West Virginia stocks bigger fish (average 12" vs. average 9") more often than PA (in many waters weekly in March, April and May, in other month or bi-weekly - stocking starts everywhere in January and lasts through June) and the resident license is less (PA license is $39 to be able to fish all waters; WVA license is $34 to be able to fish all waters - add another $16 and get a hunting license to go with it). The creel limit is also higher, there is no closed season, and there is no minimum size. They also have special easy-access waters for children and the disabled.

They literally stock everyday for half of the year: http://www.wvdnr.gov/Fishing/Stocking/DailyStock.shtm

They're putting in around 800,000 pounds of fish now for a population of 1.8 million. PA puts around 1.65 million pounds of fish (see this article, where they talk about PA cutting stocking by 130,000 fish -- 3.3 million fish x .5 pounds -- which is generous -- gives you 1.65). PA has 12.5 million people. That's about .5 pounds of trout per person in West Virginia, and .13 pounds of trout per person in PA. Break it down to the level of anglers and you get 4 pounds per angler (800,000 / 200,000) in WVa and 1.5 pounds per angler (1,650,000 / 1,091,547) in PA. Of course, Pennsylvania has a much higher percentage of trout anglers than West Virginia too. Additionally, West Virginia is about 1/2 the size of Pennsylvania. * Here's a source on license sales http://www.asafishing.org/statistics/participation/fishlicense_2000.html

So there you go.

There are other states too, like Arkansas, which stocks many, many millions of trout -- more than WVa and PA combined even though it has fewer anglers, especially if you're counting trout anglers. Average trout size is 11". Also no closed season, higher creel limit, year-round stocking, resident fishing license w/ trout stamp is $15.50.

Of course you don't want to hear that. But it's the truth. PA is not a good state for fishing at all. It has a huge number of trout anglers, but that says nothing of license prices, the PFBC, the stocking program, the level of pollution, etc.

Popularity isn't a measure of quality. Beer is very popular in the Burgh, but Iron City tastes like hog urine in a can.