Mentored Youth Day Facts (from angler surveys, field contacts)

M

Mike

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Nov 10, 2006
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Year: 2013

Feedback to PFBC staff: 95% positive, 3% neutral

Average time fished...
Mentor: 2.4 hr
Youth: 3.4 hr

Trout caught... Averages
Mentor: 1.6
Youth: 3.7

Trout kept by youth: 30%

Given the differences in time fished and catches, I believe that statistically and based on what I have observed in the field, mentors are in the vast majority of cases helping young anglers.

For me, three of the most impressive things observed: the high number of very young angler's fishing, ages 2-5. This would be atypical of a normal opening day scenario. The second has been the pure joy and positive spirits of participants, both children and adults. And this has been despite the cold weather. The third has been the frequency with which appreciation is expressed by the adults for holding these events for the kids.
 
Mike wrote:
Year: 2013

Feedback to PFBC staff: 95% positive, 3% neutral

Average time fished...
Mentor: 2.4 hr
Youth: 3.4 hr

Trout caught... Averages
Mentor: 1.6
Youth: 3.7

Trout kept by youth: 30%

Given the differences in time fished and catches, I believe that statistically and based on what I have observed in the field, mentors are in the vast majority of cases helping young anglers.

For me, three of the most impressive things observed: the high number of very young angler's fishing, ages 2-5. This would be atypical of a normal opening day scenario. The second has been the pure joy and positive spirits of participants, both children and adults. And this has been despite the cold weather. The third has been the frequency with which appreciation is expressed by the adults for holding these events for the kids.
Click to expand...

^ Excellent!

There are those that abuse things, and others that just don't get it in every crowd.

But for the vast majority, the program is a great success. Getting young people interested in fishing is very important. If our youth begin to care about our rivers, streams and lakes; chances are they will be the ones left to fight to preserve and protect them in the future.
 
Interesting facts.

Your observations are even more interesting!

This is a great program by the PFBC.
 
And they collected these figures how? Sounds awfully made up if you ask me...like the PA Game Commission making up deer harvest numbers.
 
bigjohn58 wrote:
And they collected these figures how? Sounds awfully made up if you ask me...like the PA Game Commission making up deer harvest numbers.
Click to expand...

The numbers may be debatable, but aren't really the most important part of the program.

I look at the more subjectives things mentioned in Mike's post:

"..the high number of very young angler's fishing, ages 2-5."

"...the pure joy and positive spirits of participants, both children and adults."

"...the frequency with which appreciation is expressed by the adults for holding these events for the kids."
 
bigjohn58 wrote:
And they collected these figures how? Sounds awfully made up if you ask me...like the PA Game Commission making up deer harvest numbers.
Click to expand...

You know, the Pennsylvania Game Commission wouldn't have to estimate the deer harvest if all hunters would do their part and report their kills. Don't blame the PGC. Besides, their estimate is scientifically done based on the best data available.

Any why are you ragging on the PFBC? In my opinion the PFBC does an outstanding job overall.

If you want to see bad just wait until our state government takes away their independence and combines the PGC and PFBC into another wasteful state-run agency.
 
That is great to see. I know I took my daughter out last year and am looking forward to take her out again this year. She is 5 going on 6. This year she is armed with a fly rod, indicator and a box full of flies she is tying for herself. I bet we have a blast. Those that want to complain can complain but this is a great environment to get the young kids involved. Opening day just isn't the right place to take out a 5-6 year old out for elbow to elbow fishing.
 
DriftingDunn wrote:
bigjohn58 wrote:
And they collected these figures how? Sounds awfully made up if you ask me...like the PA Game Commission making up deer harvest numbers.
Click to expand...

You know, the Pennsylvania Game Commission wouldn't have to estimate the deer harvest if all hunters would do their part and report their kills. Don't blame the PGC. Besides, their estimate is scientifically done based on the best data available.

Any why are you ragging on the PFBC? In my opinion the PFBC does an outstanding job overall.

If you want to see bad just wait until our state government takes away their independence and combines the PGC and PFBC into another wasteful state-run agency.
Click to expand...

You may think they do a good job...I just see them doing less and less. I guess it depends on where you are located at.


Also this 2-5 age range...can they really fish at that age or is this more just the adults fishing? This extremely young age I'm always skeptical about. This also goes for the mentored hunting. Can most kids say under the age of 8 (probably a lot really can't til they are at least 10) really shoot a gun? I know I didn't go trout fishing until I was 5 or 6. I just don't like seeing programs being taken advantage of and I know this is one of the worst for that. I went fishing for panfish when I was younger...you know sitting along the bank of a pond or lake with a bobber on a nice summer day.
 
I don't like seeing programs taken advantage of either, but I doubt it is widespread. Maybe in a couple areas it is, but statewide, no. And many of those same people abusing this would probable be poaching anyway.

Here is the way I see it.

I got my first exposure to trout fishing on an opening day when I was about 8 years old. It was not a good experience. Adults acting badly.

People suck, and the more they get crowded together, the more they suck. Now, if there was a youth day back then, I'm thinking it would have been a more enjoyable experience, not only for me, but for my father.

For many years after that, dad would take us fishing for panfish on opening day of trout.
 
Just a general question, out of curiosity.

Has anyone here, in the general angling public, who has gone out on youth mentoring day NOT witnessed at least one person "abusing" the program at your local spot?

 
I took my 6 year-old daughter last year, and we had a blast. She really enjoyed it, and we released all the fish we caught. It's a great idea--allow kids to fish without being crowded and cursed around by a bunch of one-week-a-year meat fishermen. The only stocked stream I've been to in years was the one I took my daughter to last year. I avoid those places like the plague, especially on Opening Day.

And, yes, kids can hunt and fish and know what they're doing under 8 years old. I had already fished 4 or 5 trout seasons and hunted a couple squirrel and rabbit seasons by then. By the time I was 8, I was unsupervised and had my own .22, for crying out loud.

 
My daughter will be 2.5 years old on youth day this year and I'm taking her unless it is too cold. She can't cast yet, but we literally practice reeling in a rod every day. She gets used to reeling with resistance since my cat grabs ahold of the hookless lure that she winds in. I imagine that we might be on the stream for an hour or so. The goal is that I cast out, hook a fish, and she reels it in. I think the MY is a great idea.
 
No, we didn’t make up the results…

Some additional information about the 2013 pilot:
• The full report and power point presentations are found here: http://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/FishingRegulations/Pages/MY-Archive.aspx
• Catch, harvest, angler information is from survey conducted of all mentors. 2,816 mentors responded (about 75% of all the mentors)
• Median angler count/per water:
o AM: 123
o PM: 79
• Median party size was 1:1 (youth: mentor), mean was 1.25:1
• Mentors reported that the youth caught and released 3,025 trout, and 1,327 trout were caught and kept.

Here’s something else from 2013. 79% of the mentors said they don’t fish on opening day, because of the crowds. Of those who fished opening day, 40% of them took their youth. Overwhelming reason for not taking youth on opening day: too crowded.

• Fast forward to now. Based on staff counts and reports:
o Fewer mentors are actively fishing during MYD. Increasing number don’t have tackle
o Number of multi-generation groups increasing, groups are getting larger
o Family groups are interacting

Youth participation is easy to measure; they either have mentored youth permits or voluntary licenses, both issued by the PFBC.
Numbers of youth anglers have been impressive and increasing:
2014: 4188 youth
2015: 28,015
2016: 25,549
2017: 33,219
There is still room to grow since we still frequently meet anglers who know nothing about the program's existence.
 
Would it be ironic or logical if her first fish is a catfish?

I need a ruling on my word selection. It would definitely be
facetious. I'm putting away my thesaurus now.
 
I have not seen any abuse on either day over the last two years. I took my son to the SEPA and the NEPA days and will go again this year. Mop flies and thingamabobbers, and no adults acting poorly, in my experience so far. Thanks for the data and the continued support of the program, Mike.
 
As someone who has two Young boys, I can’t say thanks enough to the PFBC... this is a great program for the kids! I honestly can’t understand how someone could complain about this.
 
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Just a general question, out of curiosity.

Has anyone here, in the general angling public, who has gone out on youth mentoring day NOT witnessed at least one person "abusing" the program at your local spot?
Click to expand...

It seems the question should be has anybody gone out and not witnessed an ill informed fool yell and scream at a law abiding father spending time fishing with his kids.
 
poopdeck wrote:
The_Sasquatch wrote:
Just a general question, out of curiosity.

Has anyone here, in the general angling public, who has gone out on youth mentoring day NOT witnessed at least one person "abusing" the program at your local spot?
Click to expand...

It seems the question should be has anybody gone out and not witnessed an ill informed fool yell and scream at a law abiding father spending time fishing with his kids.
Click to expand...

That is just another form of abusing the program.
 
I see this is tomorrow for my area. It's going to be about 40 degrees outside so the odds of my kids going are low but its a possibility. Where in the world can you buy the passes online. I can't find it anywhere. There's no option for it when I go to buy a new license after I sign in.
 
http://www.fishandboat.com/Fish/FishingLicense/Documents/MentoredYouthVLInstructions.pdf

 
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