Steelhead - Catch and Release?

I'm wondering how many of you keep steelhead in the areas where it is legal.
Or do you always catch-and-release, even when you can keep them legally?

Personally if I could keep a steely legally for dinner I would, as I'm not really interested in C&R.  I fish to eat. It's a moot point for me because we can only keep hatchery steelies here (mendo County rivers) and there aren't any, from what I've heard.  (Correct me if I'm wrong here, anyone.)

With the low counts of steelies this year I probably wouldn't go for steelies even if I could keep and eat them, because I want them to recover, if they can, so I currently target ocean fish that have a healthy abundant population.  Just my .02, and I have nothing against careful C&R for those who enjoy it, and AOTY is my favorite spectator sport.   -Matt

Kept a hatchery buck years ago from the Mad River.  It was chrome bright and it tasted more like trout than salmon (makes sense!).  I'll pass from now on. 

I like Matt's attitude - too bad I've got AOTY sickness or I'd leave them alone too!   

If it's wild C&R, hatchery Catch & eat. I'm along the lines of HS. I'm not really down w/ catching for catching's sake, I fish for food.

I've actually read is that it's good to keep hatchery chromers. Some state fisheries studies have shown that they are not as hearty as their wild bretherin. They return to the rivers much earlier. Since they are not as hearty their genes essentially make the next generation steelhead weaker on the whole when they spawn. Fisheries fellas, what's your take?

Of course I'd only fish rivers that have a good stock of steel. If a river has low runs, wild or hatchery, I think It'd be better to not fish at all.

Z

Hatchery fish are born to harvest...it is why they were created.  That said, I release most hatchery fish as steelhead aren't the best tablefare.  I will readily bonk a fat female for more bait, and smoke the fillets for some tasty bagels.

and smoke the fillets for some tasty bagels.

I gotta say, smoked trout is some of the tastiest smoked fish out there.

Z

Check out the summary reports on hatchery/wild steelhead catch numbers for NorCal rivers summarized in the CA steelhead card report - link posted in the Fish Talk forum.  Some interesting stuff related to the north coast rivers - timing, fishing effort, hatchery/wild ratios. Take care - Bird
 

Hello Hobie - Just pointing out that there is some interesting info regarding hatchery/wild catch ratios in the report in response to a question posed earlier in the thread regarding anyone having information on hatchery fish in north coast rivers. 

In regards to my personal opinion, I think that hatchery fish can be harvested and I keep some of the hatchery fish I catch for food and roe.   

Take care - Bird

I keep 1 or 2 a year 1 for Mom and one for me(smoke). Sometimes they won't revive so I keep those. I am little superstitious and never keep the first one. I've heard rumors that some of the Hatchery fish spawn up the creeks so that can be a factor, Sean can probably confirm that. Steelies are sorta weird I've caught some that taste just like Salmon (usually bucks)some like Trout and some have a Muddy taste, too bad you can't tell before you kill them. Runbacks taste like $hit. Bluebacks are tasty but I no longer keep those unless they are bleeding.

Runbacks taste like $hit. Bluebacks are tasty

Please enlighten me.  I am guessing that a runback has just done his or her thing and on their way back to the sea, but what is a blueback?

Thanks for the education.

Michael

Runbacks(downstreamers) are spawned out fish headed back to the ocean, real skinny and snakey look like a lot of the Stripers caught at Mendo this year. Fat reserves (yummy) are gone.

I have heard of a few definitions for Bluebacks, but on the Russian we get a run of smaller(immature?) fish that usually start at the end of Feb. 3/4 lbs. and they have dime bright Silver flanks and deep Blue backs very aggressive great fighting tasty fish. Often travel in big schools.

Bluebacks or half-pounders are steelhead that only went to the salt for a few months, and are only 2 years old, instead of 3.  They are cool little fish.  Hatchery fish do stray all over the basin, including tribs.  When we opened access to Crocker Cr., it was occupied by hatchery fish the first winter.

Sean is this link for real didn't know the time in salt and fresh could vary so much?
http://www.piscatorialpursuits.com/wafish.htm#Steelhead%20Trout

I would keep the hatchery one if I catch one (never caught hatchery steelies).
but I think one a year is enough for me & just move on.
It's just so beautiful fish to catch tho...

I'm with Sean, C&R the males because I'm not a big fan of 8# trout, but keep the chicks for the little orange salmon magnets!

CHEERS!