Can't Chase The Smallies Cause I Don't Have A Trout Permit...?

[flyeaglesfly5186]

Yesterday I encountered a bit of heartache and hassle. Here in Pa of course we have trout permits. We also have special delayed harvest streams that regulate the type of baits used, basically nothing alive.

Well, I decided to hit up one of these streams yesterday for smallmouth. It's underneathe a man made lake and the bass have intergrated into this small stream along with the trout the state stocks every year. Well, I went down to this stream, parked, grabbed my rod and took off into the woods. Well I met a very nice F&G officer along the way who decided to question me and check my license. He informed me that even though I was intentionally using bait designed to catch smallmouth, which he confirmed are in fact in that stream and are decent sized, I wasn't allowed to even be there without a trout permit because of the regulations. He didn't ticket me or cite me but I had to leave and go back to the river.

He told me I could go add the trout stamp to my lincese and come back but I refuse to pay the fee, granted it's only $8, I don't feel it's fair to make me get a stamp for trout when I have no intention of ever fishing for them just because of some regulation on a stream that has reportedly decent smallie fishing.

I'm going to end up writing a letter to the state protesting this regulation. Why do I, a game fisherman, get punished for not buying into trout stocking.

Anybody else here ever run into a situation or issue like this? What are people's thoughts? Is it fair?

[Geoff Sandvik]

Thanks for the heads up, I fish the Delaware in PA and I thought you only needed a Trout stamp to "take trout" too.

[flyeaglesfly5186]

Yeah apparently if it's anywhere that's marked as a delayed harvest artificial lures only trout special regulations area you HAVE TO HAVE the trout stamp to even fish there. These areas are posted so it's not a surprise when you get to them. I just didn't realize it meant I couldn't go after other species.

[flyeaglesfly5186]

You're safe on the Delaware. There's no special regulations except the standard no harvest list and length limits.

http://www.fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/delaware.html

[flyeaglesfly5186]

Here's the actual list of DHALO ares in Pa.

http://fishandboat.com/fishpub/summary/delayedartificial.html

[Dwight Hottle]

Same regs up here in erie on lake erie. You have to have a trout stamp to fish .

[Phish]

I understand your frustration. I never realized I needed a trout stamp in PA to fish combined species waters if I was just targeting bass. For years I just bought the Lake Erie stamp, and nobody has questioned me. This year my buddy convinced me to add the trout stamp "just in case."

Anyway, I hate contributing to the "free meat fee" that is the trout stamp - only benefiting those who fish for man-raised "fish" on opening day. Helping some bumpkins who only fish one day a year, take home some shocked, disoriented little fish - it will never make sense to me. But in some ways, maybe it's a good thing. Keep them the heck away from the bass lakes man. We've got enough poachers and litterers.

It's just a shame that no matter how cash strapped the PFBC is and how little they can do to repair infrastructure of thousands of dams and impoundments around the state - they will ALWAYS find money for the raising and stocking of the meekest little fish to swim our waters.

(Sorry done ranting touchy topic sorry if I offended any trouters.)

[moguy1973]

Sometimes you just have to pay to play. It's the same here in Missouri, a lot of the trout stocked streams also have a nice abundance of small mouth. You just learn to buy the stamp so you can fish for the smallies. Then if you do hook into a trout or 4 you at least have dinner for the night

I'd never keep a small mouth to eat out of a stream just because it takes so darn long for them to grow big, but I'll eat those stocker trout all day long.

[Dwight Hottle]

I understand your frustration. I never realized I needed a trout stamp in PA to fish combined species waters if I was just targeting bass. For years I just bought the Lake Erie stamp, and nobody has questioned me. This year my buddy convinced me to add the trout stamp "just in case."

Anyway, I hate contributing to the "free meat fee" that is the trout stamp - only benefiting those who fish for man-raised "fish" on opening day. Helping some bumpkins who only fish one day a year, take home some shocked, disoriented little fish - it will never make sense to me. But in some ways, maybe it's a good thing. Keep them the heck away from the bass lakes man. We've got enough poachers and litterers.

It's just a shame that no matter how cash strapped the PFBC is and how little they can do to repair infrastructure of thousands of dams and impoundments around the state - they will ALWAYS find money for the raising and stocking of the meekest little fish to swim our waters.

(Sorry done ranting touchy topic sorry if I offended any trouters.)

The trout stamp money also goes toward stocking steelhead & brown trout into lake erie. Those fish are not shocked, disoriented little fish. They are quite manly once they grow up. I'm not a trouter but steelhead & brownies out in the lake are a great resource for all anglers. That is the best part of the fish stamp program for me.

[hooah212002]

Don't trout stocked lakes/rivers etc. produce better bass? I swear I remember hearing something like that on bass edge podcast.... Or maybe I heard just the opposite. However, I could swear the idea was that trout are a better source of protein and more hardy for the bass to eat than shad or other baitfish, thus making more healthy and larger bass. If that is the case, then we bass fishermen/fisherwomen should be glad to pay for it. Feel free to correct me.

[moguy1973]

Don't trout stocked lakes/rivers etc. produce better bass? I swear I remember hearing something like that on bass edge podcast.... Or maybe I heard just the opposite. However, I could swear the idea was that trout are a better source of protein and more hardy for the bass to eat than shad or other baitfish, thus making more healthy and larger bass. If that is the case, then we bass fishermen/fisherwomen should be glad to pay for it. Feel free to correct me.

Problem is, most stocked trout are too big for bass to eat...They would if they were stocking fry trout but most stockers are at least 10", far too big for a small mouth bass to eat usually...

[hooah212002]

Problem is, most stocked trout are too big for bass to eat...They would if they were stocking fry trout but most stockers are at least 10", far too big for a small mouth bass to eat usually...

True, but those trout produce fry trout.

[Dwight Hottle]

True, but those trout produce fry trout.

Most of the stoked trout do not reproduce. That is why they have annual stockings.

[Phish]

The trout stamp money also goes toward stocking steelhead & brown trout into lake erie. Those fish are not shocked, disoriented little fish. They are quite manly once they grow up. I'm not a trouter but steelhead & brownies out in the lake are a great resource for all anglers. That is the best part of the fish stamp program for me.

Good point, I didn't know those were commonly stocked species. Figured they were all wild and naturally reproduced in Erie. Never targeted steelhead but that is one thing I could get into just to be able to fish more in the colder months.

Don't trout stocked lakes/rivers etc. produce better bass? I swear I remember hearing something like that on bass edge podcast.... Or maybe I heard just the opposite. However, I could swear the idea was that trout are a better source of protein and more hardy for the bass to eat than shad or other baitfish, thus making more healthy and larger bass. If that is the case, then we bass fishermen/fisherwomen should be glad to pay for it. Feel free to correct me.

Yes. In California.

[hooah212002]

Most of the stoked trout do not reproduce. That is why they have annual stockings.

I did not know that. Thanks. I thought the annual stocking was because so many get caught and people keep them, therefor the population not getting replenished in time for the next season.

Are they bred to be sterile?

[Dwight Hottle]

I did not know that. Thanks. I thought the annual stocking was because so many get caught and people keep them, therefor the population not getting replenished in time for the next season.

Are they bred to be sterile?

Here is from the PA fish & game

Question I would like to know if stocked fish reproduce in a stream? Answer Nearly all the species stocked from state hatcheries are capable of spawning in the wild. The exceptions are hybrids such as tiger muskellunge, hybrid striped bass, and saugeye.

In the case of trout, if some make it through the summer and find suitable habitat, natural reproduction might occur. Whether or not those young trout make it through the first year of life depends largely on the habitat, particularly summer water temperatures. Many of the streams we manage with stocking of trout are at their very best seasonal trout habitat. They lose flow and experience elevated temperatures during much of the summer and trout don't do well there.

We do not stock hatchery trout to spawn and provide any contribution to the wild trout community. This would be too expensive. We place them out there for anglers to have a chance to fish for them and to catch them. In several places we stock fingerling trout on a put-grow-and-take basis. In those cases the habitat is suitable for year-round survival, but spawning and nursery habitat may be missing. So we add the stocked trout.

[S Hovanec]

Are they bred to be sterile?

No, they're not sterile. It's just the drainage ditches that the PFBC stocks them in aren't fit for natural reproduction.

[hooah212002]

Here is from the PA fish & game

Question I would like to know if stocked fish reproduce in a stream? Answer Nearly all the species stocked from state hatcheries are capable of spawning in the wild. The exceptions are hybrids such as tiger muskellunge, hybrid striped bass, and saugeye.

In the case of trout, if some make it through the summer and find suitable habitat, natural reproduction might occur. Whether or not those young trout make it through the first year of life depends largely on the habitat, particularly summer water temperatures. Many of the streams we manage with stocking of trout are at their very best seasonal trout habitat. They lose flow and experience elevated temperatures during much of the summer and trout don't do well there.

We do not stock hatchery trout to spawn and provide any contribution to the wild trout community. This would be too expensive. We place them out there for anglers to have a chance to fish for them and to catch them. In several places we stock fingerling trout on a put-grow-and-take basis. In those cases the habitat is suitable for year-round survival, but spawning and nursery habitat may be missing. So we add the stocked trout.

Makes sense. Thanks for the correction.

[flyeaglesfly5186]

No, they're not sterile. It's just the drainage ditches that the PFBC stocks them in aren't fit for natural reproduction.

x2

I've seen bigger drainage ditches...

[retiredbosn]

Any state that I lived in, if the stream or lake were stocked with trout you needed a trout stamp to fish that water period. I always purchased the permit because I trout fish and the lake that I liked to bass fish was stocked with trout during the winter and early spring, the bass in there were true hawgs.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Yes. In California.

I would beg to differ but thoroughly hope that everyone continues to look at it this way.

[J Francho]

Heh. :X

[Dwight Hottle]

I would beg to differ but thoroughly hope that everyone continues to look at it this way.

Dang you just got back and already you have an opinion.

[retiredbosn]

Problem is, most stocked trout are too big for bass to eat...They would if they were stocking fry trout but most stockers are at least 10", far too big for a small mouth bass to eat usually...

Would have to disagree with this, don't know where ya live but stocked trout size is gonna depend on a lot of different variables, I've seen trout as small as 4-5 inches come out of the stock truck. No I am not one who followed the stock truck and caught them right after being put in, I did however try to be at the lake when I knew the stock truck was coming, the poor trout never knew what hit them as the bass tore them up! Fish can easily eat anything that is 1 and 1/2 the width of their mouth, I would put money on smallies eating stocked trout.

[SPEEDBEAD.]

Dang you just got back and already you have an opinion.

LOL, the opinions never left me. I did however learn to think before I speak....sometimes. LOL

BTW, I dont think you need a trout stamp to fish Erie but you do need the actual Erie stamp. They can be purchase seperately for like 9.70 or together for 15.70.