Closed Trout Season in PA

Do you think there should be a closed season in PA?

  • Total voters
    82
I voted no, even though I don't fish over spawners.

I quit fishing brookie streams in october.
And streams with wild browns, I avoid by November.

But what about all of the water that doesn't support wild trout.
Doesn't make sense to close them down.
Especially the ones that just started to be stocked again this month
 
I voted the same, for the same reasons as dfg.
 
For spawning fish yes, however for the stockers they are about to put in obviously a no. I don't think there is a right answer to this poll.
 
I vote yes. Give them a break. Sometimes putting a valuable resource above our selfish and obsessive need to fish for them them is necessary. NY has some very good wild trout fishing and they have restrictions at least in certain areas. (although I believe they have changed some of that recently).
You could do it where certain stocked areas remain open of course. Or even close areas that are known spawning sections.
Like it or not people do harass and even snag larger wild fish. Plus year round fishing has become more popular and I think on some streams has hurt the fishing.
 
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wildtrout2 said:
Just before the spawn would probably be a good time...
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Brook trout can start spawning in mid to late September.
So you’re advocating closing trout fishing in the whole state on, say, Labor Day then?
 
How do you handle Erie Tribs? Make an exception? Then what about all the other streams people would want an exception for?

To much gray area to make everyone happy enough to be okay with it.

Also, are there studies that show the current format harms the fisheries? I can't see anything happening without significant science. I know common sense tells us that obviously fishing / wading over spawning trout is bad, but is it significantly bad?
 
Of course I'm sure there are a few who only want to give spawning brook trout a break, but the non-hypocrite in me says if you want to close fishing for one wild trout species, you should close fishing for all.

So I say, NO trout fishing on ANY stream on the Wild Trout Reproduction List including Special Regulations sections from Labor Day until Opening Day to cover the spawning rainbow trout (which spawn in small numbers in more streams than you think).

Then it will just like the old days before the Extended Season and no harvest fishing... HOORAY!!!

...Who is up for that?

But not being a hypocrite again, maybe we should think about showing a little love for the wild warmwater fish too.

How about NO fishing AT ALL except during July & August with the exception of trout fishing because the water is too warm...

So NO trout fishing AT ALL for trout except in July & August unless the water temp is less than 70 degrees at noon. That would be showing them some love...;)
 
wildtrout2 said:
On Class A streams, yes, I'd be fine with that.
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Just food for thought, most class A streams probably have ample spawning habitat that anglers stepping on a few reads would not have a population level impact. Success of individual redds is likely much more critical in marginal wild trout fisheries.

Name a PA stream that receives more angling pressure fall, winter and early spring than Spring Creek. Has there been any reduction in fish numbers as a result of this angling pressure impacting spawning success?
 
That would be THE most ridiculous rule change, ever. And lycoflyfishers post above is all you need to explain why. And those marginal streams, dont recieve the pressure the better ones do.

The fall is one of the best times to trout fish, especially when your trying for large fish, and it if the current regs were not working, we wouldnt have such great wild trout fishing here in PA.

The "everything needs change" mentality of today, in my opinion, is not always good.
 
dudemanspecial said:
How do you handle Erie Tribs? Make an exception? Then what about all the other streams people would want an exception for?

To much gray area to make everyone happy enough to be okay with it.

Also, are there studies that show the current format harms the fisheries? I can't see anything happening without significant science. I know common sense tells us that obviously fishing / wading over spawning trout is bad, but is it significantly bad?
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That's where I'm at on this question. I won't fish over spawning trout, and I'm sure most reading this won't either, but the timing of the spawn can vary dramatically from stream to stream even within the same County. IMO if a stream is so fragile that stepping on a redd would harm the entire population, we probably shouldn't be fishing it any time of year. Would prefer anglers be educated on this issue than have an overly broad regulation.
 
Yes - but only regionally (down to particular creeks), based on real survey data. Details, notification, and signage may not be logistically possible but we shouldn't take away fishing opportunities based on anecdotal information either.
 
I would say no closure. There doesn't appear to be anything broke that is in need of fixing..
 
wildtrout2 said:
On Class A streams, yes, I'd be fine with that.
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My problem with this:

Little j, Penns, Spring Creek are class A - but don't have brookies.
I've never seen spawning activity there until late oct/early nov.
So we're gonna shut them - 3 of the best streams in the state - down to fishing sept and oct?
And, basically to protect the brook trout spawn - which they don't even have.
Many more class A stream with no brookies either.

Just too many variables on this to make one blanket rule for everything.
And, as someone else mentioned - if you try to start making different shut down times for each area or stream - that's gonna really complicate and confuse things IMO
 
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