Anyone else notice how small the steelhead are this year!??

22-24in seems to be about average. Same last year. Figured there would be good numbers of big fish this year because of the high % of smaller fish last year, but that doesn't seem to be the case..... 
 
They should bump the size limit up to like 24in or something IMO. I see a heck of a lot of small fish roped up.
 
I personally haven't noticed an unusual amount malnourished or skinny fish.......other than the older and spawned out ones of course but that's normal

Wow, what's this?  Actual fishing discussion?  Nice!
 
Erie has kicked my butt in 2 trips so far, both in October, but I thought the few my son and I brought to hand and that I've seen caught by others were on the small side, compared to recent years.  
 
Wonder if it has something to do with the forage base being affected by the last couple of harsher-than-normal winters?  

rsquared
Wow, what's this?  Actual fishing discussion?  Nice! Erie has kicked my butt in 2 trips so far, both in October, but I thought the few my son and I brought to hand and that I've seen caught by others were on the small side, compared to recent years.   Wonder if it has something to do with the forage base being affected by the last couple of harsher-than-normal winters?  

If you caught fish then it didn't kick your butt haha. We went up three weekends in October and hooked a grand total of two fish, landing neither. My goal is to catch one Steelie by April and that'd make all the trips worth it. We did catch a bunch trolling this year but I'd like to see how well they can fight in the Tribs, whether it's as vicious of a fight that they offer in open water or not.

The winter shouldn't be affecting the forage all that much. Emerald shiners spawn around June close to shore and I was still able to observe as many fish spawning off of our pier than is usual. However, there are many different species of forage on the Tribs (emerald shiners, spottail shiners, creek chubs, central stone rollers, and various othe species) that have potential for their spawning habits to be affected by harsh winters. Maybe the spring sucker runs will provide some more food (both fish and eggs) for the steelhead to get fat off of. Either way, it'll provide more sport fish in the creek as well!

I've noticed smaller fish for sure.

El nino` this year = huge fish next year!
 

H3Fisher
El nino` this year = huge fish next year! 

fakt

Freakin obama

tbronder
I would love for them to go to the New York Regs on Steelies and Browns.... 21" Limit and only one Rainbow or Steelie. Hey they breed them bigger up there! 

That seems like it'd work very well. It's hard to imagine that every body who takes home their limit of steel, whether bulls or jacks, makes use of all of that fish. Half of it probably sits in their freezers until it goes bad then they pitch out a perfectly good fish. And if they are eating all of them, that's a lot more Mercury than I'd feel comfortable eating. One walleye or trout out of the freezer a week is plenty enough fish for me.

Been saying it for years and all these shi**y erie facebook pages posting pictures just back it. As said above tons of jacks are being kept and less and less fish are in the creeks every. Wait... I dont need your b.s reply... Catching 12 fish a trip is not smacking them nor is it a good year. You have no idea the fish that were in those creeks 10 years ago and you will never learn how to catch more than a dozen a trip anyways... You cant keep everything you catch with the amount of rain we get anymore and expect erie to be a "world class fishery". If it were world class there would be a two fish limit and support for a brown trout program that is showing massive potential. Was that 5 facts yet? Funny how all the crap we posted warning on these forums 5 years ago is now becoming such an issue for everyone. There is not an unlimited amount of fish in that lake. Go shoot some more doe and please stay off the creeks for a few years.

 Blood Snow Cones in spring help keep the pop. in check thank goodness 
crappy

I hear NY creeks sucked this year too for Trout numbers ! Salmon numbers were also way down.  I'm talking Ontario water. Ohio trib waters haven't  been no record breaker either for the past few years too. Both these states have lower limits and plenty of pressure on the creeks. Seems that's not the true answer as far as return numbers. I'm not saying roping 3 fish steady is good but I personally don't think that's the whole answer to more fish showing up the next season. Erie's been on at least a five year down turn in Steelhead numbers. Ohio's running about the same overall. Don't have the exact answer but I have to believe it's the stocking numbers vs return numbers. They say you get roughly a 10% return on Trout stockings in the Great Lakes so maybe it's in the math numbers.      

Killducks, I mostly agree with you. However there are A FEW places in Erie streams where I believe some natural reproduction could and does take place. But yes, a vast majority is shale bottom streams that slow to a trickle, especially in warm water seasons which doesn't sustain these stocked mutts.
But they sure are fun to catch and I'm glad they are here!

CAPTAIN HOOK
I hear NY creeks sucked this year too for Trout numbers ! Salmon numbers were also way down.  I'm talking Ontario water. Ohio trib waters haven't  been no record breaker either for the past few years too. Both these states have lower limits and plenty of pressure on the creeks. Seems that's not the true answer as far as return numbers. I'm not saying roping 3 fish steady is good but I personally don't think that's the whole answer to more fish showing up the next season. Erie's been on at least a five year down turn in Steelhead numbers. Ohio's running about the same overall. Don't have the exact answer but I have to believe it's the stocking numbers vs return numbers. They say you get roughly a 10% return on Trout stockings in the Great Lakes so maybe it's in the math numbers.      

Ridiculous statement.Ohio has 50 times the amount of water as Pa.They annually stock 400,000 steelhead.Pa stocks 1,000,000 plus.The Grand river is having a banner run this year,despite only being stocked with 90,000 smolts.Elk creek gets 250,000. Recent creel surveys in Ohio state that 90% of steelhead are released in Ohio.Having fished Ohio over the last 10 years I disagree with your statement.Quit killing all the fish and more will repeat spawn.I don't understand why this concept is so hard to grasp.

adyak

bingsbaits
Just look at all the roped fish on Poor Richards page. When they are getting roped at 18-20 inches they don't even have a chance to get any bigger.
Just like the freakin Brown Trout stockings. PFBC trying to establish a good Brown trout fishery and every tool that catches one has to rope.
And you can take your ""I bought a liscence and it's my right to "kill"  what I catch and pack it right in your azz. Let the dam fishery establish itself for a few years and see what kind of returns you get before you turn the rope em and smoke em crowd loose on them.

Absolutely correct. When you rope all the first year spawners you have no repeat spawners.If you see a 30 inch fish caught he has run the gauntlet at least 4 times.Odds of that happening in Pa are getting very slim.Very sad people feel the need to rope their limit every time out.

Except the fish can't spawn in erie, all erie is and ever will be is a put and take fishery that is there in the fall through spring. And I am not sure where you get a 30 inch fish has run at least 4 times, fish growth can vary due to temperatures and its ability to find forage.
And how is it sad that people feel a need to rope there limit? They bought a license so they have a right to, this fish aren't spawning and producing offspring, we aren't effecting the natural ecosystem, so what is the problem? You are upset that I come up at a max 5 times a year and keep whatever I catch(the limit, not over) so 15 fish at most, why shouldn't I be allowed to do that?

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.