Pa fish commission “your thoughts”

[Unclejoestuff]

I guess the fish commission has moved state wide trout season to start April 3 and mentor the weekend before. So starting feb 15 you can no longer keep any trout. Looks like most of the lakes I can fish will hopefully and finally be safe to fish for them and now and catch and release. What’s everyone else’s thoughts?

[4seasonfishrman]

Just do away with the stupid April trout opener already.  October thru March is the only time of year worth fishing for trout, not being able to keep trout til April is just dumb.

[dickerson_jared]

Just do away with the stupid April trout opener already.  October thru March is the only time of year worth fishing for trout, not being able to keep trout til April is just dumb.

I hope this is sarcasm. As far as wild trout (wild brown and native brook) are concerned, this is the worst time of the year to be fishing for them. This covers the entire length of the spawning season for those species and would be a major detriment to species health. If you're talking stocked trout or any form of rainbows, I agree that winter is better.

[dickerson_jared]

Just do away with the stupid April trout opener already.  October thru March is the only time of year worth fishing for trout, not being able to keep trout til April is just dumb.

I hope this is sarcasm. As far as wild trout (wild brown and native brook) are concerned, this is the worst time of the year to be fishing for them. This covers the entire length of the spawning season for those species and would be a major detriment to species health. If you're talking stocked trout or any form of rainbows, I agree that winter is better.

[RuttNutt]

I see the logic- open it up statewide early instead of having 2 “opening” days where a lot of guys up North will head south.

Doesn’t matter to me if I have to throw trout back after 2/15..................as long as I can still FISH for them! 

[Mr. Charlie]

We don’t close the season for other native/wild fish during the spawn. Gills, crappies, perch, all get hit the whole time and they exist naturally without stocking. The trout thing is a big waste of funds and resources. I’d like to see them allocate the money better than the out and take fishery that people utilize for one month in the spring.

[icecoldchrome]

I see both sides of it I personally think they shouldn't change the rules as they wish and if they are that worried about the trout then why do the promote so much on the steelhead in Erie they are getting fished heavier on any day than a stocked trout lake does this time of year and unlike stocked trout the steelhead are alot more vulnerable to overfishing  yet you can fish and keep fish up to 24 hours prior also  I've seen way to many people fishing while harvest of trout is closed yet the water is year round fishing targeting trout with treble hooks and powerbait so my thoughts are I rather see a fish that swallows a hook used vs  being released to later die  if they truly cared about the fish like they claim they would stock later on lakes open year round or go back to where they close for a few weeks the pfbc is trying to have it both ways and it honestly don't work as well as they think

[clayboy]

It is the money guys.. come on  the sales of license's just for trout fishing gives them the money. plus a stamp. its there cash cow. plus don't kill mom and pop baitshops. they need that month to keep afloat

[4seasonfishrman]

I hope this is sarcasm. As far as wild trout (wild brown and native brook) are concerned, this is the worst time of the year to be fishing for them. This covers the entire length of the spawning season for those species and would be a major detriment to species health. If you're talking stocked trout or any form of rainbows, I agree that winter is better.

No, I'm not being sarcastic.  Winter is the best time to fish for trout, stocked trout thru the ice actually put up a good fight and are better eating than spring fish.

Most of the steams I fish are delayed harvest so it's all catch and release during the winter anyways.

[jarhead]

It is a cash cow for the state can you imaging the money lost not only from licencse  sales and stamps but from the bait stores,the campgrounds the motels ect. Another issue have any of your kids started out fishing for trout in april for the opener I knoe my kids all did we created lifelong memories and they still fish today.

[ddgst7]

Get rid of the entire stocked trout program and stock more musky walleye and pike.  Only trout I would consider fishing for is steelhead or lake run browns in NY . 

[clayboy]

better question is why you close a walleye season when in pa the natural reproduction is like 10% at best? its a put and take as well. pa needs to take better care of its panfish. and maybe take part in reclamation waters. add more water and improve fishing here. I know all kinds of strip lakes that would take fish. me an couple buddies do our own stockings.

[trophysteve58]

Here we go again  trout haters, WELL FIRST OFF IT IS  kind of silly to close streams and lakes to fishing in the philly and bucks county areas for a month when they dont put them in until a few days prior. Makes no sense you are not  targeting new stockings so close it 3 days before , if the fish are stocked wednesday close it till saturday!  And as far as spring verses fall makes no difference they fight good. And its real nice that i dont have to travel a lot to catch some nice trout. Over the last few years the fish commission is doing a great job with trout stockings and this 62 year old still loves trout fishing and for that matter all kinds of fishing. Now that being said the warm water fishing needs to be looked into such as lower panfish limits and closers at spawning time, they just let you keep too many panfish in pennsy  and our lakes are smaller then say lakes in Minnesota . 

[BIGDEERHUNTER63]

Here we go again  trout haters, WELL FIRST OFF IT IS  kind of silly to close streams and lakes to fishing in the philly and bucks county areas for a month when they dont put them in until a few days prior. Makes no sense you are not  targeting new stockings so close it 3 days before , if the fish are stocked wednesday close it till saturday!  And as far as spring verses fall makes no difference they fight good. And its real nice that i dont have to travel a lot to catch some nice trout. Over the last few years the fish commission is doing a great job with trout stockings and this 62 year old still loves trout fishing and for that matter all kinds of fishing. Now that being said the warm water fishing needs to be looked into such as lower panfish limits and closers at spawning time, they just let you keep too many panfish in pennsy  and our lakes are smaller then say lakes in Minnesota .

WELL SAID  , Too many tradition go down the drain with no thought to the collateral damage to economies and to children.

[jaeger80]

Get rid of the entire stocked trout program and stock more musky walleye and pike.  Only trout I would consider fishing for is steelhead or lake run browns in NY .

Here, here!

[bigfoot86]

Get rid of the entire stocked trout program and stock more musky walleye and pike.  Only trout I would consider fishing for is steelhead or lake run browns in NY .

I like to see some more funds go toward walleye management.  It's a shame, NY and NJ have much better fisheries for eyes.

[Van_Cleaver]

Not even going to go into the whole stocked vs wild trout thing. The 50 fish limit for pan fish is ridiculous imo.

[gtjiggywtit]

    The comish will never get rid of stocked trout it is there money maker, as stated in other posts i would also like to see them manage panfish better. a slot limit and a lower limit during the spawn would make for alot of slab crappie in this state.

[uncleshorty]

I think the Commission is doing a pretty good job.  Especially considering some of the idiots they have to serve.

I know a few guys in PA, (I don't fish or hunt with any of them), who keep every trout they catch.  They gut them, put 'em in a bread bag, take 'em home and put 'em in the freezer.  They don't eat a one of 'em.

Then in the fall they throw 'em all out, "Gotta make room for venison."

Of course, 1st of April or so, they throw the venison out, "Gotta make room for trout."

As far as I'm concerned those guys are way more of a problem than the Commission...

[dkfry]

I don't care if they have a trout opener, just don't close down lakes to all fishing because of stocked trout. March 1st is bad enough, making it earlier is down right stupid. I like catching trout but if the stop the whole program I won't shed a tear. As to my thoughts on the PFBC, many of their regs and how they manage fisheries.......best I just not comment on that. If they want to have an opener for trout then open it up April 15 state wide and done with. If they HAVE to shut down lakes and streams that are stocked with trout keep em open til the last day of march. They got 14 days to stock before the opener. At least most lakes would not have fishable ice yet by April 1st.

As for the "trout for the kids" yeah maybe at rod and gun club rodeos. So many adults go nuts for trout that they would knock a kid over to get to a fishing spot. Bad experiences when I was young with idiot adults made me quit going opening day or week  the rest of my life. People act like idiots for trout opener and it is the adults doing it.

[Salmon Egg]

We don’t close the season for other native/wild fish during the spawn. Gills, crappies, perch, all get hit the whole time and they exist naturally without stocking. The trout thing is a big waste of funds and resources. I’d like to see them allocate the money better than the out and take fishery that people utilize for one month in the spring.

For walleye, bass, and probably others, the season is closed during their spawning periods.   

[cabst119]

Trout lakes - no closed season.
Trout streams - no fishing 2 or 3 weeks before the opener.  All problems solved.

[deer george]

I fish allot in the winter for pan fish primarily, ( on ice) and it makes no sence to me why you can keep 50 fish on a 70 or so acre lake when there are 100 or more people killing fish every day. That's the same limit as fishing the largest waters we have in the state that in some cases are well over a 1000 acres, these smaller lakes just can't take that kind of pressure in my opinion. I have been ice fishing over 50 yrs. and have seen many lakes go from great fishing to very poor and I think due to over taking the resorce   

[jarhead]

An even better suggestion  How about the fish commission start enforceing  the rules number fish caught ,size.littering laws ect. Spend some money on the facilities like the ramps and campgrounds most any more are a disgrace!!

[clayboy]

we need better. more stocked and more waters for opportunities. all this reclaimed land can be used. accessed. myself and a few friends do it so why cant some of the grand funds do it? and with more opportunity more money gets spent. more kids involved. just more all around.

[trophysteve58]

yes dkfry there is a lot of aholes out there trout fishing but it aint all trout fishermen either, on most weekends any more they have tournaments with grow up men taking over a lake thinking there the next Ike blocki ng ramps and thinking because there having a tournament they have rights to the whole lake! and most lakes in the spring any more are loaded with people fishing panys arguments all day about a spot. So its not just trout fishermen but a lot of adults acting like idiots. WHEN i was younger just like a lot of guys on opening day 12 of us would go down and fish all day and have a great time kids would come down and want to catch a fish and i would give them my rod and get them there first trout the excitement  on there face was awesome! Now i go down by my self and fish good times. I hope they allways stock i love it and i love stripers bass panfish catfish carp keep them coming.

[shaved ice]

I thought last year was absolutely great with the surprise opening , there was plenty of fish for weeks , it wasn't fished out in two days, I don't keep trout all are catch and release for me , but that's me. but to many guys have the attitude I paid for my stamp and I am keeping my limit day after day then complain there are no fish next week. and I agree that is the commishes cash cow so it probably isn't going away anytime soon, but why would you move the opening day two weeks earlier that may be fine for the precious south east but it creates problems for stocking for everyone else, I have every year with beaver and lawrence county and there has been a lot of times we still had ice on the creeks into early march plus this year again with restricted help and snow cover in less than two weeks, [10 days ]  it 's going to be fun, what is wrong with opening april 15 like it used to be

[4seasonfishrman]

For walleye, bass, and probably others, the season is closed during their spawning periods.

But you can still fish for species that are out of season, you just have to release them.  Why is the all mighty hatchery rainbow so important that we close fisheries because of it?

[theTUGistheDRUG]

Agree with others.  Let's stock some walleye please so I don't have to drive 4 hours north and buy a $50 license.

Only trout I care to play with are lakers and the great lakes varieties.   

[butcher]

Agree with others.  Let's stock some walleye please so I don't have to drive 4 hours north and buy a $50 license. 

I agree. More species. Walleye and northern pike in a few more lakes (especially eastern PA) would be most welcome. Also consider slot limits and smaller creel limits on most species so we can see bigger fish in the future.