Unusual stocking schedule & changes

[Mike]

I noticed a few unusual items on the SE Pa stocking schedule. There are some lake stockings on Sundays. Also, it appears that a few inseason stockings have been shifted to the preseason period. These scheduling anomalies were uncommon though. I saw them in Lehigh, Berks, Bucks, and Montgomery Co and they primarily affected lakes although a couple of streams (Antietam Ck, Berks; E Br Perkiomen, Bucks) were involved. May be worth rechecking the stocking schedule if you have not looked at it for a while.

 

[drossi]

Coronavirus related???

 

[Mike]

Had more time and curiosity this morning so I checked about half of the counties in the state and found changes of the type mentioned above across the state. Mostly lakes, but a few streams. Looks like the PFBC is trying to clear the fish from the hatcheries ASAP.

Lakes are pretty simple in that regard. They can just “dump and run,” which makes for a quick(er) day on the road. In many lakes the fish can be hosed directly from the truck to the water if the truck can get close enough to the water....No need for a bucket brigade. And when air temps are cooler in late winter than in spring, each truck can haul more fish per load, so transport is more efficient.

 

[steliejim]

Just checked the list for a few local lakes in my area.
They are stocking the whole years allotment before the kids opener in one, then combining the first two stockings into one on another.

The coronavirus is going to hit us in ways we thought were unimaginable. However, a few fish will never be more important than our safety.

 

[CRB]

Got to get the fish out of the hatcheries before the hatchery workers become sick and are quarantined.
These are different times.

 

[mattwolf]

I heard the F&B Commission will be stocking all streams in the next 2 weeks. They need to get the fish in the streams/rivers/lakes so the hospitals can have access to the oxygen that the hatchery's use to oxygenate their waters.

 

[Mike]

Here’s a lot of new info.

https://www.media.pa.gov/Pages/fish-and-Boat-Commission-Details.aspx?newsid=312

 

[Bamboozle]

WOW!!

They need to get the news out there about the single Opening Day via the media or there will be problems nobody needs on April 4th.

 

[Dave_W]

There's a thread in Events/Meet Ups covering the new opening day dates.

 

[redietz]

CRB wrote:
Got to get the fish out of the hatcheries before the hatchery workers become sick and are quarantined.
These are different times.

Maryland has suspended stocking for the time being for that reason.

 

[Clams]

People need to get outdoors. Instead of moving everyone back to 4/18, they should've moved everyone up to 4/4.

 

[Mike]

Could not have gotten all of the waters stocked statewide by 4/4. It takes six weeks with full hatchery staffs to do all of the waters in Pa. and it is possible that they are under-staffed. They are elsewhere.

 

[larkmark]

So they are not allowing volunteers to stock fish so they will then dump them all in at bridges etc. which will then concentrate the anglers at those points rather than spreading them out. And then they make just one opener which will also likely create more people concentrated at those spots. Makes no sense if you ask me. Just my take of course.

 

[Dave_W]

larkmark wrote:
So they are not allowing volunteers to stock fish so they will then dump them all in at bridges etc. which will then concentrate the anglers at those points rather than spreading them out. And then they make just one opener which will also likely create more people concentrated at those spots. Makes no sense if you ask me. Just my take of course.

I see your point.

However, I think the good folks at PFBC are just trying to do their best for the state's anglers in these trying conditions and facing a likely requirement that they too work from home. They can pump and dump trout in lakes, as Mike said.

 

[larkmark]

One more thing. My sons and I float stock every year. Fish warden contacted us with stocking dates and we arranged to take off work. We have our own float boxes etc. At last minute they changed date for who knows what reason and then it was too late for us to get off. So they dumped them. If any business ran things like that they would be history.

 

[lycoflyfisher]

If anything moving to one opening day instead of two should spread anglers out. For years growing up I was part of a group of ~10 that traveled down to the southeast for the regional opener. I still know many anglers that participated in both openers.

 

[wbranch]

Am I correct in understanding the PFBC info that there is no early season opener for the 18 SE PA counties?

I wonder how many people who sometimes only fish a week or two all season long are going to see this information? I'd bet that there are going to be lots of guys and their kids at Muddy Creek Forks on April 04.

 

[Bamboozle]

Jeez...

The entire world is in disarray, business are shuttered, lives are disrupted, people have no income...

...and fishermen are dumping on the PFBC because WHILE TO MAINTAIN some sense of normalcy, they cancelled the early Opener and may just dump fish where it is convenient...?

Unreal...

 

[Swattie87]

larkmark wrote:
If any business ran things like that they would be history.

A lot of businesses certainly do stand to be history in 6 or 8 weeks, nonetheless if this deal goes longer. Some indications it may be until Fall until the virus runs its cycle. Even the president acknowledged that yesterday.

PFBC trying to do the best they can with the crappy hand they (and everyone else) was dealt with this. They gotta get the fish out of the hatcheries. Fish are at their maximum size for stocking now, and you can’t keep that many adult fish alive in the hatcheries for an extended period of time. (Who knows about the oxygen theory mentioned earlier too.) IMO they’re trying to find the best balance of keeping their employees and the public safe, while still getting the fish out of the hatcheries. They put out a clear and transparent communication about what’s going on, and what to expect next. Take a look around, or even worse, turn on the news...If you think anything is operating under any semblance of normalcy right now, it’s time to smell the coffee.

With all the fear about this, my prediction is actually the opposite. Less people will be out fishing for opening day. Let’s also not forget that even most stocked fish come equipped with fins and can swim. One bridge hole isn’t going to hold or support an entire truckload of them...they’ll move. I also didn’t see anything in the article indicating the plan was to dump them all in one location for stream stockings. Do I think they’ll be less spread out than with volunteers, sure. But I think the PFBC will still try to move them around to the relatively easier places for them to get to along a stream, and count that they’ll move on their own from there. (The research suggests stocked fish typically move downstream if they do move, so I’d recommend erring on stocking more fish upstream in STW sections than downstream.)

 

[STONEMAN]

I’m surprised the PFBC doesn’t just open all waters immediately and stock whenever. We can slowly buy our worms and sinkers as the shops reopen rather than crowd into the bait shops all at once in a month. I don’t understand their reasoning in combining the openings at the later date. Is it to protect the tackle/bait shops? The PFBC employees? The stocked fish?