MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
PA doesn't manage their lakes, streams or rivers very well in my experience. "Panfish" enhancement and "Big Bass" Lakes pretty much equate to a lake with a big problem of stunted fish in my experience. PA just can't seem to figure out what slot limits are and how having good large fish (for the species) in the system benefits the system.It really is not going to hurt the vast majority of lakes to 50 say crappies per person per day under 8". The crappies get to 7" or 8" fairly quick. But when you start pulling out the same amount of crappies that are 11", 13", 15" etc that can put a hurting on the lake fairly quick. Just takes longer to grow them that size and there are less of them. Throwing generic limits down and then sitting at you desk the rest of the decade like the PFBC wants to do just is not working.As for a lake like Sayers, the limit on panfish under 8" should probably be taken off for a while and close harvest for panfish bigger than that. Evaluate after a couple of years.As for contacting the PFGC. been there on a couple occasions and neither were about limits. You might as well watch paint dry, at least you see results. Just look at their decades long inaction on the Susq river issues.
I like the good info you have there.....and does make me ponder my opinion. Do the older, and larger fish, suffer from infertilization more so than a younger 8" or so panfish ? Sorry, I have no idea how to spell "infertilization"....or even if it means what it sounds like. I don't take many crappie over 8", mostly cause I don't catch many. When compared to Walleye, I have always been guided to release the mid-size females due to how fertile they are, and keep smaller and much larger male walleye. My rule on the boat, 16-21 is a keeper walleye, up to 28 goes home.....and if a guy wants to keep a trophy, I have no problem with it. But, we don't get greedy. Last time I was up at rice lake, we kept well over 150 gills that were 8" +. We had 5 guys and that was just enough to feed us. Now we don't usually hit something that hard, but we only took 1/2 of a 1 man limit.....a 5 guy limit would have been 1500 gills (a day). This lake produces more big gills than anywhere I have ever been. They have the proper habitat for this limit. Why doesn't PA up their habitat improvement to promote growth ? Why stock fish when you can grow them.....and multiply them.
I'm all for reducing creel limits for panfish. I agree that 50 is just too many for anyone. I'd really like to see Thanks for all your research. I will pass it on to my son who is majoring in Environmental Resource Management at Penn State. Maybe someday he can use it to open the eyes of the fish commission.PA adopt panfish enhancement regs statewide for pretty much everywhere and not just select waterways. Further, I'd really like to see the state consider slot limits on a number of species to protect the breeder population. I've posted before about fish age and size in PA. In case anyone is interested, I found this pretty fascinating: https://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=303405.0After spending some time doing some research in PA, I've adopted self-imposed creel and size limits. As the saying goes: Limit your kill. Don't kill your limit.
Thanks for all your research. I will pass it along my son who in majoring in Environmental Resource Management at Penn State. Maybe he can use it to write a report to the fish commission. I will also use your stats to make my size limits.
Can’t compare the natural lake in Ontario to the man made lakes in PA..Natural lakes like Erie have a HUGE advantage over lakes like Pymi...natural reproduction on walleyes in pymi is next to none..doesn’t help they let the pigs slaughter then during breeding season but that’s a whole different battle
I fish Somerset Bedford and Cambria county I guess I am a “pig” because I keep limits but I can say I never had to throw fish out for room or they get old or freezer burnt everything I keep gets eaten. Some lakes I fish are way over populated and fish are stunted and need to be kept some lakes are pan fish enforcement areas that you are only allowed twenty some lakes are still a limit of fifty but you can only have twenty of one species. Plus I throw a fish fry for 30-40 people every summer. I am offended that a person who keeps a limit is a “pig”. Plus do you know their financial situation they may need them. I fish public land I think if your fishing private everything should be thrown back. “Pigs” won’t let others enjoy the land because they want it all for themselves. Same opinion about posted property. Honestly in my county’s I fish I think biologists and wardens are doing a fine job
Lets just blame Trump when we can't catch big ones and be done with it
LOL, love it. We ain't gonna make fishing great again with more rules, that's for sure. Fishing has always been great. Problems start when "fishermen" need someone to blame for not catching. Some things never change. Slot limits for panfish, lol geez really. Thin em out, that's why the limit is 50...and believe me, panfish enhancement on certain lakes does more harm than good. Over regulation plain and simple. All big gills were once small gills. No further education necessary.