OK Ill try to make this as simple as I can.

Weeds provide cover for insects and small fish. Removing these weeds THEN stocking hundreds of fish that are unable to sustain themselves through spawning (like the Bass, crappie, perch and bluegill) Those trout compete with the "native" fish for food. If you don't think it has any effect on the other fish then can someone explain what happened to the bass? The population has been on the decline for the past few years.

My point is simple, there are other fish that fight better and taste better that trout. I just don't understand the fact that a stocked trout that has was raised in a holding tank is held so high in some peoples opinions. To each their own, I just wish it didn't affect other types of fishing as much as it does.

I've never seen any big schools of bass.. just trout. There are a decent amount if bass in there, small ones... the biggest me and my buddy managed to pull in all year was just under 16" I think the rest were 14" and under..

For the record I'm not a bass fisherman, I target panfish and walleye mostly. Crappie fishing used to be good in both lakes now its just average. Perch used to be almost non-existance but have seemed to rebound as of late. Bluegill...well if you catchone over 7 inches thats awesome! Sam, I cant dispute what a biologist said, but do you believe everything someone who is paid form ANY government agency says? I dont, but thats just me. Everyone have fun outsmarting fish that have been raised in captivity. Ill put the ones I catch to a good use.

Seems a little selfish to want to remove trout stocking from that really small percentage our waters that are used for that purpose....

I you dont want to fish the "Trout" lakes....there is a far far greater percentage of waterways (lakes and rivers) that do NOT contain stocked trout and where the bass and other "legitimate" species are larger than at say, Twin Lakes....

You are correct but I dont live 1/2 mile from those lakes. Selfish? Maybe, but no more than the guy who wants more trout stocked so he can get his limit faster.

Why don't we all get together at one of the TLFA meetings and shake this out.


That might be pretty interesting.

Seems like everyone has some good points on the forum.

Yeah...FishinGuy, good to meet you!

You know...I am not surprised how you were seeing and hitting them in that spot. I reckon it would be instinct for them to go towards that incoming rushing cold water that was happening today!....

Dennis....

Yeah, that guy with the bass was approached by several of us, but, LOL, he claimed not to understand English?!....

It was explained to me by the PFC that one reason it was made a big bass lake was the hope that as the bass got bigger they would eat more of the panfish. This was not done just to get larger bass. That is why Indian Lake & Mammoth are also big bass lakes.With the amount of pressure that these small lakes get,it is unrealistic to expect any numbers of big bass such as we have in larger lakes.Before Twin was open to the public there were HUGE bass in there,much as in Beaver Run to-day. sam

In my years of fishing twin lakes I have never seen a bass on a stringer. I love fishing for trout on that lake especially through the ice. The best local lake around SW Pa imo. I think the Association doesn't get enough credit for all that they do for the lake. If everyone has a problem with the lake they have meetings that very few people actually go to. Anyways, I'm going fishing in the morning at Mammoth if anyone wants to join. Ed

there are no big bass at twin anymore because the lakes are too shallow, have no place for big bass to hide, and the lakes get a lot of fishing pressure.  when they put the walkway the entire way around the bottom lake and put the bridge over the spillway that opened the lake up to a lot more fishing pressure, since then the fishing has declined.  the lakes are also probably a couple feet shallower than what they were just 10-15 yrs ago due to silt build up.  take a walk over the the far end of the lower lake where the island/marsh area is.  it doesn't take an expert to realize that the entire area over there is way too shallow to hold any fish.  i remember when that area used to be one of the best spots to fish on either lake, there used to be some really nice bass over there.

+1 and mammoth holds a lot bigger bass too. 3/4 of that lake is under 4ft and I've seen many bass in the 16"+ plus range and one that had to be pushing 8lbs. These big fish are just much more cautious if biting, of all the big boys I've seen in that lake, I've only landed 1. I've only ever seen 1 big bass at twin, only saw its head, but it was huge. Tucked right in some weeds 5ft off the walkway.

Nope

Mr Eman89so got a little story for you.

Last year I was out in a boat and was coming in to the dock and I saw a guy catch a fish over toward where what is call the point. I saw him put the fish on a stringer.

After I got my gear put away I walked over to him and asked if he had been doing any good. He said he got one.  We talked about the fish catching being slow for a while.  I walked over and looked as the fish on the stringer.  It was about a 11" bass. I mentioned that the fish he had was a bass and the limit was 15".  He just ignored me.  So we talked a bit more and I asked if he was going to release the fish. Well he didn't know if he was going to or not. But after a while he finally did. 

So point of my story:  yes there are bass going on stringers, yes some people don't know the difference between a bass and trout, yes some people could care less about the future of the fishery, and yes there are short bass going into some coolers and are not seen.

So as been said, it takes all kind to make up the fishermen population.

Whats the weather calling for this coming Saturday? Guessing it'll keep ice free then.