Why is pa so against letting atv's and snowmobiles on the ice

[dkfry]

I do not see why they could not allow ATVs for fishing purposes at least on lakes that motorized boats are already allowed on.

As for the wearing the license on an outer garment, I don't agree with it. IMO the only reason for it is so the fish commission guy can sit on their rear with the binoculars to check licenses. I get several licenses a year from out of state and country, none of them require wearing where visible. The officer should be making contact with people if they are suspect, there are more things they are supposed to be concerned about more than just licenses.

[Slabslayer17]

your allowed to run them on privately owned lakes like conneaut And wer allowed to run them on presque bay

[Chute82]

your allowed to run them on privately owned lakes like conneaut And wer allowed to run them on presque bay

Yeah but come within 500 ft of PI state park and your getting a fine.  We know on non state lakes you can use them.. problem is with Lakes like pymi it’s a huge lake and your very limited because being mobile is the key.  I fish Canada and being mobile on the lakes is the key to success.  Being able to fire up the sled and traveling 12 miles out to were the fish are is key to success. 

[Ice Scratcher]

As for the wearing the license on an outer garment, I don't agree with it. IMO the only reason for it is so the fish commission guy can sit on their rear with the binoculars to check licenses. I get several licenses a year from out of state and country...

Ha! Just gave me a hilarious idea!

Wear all kinds of em, current and past, like 50 or so... Then sit way, far from the crowd.... No laws against wearing others states, or expired ones, right along with your current one... Lol

And drive this too lol



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[quickco]

last outing my cousin was told by warden not to have his 17 in the case with the 18.

[Ice Scratcher]

Wow, we have about ten people die every year in Michigan because they fall through the ice, does that mean that it should be outlawed?  I think not!  There are hundreds of thousands of ice fishermen in the state.   We lose about .0001 percent.  Using your analogy, I can't believe Pennsylvania allows bicycles, motorcycles, skate boards or even horses, for transportation.   How many people die boating every year in your state?  Why not outlaw boats?

Agreed ^

Might as well outlaw being outside with a chance of thunderstorms too...

<°)))>{

[dkfry]

Ha! Just gave me a hilarious idea!

Wear all kinds of em, current and past, like 50 or so... Then sit way, far from the crowd.... No laws against wearing others states, or expired ones, right along with your current one... Lol

And drive this too lol



<°)))>{

You'll get out of the ticket but he will take you in for a psych evaluation.

[1moslab]

Butchers sentiment that pa people are too stupid to make decisions other states do without their mommy is part of the problem here unfortunately

[Chute82]

Think the politicians will just keep raising our gas taxes so all we can afford is to walk. 

[wryan]

I have always thought our high density of outdoorsman made difficult access a good thing.  Whether it's a long walk to drill some holes or a several miles back in to a hunting spot 90% of people wont walk to.  Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I could imagine a lot of lazy drunks on the ice racing snowmobiles. 

[addictedangler]

  Back in 2017 some one posted you had to display your fishing license on a outer garment. Yes that is what the book said. However Harrisburg Pa fish and boat said no  you do not have to have it displayed it is legal to have the app on your pone. Some still argued the point but were wrong. The rules have finally been updated in the summary book so please look at the up dated rules. Even back as far as far as  1990 you had( I think 14 days) to send a copy to prove your were legal. Today all WCOs have computers in the vehicles and can check if you are legal licensed or not.

[Ice Wine]

Last year I was checked by a PA officer and he said I need to display my license on my jacket. I keep it in my wallet so I'll always have it with me. He was nice about it and all but said next time he would have to write me up.

[addictedangler]

  WCO can say anything they want but the Legal team in HBG would kick it out and laugh at the WCO. It just took them many years to re write the book.
Proof is no one has been cited for not having it displayed in many years.

[saphireblue99]

As of the 30th no longer required to have your license displayed HURRAY As for atv's on the ice, seen some wild dangerous stuff on Wallenpaupak, atv's go in, tipups get wasted, drunks flipping them over. No trees to crack your head open with but alot harder to control and stop on black ice..

[butcher]

Holy thread revival Batman!

[Arkansaspete2]

The first time that I fished pecks pond there were 4 wheelers 3 wheelers dirt bikes an snowmobiles running all over the place and then the next time up none that Was  back in the mid 80 s I know that they still allowed them on wallenpaupack after that  I remember somebody went in and they had a hard time finding him. I think the concern is contaminating the eco system it wouldn’t take much gas to screw up a small lake. A/P 

[Icefishin Wizz]

i think its contaminates gas,oil, antifreeze they want to keep at a minimum.

Boats have all the above.

[fisher 74]

You should be able to drive an snowmobile on ice you only need 5 inches plenty of winter we have thick enough ice you can drive an ATV in Maryland on ice so the short season crap isn't an argument to make just have it registered and insured there is no reason you shouldn't be allowed yes the ATV/snowmobile could go threw but your boat could also sink so what's the problem here

[Mr. Charlie]

There is something satisfying about walking to a hard to get to spot and fishing it. Also as a night angler I wonder how often my tip ups and shelter would get plowed into. In really large bodies of water I can see the need, however past wallenpaupack and raystown most of our lakes are pretty small comparatively. I’m not saying I wouldn’t use in if it were allowed I just don’t see it as that big of a deal that we can’t most places.

[Spider1]

yep, a thread that keeps giving!

As we all know, the ice has been pretty tricky in Pa this year. Seems to be a bit of a trend too. I'll wear my striker suit and bring my spud and ice picks and carefully work my way out on the ice and at times I was pretty nervous about the ice I was on at several lakes. Meanwhile I'll be on a lake that I know the ice is sketchy at best and being as careful as I can be in that circumstance and along walks a crowd of tourists right across an area I wouldn't even think of walking on. They bring their dogs, the kids, even little old grammy-gram-gram. Every year I see tourists and knuckleheads walk right across ice that can't be more than an inch and a half thick but they just walk right along. I can just see the number of snowmobiles getting pulled out of the lakes every week if they make them legal on the ice. I wonder how many dumbells they would have to pull out of the lakes too...

Just a couple weeks ago I was talking to a guy on the ice. He said a couple years ago a buddy of his was riding his snowmobile on the pack on early ice and went through in 30 ft of water. I said "it musta cost a pretty penny to get it out." He said "nope, it's still down there!" He laughed about it. yeah, that's why it's still illegal.

[Kourcha]

There is something satisfying about walking to a hard to get to spot and fishing it. Also as a night angler I wonder how often my tip ups and shelter would get plowed into. In really large bodies of water I can see the need, however past wallenpaupack and raystown most of our lakes are pretty small comparatively. I’m not saying I wouldn’t use in if it were allowed I just don’t see it as that big of a deal that we can’t most places.

take it from a night angler from a state where ATVs are all over the ice you'd be surprised at how many tipups you replace every year to sleds