what a joke

does anyone else have a problem with the new catch and release regs? i just witnessed the (deep hooked release method) which is drag the trout onto the bank get your pliers out and rip the hook out of the fishes guts.then proceed to kick the fish back to the water where it goes to the bottom and dies . even if half of the trout in say north park live to opening day its going to be funny to see all the first day clowns not catching the conditioned trout that won't eat anymore. i know what the fish com. is trying to do with this idea  they are trying to please everyone including the bait guys, my opinion is let people keep the fish just lower the limit so if you deep hook a fish you could keep it.

I think its good for fishing in general. there are still plenty of places that are closed to tout fishing now that will have plenty of fresh stocked fish come opening day. and there will still be plenty of fish in those special regulation lakes also. im taking my 6 year old son to keystone on opening day and i bet i can catch him and myself a limit. but its not all about how many you catch. opening day to me is about making memories, meeting people, and just enjoying the great outdoors. if i wanna catch limits i will be up erie for steelhead all winter long. i have enjoyed taking the boy out to the lake this winter, catch a fish or 2, let him play at the playground. good excuse to get out for a few hours on a weekend morning

^ im starting to feel that way too.. i work right next to my local creek and its hard watching the trout suffer when the water goes down, the sewer scum is prevalent, and the only consolation is watching the herring feast.  maybe they should just stock em all at once instead of stocking a second and third time so close to the summer.  i dont know... im no expert..  
i wonder how crowded erie is trout season but i cant keep burnin all this gas lol..erie is making me broke..

closing most waters during the month of march is pretty stupid, this is probably the best month of the year for trout fishing.  by mid april i'm looking forward to fishing for warm weather species like bass.

Now that they are going to stock the other lakes this week that are open to fishing year round with C&R the next 2 weeks are going to be a disaster in my opinion. With a lot of dead trout wasted including a lot of those trophys that they stock for first day.This will have to change next year. It will help if all of those that are concerned will write to the PF&BC & complain. I know that I will write,how about you? I am glad for the extra opurtunities to fish but I don't think that they should stock until the day or two before first day or at least make it artificials only with no plastic or paste bait allowed.  sam

just my 2 cents on trout i have caught 20+ from the neshaonnck last summer on small rapalas  during 90 degree days and swam away when released, same for big run. im not saying some trout dont die, but i dont think the death rate is as mush as some of you guys think, im C and R when it comes to trout but if 1 just so happens to be gut hooked itll be put on a yellow rope cooked on the girill and the head will be bait

I took 2 of my kids out yesterday, ages 3 and 5, and we used live bait.  It was impossible for me to keep up with both of the kids, and 2 out of the 8 trout we caught were gut hooked.  I wish I couldve kept them but the law says no.  They weren't bleeding and I cut the line at the mouth and released the fish.  They might die, but i really am not worried about it.  They swam away just fine.  Ive seen trout that were beyond reviving, these fish didn't even need revived.  Very young kids can't really fish with lures like we can, so bait/bobber is the best option for now.  Having DHALO is nice and actually my preference for this time of year but  I am SO GLAD they changed the regs to allow earlier fishing on a few select waters.  Remember there's still plenty of water that is untouched till the hallowed opening day.  The whole "dump hundreds of thousands of fish in the water and wait a month" till we can catch them idea is stupid.  My kids are hooked for life, and as they get older i will teach them other methods.  But saying the PG should "be ashamed" for the photo is a bit extreme.  Are u referring to this one?  http://www.post-gazette.c...trout-for-phil-681577/  
If you are, ur overreacting big time.
There are far more significant issues in life that deserve scorn, i ain't worried about this.  
And for those who are so concerned with the health of the trout, is it because u just want to catch them more, or because u really care about the fish?  Because let's be honest, even the most "dignified" fisherman amongst us still pierces the fish with a razor sharp hook, drags it out of the water so it can't breathe, lets it flop around desperately, takes a pic and then throws it back.  All because we enjoy it.  The fish suffers for our pleasure.  That's pretty savage.  Now I am ok with the savagery of it all, especially if i get to EAT the fish too (you know, the original purpose for fishing/hunting).  But either way, I am glad the FBC has changed the regs, and I will be writing to them- TO SUPPORT THE CHANGES!!!  
Remember they are just fish.  Yes, care for them, don't be a slob, etc, but they are just fish.  

mr.crappie
I agree,there are going to be a lot of dead trout in the next 2 weeks. The only reason it hasn't been too bad yet is  because the weather has been too bad for a lot of guys to go out. My buddy counted over a dozen floaters that were washed up near the breast on the upper lake at Twin Lakes today. That is not counting the ones that sunk already. I really don't think that the regs. will be the same next year. If you are going to use bait at least smash the barbs down so that the hook will come out easier.  sam

 
I know exactly who you're talking about at Twin.  At the low end I would guess he kills about a dozen a day.  During the season we make a big deal while collecting a limit of his floaters for cut bait and thank him for unsuccessfully releasing the fish as we leave.  
 
I was under the impression that this was another cost cutting move, less intense patrolling during this time = lower labor costs??  I predict the next couple years will see a drop-off in license sales due to the weekend warriors checking out.     

You can buy some really small circle hooks these days and you may want to give them a try when using bait for trout with the kids.  Hooking rate will probably be similar but more hook-ups will be in the corner of the mouth.  Make sure you DON'T use the offset circle hooks and if they have a barb on them, just mash it down with pliers.  As long as you keep constant pressure on the fish, you should be able to land it.
Circles work great for minnies but they work fine for a glob of maggots or a mealworm or whatever else you can stick on there.

I truthfully found the trout to taste better in March too, thought I was just nuts, good to know someone else agreed, kind of sucks you can't anymore

Is there a reason why they can't move trout season to March? I would like it better in March. Just wondering if there is a reason why they couldn't if enough people talked to them.

as far as that picture they took at canansburg lake two guys i met on sunday where there they said that trout turned belly up when they "released" it. that should have been the picture in the paper to sum up this new great catch and "kill" program.

i agree catch and release works only if people are educated on how to do it right. the problem with that photo in the sunday paper was they took 5 minutes to get it according to the guys that were there. i  was at north park lake mon. and there was a guy and his son who might have been 8 or 9 yrs. old , the kid was outfishing everyone with powerbait but he never touched the trout if it was hooked deep they cut the line . if someone who is 8 can do it right adults have no excuse.

i bet i can catch him and myself a limit

 
Wow.  Check out this guy. 

Ok, I've been following this thread with a little confusion, and having finally gotten my license today, I am still confused. What's this new regulation?