Selective Panfish Harvest in PA

[JMZ]

First let me complement NEPL for reducing the number of panfish in their Rose Valley Tournament. They are aware of the declining amounts of panfish in PA lakes. Everyone I talk to say they had a bad catch this year on the ice at SMALL lakes. As Doug Stange of Infisherman recommends we should lead by example and practice SELECTIVE HARVEST IN PA. Im not sure of the rules to follow but if WE only keep perch 9-12 in, crappie, 9-12 in, bluegill 7-10 in maybe there will more large fish in the SMALL lakes to spawn. I was also impressed when I fished with two members of Ice Shanty and they each only kept 8 medium sized panfish to eat. I was also disgusted when a friend of mine said he catches a bucket of bluegils and frys them at the club for his friends. He said that he gets free drinks all night. The cheap skate is retired with a good pension and could afford to buy his friends a few drinks. Well I just fell off my soap box. Hope you guys don't take these comments personal. See you newbies on Myfishfinder.

[uncleshorty]

It seems that something needs to be done. 

Maybe I'm fishin' the wrong spots.  But it seems, at least in Glendale and Canoe Creek, the biggest bluegills I catch are 5-6 inches.  I throw them all back.  Not worth the hassle to clean and cook for the single bite of fish that size offers...

[charlijones]

At least they (NEPL) didn't get to clean out Lily Lake this year 

[Van_Cleaver]

JKZ while I agree with selective harvest I've given up preaching about it on these sites. A huge portion of fisherman people just aren't open minded enough to really consider their impact on a fishery or the environment. On top of that many troll the internet looking for the hot bite so they and their buds can wreak havoc. I'm always appalled by how many people vote for the same party year after year because their father did. Doesn't matter who runs, and they just believe all the lies without actually fact checking. Pretty sad when you know they don't care about clean water or pollution; only lining their pockets and those of their cronies. Kind of like when the locals clean the big fish of a lake by taking buckets of them home and then when the fishing sucks they b***h and complain about how good the fishing used to be in the good old days.

[JMZ]

This site is the place to get things started. I also hope this will get guys coming back next week to post and also join the conversation on myfishfinder.com. I plan on catching a few stripers in the Spring on the Pac and Beltzville. My son starts college in the fall somewhere in western/central PA. I will also share infor on the lakes and streams in that area after I visit him. His major is environmental biology / fishing. Thanks to the NEPA Fish Commission for recommending so good colleges. I hope they are reading posts about selective harvest. When I talk to them I will remind them to read the posts. Lets tell them how we feel about the fishing in PA.

[icewagon]

The use of electronics has caused the decline in pan fish populations .

[Van_Cleaver]

Guns don't kill people and flashers don't kill fish.

[Vity]

Selective Harvest??
Lets start with the fish commission. They drained Lower Woods about 5 years ago, White Oak and Millers last year.
They had a meeting and told everyone that they were going to take the fish from these lakes and place them in Prompton, but that didn't happen. So they lifted all limits on all fish , I watched and seen on this site and others fishermen ( if that's what you want to call them) taken hundreds of fish and leaving hundreds on the ice for the birds and fox. Now the talk is about draining Belmont. Then we have this site and others where people tell you what lakes to fish, were to fish, and what to use. You have fishermen laying on the ice with all of there fish bragging. I'm just wondering how many fish have been throwing away because after a long day or night of fishing and drinking people don't feel like cleaning fish, or have been throwing away because of freezer burn. A big part of the sport of fishing is trying to figure out a lake, figure out how to fish it and enjoying the time spent accomplishing all of it.
Respect what we have, because little by little were loosing it.

[captain54]

Preaching to the choir. It's just like deer hunting in Pa. It's up to the concerned sportsmen to practice conservation.

[icewagon]

Guns don't kill people and flashers don't kill fish.

Your right guns on there own don't kill anything, as a long time NRA member that's a fact. Guns cannot do anything on their own and neither can ( fish finders , flashers , cameras, Ect. ) they both need human intervention to do there intended job. For guns that's Hunting, collecting, self defense , Ect, even taking a life . For fish electronics that's increased catch rates , and that could lead to over harvest .

[Chris338378]

Here we go again with the use of electronics for fishing is the root of all evil and any fisherman that uses them are the Anti-Christ rant.   

[Chute82]

Here we go again with the use of electronics for fishing is the root of all evil and any fisherman that uses them are the Anti-Christ rant.   

Yeah I'm sure none of his equipment is from the 20th century... such a purest

[BUFFORT T JUSTICE]

ICEWAGON IS BEATING UP ON YOU CHRIS...
Put him in his PLACED..or do I need too?
YOUR A GREAT GUY ON THE SITE..ALLWAYS HELPFULL..THIS ICE WAGO IS A PAIN IN THE ASS I THINK...
I wish he would mess with me

[captain54]

Green Hornet,barbless hooks,garden hackle,split shot, spud bar,charcoal in a bucket. Now that's the proper way for selective harvest.  You guys use to many unethical ways to catch fish. Vex's,Marcum's,cameras,modern jig pole with titanium spring bobbers,ice shanties,float suits shame on you,no wonder all the big Panfish are gone. Dam you guys. That modern stuff just ruin ice fishing.  😂 😂 😂

[Chute82]

Green Hornet,barbless hooks,garden hackle,split shot, spud bar,charcoal in a bucket. Now that's the proper way for selective harvest.  You guys use to many unethical ways to catch fish. Vex's,Marcum's,cameras,modern jig pole with titanium spring bobbers,ice shanties,float suits shame on you,no wonder all the big Panfish are gone. Dam you guys. That modern stuff just ruin ice fishing.  😂 😂 😂

And everyone was skinny before they invented the spoon😅

[Chris338378]

Green Hornet,barbless hooks,garden hackle,split shot, spud bar,charcoal in a bucket. Now that's the proper way for selective harvest.  You guys use to many unethical ways to catch fish. Vex's,Marcum's,cameras,modern jig pole with titanium spring bobbers,ice shanties,float suits shame on you,no wonder all the big Panfish are gone. Dam you guys. That modern stuff just ruin ice fishing.  😂 😂 😂

Don't forget specific line for ice fishing, waterproof and insulated clothing and boots, smitty sleds, snowmobiles, and ATVs.  Oh and don't forget those damn cars and trucks so we can drive to lakes that aren't within walking distance.   

[digger953]

Green Hornet,barbless hooks,garden hackle,split shot, spud bar,charcoal in a bucket. Now that's the proper way for selective harvest.  You guys use to many unethical ways to catch fish. Vex's,Marcum's,cameras,modern jig pole with titanium spring bobbers,ice shanties,float suits shame on you,no wonder all the big Panfish are gone. Dam you guys. That modern stuff just ruin ice fishing.  😂 😂 😂

hell you forgot to mention  electric propane and new state of the art augers
drill faster last longer eaiser on the arms

[RuttNutt]

The use of electronics has caused the decline in pan fish populations .

Is it really that hard to catch a bunch of gills?    I used to catch plenty before I got a flasher. Don't seem to notice a difference with or without. Other fish, yes. But not gills.

[lovethoseyes]

Let's face it, no mater what amount or what type of fishing equipment you use it has nothing to do with how many you keep!  That decision is yours, not your finders.  The reason I have to keep more now because I can catch more now just doesn't fly with me.  To shift the ethical responsibility from the individual to the equipment he uses doesn't make sense to me.  A friend of mine shore fishes at a lake they allowed boats on just a few years ago.  He told me the boats are ruining the lake.  He his brother and a close friend hit, and I mean hit that lake every spring hard.  He told me the size of the bluegills have been going down.  He told me he kept 500 last year!  Doing it 50 at a time when he could.  I imagine the others did as well.  I asked him about a 20 limit and he would have nothing to do with it.  It's still the boats, fish finders and other fancy stuff that's killing that lake! 

[Chris338378]

You're EXACTLY right, it's the people keeping the fish not the equipment. 

[icewagon]

I don't fish for pan fish at all anymore , all large shiners on tip ups and I don't keep any fish unless its gonna die so I know I'm not the problem .

[captain54]

Well I'm not going to lie,after the non existent ice season, KOV'IE and I kept a beautiful limit of P.I. perch today. 30 each plus 2 steelhead for the smoker. We were selective though 9.5"- 12.5" went home. Erie is just and unbelievable fishery. I wish I could get my wife to move there but that's doubtful.lol