The Era Continues--40 Years Later By Mike Shingleton 2007

In 1966, trout fishing in West Virginia was changed forever by the elimination of opening day.

Anglers no longer had to wait until the end of April to go trout fishing. Gone were the elbow to elbow fishing experiences and tangled lines, common with previous opening days. An angler could choose their own 'opening day' that suited him, based on weather, opportunity, or whim. Forty years later the majority of anglers still support and enjoy trout fishing year round.

In 1966, approximately 395,000 pounds of 10-inch trout were stocked into numerous West Virginia waters. Today, an average of
750,000 pounds of 12-inch trout are stocked into nearly 200 streams and small impoundments.

Forty years ago some anglers complained about truck followers catching all the trout from a water before they had an opportunity to fish on the weekend. In response to angler complaints, tagging studies were conducted in 1963, 1966 and 1974. These tagging
studies were conducted to determine the percentage of trout caught the day a water was stocked and the percentage of trout remaining after certain time periods had elapsed.

Those studies revealed that an average of 85 percent of the trout were still available two days after a stocking. An average of 66 percent of the trout remained for anglers one week after the stocking , and 50 percent where still present to be caught two weeks after a stocking. These studies were conducted at Spruce Knob Lake and the North Fork of the South Branch.

Anglers still complain that truck followers catch the trout before they have an opportunity to fish. In response to this, and to verify and duplicate previous studies, the Division of Natural Resources is currently conducting a similar study. Tagged trout have again been stocked into Spruce Knob Lake and the North Fork of the South Branch. Tagged trout have also been stocked into Mountwood Lake in Wood County. Tagged trout will be stocked into additional selected waters in 2007.

One aspect of trout fishing that was not used much 40 years ago, but is a direct beneficiary of year-round fishing, is the fingerling stocking program.

Prior to the ending of opening day, hatcheries did not have the capacity to hold surplus fingerling trout. All available hatchery
capacity was devoted to the rearing of stockable or catchable-sized trout.

Today, over 300,000 surplus fingerlings, primarily brown trout, are annually reared and stocked into about 90 waters that will support trout year round. These stockings are carried out by WRS personnel, along with many volunteers from Trout Unlimited, Izaak Walton League and other organizations.

These stockings have developed long-term fisheries that are used by many anglers who enjoy fishing for "wild trout."

Year-round trout fishing, supported by hatchery produced trout and the fingerling trout stocking efforts, has also had an additional benefit. Although, many anglers still enjoy fishing for West Virginia’s only native trout -- the brookie -- fishing pressure on this resource has been offset by the Division’s various stocking programs.

Was trout fishing made better 40 years ago with the abolition of opening day? Is trout fishing better now than it was 40 years ago? Can trout fishing get better in the next 40 years? The answer to all of these questions is YES! The challenge facing resource managers is how best to meet the desires and needs of all trout anglers for the future.

The solution or answer to these changes could be new regulations such as delayed harvest, the addition of new catch-and-release areas, more areas dedicated to children, or new waters stocked in areas with no or few opportunities to fish for trout.

The answers to some anglers would seem simple and easy – but they are not. There must be a balance of trout fishing opportunities that benefit all anglers without significantly impacting other anglers and, most importantly, without having a negative
effect on the resource itself.

Mike Shingleton is Assistant Chief of Coldwater Fisheries stationed in Elkins.

So they can't get together as a group and decide on a weekend to go on a fishing trip on their own? Sounds like some awfully sad people.

I don't actually think that's true of course. People make fishing trips, hunting trips and camping trips all the time on the basis of their available free time, the weather, the place they're going, etc.

And if people were only capable of fishing locally and/or on the opening day of a season, fishing guides and paylakes would be out of business.

BTW, for all that's made of them, trout are far from being the most popular fish. They're surpassed by bass, panfish and even catfish in angler popularity.

It just doesn't make sense.

You can fish on April 14. Okay, I will buy a license.

You can fish any day you want. No, I will not buy a license.

You're dealing with the framework that exists now. Yes, people make opening day trips. Why? Because there is an opening day.

There's simply no logic in saying that an extra 3.5 months of available fishing, and more available fish, would somehow lead to less anglers.

The early opener in the south east has been in place for years and hasn't effected license sales. Neither has the addition of early trout waters, no closed season waters, etc.

A lot of people take a trip or vacation on Memorial Day, because that's when the pools, amusement parks, etc., open full time. But people also take vacations at other times of the year, some earlier and some later. And if Memorial Day was suddenly abolished or moved, people would still take vacations.

ORIGINAL: verbatim


A lot of people take a trip or vacation on Memorial Day, because that's when the pools, amusement parks, etc., open full time. But people also take vacations at other times of the year, some earlier and some later. And if Memorial Day was suddenly abolished or moved, people would still take vacations.

If you want to take it out of context, so can I. Major league baseball teams play 81 home games every year. Why is opening day always the most crowded? Because it's an "event," thats why.

what did the PFBC say when you proposed it to them and sent all your info about w va. fishing? just askin'

The PFBC does what it wants, according to its own interests and the interests of legislature (which itself is in the hands of big business). An individual appeal to them to change the rule would have zero effect and would likely not even be acknowledged.

I'd hate to break it to you, but that's not the way change takes place.

Your assuming that most of the people buying licenses WANT to fish most of the year. They don't. They want to follow the stock truck, set up their lawn chairs and fish opening day.

If they never stocked another fish ever, you and I would still fish. Thats not who they cater to. Why would they? We are buying a license/stamp anyway.

ORIGINAL: beerman0303
We are buying a license/stamp anyway.

Good point. And, we very likely "use" more of the allotted money than our licenses pay for. Whether we ever keep a fish or not. Road, dam, stream upkeep, aquatic management, other misc. "hidden" expenses besides stocking, although we still take advantage of that too. I don't care if someone is 100% C&R, exclusively using size 22 midges, and as careful handling a fish as can be, some are going to die, or weakened enough to be easier prey.

I've always wondered, is it cheaper to just raise and dump trout into any water that would hold them, over managing a warm water fishery? Where they are keeping a balance of native species, introducing "control species" like hybrid stripers and tiger muskies, to knock down the invasive shad populations, ect. Managing the weed growth, adding structure, ect.

Good response to the #3 too. I was thinking the same. Go on the PFBC site or handbook, it is an advertisement for opening day of trout... The PFBC romanticizes the species, and has many hooked that trout are something special.

The point is, that it's not like there is NO place to fish during these 2-6 weeks. And some of Penna's "best waters", don't have a single trout in them

Plus, most of the waters stocked for opening day, are not suitable for year round stocking.

The point is, that it's not like there is NO place to fish during these 2-6 weeks. And some of Penna's "best waters", don't have a single trout in them

No, that's actually not the point at all. The point is that open season would be vastly superior to the current set up.

Plus, most of the waters stocked for opening day, are not suitable for year round stocking.

Many of them are not suitable for trout at all, ever. Hasn't stopped them from stocking them before.

It's certainly not the case that any streams are somehow less suitable for trout in January, February and March (when water is typically colder and higher than it is at any other point in the year) than they are April or May.

Besides, open season doesn't mean you have to stock every stream and lake year round. In West Virginia, it's determined by the body of water. Some streams and lakes are stocked once a week, some once every two weeks, some once a month, some once every two months and some once a year. Open season would actually be better as it would allow each stream to be stocked according to its own characteristics. It would also spread out the stocking so that drivers wouldn't be forced to stock every water in the state in a period of a few weeks (which leads to overworked and tired drivers simply stopping and dumping the fish in the closest hole to the road in most cases).

Where are the more fish coming from?

Did you check out the articles I posted? It frees up more room in the hatcheries.

"Prior to the ending of opening day, hatcheries did not have the capacity to hold surplus fingerling trout. All available hatchery
capacity was devoted to the rearing of stockable or catchable-sized trout."

It takes those fish a while to reach that size. Longer for browns and brooks than rainbows. If you're entire operation is aimed at creating 11 inch fish for April, that ties you up for the whole year. Spacing things out allows for all kinds of new opportunities.

They sure could, and if the existing evidence is anything to go by, that's exactly what would happen.

I can think of 12 streams that I fish that holdover trout, 2 in southwest PA, 10 in North Central at least.

Year round stocking takes place at streams that I fish in Butler counties, by clubs and those fish are able to holdover,
some DALO's in fact alot get stocked in October.

ORIGINAL: verbatim

what did the PFBC say when you proposed it to them and sent all your info about w va. fishing? just askin'

The PFBC does what it wants, according to its own interests and the interests of legislature (which itself is in the hands of big business). An individual appeal to them to change the rule would have zero effect and would likely not even be acknowledged.

I'd hate to break it to you, but that's not the way change takes place.

since you dont believe anybody as to why the PFBC does what they do concerning opening day, and since you obviously know how change takes place, and rather than whining about it, why not prove why your way is better and get it handled? just askin'
 
btw, how is the way the PFBC handles opening day in "the hands of big business"?

ORIGINAL: anatikus

how about this.....keep opening day, just change the lines in time from 8am to sunrise........?

Because most of the first day crowd is doing good to be able to read a watch, much less decide what time 'sunrise' actually occurs. That, and having a time like that only serves to further intensify the "event" aspect.

Just my opinion, but given the choice of leaving things as-is, or converting to a year-round season, while it'd suit me to have a year round season, I know the PFBC's got bills to pay, and the big "first day" event goes a long way toward helping them pay those bills.

While I wish the "lockdown" period was made C&R-only or just 4/1 till the opening day, I'll give up a few weeks and one crazy weekend, in exchange for the rest of my fishing year, in which the opening weekend warriors pay for much of the trout, parking, access, habitat improvement, management, and information that I use and benefit from year-round.

I guess the guys claiming the need for a "first day event" or whatever have never heard of steelhead or salmon fishing in the Great Lake. Lasts weeks and even months, in the bitter cold, no set opening day, draws people from around the country and the world. Still dealing with stocked fish. Not dealing with a set "opening day" but determined by the fish, the weather, etc.