What happens if I'm fishing Montour Creek or the Casselman River, or Little Chartiers Creek?  Why do I need a trout stamp if I'm fishing for smallmouths?  I wouldn't keep a pellethead anyway, so you're telling me tough luck, I just can't fish there anymore?  You should only have to have a pellethead stamp if you're keeping pelletheads... 

As for the state stocking less fish every year, theres always an excuse and its always believed by certain people on this board.  Bubbaman is correct.  We would all be unemployed if we made that many excuses.  There are warmwater stockings, but they pale in comparison to the cost of the pellethead program.
 
As far as letting them go.  I let almost everything go except for a few walleyes and perch each year, but if you want to keep pelletheads, who cares?  They're going to die anyway, or someone else is going to keep them.  Sure a few hold over, but not too many.  And if the water is conducive to them holding over its a pretty good bet that natives could reproduce in there anyway and all the pelletheads are doing is outcompeting natives or the bigger browns are eating them.  Either way, they shouldn't be in there in the first place...

by keeping the masses happy with the opener and the fall, spring run on erie the comish caters to the anglers who love to fish for trout, that is where the bills are paid . Personally i havent fished for either in years, the tribs are like the opening day every day anymore. its not a crime to be a trout hater, but most non trout fishermen are better, more versatile fishermen in general. Just my opinion.  

Once I learned to think outside the concrete raceway, I was liberated.  It was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders and a whole new world opened up to me.  I was 12.  

Just speaking economics. It looks like it is at the point were the commish looses money by stocking so many trout. In the old days it was there bread and butter. There is no doubt if stocking in P.A. was ended. Licenses sales would drop. But so would the cost of raising millions of trout.
 
So I dont know? Whats the trade off? I really want the commish to have money. There is so much to be done. Stream Improvement. A closer eye on polluters. Better surveys of streams with a wild trout population. And the list goes on. This all takes money. I do not think the fish commish or the common angler really knows how great the wild trout fishing is in P.A.
 
And it could even be better. If more effort and funds were directed in to the improvement of wild trout fisheries.

I like fishing for trout , I don't keep any, unless it floats when it's released. for that matter I like fishing for just about anykind of fish.but with the mentality of some people that say hey I would spend another $10 or $20 on this stamp or why not a stamp for this or a stamp for that, sooner or later it will catch up. we already pay a pretty high price for a resident license compared to surrounding states. the pfc should start producing what they say they are going to do, and not, OH SORRY ! I buy a combo stamp, and I fish erie for walleye and perch and smallmouth, but not the streams, like some one else said it like opening day every day on the erie tribs anymore. But the revenue from the combo stamp was , I thought  supposed to go to access  and habitat improvement. I don;t remember any habitat improvement in the lake . like artificial reefs or other structures in the lake. they have aquired some property along elk creek for steelhead. so how does my stamp purchase help me fishing the lake ? over the years ohio and new york have put in numerous reefs, but not pa. But they will keep pumping money into 2 allready over crowded fisheries.and hey lets get another stamp out of them, they'll pay it.  SORRY just have to vent once and awhile !

Steelperch,
And if you think those little pelletheads don't have the same things in them from said "pellets", you are sadly misinformed.  If you follow the consumption guidelines (and if you are not a developing youngster or pregnant you can eat more) you'll be fine. 

ORIGINAL: RhnstnCowboy

What happens if I'm fishing Montour Creek or the Casselman River, or Little Chartiers Creek?  Why do I need a trout stamp if I'm fishing for smallmouths?  I wouldn't keep a pellethead anyway, so you're telling me tough luck, I just can't fish there anymore?  You should only have to have a pellethead stamp if you're keeping pelletheads... 

Theres a small river near my house they stock it with pelletheads, but I only fish it for carp. That too ticks me off having to buy a trout stamp when I'm only after carp! Theres quite a few places I fish for carp that are considered trout approved waters.

I like it when they are stocked in waters were I know there are some big **** pike. Those pelletheads are good easy prey and bait!

Well I do fish for pelletheads at times just when my pap wants to fish cause thats all he wants to fish for is the almighty pellethead (plus I need the bait for some water wolves!)

ORIGINAL: RhnstnCowboy

Whats wrong with "kids and adults" going nearby and catching some smallmouths or sunfish?  Why does it have to be an expensive, dog food-fed, tiny-mouthed pellethead?  What is so **** great about a stocked trout? 

I would like an answer to this question as well.....besides pelletheads make a good bait for pike.