Recent Post from East Side Angler

The paragraph below was posted on East End Anglers FB page, November 2nd.  If it is accurate, 100 guys could easily destroy the fishery in very little time.  One guy ripping and roping as many as possible is a slob, 100 is a planned, organized group intent of total destruction.  People need to start opening their mouths on the streams & making phone calls, 1-855-FISH-KIL, is the hotline to Pa Fish & Boat Commission.  Just pull out your phone and turn on your camera, take quick shot of the license plates, on your way down the stream, if you witness snagging, take it out again.  You would be surprised how effective it is at deterring, plus you can very easily give video to a PFBC WCO and is enforceable. 
 
Many guys don't understand, they are after the eggs not necessary the fish.  Most of them cant tell a male from female, so they take them all.  There is serious black market money in eggs ($40. per 100 grams; fish with 1lb eggs = $180.00)  Google "Missouri poachers target paddlefish", this is what is happening in Erie.  This isn't the backwoods hillbilly with 3 teeth and Walmart rod, taking anything they get a hook into.  They know exactly what their doing, to them its all about the money.  We are being robbed and are allowing it to happen.  Might as well drop your waders, grab your ankles and say thank you as they walk up the stream with a rope full heading to next stream down the line.  Remember if your not part of the solution, your part of the problem. 
 
Nov 2 at 1:14pm
hello anglers,just to let everyone know anglers are catching fish on the east side. we have been cleaning more everyday. 20 mile is seems to have lee fish in it than the others but i think this in part is due to poachers. this is real important that we take this seriously because Michigan has a shortage of king salmon which is why we have a shortage of bulk eggs this year. they have watched as their salmon run is next to nothing now. this could happen to steelhead if people ...don't work together to stop these poachers. it's real important that why every year i hear about anglers complaining no fish it will get worse if we don't start helping the fish and boat commission. they are coming in big groups from new york city last weekend i would say probably 100 or more were here and I hear anglers telling me they saw snagging and did nothing. they go from creek to creek also or will net or snag fish late at night. don't allow them to ruin your steelhead fishing because thats why no large numbers of fish anymore. thank you for all you support on this matter very important.
 
 
 
 

interesting.... definitely wouldn't be much to scout out the low clear water where some fish are stacked up and come back later with nets or seines or big trebles and clean em out.... 

the Russians and the Chinese..... imagine if Hillary gets elected today she wants to open the boarders! good bye to our fish :/

yes when you look at the numbers it certainly puts it in to perspective
 
but 100 guys? i think he over estimate / exaggerated........

Smallsac
From what I am seeing based on his posts.  He is seeing a large number of fish stacked in one area during evening;  Comes back in first thing in morning and gone, not upstream or down.
 

That makes sense
I know nothing of the east side .
I know over harvest and poaching can dry up a lot of holes quick with the thin numbers of recent years
 
..L.T.A.

When it's 15 to 1 I can understand the apprehension; however I'm at point it doesn't matter. Sad part is now make sure I'm concealed carrying underneath waders. Camera usually gets more positive response, but never hurts to have something just in case. Understand guy confronted poacher on 16 last year and had knife pulled on him.

always pack heat

"But when a Long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same objective evinces a design to reduce them under absolute depotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government and provide new guard for their future security".

US Declaration of Independence

Lol...just little humor on very serious situation

Yep, understand what ya mean & fully agree.

Indiana_Bob

jat1007
always pack heat

I always have my 9mm on me, but as far as confronting People that obviously have no regard for the law and that many in a group.  Is a fish that is going to die anyway really worth it, really?  Make a phone call and let the authorities take care of it... 

yeah, definitely  gotta know your limitations... 

Indiana_Bob
  Make a phone call and let the authorities take care of it... 

Thank you for some common sense
 
Someone is going to get hurt playing fish cop confronting bad hombres
 
Some knucklehead is going to put themselves in a position where lethal force may be necessary for fish???
 
You're stupid
 
LTA
 
 
 

Agreed about confronting rediculous number of people. That's insane the guy with shotgun; would hate to be put in that situation, was taught if u pull it, better use it.

 
Regardless if it is put & take or a wild population, neither can support overharvest.  Yes they will continue to stock 1 million smolts with a survival rate of 5%=50,000 fish. 
 
Can you provide facts that support your position?  Can you help me understand how pictures similar to below do not impact the amount of fish you are seeing?   I agree that there are more people fishing and increased promotion of the same limited area.  More people fishing will of course dilute the average catch rate, that's common sense.
 
However, In the case below and I others I have witnessed, the Boogieman was/is real; he has an eastern European accent.  I never have seen anyone from PFBC removing fish or doing anything other than putting them in. 
 
100 people, I cant confirm. What I have seen are multiple commercial sized vans hauling 15 people; have the video.
25 cars is not a stretch on the whole east side; count the number of NY plates on your next trip.
 
 

I apologize for my misunderstanding, I can also agree with that. 
 
I can understand promoting his business and take most postings from shops with a grain of salt; always consider the source.

KJH807
whats that?  70 fish?
Thats 10 buddies from pittsburgh fishing a single weekend... OR maybe a saturday afternoon at the  fillet station or the smoker-swap?
 
 
a "put-and-take" can survive 100% harvest.... its put and take
the stocking sustains the population
harvest every fish that enters a stream... it won't matter, more will come
obviously you won't get repeat returns, but there will always be fish as long as there is stocking
that is not true with a wild population 
 
I'm not saying the poaching doesn't happen (remember that guy at walnut like 8yrs ago with 200+ fish in his trunk??)
i'm not saying it doesn't impact fishing
and
I'm not disagreeing with going after poachers
 
its just odd to see a a business who's success depends on the mass harvest of fish complaining about low numbers without a spec of reflection that maybe they do as much damage as an mythical econo-line full of boogiemen

BUT... they have the best smoked steelhead in the great lakes!