Redistributing stocked trout???

[MathFish]

I wasn't really sure which forum was best to post this question, but here it is...

When the nearest C&R FFO stream to me is stocked, it seems that the majority of the trout are placed into two major holes in the creek. It is an impressive sight to see 75 to 100 trout holding in one location, but it seems less than ideal to have so many trout in basically 2 locations. These holes can handle only a couple of anglers at a time - if you happen to be one of the first to get to these spots you may be in luck, but if you're not, then maybe not...

Another problem with so many trout being in two locations, is that with the amount of pressure that these fish get, I have found that as these fish have been in the stream for a few months they can quickly get lockjaw after a dozen casts or so over them... While the frustration of casting over tight-lipped trout has facilitated me in finding new approaches and tactics and ultimately, has helped me to become more flexible and innovative, I find that knowing what to expect at these spots is getting to be a little bit boring.

Finally I will get to my question. Does anyone know if it is permissible to relocate trout caught in a C&R FFO stream to different spots within the same stream? What I would like to know is, if I brought a bucket with me to the stream, could I put the trout that I catch temporarily into the bucket and re-stock them along other spots in the stream to redistribute the trout? While there are some trout along other spots in the stream, there seems to be many more locations that are void of trout that seemingly would be ideal lies. It is my hope that it is allowable to do this so that there are more opportunities to catch trout ALL along the stream - but the last thing I would want is to get in trouble doing this... I suppose it might be best to contact the local conservation officer, but I figured I would run this past the forum.

Also, I am aware that I could be upsetting some people who volunteer to help with stocking when the trucks bring the fish. I do appreciate that people help out with this, and I have helped float stock and bucket stock some streams myself, but I have never been free to be able to do so on this particular stream.

 

[Biggie]

Since it is a C&R stream, I would guess it would be illegal to do what you suggested. However, I would talk to the local conservation officer and see what he has to say about it. You might get some flak from fellow fisherman if they show up and see you have fish detained is some way. Then again if I showed up and you explained what you were doing, I'd help you.

 

[MathFish]

Thanks, it's nice to know that someone out there would help. I think that relocating them would be a fun endeavor to do, but I was suspecting that it would be illegal. Now that I think about it, I think I have seen that the regulations say that the trout are to be immediately returned to the stream once caught in a C&R stream...

 

[Swattie87]

Yeah, I think the C&R regs would likely prevent that from being ok in your example.

On a standard non special regs stream as long as all fish possessed were of legal size, you didn't posses more than the legal limit of them, and you reintroduced them within the same stocked stream section boundaries, I don't think it would be illegal per se. May be some other reg about unapproved "stocking" I'm not familiar with I suppose, but I don't see how this could be considered stocking when the fish were already in that stocked stream section to start with. If you were to move them to a different stream or a section of the same stream with different regs, that would be different I'd think.

I know a place where this sort of thing happens regularly. A landowner catches stocked fish in a downstream ATW section and moves them up into a couple holes on his land in a non-stocked stretch. In the non-stocked stretch you go from catching small wild Browns and Brookies to larger stocker Browns and Bows for a few holes, then back to small wild fish once you get clear of those few holes. I suspect a few others know the Berks County stream and section I'm talking about. The last time I was there and caught a stocker in that stretch I let it go...next time it'll be one of the few each year I bonk and take home to the grill.

 

[SteveG]

While I'm no fan of stocking, my suggestion would be to contact whomever is doing so (state or local club) and volunteer to help by float stocking. As I understand it with some state stockings, fish get dumped in one easy to access location because no volunteers show up to help with stocking.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

As stated above in a C+R stream it wouldn't be legal. That said I have redistributed silly nos. of trout in open water. A bucket is fine but once you move more than five you are technically in violation. One legal way to do it is this. When I find myself in an obvious pool that is loaded with stocked fish I hook the fish and lead them, or let them get into the fast water that is below where they just happen to escape or I release them. Naturally you have to be the last guy in the pool and if there are other fisherman nearby they will usually take your spot after you do this a few times. Still, once you get them out of the main hole they have a better chance of survival.

 

[BrookieChaser]

"Leading the trout to a place it will have a better chance at survival".

Interesting.

 

[PennKev]

Swattie87 wrote:
I know a place where this sort of thing happens regularly. A landowner catches stocked fish in a downstream ATW section and moves them up into a couple holes on his land in a non-stocked stretch.... ...... The last time I was there and caught a stocker in that stretch I let it go...next time it'll be one of the few each year I bonk and take home to the grill.

Yeah, screwing with the landowner's pet trout is gonna go well.

 

[steveo27]

Probably illegal, but as everyone else said, contact the PFBC or other appropriate authority.

Does this SWPA C&R FFO stream happen to be Dunbar? If so, I find that place rather silly. The fish are concentrated in a few super easy to fish holes along the gamelands road. The place is always crawling with people who only fish the that stretch. However, if you are willing to walk up past the last parking area, there is a good number of fish to be had in some unlikely spots.

Cheers

 

[PennKev]

BrookieChaser wrote:
"Leading the trout to a place it will have a better chance at survival".

Interesting.

Play and land trout quickly.


Unless you are trying to relocate them. LOL.

 

[PennKev]

SteveG wrote:
While I'm no fan of stocking, my suggestion would be to contact whomever is doing so (state or local club) and volunteer to help by float stocking. As I understand it with some state stockings, fish get dumped in one easy to access location because no volunteers show up to help with stocking.

Contact local TU chapters, sportsmans clubs, and high schools. All these groups participate in trout stocking in other areas and between them you might just get enough man power to make some head way. Really, a half dozen committed volunteers and some float stocking barrels are all you need to make a dramatic difference in distributing trout.

Float stocking, or at least a plan to better distribute stocked trout, is the way to go IMO.

 

[Swattie87]

PennKev wrote:
Yeah, screwing with the landowner's pet trout is gonna go well.

This guy owns about 50 yards in a stretch of several miles otherwise on public land. If his 50 yards was lost to posting it would not be a big deal.

 

[troutbert]

Don't the fish get more distributed after the first good rain brings the water up?

 

[salvelinusfontinalis]

troutbert,
You would think but per pfbc data, rainbows stay close to stocking points

 

[sandfly]

trout will move on their own

 

[pcray1231]

Don't the fish get more distributed after the first good rain brings the water up?

More often than not, but every stream is different. Some streams, like tailwaters, don't get truly high water events very often. And if they do move, most often they go down, when often there's a lot of good water up, and it's ashame there's no fish up there.

I too hate the "fish in a bucket" syndrome. A large part of it is "laziness" of the stocking personnel. I put that in quotes because I don't envy their job, they often have too much to do in too little time. It's probably not "laziness" per se, but rather being rushed and looking to save time. It's common to have them stocking a few mile stretch of stream, with maybe a few dozen potential stocking points, but they'll skip a number and try to get away with stopping as few times as possible.

Once they stop, then there's the question of how far buckets can be carried from the truck. Often volunteers want to walk a bucket or two a few hundred yards up or down, but are told NO, there's no time. Other times, there just aren't enough volunteers.

As for legality. Putting fish in a bucket is akin to harvest. So if it's C&R then no, you can't do this, because as soon as you put a fish in a bucket it is in your possession. You may be able to go through more official channels, such as going through TU or some other group, or just privately dealing with the PFBC to get permission yourself.

If harvest is allowed, there's no issue with putting live fish in a bucket, up to the harvest limit. And if you plan to restock them in an area of the same stream that's still within the same ATW boundaries, I can't see how there'd be an issue here. You obviously can't take them to a different stream or a different ATW section.

 

[troutbert]

Float stocking and other types of wide distribution are good things in streams with no wild trout.

But in streams where hatchery trout are being stocked over wild trout, float stocking is not a good thing for the wild trout population. The fewer the stocking points, the less the damage to the wild trout.

I'm not saying that in an ironic way. It's true. You can see it out on the streams.

Where stocking is going to be continued over wild trout, the less trout stocked the better, and the fewer places stocked, the better, regarding the wild trout population.

 

[JackM]

The PFBC stocks at places where the fish will fit and based upon personnel or volunteers available and of course time, as you can't expect them to stop every 30 yards to allow one bucket of fish to be planted.

 

[JackM]

The example of Dunbar Creek can be instructive. I don't think stocking occurs only in the jackdam holes, but there is a concentration and this may be the result of stocked trout crowded out of inhospitable areas or just areas incapable of proving shelter and food beyond a couple of fish. These jackdam holes are full of stockers because they provide shelter. oxygen and food. And, for much of the year they represent the upsteam limit of migration of downstream fish.

 

[McSneek]

If those two holes aren't that deep after you're done fishing them and if no one else is around just walk through them and try to scatter the trout.

Also, if you hook one maybe it might put up a heck of a fight and "run" downstream before you can land it in which case you could release it there rather than back in the hole where you hooked it.