Susquehanna River Fishing Regulations Change And Fear Versus Fact
On April 11, the Fisheries Committee with the PFBC voted unanimously to close all fishing for smallmouth bass on the Lower Susquehanna and lower Juniata Rivers from April 15, 2012-June 15, 2012. Catch and release angling is in effect for this year along this stretch of waterway.
I'm unaware of any scientific data suggesting that C & R fishing is harmful during the spawn or post-spawn. That said, I'm all for preserving this fishery, which really is still one of the best smallie fisheries in the country. Is it the same as 15 years ago......No Way! It's changed a lot. It's become a trophy smallmouth bass fishery now due to poor recruitment classes in the mid and late 2000"s and a higher population of older adult bass. There are less young bass in the river now. I will tell you, there are many more large bass in the river now! What will it be like in 5.....10 years? What caused this change? Fishing? Pollution and poor water quality and low, warm water years and ...........
Man those are some good smallies! Fear is a dangerous thing. Our rivers are pressured by anglers now more than ever before. Our rivers are polluted now by industry and farming now more than ever before. Climate changes, weather patterns, global warming..... We will ALWAYS have something upon which to pin the reasons for change. All this and any river is touted as forever changing!
I have a mentor who has taught me to "walk through my fears". I was scared when PL&L dumped umpteen hundred thousand gallons of fly ash into the pristine waters of the Delaware River, where I guided for 140+ trips per year several years ago. Five days after this tragedy, I was out just 5 miles below the spill catching smallies from water with an ugly mat of gray underneath. "Maybe it won't be as bad after all!", I thought. That thought was only to be trumped by, "Yeah but what will happen to the river below this mess, especially in a few years? Looks like I have to go to the Susky.....Oh yeah, that river is shot too! I'm doomed!". Always something to fear if I listen.
As I write this my thoughts of the internet are zipping through my mind. Fishing forums, guides with fishing reports, blogs
have increased pressure and popularity of our sport! Am I part of the "problem"? Is there really a "problem" with the Susquehanna River? If I take fear out of the equation and look at the facts.........yep, things sure have changed.
I will focus on the facts and make the necessary changes in order to preserve a world class fishery. We can't fish for smallmouth next spring on the Susquehanna, but drilling (fracking) for natural gas continues amid facts that show the detrimental effects it poses to the river. Looks like more change is on the way, but isn't that always the case?
Enough of this........I want to go fishing! Oh yeah, I forgot.....all the rivers are up 10 feet and the wind is howling 30+ mph from the NW again! Aren't rivers great? In just 3 days I'll be back out there fishing......I love fishing!
Blaine
I'm unaware of any scientific data suggesting that C & R fishing is harmful during the spawn or post-spawn. That said, I'm all for preserving this fishery, which really is still one of the best smallie fisheries in the country. Is it the same as 15 years ago......No Way! It's changed a lot. It's become a trophy smallmouth bass fishery now due to poor recruitment classes in the mid and late 2000"s and a higher population of older adult bass. There are less young bass in the river now. I will tell you, there are many more large bass in the river now! What will it be like in 5.....10 years? What caused this change? Fishing? Pollution and poor water quality and low, warm water years and ...........
Man those are some good smallies! Fear is a dangerous thing. Our rivers are pressured by anglers now more than ever before. Our rivers are polluted now by industry and farming now more than ever before. Climate changes, weather patterns, global warming..... We will ALWAYS have something upon which to pin the reasons for change. All this and any river is touted as forever changing!
I have a mentor who has taught me to "walk through my fears". I was scared when PL&L dumped umpteen hundred thousand gallons of fly ash into the pristine waters of the Delaware River, where I guided for 140+ trips per year several years ago. Five days after this tragedy, I was out just 5 miles below the spill catching smallies from water with an ugly mat of gray underneath. "Maybe it won't be as bad after all!", I thought. That thought was only to be trumped by, "Yeah but what will happen to the river below this mess, especially in a few years? Looks like I have to go to the Susky.....Oh yeah, that river is shot too! I'm doomed!". Always something to fear if I listen.
As I write this my thoughts of the internet are zipping through my mind. Fishing forums, guides with fishing reports, blogs
have increased pressure and popularity of our sport! Am I part of the "problem"? Is there really a "problem" with the Susquehanna River? If I take fear out of the equation and look at the facts.........yep, things sure have changed. I will focus on the facts and make the necessary changes in order to preserve a world class fishery. We can't fish for smallmouth next spring on the Susquehanna, but drilling (fracking) for natural gas continues amid facts that show the detrimental effects it poses to the river. Looks like more change is on the way, but isn't that always the case?
Enough of this........I want to go fishing! Oh yeah, I forgot.....all the rivers are up 10 feet and the wind is howling 30+ mph from the NW again! Aren't rivers great? In just 3 days I'll be back out there fishing......I love fishing!
Blaine
Posted by Blaine Mengel at 4/17/2011 8:00 AM 
Categories: Bass Fishing
Tags: Susquehanna River smallmouth bass Delaware River PFBC Catch and Release fishing Fear
Categories: Bass Fishing
Tags: Susquehanna River smallmouth bass Delaware River PFBC Catch and Release fishing Fear
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