Post by yihunt on Apr 12, 2009 12:40:59 GMT -4
Anglers primed for beginning of trout season
Buzz up!By Bob Frye, TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Opening day of trout season is the fishing world's melting pot.
It will feature anglers in $329 Orvis waders, as well as ones in $30 rubber hip boots, men armed with Loomis spinning rods and others with discount store "fishin' poles," fishermen arriving at their favorite lake with a boat in tow and others walking the banks with their gear in 5-gallon buckets.
All will be trying in earnest to catch 11-inch fish.
"Later in the year, you see your more serious fishermen, but on opening day, you get people of all stripes and all ability levels," said Ron Anderson of Appalachian Trails, a sporting goods shop in Prospect. "You get the old timers who really know what they're doing and the guy with a spark plug and a 3/0 bass hook on his line trying to teach his kids to fish when he never had anybody in his family show him the right way to do things in the first place."
To level the playing field a bit, some experts offered advice on the best baits, lures and flies to try on opening day.
Live bait
New research suggests more Pennsylvania trout fishermen use bait than use lures and flies combined. But what do you use when any self-respecting bait shop will have everything from maggots and meal worms to wax worms and nightcrawlers?
While all will work, one bait that's grown in popularity over the last few years is the butterworm. Threaded onto a No. 10 or 12 hook with a few split shots to keep it down, a butterworm is hard to beat, said John Dressler of Red's Bait Shop in Acme.
"They're a little bit pricey at $5 for two dozen, but they work," Dressler said. "And they're hardy. I've caught as many as five trout on one worm."
Salmon eggs are effective when allowed to drift with the current or float just off the bottom of a lake, too, Anderson said.
"A size 12 hook — especially a gold one that can sparkle and flash -- seems to be about the right size. You can hide it deep in the bait and still hook fish in the corner of the mouth, where you're less likely to kill or injure the fish if you want to release it to catch next week," Anderson said.
Small fathead minnows are immensely popular, as well, added Scott Gates of S&S Bait Shop in Chalk Hill.
"I'll go through close to 50 pounds of minnows between the Friday before the opener and Sunday," he said, compared to the 20 pounds to 25 pounds he might sell in an entire week later in the year.
Minnows can be hooked through the lips, tail or dorsal fin, but many anglers find threading them using a needle to be best, Gates said.
Lures
When it comes to trout lures, few perform as well as spinners. They don't, though, work on the same basis as flies, crankbaits and soft plastics, all of which are meant to mimic something living in the water.
"A spinner doesn't try to imitate anything," said Jim Martinsen, a spokesman for Mepps, maker of the Aglia spinner since 1938. "A spinner produces flash and vibration and that entices fish into striking, even when they're not hungry."
You have to match your spinner to the conditions to consistently catch fish, though, he said. Size 1 and 2 spinners are safe bets any time, but in early-season conditions, when water can be high and murky, those with silver blades often catch the most fish, he said.
Plain spinners typically catch more fish than those dressed with squirrel tail hair, he added, but dressed spinners catch bigger ones.
"Dressed spinners present a bigger profile, and a bigger profile attracts bigger fish," he said.
All spinners should be cast on a 45-degree angle upstream, he said, then be reeled in just fast enough to keep them near the bottom.
Flies
Dry flies may be the most poetic of all tools for fooling trout, but they're not overly effective early in the season. Subsurface flies are where it's at, said Tony Marasco of Fly Tyers Vice in Scott Township.
You've got to match the flies to the conditions, however.
"If the water is high and muddy, the rule of thumb is, the darker the water, the darker the fly, the bigger the fly. The clearer the water, the clearer water and the smaller the fly," Marasco said.
Anglers also need to determine where in the water column the fish are holding. If they're deep, anglers should crimp a couple of split shot on their line eight to 10 inches above the fly to keep it floating just above the stream bottom, he said. If they're midway between the bottom and surface, forget the split shot but wet your fly before casting to make it sink just a bit, he said.
Whatever bait you choose, Saturday is the one day of the year to make sure you get out and try something.
"I'm expecting a big turnout, as always," said Matt DeMichele of Allegheny Bait and Tackle in Tarentum. "No matter what, guys don't like to miss the opener."
Trout season 101
Opening day of Pennsylvania's trout season — the most-heavily-fished day of the year, a social event for anglers all across the Commonwealth — is upon us.
Here's a look at some of the facts surrounding the season.
The rules
Opening day officials starts at 8 a.m. Saturday. Fishing is allowed 24 hours a day after that.
Anglers are allowed to keep five trout per day from the opener through Labor Day. From the day after Labor Day until Feb. 28, the limit is three fish per day. All trout must be at least seven inches long to keep.
All trout fishermen 16 and older must have a valid fishing license and a trout stamp or trout/Lake Erie combo stamp to fish.
The numbers
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 3,185,500 adult trout this year. Of those, about 1.6 million were stocked in the weeks leading up to the opener; another 1.4 million will be stocked from the opener through the end of May.
The rest of the fish will be released for the fall and winter stocking programs.
The trout to be stocked include 521,060 brooks, 850,930 browns and 1,813,510 rainbows. The figure for rainbows includes 8,665 golden rainbows — more commonly called palominos — that will average 1.5 pounds and 14 inches.
A total of 868 waters — 744 stream sections and 124 lakes — will get fish.
The tips
How and when is it easiest to catch trout?
According to some tips provided by the Fish and Boat Commission, the warmer mid-day hours are best early in the spring. That changes to the early and late-day hours as summer approaches.
Some of the best live baits are minnows, worms, salmon eggs, corn, cheese, and things like Powerbait or other paste baits, fished on a small hook — sizes 6 to 14, on 2- to 8-pound test line — on the lake bottom or drifted through a stream.
If you prefer lures, small ones — spinners, spoons and small crankbaits — in sizes 1/32 to 1/8 ounce, can be effective.
The fish
Four kinds of trout — brooks, browns, rainbows and goldens — have been stocked for the opener. What sets them apart?
• Rainbow trout are a western species, native to the Pacific Coast and Alaska. They grow faster and better in hatcheries than any other species, though, which is why they account for more of the fish stocked in Pennsylvania than any other variety.
They are stocked in all kinds of waters here, but are especially prevalent in lakes.
• The Golden rainbow dates back to 1954, when a single female fish with an orange color was found in a West Virginia hatchery. Selective breeding subsequently developed the fish commonly called the palomino.
Golden rainbows were first stocked in Pennsylvania in 1967. Today, they're sprinkled in lakes and streams.
• The brown trout is another introduced fish. They were first brought to Pennsylvania and the United States from Scotland, Germany and other locations in the late 1880s. Pennsylvania got its first browns in 1886.
They've done very well since, though, as they can tolerate warmer water than a brook trout, and now can be found growing wild in a number of streams.
Browns — and big ones in particular — often feed at night, making evening a prime time for catching them. They're stocked in lakes and streams.
• The brook trout — so distinctive because of the white stripe on the edges of its fins — is Pennsylvania's state fish, and the only trout native to the state.
It was once common throughout the Northeast and along the Appalachian Mountains as far south as Georgia. Habitat loss has seriously curtailed its range, however.
They're relatively short-lived, too. A brook trout spawned in the wild would be lucky to live longer than five years. That's why, in a lot of places, a wild brookie that's reached seven inches or so is a real trophy.
Hatchery-reared brook trout can reach 18 inches, though. They are stocked primarily in streams.
Buzz up!By Bob Frye, TRIBUNE-REVIEW OUTDOORS EDITOR
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Opening day of trout season is the fishing world's melting pot.
It will feature anglers in $329 Orvis waders, as well as ones in $30 rubber hip boots, men armed with Loomis spinning rods and others with discount store "fishin' poles," fishermen arriving at their favorite lake with a boat in tow and others walking the banks with their gear in 5-gallon buckets.
All will be trying in earnest to catch 11-inch fish.
"Later in the year, you see your more serious fishermen, but on opening day, you get people of all stripes and all ability levels," said Ron Anderson of Appalachian Trails, a sporting goods shop in Prospect. "You get the old timers who really know what they're doing and the guy with a spark plug and a 3/0 bass hook on his line trying to teach his kids to fish when he never had anybody in his family show him the right way to do things in the first place."
To level the playing field a bit, some experts offered advice on the best baits, lures and flies to try on opening day.
Live bait
New research suggests more Pennsylvania trout fishermen use bait than use lures and flies combined. But what do you use when any self-respecting bait shop will have everything from maggots and meal worms to wax worms and nightcrawlers?
While all will work, one bait that's grown in popularity over the last few years is the butterworm. Threaded onto a No. 10 or 12 hook with a few split shots to keep it down, a butterworm is hard to beat, said John Dressler of Red's Bait Shop in Acme.
"They're a little bit pricey at $5 for two dozen, but they work," Dressler said. "And they're hardy. I've caught as many as five trout on one worm."
Salmon eggs are effective when allowed to drift with the current or float just off the bottom of a lake, too, Anderson said.
"A size 12 hook — especially a gold one that can sparkle and flash -- seems to be about the right size. You can hide it deep in the bait and still hook fish in the corner of the mouth, where you're less likely to kill or injure the fish if you want to release it to catch next week," Anderson said.
Small fathead minnows are immensely popular, as well, added Scott Gates of S&S Bait Shop in Chalk Hill.
"I'll go through close to 50 pounds of minnows between the Friday before the opener and Sunday," he said, compared to the 20 pounds to 25 pounds he might sell in an entire week later in the year.
Minnows can be hooked through the lips, tail or dorsal fin, but many anglers find threading them using a needle to be best, Gates said.
Lures
When it comes to trout lures, few perform as well as spinners. They don't, though, work on the same basis as flies, crankbaits and soft plastics, all of which are meant to mimic something living in the water.
"A spinner doesn't try to imitate anything," said Jim Martinsen, a spokesman for Mepps, maker of the Aglia spinner since 1938. "A spinner produces flash and vibration and that entices fish into striking, even when they're not hungry."
You have to match your spinner to the conditions to consistently catch fish, though, he said. Size 1 and 2 spinners are safe bets any time, but in early-season conditions, when water can be high and murky, those with silver blades often catch the most fish, he said.
Plain spinners typically catch more fish than those dressed with squirrel tail hair, he added, but dressed spinners catch bigger ones.
"Dressed spinners present a bigger profile, and a bigger profile attracts bigger fish," he said.
All spinners should be cast on a 45-degree angle upstream, he said, then be reeled in just fast enough to keep them near the bottom.
Flies
Dry flies may be the most poetic of all tools for fooling trout, but they're not overly effective early in the season. Subsurface flies are where it's at, said Tony Marasco of Fly Tyers Vice in Scott Township.
You've got to match the flies to the conditions, however.
"If the water is high and muddy, the rule of thumb is, the darker the water, the darker the fly, the bigger the fly. The clearer the water, the clearer water and the smaller the fly," Marasco said.
Anglers also need to determine where in the water column the fish are holding. If they're deep, anglers should crimp a couple of split shot on their line eight to 10 inches above the fly to keep it floating just above the stream bottom, he said. If they're midway between the bottom and surface, forget the split shot but wet your fly before casting to make it sink just a bit, he said.
Whatever bait you choose, Saturday is the one day of the year to make sure you get out and try something.
"I'm expecting a big turnout, as always," said Matt DeMichele of Allegheny Bait and Tackle in Tarentum. "No matter what, guys don't like to miss the opener."
Trout season 101
Opening day of Pennsylvania's trout season — the most-heavily-fished day of the year, a social event for anglers all across the Commonwealth — is upon us.
Here's a look at some of the facts surrounding the season.
The rules
Opening day officials starts at 8 a.m. Saturday. Fishing is allowed 24 hours a day after that.
Anglers are allowed to keep five trout per day from the opener through Labor Day. From the day after Labor Day until Feb. 28, the limit is three fish per day. All trout must be at least seven inches long to keep.
All trout fishermen 16 and older must have a valid fishing license and a trout stamp or trout/Lake Erie combo stamp to fish.
The numbers
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 3,185,500 adult trout this year. Of those, about 1.6 million were stocked in the weeks leading up to the opener; another 1.4 million will be stocked from the opener through the end of May.
The rest of the fish will be released for the fall and winter stocking programs.
The trout to be stocked include 521,060 brooks, 850,930 browns and 1,813,510 rainbows. The figure for rainbows includes 8,665 golden rainbows — more commonly called palominos — that will average 1.5 pounds and 14 inches.
A total of 868 waters — 744 stream sections and 124 lakes — will get fish.
The tips
How and when is it easiest to catch trout?
According to some tips provided by the Fish and Boat Commission, the warmer mid-day hours are best early in the spring. That changes to the early and late-day hours as summer approaches.
Some of the best live baits are minnows, worms, salmon eggs, corn, cheese, and things like Powerbait or other paste baits, fished on a small hook — sizes 6 to 14, on 2- to 8-pound test line — on the lake bottom or drifted through a stream.
If you prefer lures, small ones — spinners, spoons and small crankbaits — in sizes 1/32 to 1/8 ounce, can be effective.
The fish
Four kinds of trout — brooks, browns, rainbows and goldens — have been stocked for the opener. What sets them apart?
• Rainbow trout are a western species, native to the Pacific Coast and Alaska. They grow faster and better in hatcheries than any other species, though, which is why they account for more of the fish stocked in Pennsylvania than any other variety.
They are stocked in all kinds of waters here, but are especially prevalent in lakes.
• The Golden rainbow dates back to 1954, when a single female fish with an orange color was found in a West Virginia hatchery. Selective breeding subsequently developed the fish commonly called the palomino.
Golden rainbows were first stocked in Pennsylvania in 1967. Today, they're sprinkled in lakes and streams.
• The brown trout is another introduced fish. They were first brought to Pennsylvania and the United States from Scotland, Germany and other locations in the late 1880s. Pennsylvania got its first browns in 1886.
They've done very well since, though, as they can tolerate warmer water than a brook trout, and now can be found growing wild in a number of streams.
Browns — and big ones in particular — often feed at night, making evening a prime time for catching them. They're stocked in lakes and streams.
• The brook trout — so distinctive because of the white stripe on the edges of its fins — is Pennsylvania's state fish, and the only trout native to the state.
It was once common throughout the Northeast and along the Appalachian Mountains as far south as Georgia. Habitat loss has seriously curtailed its range, however.
They're relatively short-lived, too. A brook trout spawned in the wild would be lucky to live longer than five years. That's why, in a lot of places, a wild brookie that's reached seven inches or so is a real trophy.
Hatchery-reared brook trout can reach 18 inches, though. They are stocked primarily in streams.