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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2020 8:54:45 GMT -5
Spent yesterday helping stock the Bushkill in Northampton County and was told effective tomorrow 3/16/20 the public can no longer gather in groups or help the WCO's.  The fish will only be allowed to be stocked by the PFBC staff members due to COVID-19. Orders came from Harrisburg. This tells me that the trout will be put in limited holes and not spread out like when the public assists the WCO's. Most fishermen/women were pizzed to learn this order from Harrisburg. IMHO way blown out of proportion...but it is what it is. Sad.  JM |
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Post by davet on Mar 15, 2020 8:59:05 GMT -5
Oh boy. Our gun club float stocks Turtle Creek every year. Now it will be "dump 'em here boys!"
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Post by redarrow on Mar 15, 2020 12:17:03 GMT -5
That'll concentrate the guys who fish to catch and kill them limit as fast as possible. And most won't worry about any "social distancing" if the stockies are piled in front of them.
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Post by timberdoodle on Mar 15, 2020 15:59:17 GMT -5
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Post by fleroo on Mar 16, 2020 9:12:46 GMT -5
I'm working from home, amongst family members and a plethora of pets (hers, not mine). At work days end, I will hit the liquor store. If I don't, I can see my house turning into a scene from "The Shining" right quick.
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Post by timberdoodle on Mar 16, 2020 9:32:20 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Mar 16, 2020 14:13:45 GMT -5
03/16/2020
PFBC ANNOUNCES CONSOLIDATED STATEWIDE SCHEDULE FOR TROUT SEASON, BEGINS ACCELERATED STOCKING OPERATIONS, ADDS MORE CONVENIENT ONLINE LICENSE PURCHASE AND DISPLAY OPTIONS
HARRISBURG, Pa (March 16) – Amid concerns regarding the spread of COVID-19, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) today announced several changes to the 2020 trout season intended to protect the safety of the public and staff, while preserving the opportunity to enjoy the fun and recreational health benefits of fishing.
These changes, effective immediately, include consolidating the 2020 trout season schedule into a single, statewide schedule for all Pennsylvania counties; accelerating trout stocking operations and limiting volunteer participation; and adding more convenient ways to purchase fishing licenses online and display proof of a fishing license and boating documents on a digital device.
"Thank you to the anglers and boaters of Pennsylvania for their understanding as we all experience these changes together," said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. "While our calendars may start to look a little different, one thing we can count on is that there will be a trout season and there will still be plenty of fish out there to enjoy. Working under unprecedented circumstances, our staff is committed to providing the quality fishing experience that we all expect."
Statewide Mentored Youth Program and Opening Day
The PFBC will operate under a consolidated statewide schedule for all counties during the 2020 trout season. Under this revised plan, a single Mentored Youth Trout Day will occur on Saturday, April 11, and a Statewide Opening Day of trout season will take place on Saturday, April 18.
As a result of these changes, separate, earlier regional mentored youth and opening days will no longer occur in the 18 southeastern counties, including: Adams, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill and York. Anglers in these areas should revise their plans as necessary to adjust to the statewide schedule.
These changes, made by the PFBC under direction provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Pennsylvania Department of Health, are intended to reduce large gatherings of people and the number of anglers traveling into the regional area (18 southeastern counties), which is already heavily affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Accelerated Trout Stocking Operations and Volunteer Participation
2020 trout stocking will be conducted on an accelerated schedule, and volunteers will not be permitted to assist with stocking activities.
"We realize that many of our stocking volunteers look forward to helping us, but we must take these necessary precautions to ensure public safety during this vital period," said Schaeffer. "Just as we've counted on our volunteers for decades to help us stock trout, we're counting on them now to play it safe and stay home. We appreciate their service throughout the years, and we hope that we can invite them back to join us again very soon."
To complete trout stocking operations without the assistance of the public, the PFBC will modify stocking methods for this year. Many PFBC staff are being reassigned from their normal work duties to assist with stocking fish into lakes and streams. In some cases, pre-season and in-season allocations of trout will be combined into single stocking events to increase the efficiency of stocking trips. Initially, stockings will be prioritized to deliver trout to regions of the Commonwealth that are predicted to be affected most severely by COVID-19 that could result in restrictions on travel.
Moving forward this season, trout stockings will be announced upon their completion, rather than in advance on the FishBoatPA mobile app and PFBC website (www.fishandboat.com). The change in stocking procedures will not result in any reduction in the approximately 3.2 million trout scheduled to be stocked statewide in 2020, and stocking will occur seven days a week until further notice.
"This change in our stocking approach is necessary to fulfill a critical mission of our agency and our obligation to anglers," added Rick Kauffman, PFBC District 6 Commissioner. "We're trying to get as many fish in the water as possible as quickly as possible while we still have the best access to waterways and available staff. While our methods may be different this season, people will have the same opportunity to get outdoors and fish, which has proven benefits to our physical and mental health."
More Convenient Ways to Purchase and Display Your Fishing License, Launch Permits and Boat Registrations
To reduce unnecessary travel and social contact amid health concerns, anglers and boaters will be able to display their fishing license, launch permit, or boat registration renewal digitally on a phone or other mobile device as proof of possession.
This change will allow customers who may be unable to, or feel uncomfortable visiting a store to purchase a fishing license, launch permit, or boat registration renewal to make the purchase using the FishBoatPA app or computer through The Outdoor Shop (www.pa.wildlifelicense.comOpens In A New Window) and not have to possess a printed copy of the document. Upon purchase of a fishing license, a .pdf file containing an image of your license is provided via email. Similarly, with each boating related transaction, customers will receive a digital receipt that serves a temporary permit or registration valid for immediate use. Eventually, customers will receive validation decals and registration cards in the mail from the PFBC, which can take several weeks.
If approached by a Waterways Conservation Officer (WCO) in the field, the angler or boater would only have to produce the digital image of the license, permit or registration on their phone or mobile device. A digital copy of the .pdf, photo, or screenshot of your fishing license, launch permit or boat registration on your phone or mobile device will all be accepted as proof of possession.
##
Media Contact:
Mike Parker
Communications Director
(717)705-7806
(717)585-3076 mobile
michparker@pa.gov
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Post by davet on Mar 17, 2020 4:32:21 GMT -5
"Accelerated Stocking" AKA....."The big meat dump"
Not being critical as what choice do they have?
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2020 7:05:10 GMT -5
Dave, we can hope for heavy rains to move the pellet heads around. OTOH, low water will make the herons and eagles fat.Just sayin'  JM |
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Post by ridgecommander on Mar 17, 2020 7:08:21 GMT -5
Gonna be lots of people fishing in the SE corner when the season is closed this year. Many people just don't pay attention to game and fish yearly changes. Now a change 1 month before the season is to start.
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Post by redarrow on Mar 17, 2020 7:22:48 GMT -5
The guys who crowd around the holes loaded with trout and try to yang their limit out before the next guy will be worse than ever this year. And those who claim to be "mentoring" will do their thing a week earlier. Is there any good reason a "mentor" must be allowed to fish while he is mentoring?
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Post by ridgecommander on Mar 17, 2020 8:29:39 GMT -5
And those who claim to be "mentoring" will do their thing a week earlier. Is there any good reason a "mentor" must be allowed to fish while he is mentoring? When the mentored trout season first stared, the adults were allowed to creel fish. That was pretty ridiculous for sure. I am fine with allowing the adults to fish alongside the kids, but the kids should be fishing. The problem is many adults are fishing when the kids are playing in the mud or sleeping. I scouted out some water last year on the mentored day. Came to a whole where a husband and wife were fishing and pulling out trout. The kids were no where to be seen. I found the kids downstream without a rod, playing with rocks. That is abuse of the program. |
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Post by fleroo on Mar 17, 2020 10:06:59 GMT -5
And those who claim to be "mentoring" will do their thing a week earlier. Is there any good reason a "mentor" must be allowed to fish while he is mentoring? When the mentored trout season first stared, the adults were allowed to creel fish. That was pretty ridiculous for sure. I am fine with allowing the adults to fish alongside the kids, but the kids should be fishing. The problem is many adults are fishing when the kids are playing in the mud or sleeping. I scouted out some water last year on the mentored day. Came to a whole where a husband and wife were fishing and pulling out trout. The kids were no where to be seen. I found the kids downstream without a rod, playing with rocks. That is abuse of the program. Absolutely ! Rednecks have to fish. B.S. Not only shouldn't they creel fish, there's no reason for an adult to feel the need to fish. How the hel! can you mentor a child, if you're too busy fishing ? As well-meaning as the PFBC is with it all, they should get rid of it. Too many redneck abusers. There's enough kid only rodeos out there to keep them happy |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 17, 2020 14:16:30 GMT -5
Not the PFBC's fault...it's just your usually scum. JM |
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Post by redarrow on Mar 17, 2020 15:10:52 GMT -5
When the mentored trout season first stared, the adults were allowed to creel fish. That was pretty ridiculous for sure. I am fine with allowing the adults to fish alongside the kids, but the kids should be fishing. The problem is many adults are fishing when the kids are playing in the mud or sleeping. I scouted out some water last year on the mentored day. Came to a whole where a husband and wife were fishing and pulling out trout. The kids were no where to be seen. I found the kids downstream without a rod, playing with rocks. That is abuse of the program. Absolutely ! Rednecks have to fish. B.S. Not only shouldn't they creel fish, there's no reason for an adult to feel the need to fish. How the hel! can you mentor a child, if you're too busy fishing ? As well-meaning as the PFBC is with it all, they should get rid of it. Too many redneck abusers. There's enough kid only rodeos out there to keep them happy EXACTLY! |
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Post by redarrow on Mar 17, 2020 15:59:14 GMT -5
Are these "mentors" who catch, but do not creel, the trout they catch required to use artificial lures and flies only?
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Post by davet on Mar 17, 2020 16:31:33 GMT -5
"Pellet Heads"!!...LOL!!
I've tied up a floating fly that I call "imitation pellet" food. It looks just like the stuff they feed hatchery fish......and I'm interested to see if I get any hits from the meat stock on it. Remember.....fly rod only!!!
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Post by redarrow on Mar 17, 2020 19:51:06 GMT -5
A guy I fish with once in a while like to fish three hare's ear wets on his leader when a stream is freshly stocked. He knows as well as I do that the fish take them as food pellets drifting down stream. He's matching a hatchery "hatch"
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2020 7:50:46 GMT -5
"Pellet Heads"!!...LOL!! I've tied up a floating fly that I call "imitation pellet" food. It looks just like the stuff they feed hatchery fish......and I'm interested to see if I get any hits from the meat stock on it. Remember.....fly rod only!!! Dave, can you add a pic of this "imitation pellet" creation?? |
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Post by davet on Mar 18, 2020 7:54:46 GMT -5
"Pellet Heads"!!...LOL!! I've tied up a floating fly that I call "imitation pellet" food. It looks just like the stuff they feed hatchery fish......and I'm interested to see if I get any hits from the meat stock on it. Remember.....fly rod only!!! Dave, can you add a pic of this "imitation pellet" creation?? When I can I'll post that. Remember....I am this forum's premier photo poster. All have commented on my abilities to take a picture.  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 18, 2020 7:56:28 GMT -5
Ignore them!!
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Post by redarrow on Mar 18, 2020 8:53:20 GMT -5
The coffee bean beetle fly, minus the legs is popular among some guys who fish a members only stream that has timed feeders that hang over the stream in a few spots.
I only fished it one time and found the humpy that ended up tied to my tippet worked better after I clipped the tail and wings from it. It was the closest I could come to making a coffee bean from any of the flies in my box. I joked that those fish should have been too big to be afraid of anything with legs, tails and wings. One of the members didn't seem to think that was funny.
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Post by davet on Mar 18, 2020 8:57:18 GMT -5
Here ya go:  |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2020 16:11:30 GMT -5
Dave, I found this pattern. Is this tied with deer hair or some other hair??
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Post by davet on Mar 19, 2020 16:25:06 GMT -5
Yes. When I zoom in on it it looks like dyed deer hair. Could be what's called "Costal deer hair" which is a little denser than whitetail deer hair. The nice part about deer hair is it's hollow and floats a bunch even without a floatent sprayed on it. I use to tie 'em with just deer hair....brown. We called 'em "Irrestable's". They don't imitate any particular bug.....but kind of a catch-all of any bug that drops in the water.
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The fish will only be allowed to be stocked by the PFBC staff members due to COVID-19. Orders came from Harrisburg. This tells me that the trout will be put in limited holes and not spread out like when the public assists the WCO's. Most fishermen/women were pizzed to learn this order from Harrisburg. IMHO way blown out of proportion...but it is what it is. Sad. 
JM
JM 
