TROUT TAX IN PENNSYLVANIA!!!

[Lucky Strike]

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

[hunterdeneugene]

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.

[zenrider]

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.

[John Lorenzo]

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.

[zenrider]

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.

[J-k]

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!

[Summers]

Won't see me eating the mutant trout that are stocked these days. Catch and release here.

[Chuck Sabatose]

I asked a fish commissoner about this tax and he said that he never heard of it. It is BS.

[John Lorenzo]

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.

[zenrider]

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.