Pennsylvania Outdoor News

[Slate_Drake_9]

Anyone read the latest article by Bob Steiner about stocking fish in posted waters?

What a misinformed joke this article is.

Folks and their feelings of entitlement always make me chuckle.

[jeffnles1]

How about a link or a synopsis of the article for those of us who are unenlightened about the details of this article?

Thanks,
Jeff

[Slate_Drake_9]

No link, but synopsis:

He lives in Pittsburgh, PA. He and his wife went on a trip to the Poconos, PA (across state) for vacation. He got there and couldn't find any fish in the streams and stated that all of the streams listed in the PA summary book as stocked were posted "No Trespassing." Claims that he called the PA Fish and Boat Commission and they told him "Well, the locals know where the fish are stocked." This upset him, because he bought a license and therefore should know where all of the fish are stocked. He's basically upset that the "locals in the know" (his words) have an unfare advantage over "outsiders" (my word) that are not there helping to stock. He further goes in this direction with the belief that these locals are getting a bigger share of the stocked trout because the locals are helping the state stock them. He infers that the state regularly stocks waters with publicly paid for trout that are not open to the public to fish for.

A quote from the article:

"The trout-fishing public, whether they live in Oleopolis, Shunk, Bushkill, Pittsburgh or Philly, have a right to know where the trout they are paying for are going. If the Pennslyvania Fish and Boat Commission wants to guarantee a high rate of acceptance for their trout stocking procedures, the license-buying public must have a standard way of locating the fish."

My issue with this article are that this is not accurate in Pennslyvania. If a stream is posted against public access to fish, it is not stocked. My other conern is that he claims to be an ex PA Waterways Conservation Officer, so he should definately know that this is not the case.

To me it sounds like he was upset that he couldn't find fish easily and needed someone to blame.

[Heritage Angler]

Slate - I believe you nailed it. The PFBC website has the stocking schedules posted, the sections are listed, and even what kind and how many trout are stocked. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look on a map and find exactly where those fish were put in and even the day it happened! Perhaps he's not taking into consideration that those streams may have seen some flooding that spread the fish out since they were stocked, who knows. Guess the old theory that anything worth having is worth working for doesn't apply here........

[alra195]

My guess is he most unhappy about not being able to follow the stocking truck to the creek and standing there while they throw buckets of fish in around him so he could have something to catch.

I'm five hours from fishing my home waters in Southwest PA. Never had any trouble finding fish to catch when I wanted to go out? Wasn't always easy but holy cow, if catching fish was that important he should have gone to a pay lake and taken some power bait along. What's next? Requiring the Fish Commission to put GPS implants in each fish and issuing homing devises when you buy your trout stamp?

It's called "fishing" instead of "catching" for a reason.

[Fish556996]

I was out helping the WCO stock last Wednesday at a stream in SE PA and there was a section that had no access due to landowner and that part of the stream got no fish. They don't stock if there is no public access.

Mark

[Bamboozle]

Wadda ya expect; he's from the Burgh!!

That ain't even PA in my book; it's Ohio!

Them Steelers fans need to learn how to read the stocking schedule and learn what SECTIONS are all about!

[gutbomb]

Don't you EVEN TRY TO PUSH PITTSBURGH INTO OHIO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rizeye]

i'd rather be part of ohio than new jersey. if the deleware river flooded and carved a new chanel around phily and subs , it would be the best thing that happened in PA since the signing of decleration of independence

[Wednesday Caster]

Ahhh, chipped ham. Now that's lunch meat- my mouth is watering just thinking about a roll and mayo (and a Rolling Rock) with it. Man, I miss my old Latrobe! Good ol' days.
I remember going out to Loyalhanna Creek and watching them dump truck loads by the dam- and seeing at least 1 fisherman for every fish that was put in the creek LOL.