NYS-Patterson- proposed a trout/salmon stamp this past year. The stamp would have cost $10 and require that all persons fishing for trout and salmon to possess a stamp in addition to the standard fishing license fee. Thats a one time charge. Basically a license hike for me. But would PA tax all items connected to trout fishing? Worms, hooks, sinkers?!
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/ind...dget_stan.html
I would be all for a trout stamp in NY...IF...and it's a big if....it was used to improve the hatcheries, the overall improvement of the trout stocked, better steelhead and salmon returns to the Great Lakes tribs....but, just like with the snowmobile registrations monies that were to be used only for the betterment of the trails and set up into a special fund, it would probably be dipped into and used to buy more welfare cell phones....or give them a $200 dollar bonus to buy their kids school clothes.
Since we have implemented the Trout Stamp in PA, we have consistently reduced the numbers of trout stocked. We used to stock millions. Each year, the reduction of fish stocked is going down down down. Same old chit, they are stocking bigger fish, higher quality fish. Sounds like the deer story BS. If we give you just a few really big ones, that is better for everybody... yada yada yada. Little fish grow up to be big fish. Just throw gobs of them in there. If we don't want to keep the little ones, we can decide that. Putting 400 fish in a reservoir, twice per year, that sees 400 anglers per week is hardly fair. Of course that money is supposed to go to support the hatcheries. They operated for years without the addtional funds and gave us millions of fish. Now they have money for their operations and we get jack.
zenrider
When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger, I know, nobody could do me no harm because, Happiness is a Warm Gun mama.
sorry Zen but they commission did extensive surveys , thousands and thousands of surveys and fewer and bigger trout were what the majority wanted, so to be upset because they did what was asked of them I don't quite understand. As far as not enough trout in the streams around here , the fishing pressure is way down from what I see (especially since I was a kid) and from what I hear from guys that are hardcore trout guys , seems to me there are plenty of trout in the streams in our neck of the woods and bigger ones too! And with the increasing popularity of catch and release it's only better. To me these are the days to be trout fishing. Not sure I understand all this tax stuff on trout, I thought the stamp was the "tax" on trout already.
bass or walleye? no question BASS!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree that was what was surveyed John. And then they reduced the amount and gave bigger fish. But then they just kept reducing and reducing and reducing. If you stocked 3000 fish in a lake and then said we will reduce that to 2000 bigger fish, OK. But then next year 1500 fish and next year 700 fish and next year 300 fish. It isn't even worth gassing up the truck to haul that many. And I thought the trout stamp was the tax also. Still doesn't make sense to tax just a trout stamp. That is only a small portion of the license fee. If they tax us it will be 100% of the license and all stamps.
Catch and release is getting more popular, that is good. But not popular enough. When you pay for a trout stamp to support the stocking, it becomes a put and take deal. And rightly so, most folks figure they paid for them just as if they went to the store. So you won't find C/R very popular with the trout fishing gang. Most think it is owed to them. Folks practically stone you when you fish such places as Marilla or Hamlin Lake and they see you throw a trout back. You would think it was illegal to catch and release. The crowd will practically mob you when they see you throwing fish back.
zenrider
When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger, I know, nobody could do me no harm because, Happiness is a Warm Gun mama.
I release more than i keep any more! I keep my panfish for eating and put my trout, bass, and walleye back to grow. I keep a few here and there but i always release when i can. I feel Bigger is not better and constant action is more fun to me any way. That why so many people like panfishing! If they put a tax on trout i better see more stocked!
The Browns will win the Superbowl in 2011!
Won't see me eating the mutant trout that are stocked these days. Catch and release here.
I asked a fish commissoner about this tax and he said that he never heard of it. It is BS.
Zen where are you seeing this big reduction in stocking numbers, the creeks around Kane still get the same numbers they have recieved for years.
bass or walleye? no question BASS!!!!!!!!!!!!
You kind of have to keep track over the years. But Hamlin, Chapman, Marilla and there attendant streams have seen reductions steadily. This is a trend statewide. They are supplying less and less each year. Westline Ck is another example. West Branch and East Branch of Tuna also.
zenrider
When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger, I know, nobody could do me no harm because, Happiness is a Warm Gun mama.
defanatly alot less fish dumped in around here than years ago. some spots still get triple the numbers they need and it needs to be leveled out. in some spots in other areas of the state its snagafish central and you cant bring a lure across a hole without accitdentaly snaging a fish and alot of people think this is how fishing should be and I think its bullcrap.
seriously what is the challenge of fishing when it is heavily stocked before season and there is in season stocking and you catch a wrotten stockie that takes your bait because its too ill to catch live prey on every other cast.
Last edited by cwilliams; 03-10-2010 at 09:24 AM.
Two or three yrs ago, they announced there would be a reduction in numbers, and an increase in size (by .5 inch) supposedly asked for by sportsmen. I nor anyone I know was asked. Then last year, they announced that due to the bad state of affairs at all the hatcheries, (run down conditions, pollutions, ect), they were reducing the numbers again. Here in our local streams, there were a couple that were DRASTICALLY reduced, while some it did'nt seem to be noticed. As for the size claim- jury's still out there, there were alot of SMALL/sublegal fish last season!!! They also have been releasing quite a few brood stock- over 15 inches, to thin them down in their hatcheries. Saw & caught several over 24".
BOAT SAFELY- IS YOUR DRAIN PLUG IN???
The fish commission is still way underfunded whether people like it or not. I believe there have only been 4 license increases since the early 90's.
Some of the hatcheries are falling apart and the closing of the Big Spring hatchery a little while back is making it tough to raise the amount of fish we are used to seeing. The hatcheries can only produce a certain amount of biomass per year, meaning that we can not continue the "bigger fish" and expect to raise more fish with our current resources and facilities. Money needs to first be spent repairing/expanding the hatcheries if we ever want to raise more fish.
This a little lengthy, but it is a good read to help understand PA's hatcheries http://fishandboat.com/pafish/trout/..._study2009.pdf
Personally, I would rather see money go into restoring some of the existing silt laden, mine drainage sewers that are currently stocked. Perhaps PA should start moving to create a larger portion of semi-self sustaining streams. Different creel limits and some habitat restoration on a number of streams could certainly push them into that category.
The streams thing sounds good Essox, but it is a pipe dream. Drilling is going to increase multifold state wide. There will be discharge, there will be accidents and spills, there will be illegal dumping and rehiding that frac water below ground. It will get in the streams and they will not produce. Put and take is what we will be left with. Seems if they charged us a trout stamp, they should have spent that money on the hatcheries. That was what it was for. They also need to stop this crap where one guy has a license but can take a troop of kids and get limits for everyone. I don't care how many kids you take, when the guys with the licenses gather all the kids' fish, it should equal the creel limit of licensed fishermen in the group. So if you are one man with three kids, when the kids fill your limit, you go home.
zenrider
When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger, I know, nobody could do me no harm because, Happiness is a Warm Gun mama.
yeah that is crap when a guy takes all five or so of his kids with him so he can take 20+ fish....
this is why they should make a junior fishing licence and make it like 15$ or something like that.
Come on Zen why do you have to bring me back down to reality? I know my idea will never happen, but I will still keep that dream in the back of my head.
I do agree with a license for juniors, even if it were just a few bucks. I know at that age I would have been proud as hell to show off a license. Its a win-win IMO, PFBC gets a few more bucks and the kids get a sense of responsibility. What kind of parent would say no to paying a couple extra bucks for their kids to fish?
how about stronger regulations on fish length. such as a 14inch minimum on browns and rainbows and a 10inch on brookies. the 7inch is kinda stupid minimum is kinda stupid....
also more area that is artifical lures only.
My kids are grown now, but I would have gladly bought them a licence back then. When my grandkids get big enough and God willing I can still get out, I'll gladly buy them a licence too. A nominal fee, say $5 or $10 would'nt be out of line, it would generate a bit more revenue for PAFBC- IF it is put towards trout programs. We all know the condition(s) of the hatcheries and they need help, and I don't mind "helping", but the monies generated by increases and new licences HAVE to be put back into the hatcheries themselves, NOT "borrowed" from for General Fund issues. I don't keep trout, just love to fish for them, so a size/creel limit change don't bother any, but I do agree with creating more artificial lure/delayed harvest areas. That would help keep the numbers in the streams longer while allowing the numbers stocked to be lessened.
BOAT SAFELY- IS YOUR DRAIN PLUG IN???
I don't get it? How would they tax this? Add more to a license fee? Are they trying to keep up with NYS?
They just need to tax the **** outta of the Gas drillers... aren't they getting a free ride with being able to drill in our state forests and wreck our streams? Why does Pee-Aye need to go after more fishing monies? Us anglers are the ones who kinda police our streams and watch out for polluters and litterers. It's not like we have a massive WCO force out there. We only have about 2 WCO's for each county.
www.jjsjigs.com we are the language of bass.
I am uncertain if I support a junior license. That might make many leave the kids home and I don't support that. Would rather see them skipping stones lakeside. But if you want to take the whole scout troop, fine, but when the licensed adults are limited out by counting all the groups fish, you are done. Otherwise, I would probably support the kids having a junior license equal to a trout stamp fee or just a trout stamp.
zenrider
When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger, I know, nobody could do me no harm because, Happiness is a Warm Gun mama.
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