# Opening Day of Trout for SE Pennsylvania



## Captain Ahab (Apr 4, 2009)

Took the dog for a walk to the see the opening day circus

Despite 30 mph winds and high muddy water the one day a year anglers were out in force.

Looks like there was lots of overnight camping







It is always better to fish close together right?






The best way to fish a ten foot wide stream is to wade in front of everyone else











Why bother to put your fish on ice when you can just toss them on the path?






YES, we can start a fire in a small town park, what is wrong with that?






AND..... the award for largest tackle box and most camo in one outfit goes to:


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## BLK fisher (Apr 4, 2009)

I don't know how people can fish that close together. Tangled lines maybe a hook in the eye. Is it really worth it?


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## Waterwings (Apr 4, 2009)

You're right, it looks like a zoo there. I can't stand fishing that close to other people, especially when there's a large crowd. My wife and I went to a paylake a few years ago where it's stocked with large catfish. We went only because one of her brothers wanted to go. People were practically shoulder-to-shoulder around the entire perimeter of the small lake, and it was a zoo also. We didn't get one bite, which was okay, as I was ready to leave when I got there. Have never been back to a paylake since.


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## redbug (Apr 4, 2009)

it looks kinda empty to me. last time I went trout fishing opening day it was shoulder to shoulder all the way around the lake. that was at 6am, then at 5 til 8a the guys with waders walked out in front of the bank fisherman. Did i mention the 200 plus boats waiting to launch after they launched and started to fish (all anchored) you would see a few fools weaving through the other boats trying to troll.
I had one run over my line so I opened my bail and let him have 150 yards of 6lb test.... you could see him later with the motor raised pulling my line free..
AHHHHHHHHH the good old days


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 4, 2009)

The crowd was about 1/2 what is usually out - i might take a trip back this evening, the sun has come out so I expect that will draw more one year a day folks


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## tailgrabber (Apr 4, 2009)

I forgot does the trout truck play the Good Humor or the Mr. Softee song to get everyone to run to the same spot?


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## jkbirocz (Apr 4, 2009)

I cannot believe what the borough cops and the fish&game commission let these people get away with in lenape park. It is insane. As far as I knew you weren't even supposed to night fish there, let alone camp out. All of those tents were set up when I drove past yesterday around 4 in the afternoon. I cannot understand why someone would want to sit around for almost 24hrs to catch 5 stocked trout. You can't even get drunk while you wait....

I want to take my niece, but I think it would just be a losing battle for atleast another two weeks. They will stock again next week and these people will be beating the creek to death with powerbait. I just hope they don't catch any smallies and keep them, as they are getting ready to spawn.


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## bAcKpAiN (Apr 4, 2009)

I know that park well. My Grandma lived up the hill in Perkasi on Fourth Street until she passed last June. I have had a lot of fond memories in that park. I have never been a big trout fan but there are some very nice bass in that creek. :twisted: 

That park is famous for what goes on in there. I remember hapening upon a skinny dipper one summer while wading it for bass.


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 4, 2009)

The really sad thing is that this is total put and take fishing. This stream is wayyyyy to warm and slow to support trout during the summer. Each year I watch whatever trout that avoid the power bait float up and drift away downstream as the water temps rise and the 02 levels drop.


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## Tunnels (Apr 4, 2009)

My neighbor took his son over to Levittown Lake. Sounds like much of the same. Once my son reached the ripe age of 12 we were done with that. I still find trout fishing relaxing in the right scenario.


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## redbug (Apr 4, 2009)

that's were my story came from... for 6 straight years my brother-in-law and I were the first boat on the ramp we would leave the house at 9pm and hit every strip joint o the way up we would get there around 3am and watch the guys using lighted bobbers fishing all night


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## mr.fish (Apr 4, 2009)

Thats nothing Dave. You should have seen the tarts down this area this morning. This will be the first year I didn't even bother to fish on opening day. Its just not worth the time or effort anymore. I used to love staying out over night when I was younger and getting in on the action, but I will no longer be a part of that mess.

In about 3 weeks they will stock the creeks again, and have a trout tournament. Thats when it gets really ridicolous. I feel so bad for the panfish populations in these local streams. These guys keep everything.


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## jkbirocz (Apr 4, 2009)

Backpain, I grew up on 3rd street, and both sides of my grandparents still live on the street. I grew up fishing the creek, and you are right, there are some nice bass in there. Really nice ones.


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## Andy (Apr 4, 2009)

That's exactly the reason I don't fish for stocked trout anymore, allthough we don't have opening day anymore, it still gets almost as bad when word gets out they stocked. I'll just stick to fishing for natives when I get the urge to trout fish.


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## Zum (Apr 5, 2009)

Holy pie man.
I've never seen nothing like this before,are the waters clean enough to eat what there taking?
When I think bass fishing,I think people some other boats.Trout fishing is solitude,quiteness,I'd have a hard time there.
They do stock a few little lakes here and people go clean them up within a acouple weeks(I've heard),maybe I'll go to see how many people chase the truck.


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## Captain Ahab (Apr 5, 2009)

Zum said:


> are the waters clean enough to eat what there taking?




Not really - but at least the trout die in June just when the bass really start to turn on.


During the summer and fall I rarely run into very many people on that stream - a few here and there, but never a crowd


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## jkbirocz (Apr 5, 2009)

The water these fish are in are definately not clean enough for me to want to eat the fish out of it. The fish are only in the water for a little over a month before they are plucked out, so they probably don't have enough time to get too contaminated. With that being said, four or five years ago the hatcheries from which the trout were taken from were contaminated with PCB's, so the fish had PCB's in them before they were even stocked. They were advising to eat no more than one meal a month of these fish. This has since been cleared up, supposedly, but I'm not going to take any chances. Others glady keep all the fish and apparently eath them for months and months, as I have seen people take 20-30 trout on opening day, even though the limit is 5. They just catch 4 or 5, put them in a bucket and take them into their house, come back out and repeat [-X MMMMM...PCB's


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