Using 3 rods ===

Looks like this suggestion will be on the agenda for the April PFBC meeting ===

Fish & Boat Commission to Hold Quarterly Business Meeting

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) will hold its spring quarterly meeting on April 11-12 at its Harrisburg office.

Commission committees will meet beginning at 10:15 a.m. on Monday, April 11, and again at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12. Formal consideration of the agenda by the full Commission will begin at approximately 11:20 a.m. on Tuesday, April 12. All committee meetings and the formal meeting are open to the public.

Commissioners will address a variety of issues during Tuesday’s formal meeting, including:
A recommendation to place permanent catch and release regulations on smallmouth and largemouth bass in portions of the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers in order to reduce fishing mortality. The regulations have been in place since January 1 under a temporary order issued by PFBC Executive Director John Arway;
A proposal related to the above-mentioned bass regulations which would extend the regulations to a point one-half mile upstream from the mouth of all tributaries within the affected areas of the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers. The proposal would also create a closed season during the bass spawning period. If approved through a final rulemaking, these amendments would take effect Jan. 1, 2012;
A recommendation to acquire property rights along Elk Creek in Fairview Township, Erie County. Acquiring the property would provide anglers with increased access to this popular steelhead fishery;
A recommendation to renew a property lease at Franklin County’s Letterkenny Reservoir, an approved trout water which is heavily used by anglers;
A proposal to require mandatory life jacket use during the cold weather months from November 1 through April 30 for anyone operating a canoe, kayak or motorboat 16 feet or less, including when boats are anchored;
A recommendation to remove the “slow, no wake” designations on Hawns Run Cove and Anderson Bay in Raystown Lake;
A recommendation to approve a grant to the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited of $10,000 per fiscal year for the next three fiscal years to further expand the Trout in the Classroom program;
A recommendation to approve a final rulemaking order which would allow anglers to use three rods when fishing. Current regulations allow for the use of two rods;
A proposal to add 99 new water to the list of wild trout streams; and
Proposals to renew a grant with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to support the Conowingo Dam fish lift on the west side of the Susquehanna River; and award a grant to American Rivers, Inc. to remove the Norristown Farm Park Dam on Stony Creek, Montgomery County and enhance habitat.

I dont care for any of it. Its ridiculous. There has also been whining by at least one outdoor writer for mandatory use for everyone, all the time.

Apparently these jackarses havent fished for periods longer than an hour and dont realize how important comfort is. Try musky casting all day or fishing all night for cats, then get back to me on it.

Grown adults are also more than capable of exerting their own right to decide. We dont need to be taken by the hand by those who deem themselves authority fugures, in every facet of our lives.

They can take their mandatory use life jackets and shove them.

I dont really care about using 3 rods, but definitely dont want to have to wear a vest all the time on a boat.

ORIGINAL: psu_fish

"A proposal to require mandatory life jacket use during the cold weather months from November 1 through April 30 for anyone operating a canoe, kayak or motorboat 16 feet or less, including when boats are anchored"



I dont care for the anchored part of this rule

 
Agree with you 100%...imagine being couped up fishing in a canoe already and trying to add a life vest in there somewhere...that alone would probably make me fall out....and then I could float there like and ice cube.

I think it is only proposed for the cold water season. Much higher risk of hypothermia.

I have an inflateable PFD that is as small as a butt pack. No real discomfort.

I agree with you frost....I HAVE NO STATISTICALL FIGURES for this but I'm sure that more people wreck motorcycles each year than fall off of boats.

a couple years ago fishing on kahle lake we watched and old guy fall off his boat , if we weren there he probably would have drowned because he was beyond struggling to stay above water thats a senario of good for the jackets , but i agree with the lot , i dont like wearing one

im ok with wearing lifejacket on a yak or canoe...but requiring it for a motorboat is what i dont agree with


My 14 ft alumacraft is quite stable compared to a canoe or yak

The co2 pull string packages that go around your waste really aren't too bad. I use them when I pontoon in ny. I believe e its mandatory. I use it anyway regardless... I have pondered using it while bank angling, but haven't yet. Sometimes a few people drown a year on ny rivers including the deleware which can be considered pennsylvania.

That reg is already the law on any Army Corp of Eng. body of water, must be worn all year on boats under 16'.

ORIGINAL: Erie Mako

Not trying to go off the deep end, but if you have a life insurance policy, you might want to read the fine print.
I have seen some insurance companies put in thier policies that if you drown/die in a water related incident and were not wearing a PFD, they aren't required to pay off!

Is that a burden that you want your surviors/family to have to bear?

I also anticipate that in the future that EMS, fire and law enforcement may be able to send a bill to surviving family of drowning victims for the costs of search and recovery of the body. - it ain't cheap to have divers and such searching lake beds for victims, right now taxes and "donations" pay for that.

At work our safety regs. require us to wear PFD's if we are working above water that is 24" or deeper...wear it or get fired.

Now that's some good food for thought...

ORIGINAL: rookie5781

I want to know how many of you actually go fishing from November 1 to April 30th. IMO, it's way to **** cold to even think about going on a boat. In a rare instance it may be warm enough to go fishing on a boat (Which I have done), but for the one or two times that I would be out there I would say I would rather be safe then sorry.

I dont really thing the issue is so much "is it a good idea" as "should the man be able to force me to". When I go fishing with my buddy in his canoe, we wear life jackets when launching and landing, as well as any time either of us has to stand or move a lot. Other than that, it's too **** hot and uncomfortable to wear while fishing, so we break the law.

Oh, also...

Bings said 'butt pack'.

That is all.

ORIGINAL: Cold


Oh, also...

Bings said 'butt pack'.

That is all.

My bad, how about just a little bigger than her junk up front...

They are small and many are priced under $100. I keep one in my icefishing sled just in case...

Of course there is always cork..

The issue is one of personal responsibility.  I think it is a good idea to have a PFD on when in a boat and usually do.  If a person decides they do not want to wear one, then I think they should not be forced to, but they and anyone who is responsibile for them should be held responsible for the cost of the recovery of the body and all other costs.  In other words, if you want to take the risk, then you are responsible for the consequences.
 
I am not saying that there should not be a safety net to help people, but if you knowingly take a risk that can lead to the loss of life, then you need to acknowledge the risk and accept the consequences. 
 
One thing to remember in all of this is that your actions not only put you at risk, but others who are coming to your aid are at risk as well.  Even if you don't care enough about yourself, please at least think about those who will try to rescue you or perhaps work to recover your body.  Think about your loved ones who will miss you and depend on you.  Is it really worth it to not wear a PFD?  I love to fish as much as the next guy, but I do not want to put my life at risk doing it.

ORIGINAL: TastyTrout

Who here has actually tried to swim with a PFD?  I agree that it will help you float in the cold water.  However, I would consider myself a good swimmer and I've tried to swim a distance (not even really that far) for a bet in warm water and it was a huge pain.  It did more harm than good.  So yes it will keep you afloat so your body will be recovered but you stand a better chance actually getting out of the water without one on.

Unless you're knocked unconscious.

If you are well enough to swim after an accident, you're probably well enough to remove the PFD in the water prior to swimming.