Posted and Stocked?

This weekend 2 of my buddies and I were roaming from spot to spot on several creeks catching numerous trout and releasing them most everywhere we fished.  We were having a blast and decided to explore some new territory.  We read the stocking schedule for Crooked Creek and found that it was stocked down to the Happy Valley Road Bridge.  We headed to the bridge and began to fish upstream, into the stocked streach.  Before even reaching a hole, we had landed several fish from small riffles and chutes.  It was obvious that the stream was heavily stocked and fish were easy to come by.  We came upon a large hole with about 8 guys at it.  I was lucky enough to land a nice brown after about the second or third cast.  At that point we were told by one of the other anglers that he was the land owner, we were trespassing, and we should leave.  There was one posted sign located on the opposite side of the stream from all of the anglers, ourselves included.  We had not seen any other signs, but decided to leave any way.  Why would the state stock a very large hole, with a very large number of fish, if the landowner did not let others fish it?  My license paid for just as many fish as his did, and if the stream is indeed POSTED as this guy claims, why was the stocking truck permitted to "trespass".  Just my two cents on this touchy subject.  Any replies would be appreciated, even if they come from "that guy". 

     I have emailed the PAFBC on this exact subject. A person along a creek I know was doing this every year. The day after the steam was stocked the land was posted. The reply that the PAFBC gave me was to let them know where this is occuring and they will talk to the land owner and not stock again. I did not follow up on the issue because someone else beat me to it. I would notify the PAFBC via email and by phone.
 
If the land was posted when the fish truck pulled up, that part of the steam WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN STOCKED!

I guess it takes a person of very low moral and spiritual character to do things like that, along with anyone else who participates in the little game. It's the american way today(manipulate, cheat, lie) and exactly why our youngsters behave the way they do because of the example set by mentoring adults. Absolutely no respect for themselves, others or the prevailing law.
 
Just my two cents worth.

ORIGINAL: spoonchucker

I think someone buffaloed you out of their hole.

Here's the guy to contact

Brook Tolbert
 (814)-566-7869

Spoony ,

Was thinking the same thing as well. I had someone try that to me years ago but called him on the bluff as I personaly knew the true landowner..After telling him I would personaly take him to the true landowner the guy bolted real fast like...

Some guys are real a-holes, I've seen no tresspassing signs on state gamelands.

i'd tell him to prove it.  how do you know it was really the land owner? and where his property line is.

Hey guys, the man you talked to is my brother, and yes he does own all the property that lies on both sides of Crooked Creek north from Happy Valley Rd. to the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks.  If you look, there are yellow NO TRESPASSING signs all along the edge of his property.  His property lines are Happy Valley Rd., Lucas Rd., and the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks.  The signs run along both Happy Valley and Lucas Rds. and there are two signs at the big hole near the railroad tunnel.  You had to have driven right pass one on the telephone pole or fence along the road to get to the driveway.  As for the stocked fish, the state stocked brown trout on the downstream side of Happy Valley Rd. not my brother's side, but we bought 100 stockies from a nursery that were 10 to 12 inches in length and had them stocked in our stretch of Crooked Creek.  If you guys would have searched the old threads on this board, you would have found mention of the property being closed to the public a few years ago.  You were asked to leave because you crowd beside one of our friends and weren't polite enough to ask if he minded you fishing right on top of him.  If you would have been polite, my brother has been known to let strangers fish there every now and then.  If you don't believe me, you can check public records to see that the area in question is one property that the creek runs through, so he has every right to close it to the public.  I'm sorry you feel mad and that it effected your fishing trip, but it is private property and you shouldn't have been on it...

We realize that a lot of good people put time and effort into building the erosion control structures for the previous owner, but since buying the property we have put a lot of time and money to remove a dozen trees from the big hole.  The erosion continues and when we looked for help with the problem, we were told if they helped us we would have to sign over all control.  We knew the previous owners for twenty years and heard all the horror stories about having a property open to the public.  The trash alone would be enough for me, but the old owner told me about when his son was almost abducted by a fisherman as well as when his garage was broken into so someone could steal lumber to build a fire so they could stay warm while fishing.  I've fished Crooked Creek for twenty years and I've run into a lot of good people, but I've also run into a lot of jerks.  We thought long and hard and decided that it just isn't safe to allow strangers to come and go freely on a property that doesn't have neighbors to watch out for my brother and his family.  I think a lot of people would have done the same in our shoes.  I thank you for your hard work, and I'm sorry you feel cheated...

I will just bite my lip for now.Good luck to you!

Yeah, c'mon though Bing, I don't know where you live but unless you live on a steelhead stream in Erie county you can't compare some dude that happened onto your land one day to the constant stream of people that would be on his property for about eight months per year.  After reading all of these posts I don't blame these guys for posting their land for multiple reasons, up to and including the behavior of the guy who started this post that just waltzed up to a hole with eight guys already fishing it and started to fish there.  That is one small example of the mentality of many of the fishermen that frequent the streams in Erie.  There are lots and lots of nice fishermen, but there are also many with a sense of entitlement that makes them pushy and arrogant and many more that are simply slobs. 

I have talked with the person who owns this property. He is a great guy and a fantastis fisherman. If you would of just been polite and talked to him he more than likely would have let you fish on his property. I do not blame him for posting his property. It is due mainly to all of the rude fishermen abusing others land, Parking and rutting up their yards, blocking driveways, etc. If the fishermen do not respect the property owners land their will be more and more land postings on great fishing areas. Fishermen should know where they are fishing, be responsible, take out what they bring in, and most of all respect other fishermen.

Might indicate that landowners do read this board, and pay attention to what is said.
 
 

ORIGINAL: jlh42581

I love how everytime someone has a problem with access of some sort, the landowner or relative just miraculously appears out of no where. 

Wow, what a touchy subject indeed.  To the landowner, sorry for trespassing.  Didn't see the signs going in or out along any drive, woods, or stream until we got to the hole.  If it were mine, I would have had a sign right below the bridge to stop guys on the stream.  A sign on each side of the drive would also be good to stop walk in fisherman.  As for fishing right next to someone, it was the second day of PA trout season.  If one wants to not be crowded on the stream, get your own stream.  Guess you guys did that.  We'll stay out in the future.  Certainly was a cool spot though, good luck to you. 

I'll be fishing the NW, I sent you a PM.  Oops I guess you don't accept pms...sorry.

SUNF, send that pm again. I don't know how I was set up not to receive pms. I have reset my profile. Let me know if it bounces back again, so I can fix it. Thanks.