Buck Magnet

Hey guys,

With trout season just a week away, my best-friend and I were discussing where to fish and where to go to get away from the crowds when we started discussing ways for the PFBC to relieve some pressure on the streams that comes from the opening week of trout season. We were saying that the PFBC should open trout fishing to all year round, lower the daily limit to 2 or 3 trout, and stock without announcing when or where! As it is now, you get the hoards of guys out for the first week taking any fish that they catch because like the deer situation "if you let it go, someone else is going to keep it". Not only that, but the streams are destroyed around here..... litter EVERYWHERE and these guys destroy the banks in just one week!

What do some of you guys think? Granted, I love getting together with friends and family at our cabin for a weekend of trout fishing, but we can do that anytime! Something needs to change! It seems that every year the trout fishing gets worse and worse. Last year, I fished two different streams on the first day and spent probablly 8 hours fishing that day to see a total of 2 trout pulled out!

fatsbucknut

I think thats a great idea. I totally understand what you're saying. I'm lucky enough to have some good streams around my house so catching numbers of trout isnt a problem. But i have to cover alot of ground because i refuse to stand shoulder to shoulder for a trout. You should try finding some trophy trout waters, i went just a few weeks ago and caught some pretty nice ones.

Buck Magnet

fatsbucknut,

My father has free tokens to the "Yellow Creek Trout Club" through his work that I am allowed to use whenever I want every year! This is a private section of stream that is only open to fishing from members. The stream is strictly catch and release with the exception of each member being allowed to keep 1 trout of 24" long each year! Most guys never keep any trout. The stream has no litter as everyone that fishes there respects the property and they keep it clean! There is never a huge crowd and it is actually relaxing, opposed to the chaos that occurs every April when a few hundred guys line up shoulder to shoulder on a stream.... what is even worse is when they release a big palamino into a certain hole in the stream. You would swear that these guys were fishing for a solid 1 pound brick of gold! I have seen fist fights on the stream bank just for fishing space!

farm hunter

In NY - they have pretty much done away with stocking for opening day.

Its dropped the crowds to Nil an alot of areas - and I think the fishing is better - I don't care for catching a mess of 8" stocked fish anyhow.

I live right next to a year round stream - and it gets almost no pressure during the winter months. Its funny though - April 1 is opening day - and there were still 20-30 cars parked along the creek that morning -(like they couldn't have fished there yesterday).

FH

Pro-Line

Only problem with year round fishing is dealing with the hoards of "truck followers." It is a real problem in WV.

Whenever a stream is stocked, there is a line of cars behind the stock truck. Somehow they always find out.

BTBowhunter

My scout troop helped with a local stocking while the kids were on Easter break and the amount of litter was incredible this year. A lot of it is from last Septembers floods. Wouldnt it be great if every fisherman that goes out this coming weekend takes just one trash bag with him and fills it up before going home? I'll have my scouts camping and fishing at Cook Forest this weekend and they'll all have a bag when they go out.

MDManiac

Still Stockin up here in Oneida County...A lot of 'em too!

Deer902

You can fish the Yough year round. We fish in West Newton above and below the bridge. The local clubs keep the fish stocked and plenty are left over. Buy a button, "I helped stock the Yough" and you can win prizes for tagged fish. Give it try. You won't catch a fish under 14".

quiksilver

Year Round Fishing = huge loss of revenue in PA.

How many guys do you know who just buy a license for opening day?? That opening day also spurns many a fisherman to hit up his local baitshop and buy a new rod and reel.

Believe me, if it wasn't "opening day" those streams wouldn't be packed, and neither would the local baitshop.

Tens of thousands of fishermen wouldn't be just packing the streams on their own on April 16. Not at least without the state turning it into a holiday of sort.

It's all about the Benjamins.

BTBowhunter

Interesting point Quicksilver. I wonder if there're any stats on any change in license sales from states that went to a year round season that used to have an opening day like we do?