I don't think it's the harvesting that's the problem; it's the hooking mortality of those little smolts. True, a steelhead smolt will be in the 6 to 7 inch range, AND very aggressive to bait. Therein lies the problem.

I agree that having a resident trout season during the out migration of smolts is not a good idea. Perhaps they don't coincide, however. I'm not as informed in that subject as the "-ologist" guys here.