My problem is like other sport fishermen we love fighting big fish ! Stripers, Musky , Walleye, Pike , Steelhead , Salmon.  Since Steelies & Salmon are seasonal and many miles north that leaves Stripers ,Musky and Walleye  as the main local targets....all basically stocked. I'm not a pan fish fisherman so Crappie , Bluegill and so on mean nothing to me unless I'm bored or have some kids to take fishing. I love fighting fish that bend the rod and smoke the drag ....that's the thrill of fishing having a power fish on that gets your heart pumping......lol
 
Love eating the Perch and Walleye but the rod benders rule !   

 Capt. you should give Flatheads a try if rod benders you are after, Carp and Channels are not to bad either. Defiantly keep the Byrds in the mix for for baitfish control, PA don't raise them anyways. Just looking out for the future if more $$$ spent now for habitat just maybe it would help in the long run of future stockings.  Like I said to me I could care one way or the other whatever they do. 
 
 Good Luck & hope the best for the future of rod benders.
 
crappy

Chris - 
That is awesome.  I should joke around with my wife about buying some property up there!  I've actually already tried it.  She likes the beach too much and I like fishing at the beach too much, to buy property near the lake.  She has some friends that have a camp near the lake.  They use it all summer, and too expensive to vacation anywhere else.
 
Good use of smilies too!  

crappiefisher
 
 
Fishing is Fun,
 crappy

psssssst Crappy, check your 'puter, I think your emoji button might be stuck. 😜


Porktown not to cause ya concern but "late nights getting harder & harder to recover from" and "declining skills" Ummm.... two signs of 'oldtimers' setting in.

Time for a vacation, me thinks. 😀

 Tim, I'm trying to get the better half to move to Pymy for the spring/summer/fall & go back to near Arthur place for the winters. She ain't going for it as ov yet. Guess I'll have nice quiet times at Pymy then. Dang kid moved up near there last yr. .
 
 On them taking Eyes from Erie to stock inland waters, they could do it post spawn so the future would still be there & the guys crying the Eyes are eatin most ov the smolt  (baby trout) could see better returns.
 
crappy

I think that picture they ran on Wilhelm with those huge Eyes were all from Erie transfer nets !....lol 
 
All those emoji's are hurting my eyes.  
 
Like this one Crappie .......lol

 Let this hog go after a photo session .
 
 

 Nice one! Haven't fished for them in a long time. Miss those nights on the river. If the river was closer I'd get back into it. Especially the relaxing, camp fires, bull crapping & the fish betting.
 
My play ground growing up Plum shoreline.

CAPTAIN HOOK
Good Musky info ....thanks .....are they still stocking Tiger Musky ? I've heard rumors it has been discontinued .  

The conversation I had with Jared didnt discuss Tigers. I did a quick search on the stocking reports for Justus (only tiger water that is sort of close to me, I know there are others in the eastern part of the state) There isnt any planned Tiger stocking for 2019 but PAFC did stock 100 yearlings in 2018. 
 
I cant say for certain the program will continue, but it appears to me it is continuing. So my response didn't give an answer except a definite maybe if the program continues.

Dang, them some dandy cat fish for sure.  Congratulations yinz guyz.
 
 
Crappy your mention of river fishing at night for cats, sure brought back some great memories.   We would take empty 3 lb coffee cans and nearly fill them with diesel fuel.  Come sunset and the bugs, we would fire those suckers off and fish the night away.
 
To the 'young whipper snappers', do not try this at home.  The coffee containers of today, are not fire proof.
 
 
PS.  Yinz will note there is no pics on my page......  stupid fish!!!
 
Good times and tight lines.

  I used peanut cans, would coil cardboard, put in can upright & add kerosene. Made great hand warmers & for cooking cans ov soup (poke hole first) .  When the fishing got slow 2:00-- 5:00 am. I would catch Crawdads & first light would be Smallies galore.
 
 The poison ivy was terrible in some places. Sometimes would get it so bad the blisters between fingers kept me from doing any fishing for awhile