February 2, 2001

Your comments about OCBS caught my eye and I thought I should reply.  It appears to me many steelhead fishermen have never belonged to any fishing club and really don’t understand much about them.  I’m also hearing fisherman bitch all the time about the ODNR for not putting fall run steelhead in Ohio’s river systems.  What the steelheaders are saying is, fall fish might extend the season a little bit longer.

 Fishing Clubs

OCBS has been instrumental from the infancy of the steelhead-stocking program to our current program.  I am not aware of any club or organization in our state that is like them and have done so much for the steelhead program and fisherman.

I have been a member of OCBS for many years.  Its my opinion that anyone who fishes Steelhead should belong to a fishing club like OCBS.  If just twenty-five to fifty percent did, then change could take place faster.

I have observed many steelheaders and I classified them in three categories. What they are: givers, takers and uninformed.

•       Givers are few and usually are members of a fishing club.  They are important to the system because they are needed to help keep what we have and try to improve it.   
  

•       Takers, never give anything to the system, they just take from it. These people are selfish and only think about themselves.  They are never happy or thankful for what they have and always want more.  They take the fishery for granted and don’t respect it or others.  They leave their trash and garbage where it drops and bitch when the No Trespassing signs appear.  
  

•       The uninformed are not givers or takers.  They don’t know the importance of a club like OCBS and don’t know how to get involved.  This is where web sites can help.

The OCBS Officers and Board of Directors set the goals and direction for the club, and for the most part do all the work, as with all clubs.  The Officers report to the members and solicit their help for projects.  Many members participate in club activities and programs as time permits.

New members of OCBS quickly learn about ODNR and ODNR representatives attend several OCBS meetings throughout the year.  Members begin to understand why the program is the way it is.  There is always opportunity to demonstrate expertise, implementing ideas and achieving goals.  Only you the steelheader can make a difference, because you are the only ones effected by change and give a dam about the steelhead program.

OCBS has implemented a massive site update, new look, more information.  It’s a good start with many updates to follow.  It should give the steelhead audience a better understanding about OCBS.  If you are interested check it out at:  www.ohiocentralbasinsteelheaders.com

Fall Steelhead

I am a steelheader and always will be as long as the Fish-God allows me.  I go to the stream for one reason only, to catch fish and learn.  I release every fish I catch, so that others may experience what I have.  When everyone realizes that there are only so many fish for the season they may change their behavior. Many factors go into the equation to determine if the run will be good, fare or bad. Introducing fall run steelhead may solve part of the problem, but until everyone realizes what is really happening, it will not make much of a difference.   

The fact is that once a fish is killed, it is gone forever, it will never fight again. There is no endless supply of steelhead.  These fish are not like salmon; they do not spawn and die.  The lucky-ones go back to the lake and come back the following year, if they are not pick-off by a lake fisherman.  There would be plenty of fish for everyone, if there were more fishermen practicing Catch-And-Release. 

Fish returns are based on many factors. Survival rate of the smolts is a number one factor.  Some fishermen target these fish and many die from being mishandled.  Others make it back to the lake and are eaten by large fish.  The second factor is the number of steelhead the return to the lake.  The last factor I’m going to talk about is the weather.  If the fall has plenty of water and the temperature of river stays cool, the fish come.

If more fishermen practiced Catch-And-Release then everyone would catch the fish coming in from the lake and again going back out to the lake.  Do a little math and you would see what I’m talking about.  These fish are not very smart and are easy to catch. Killing a fish for spawn is senseless, killing a fish to eat may make more sense.  Regardless it’s the only way for some, those who have limited skills and knowledge.  There are many effective methods to catch these fish that rules out Catch-And-Kill for spawn.