| While
the PFBC has long provided details like the date, time and
location of preseason adult trout
stockings (those that occur while the trout fishing
season is closed), it has limited the information
publicized on inseason
trout stockings. That changed starting with the
2005 trout
season.
The Commission's practice since 1978 has been to
announce only the "week of" period that waters would receive inseason stockings. Over the years, however, the
Commission has considered a number of ideas for modifying
stocking information. Certain groups - particularly
youngsters, beginning anglers and those who don’t have
much time to pursue the sport - have been among those
identified as potential beneficiaries of more liberal
inseason stocking announcements.
In 1997, the Commission introduced a pilot program of
announced inseason trout stockings at select public lakes.
The Saturday lake stocking program was well received and
in subsequent years, expanded to include more waters. That
led in 2002 to experimenting with announced stockings
during the week on a handful of streams. Public reaction
was again favorable. That fall, the notion of increasing
the availability of inseason stocking information was
identified as a potential opportunity for engaging more
anglers by participants at a
Trout
Summit sponsored by the agency. More waters were
included into the pilot program the next two years,
including some under utilized waters toward which the
agency hoped to direct additional fishing pressure. Based
on those successes, the Commission has opted for
publicizing the day of stocking on most waters across the
state. |