Mentored youth days 2015 participation high

[Mike]

I read today that 25,000 youth participated in the 2015 mentored youth days based on the free permits and voluntary youth licenses obtained.

 

[Zak]

Ya, and about 75,000 adults with how the rules were written haha.

 

[DanL]

I have no problem with the 75,000 adults if at least 5,000 of the kids end up being life-long anglers. The fish were going to be caught anyways...

 

[Makee]

i am in the same boat as DanL, i have no problem with the amount of adults out with the kids as long as some of them will continue to fish and pass their knowledge and information on to someone else if/when they have the chance.

 

[Tony300wby]

I think its great that the PFBC offers such a program.

As far as the 75,000 adults? Its to bad that there are some people who will try their hardest to take advantage of such a great program. Its also to bad that some people will make inaccurate claims about the program just to tarnish it.

Good luck, Tony

 

[Fishidiot]

I'd say the MYD was a success and worth continuing.

Like many new programs, it has some issues to work out...but an overall success.

 

[SBecker]

It is a great program that allowed my boys to fish without feeling the pressure of 200 adults around them. Hope next year it is warmer! Lol

 

[bigjohn58]

Take them to places like the kids area at Crossforks and Ole Bull on Kettle Creek. Maybe section off a few more areas just for kids on certain streams. I'm not a big fan of any of these mentor youth outdoor programs. They are too abused by the adults and honestly feel that its going to turn these kids into nothing but meat hunters who just feel the need to kill kill kill.

 

[RyanR]

I donthink they're great and find that most of the complaint and allegations of abuse is much more fiction & hearsay than actual fact. I didn't see much abuse, what I saw was mentors and mentees and families enjoying a day on the water together without adult after adult lining the banks and/or crowding them out. BTW, how is taking kids to kids only areas in certain places that different from taking them out on the MY day? Aren't they learning much the same thing you're worried they'll learn on the MY day?

 

[bigjohn58]

There is often much more oversee of whats going on in these 12 and under fishing areas. I know for a fact these mentor days are way abused in central/north central PA and just benefit the parents of head hunters and fill the freezer types. Not teaching the youth the respect for nature and preserving the future thats for sure!

 

[RyanR]

Sure, there's always abuse with anything, see it on opening day too, but I think it's minimal and not a reason to curtail the program. The fact is most people follow the rules and police themselves well and I think the WCOs and their deputies seem to do a pretty good job maintaining a presence and policing these areas on MY day. Besides, the mentor and mentee can each only keep 2 trout as opposed to the 5 during the regular season. The freezer filling is more likely on opening day.

 

[bigjohn58]

RyanR wrote:
Sure, there's always abuse with anything, see it on opening day too, but I think it's minimal and not a reason to curtail the program. The fact is most people follow the rules and police themselves well and I think the WCOs and their deputies seem to do a pretty good job maintaining a presence and policing these areas on MY day. Besides, the mentor and mentee can each only keep 2 trout as opposed to the 5 during the regular season. The freezer filling is more likely on opening day.

I feel this is totally incorrect. The majority do not know the rules correctly to begin with. Also the WCOs and deputies are almost non existent in my area.

 

[BrookieChaser]

People will abuse anything. Especially the keep every fish type, the deer poachers, the debreast the turkey throw it in a bag and shoot more, etc. They are usually one and the same. Their self-worth is somehow tied to how many critters they kill. Me man me kill animal... stupid animal me smart.