist1
I wonder how many guys keep three fish in the morning on Elk, go to lunch, then return and keep three more off Walnut or 20 mile?  

I'm sure more than people think.

yes I seen it and it's locals not the 79 south guys !

i GOT TO GET CAMO WADERS !!!!

I figure if a guy runs a jet on a Lowes and fishes with Croixs he's gotta be a 'river people' and that's ok in my book!
Class A or B; hazmat, tx, routes, flat, van, o/r, local, dedicated and, destination(s)?  PM if you like.

N.Y. Creeks have had a 1 fish Steelhead limit for years. Never noticed a big difference in Steelhead numbers year after year. Lots of Browns but Erie Steelhead numbers were always higher than N.Y. and probably are still.

I like hats

Fish are up to Rt. 5.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NpplUzrUII

spOT bURN 

Limited out today in 60 seconds, fish were jumping at my vest trying to get at my flies.  Saw a herd of elk and two Bigfeet.  Sunny skies, temps in the 70's.

crappiefisher
spOT bURN 

 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXBEODlyI0w

      https://www.badgerworks.c...amp;img=142&Page=1
 
crappy

chartist
No state stocks steelhead more than PA....I wish Ohio would increase their stocking by 5x, it would drive fishing tourism.  I still can't understand why they won't up the numbers.  PA steelhead streams are the absolute worst.  They run dry and trap fish in small pools where locals slam away. 

 
I'm really glad you hate the PA tribs and stick to the salmon river. The less guys like you in PA the better off it is.

Well said Rap.

If Lake Erie is managed like Lake Ontario, stocking totals are set in consultation by all the bordering parties through the Great Lakes Fisheries Commission.  And totals will be based on some measured sense of carrying capacity, and the potential risk to native fisheries.  PA and NY have the deep end of the lake, suited to cold water pelagic fish like steelhead, and probably the lions share of the prey fish appropriate for steelhead.  Ohio may see a problematic potential impact on walleye recruitment if steelhead are more numerous, and walleye are big money in the western part of the lake, and also for the Canadians.  Lake Ontario also has a larger carrying capacity for coldwater fish, much greater depth and volume despite being smaller than Erie in surface area.