Ah, I dug through he new book last night and followed the red dots. Up to speed!

Went to the county park yesterday to take the dogs for a walk. There is a small dam there that is stocked with trout. Was surprised to see two guys fishing. It was my understanding that it was closed to fishing at the end of March till opening day. While walking around I noticed a few "floaters." Fish that is, not fisherman. When I got home I checked the book and found out that this small dam and another one in the county are now listed as approved trout waters open to year-round fishing. I don't agree with the rule that no fish can be kept from March 1 through opening day.  They should either go back to the way it was, or allow only artifical lures during this period. And befor I start getting bashed by those who choose to use the different varieties of bait available, some of which I occasionally use, I just think it is such a waste to throw a fish back in that has been gut hooked or is bleeding through the gills. Just my 2 peso's worth.

It is an appalling and sadly wasteful new rule....go back to how it was....

Well fair enough...just bend the rule slightly to allowed visibly injured or dying fish to be harvested and used.....NOT wasted like seems to be occurring in numbers this year!

Big Tuna

Stupid new rule. Tons of dead trout in area lakes,with a warm up coming more dead fish to come. Why not limit it to lures only and barbless hooks. Walked the lake (Brady's Run) today the power bait gang was cranking them in ( alot of bleeders) at this rate two weeks before the season not many will be left. I'm no longer a big trouter but do buy a stamp and fish a handful of times. Nice pic's of a gut hooked trout in the paper,more wastful resources. I'd rather see PFC give up the trout program and try some other things,always thought hybrid gills would be interesting but hey what do I know.

Reading all of these posts for the past few weeks, and I have to say that I am most in line with Big T.  I'd much rather see the PFBC expand on fish that are native and can possibly naturally reproduce in the waters, especially if it is cutting costs.  Still manage them, to keep from stunted growth, and stock to keep up with the harvesting.  Maybe keep stocking in streams to keep most happy, but trade out the trout for the warm water fish in the "trout lakes". 

There was a time when I was one of those winter die hards myself, and I wouldn't have liked it much, so I get where yer coming from.  I don't think most PA fishermen realize how broke the PFBC is becoming, and how broke it will be if it's all about trout like it has been.
 
You gotta think big picture DNJ.  How much revenue do those winter die hards provide in terms of license sales? 
 
They've got to cut costs by $9 million over the next 4 years to meet health care and pension guarantees for retiring employees and to make repairs to trout hatcheries.  Two trout hatcheries will close next year that will reduce trout stocking across the state by 25%.  That only saves $2 million.  There was not a new WCO class enrolled this year to save another million dollars.  Still need to cut $6 million somewhere or increase revenue somehow. 
 
Their problems are much, much bigger than keeping a few die hard, winter trout fishermen happy.  These financial issues aren't going to be solved by continuing to throw a significant portion of its budget at a put and take fishery that gets more expensive every year, while trying to cut costs and operate with less income due to decreased license sales. 
 
 
 
 

I think the PFBC would be all for a year-round season if they could guarantee they wouldn't lose that large percentage of one-day-a-year license buyers.  Those Opening day guys help pay for the program for the rest of us that fish all the time.

I liked this bit in the latest issue of Cabela's magazine.
 
"Pennsylvania anglers are an unlucky lot. While many states allow year-round access to trout streams, in the Keystone State, the fishing public is kicked off most waters from March 1 until opening day of trout season. That's in mid-April for much of Pennsylvania."