It’s time to go fishing
Channing Gorsack of Jeannette talks about fishing in the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures section of Loyalhanna Creek in Westmoreland County.
Brian Whipkey, Erie Times-News
One of the biggest outdoor traditions in Pennsylvania begins April 2 with the statewide start of trout season.
“There’s a buzz in the air. Fishing is back at the forefront of outdoor recreation,” Mike Parker, communications director for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, said in a telephone interview. “It’s affordable for families and a great way to introduce kids to the outdoors, and people have really latched back on to fishing in the last couple of years when we needed that kind of escape the most.”
In past years, there was an early start to trout season in the southeastern part of the state followed by a statewide opening day in mid April based on the first Saturday after the 11th of the month. Now the opening day will always be the first Saturday of April statewide.
“From now on it’s going to be easy when someone asks what’s the opening day of trout season,” Parker noted about the earlier overall start to fishing season.
To participate in trout fishing, anglers ages 16 and older require both a fishing license ($22.97 for residents) and a trout permit ($9.97) that can be purchased online at www.fishandboat.com, the FishBoatPA mobile app, or by visiting one of about 700 retail license issuing agents and county treasurers.
The agency has been busy since the end of February stocking about 3.2 million adult trout in 696 streams and 128 lakes open to public angling.
Parker also pointed out the fun of having different species of trout where you’re fishing. “There’s a little bit of mystery,” he said about wondering if you caught a rainbow, brown, golden rainbow or brook trout. The majority of stocked trout, 2.2 million, are rainbow.
“The trout from our hatcheries are of a size that provide a good fight, and if you want a good meal to take home with you to remember the occasion,” he said. They average about a half pound in weight and 11 inches in length.
Volunteers step up Cooperative nursery provide about 1 million trout to Pa. anglers
The stockings also include about 70,000 brood fish, which are 2½-year-old and 3½-year-old hatchery-raised trout measuring 14-20 inches. About 70% of these large fish will be stocked into streams and lakes during the preseason prior to the opening day of trout season, and 30% will be stocked during in-season replenishment stockings.
The PFBC will stock about 13,000 golden rainbows. These vibrant golden-orange pigmentation trophy fish weigh an average of 1.5 pounds. Approximately 80% of golden rainbow trout will be stocked during the preseason, and about 20% will be stocked in-season.
“We do so many things for all fish species, but opening day of trout season is a Pennsylvania tradition that people have been enjoying for generations,” Parker said. “Anything we can do to provide the opportunity, we are all in this time of year when it comes to trout because we know how much people flock to the water to catch them.”
In addition to trout raised at state fish hatcheries, PFBC cooperative nurseries operated by sportsmen’s clubs and other groups across the state will add another 1 million trout to waters open to public angling throughout the year.
The season officially opens at 8 a.m. on April 2, and anglers are allowed to keep five trout a day that are at least seven inches long. The day after Labor Day, extended season regulations take effect where the creel limit is reduced to three trout.
Channing Gorscak of Jeannette in Westmoreland County enjoys fishing throughout the year.
“I like getting outdoors. It’s relatively quiet and peaceful,” he said Sunday while fishing in Loyalhanna Creek in Ligonier. It’s a Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures section of water that is open all year long. He fishes in several counties and looks forward to fishing the first day of trout season near his grandfather’s cabin in Elk County. “Mainly, my family and my close buddies have cabins there,” he said about it being a social event as well as fishing adventure.
He likes to fly fish and ties his own flies. “It makes it more enjoyable,” he said about catching trout on fly patterns he customized.
A classic that keeps working When it comes to Dardevle and other lures, the tug is the drug for many anglers
Rese McGaughey of New Alexandria and Troy Kelly of Monroeville have been fishing the Delayed Harvest Artificial Lures section of Loyalhanna Creek for at least seven years. “It’s definitely a great section,” McGaughey said about its being a Keystone Select stream with larger trout. He’s netted several trout over 20 inches long in the waterway.
A listing of the streams and lakes open to year-round fishing can be found at fishandboat.com.
“It gives us more opportunities,” Kelly said about being able to fish throughout the year. He said there are fewer people out fishing compared to the first day.
When asked about advice for the first day, he said, “Give people space. Simple respect goes a long way.”
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McGaughey said anglers should think about catch-and-release fishing to give others an opportunity to catch the same fish. He pointed out that replicas can be made of trophy-sized fish so you don’t have to kill them. He explained if you measure the fish, you can return the trout to the water and the taxidermist can make a molded form of the fish that resembles what you caught.
“Our stocked trout program gives people the opportunity to do some world class fishing right in their backyard,” Parker said.
Brian Whipkey is the outdoors columnist for USA TODAY Network sites in Pennsylvania. Contact him at bwhipkey@gannett.com and sign up for our weekly Go Outdoors PA newsletter email on your website’s homepage under your login name. Follow him on social media @whipkeyoutdoors.
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