PFBC Meeting

dkile wrote:

I encourage us to keep the dialog going here in the forum, but also take action by letting the PFBC and PA State Representatives hear that we do not want these rule changes on the DHALO streams.

What do you think are the best ways to voice our opinions? Specific contacts, etc.

I pretty much have all of my comments typed up and am just waiting for the commenting period to begin, but after reading the stats about the number of people for and against the Class A stockings, I don't think that online PFBC commenting form alone will do much.....
 
streamerguy,

A printed and signed letter to:

PFBC Executive Director John Arway
Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission
P.O. Box 67000
Harrisburg, PA 17106-7000

And do a second printing and share your views with your Pennsylvania State Representative.

They can be found at the Pennsylvania House of Representatives website. In the left hand gutter under Find My Representative.

Thank you,

Dave
 
Thank you. I will definitely write a letter to the executive director, as well as the representative for the area of the DHALO(s) I fish the most since I'm out of state.
 
Just sent a message with my feelings and concerns. Also linked the article and told him that it would be really nest if some of the reps on the committee could respond to the community on this website.

 
Neat. My bad on the typo
 
I wrote to my local rep and very nicely "opened a #10 can"

come on guys, if I can get off my duff and do it, so can you.
 
I'll be sending in a letter this week. And so will my girlfriend. And whom ever else I can convince to do so. You guys should try to do the same.

Years ago, when what is now the lower Fish Commission property on Spring Creek became available for purchase, many people sent their sentiments for the acquisition. My dentist, an avid outdoorsman, printed me a stack of letters, I sprung for the envelopes and postage, and a bunch of people I worked with were happy to sign a letter supporting the purchase.

Don't miss an opportunity to voice your opinion on an important issue.
 
Thanks for taking action on this and I ask that you encourage other angers to do the same..

Like many state agencies, I understand the PFBC is trying to do more with less. Also the Commission is trying to respond to a wide range of audiences.

This proposed rule making increases angling opportunity for one audience and removes opportunities for another.

Earlier harvest, increasing the mortality rates and crowding the stream is a pretty clear message. Not a a good direction to take.

The audience that appreciates what DHALO streams have to offer are not your typical anglers. I think they are asking for conditions based on how they enjoy the sport. They have a unique appreciation and interest for angling opportunities that an extended season for very strong justifiable reasons.

Eleven years ago the Commissioners voted against these kinds of suggested changes, it is terribly disappointing to see them now be the ones suggesting the change. I would expect the PFBC to be the ones supporting this audience of anglers. The proposed rule changes are quite the contrary.

Opportunity can be added for certain audiences, but doesn’t need to come at the expense of others.
 
Bump


dkile wrote:
Thanks for taking action on this and I ask that you encourage other angers to do the same..

Like many state agencies, I understand the PFBC is trying to do more with less. Also the Commission is trying to respond to a wide range of audiences.

This proposed rule making increases angling opportunity for one audience and removes opportunities for another.

Earlier harvest, increasing the mortality rates and crowding the stream is a pretty clear message. Not a a good direction to take.

The audience that appreciates what DHALO streams have to offer are not your typical anglers. I think they are asking for conditions based on how they enjoy the sport. They have a unique appreciation and interest for angling opportunities that an extended season for very strong justifiable reasons.

Eleven years ago the Commissioners voted against these kinds of suggested changes, it is terribly disappointing to see them now be the ones suggesting the change. I would expect the PFBC to be the ones supporting this audience of anglers. The proposed rule changes are quite the contrary.

Opportunity can be added for certain audiences, but doesn’t need to come at the expense of others.
 
I had sent messages to the pfbc director on twitter. I am not getting a good feeling about this. I first recieved a link showing the expanded opportunities to fish and keep fish. then the article fro. The trib statingait fishing didn't kill as many fish as we think. I replies saying that wasn't my worry. It was the fact that the fish would be kept by these anglers which results in 100 percent death. It seems they don't understand or care that the streams I fish regularly, meadow run and laurel hill, hold over most of these fish and provide an opportunity to fish year round while most stocked streams are fished out. I have few opportunities in my area at times of year between stocking other Than some small brookie or the delayed harvest. Dunbar is catch and release, but has its share of well documented issues.
 
Sorry for the type os, I'm irritated and typing fast
 
Yep. The mortality rate of fish on a stringer is much higher than fish caught with bait.

I'm not too concerned about the use of bait, especially with the kids. The biggest problem is moving up the harvest date AND allowing EVERYONE to use bait. It'll without a doubt increase the fishing pressure and fish mortality(from harvest, swallowing bait, poor fish handling from catch & keep oriented anglers, etc...).

Some of the best fishing on my local DHALOs occurs in late May and early June......especially for topwater action. That may be a thing of the past with this new proposal
 
acristickid,
Thanks for presenting more up to date scientific info on catch and release fishing over stocked trout while using bait. Mortality rates have been reported in at least one recent peer reviewed scientific study as being lower than in many of the older studies because in a recent study anglers fished with tight lines, attempting to set the hook as soon as the bite was felt. The caution stated at the end of the article is valid concerning anticipated higher mortality rates in warmer water temps, but in warmer water temps delayed mortalities from fly and lure caught fish would also increase.
 
Streamer guy,
I don't see that the harvest that concerns you will in reality diminish the quality of your late May-early June surface fishing. I fish non-DH stocked trout streams in urban and suburban areas with great frequency. Those streams see harvest all spring long, yet when late May and June roll around the dry fly fishing is quite good. By late May and June the fish are well educated and suddenly appear from nowhere when the hatches occur. Additionally, pressure greatly diminishes by May 10 in many if not most stocked trout streams. It may pick up a for couple of days following a stocking, but it dies back pretty rapidly. I don't find it difficult to locate fish and I am not impressed that one must have artificially maintained high numbers of stocked trout in order to have good fishing, especially toward the end of May and in June.

I will add that there there are two fairly famous limestone special reg areas within 5-7 miles of my home and I pass within a mile or two of another on the way to the office. I have Electrofished each of those special reg areas, so I have a good idea of what the populations are like. I am not even tempted to fish those waters since the fishing on stocked trout streams even closer to my home is so good throughout the spring and in some years into early July as dictated by water temps.
 
yes mike keeping fish = 1oo% mortality you can't doge that fact. More fisherman keeping fish = less fish in the stream section over the same time period. Longer time period(season)=more mortality.
100% mortality over a fish caught 1 time vs a fish caught more than once and released what is a better utilization of the stocked fish(give fisherman more opportunity to catch fish).
Perhaps the bait dunkers need to have a count on how many fisherman fish the DHAO sections and fish commission stocks 5 fish per fisherman based on that figure. Bait dunks are more opt to poach, creel over the limits and litter. Time to do a study on those issues.
Perhaps, Catch and release regulations state wide on all streams would provide more opportunities for all fisherman to catch more fish, perhaps even bigger fish and would result in few fish needing to be stocked. Ever a study on this?
 
"I am not even tempted to fish those waters since the fishing on stocked trout streams even closer to my home is so good throughout the spring and in some years into early July as dictated by water temps."
What about the other fisherman who have to travel to waters that a cool enough to support trout during those times? Why change what seams to work now?
 
streamerguy wrote:

Some of the best fishing on my local DHALOs occurs in late May and early June......especially for topwater action. That may be a thing of the past with this new proposal

Exactly! Some of the talk behind this proposal makes it sound like all DHALO are terrible trout streams and if we don't harvest the fish ASAP, they will die and the fishing will suck anyway.

It so far removed from the reality of what is happening on a lot of DHALO areas at that time of year. I can say from personal experience that the Neshannock DHALO are fishes well in May, and June, and ususally the first week or two of July. Additionally, I've had years were I was having 20-30 fish days in July and August.

Where else am I going to have that opportunity this far west in the state? The new regs certainly don't encourage it.

Yeah there's probably many DHALO areas that don't hold up well late into the season, but... ...I don't care.

Kev
 
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