Trending
By John Hartsock
jhartsock@altoonamirror.com
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will stock 3.2 million trout in 696 streams and 128 lakes statewide for the 2022 trout season, which begins Saturday at 8 a.m. for all of Pennsylvania.
Many of the trout that are stocked in the state's waters aren't unduly picky about what they will choose to feed upon on the first day of the season, but as the weather warms up and the trout get acclimated to their conditions, most of them become much more discerning about the bait at which they will strike.
Live bait like waxworms, mealworms, redworms and nightcrawlers are big sellers at bait shops, as are minnows, salmon eggs, and PowerBait.
Some trout anglers also swear by artificial lures like rooster tails, and others prefer using dry flies or wet flies that imitate insect life on streams.
"Probably minnows -- the fatheads and rosy reds -- are our top sellers overall for trout,'' said Creg Strock, proprietor of the Aquatic Imitations bait and fly shop located two miles east of Hollidaysburg. "After that, it would be waxworms and then probably red worms and baby nightcrawlers.''
PowerBait -- a soft, gummy paste that is marketed in various colors -- has been a popular bait for trout anglers on Canoe Lake in the month of March, when trout can be caught and released but not kept.
"The hot color for people fishing PowerBait on the lake so far this preseason has been pink and rainbow,'' Strock said. "Trout have been hammering the pink and rainbow PowerBait this year.
"Last year, the salmon egg and orange PowerBait was most effective, and two years ago, it was garlic PowerBait,'' Strock said. "There is no rhyme or reason to it. It comes down to whatever the fish want.
"Pink and garlic salmon eggs have worked well, too,'' Strock added.
Of the 3.2 million trout that will be stocked in Pennsylvania waters this season, there will be 2.2 million rainbow trout, 686,000 brown trout, and 293,000 brook trout. The average length of the trout stocked is 11 inches, but included in the stockings are 70,000 trophy-sized brood trout that are two and a half to three and a half years old, and which measure 14 to 20 inches in length.
Seventy percent of those trophy trout have been stocked prior to the season opener, and 30,000 will be stocked inseason.
Included in the stockings are 13,000 golden rainbow (palomino) trout, which tend to be more picky eaters who are usually much more easily spooked and difficult to catch.
Most anglers on the streams this Saturday will experience varying degrees of success, regardless of the bait that they use.
Carrie Young of Puzzletown, who started fishing for trout with nightcrawlers and waxworms 10 years ago, now uses artificial spinning lures almost exclusively.
"I started off just using worms, but as I've gotten better, I have been using a lot of rooster tails and spinners for trout,'' Young said. "I only use live bait like minnows or shiners when I am fishing for bass.''
Tim Baker, general manager at Unkel Joe's Woodshed in the Pleasant Valley Shopping Center, and Strock have both agreed that supply chain problems for bait that comes from overseas has been an issue.
"People stick with the traditional stuff like salmon eggs and live bait, but we've also sold a ton of stuff this past week like waxworms and mealworms,'' Baker said. "We sell more waxworms than anything else, and we sell a lot of Berkley Honey Worms - which are artificial waxworms -- of which the white kind works best.
"There are still supply chain issues,'' Baker said. "Many of the products are made in China, and factories over there were shut down for months at a time. We are actually getting stuff in now that we were supposed to get through the spring of last year.''
Strock said that one of his shop's most popular baits - butterworms - is shipped from Chile, and none have arrived yet this year.
"Nobody has butterworms -- you can't get them,'' Strock said. "Last year, because of COVID, it wasn't permitted for them to be brought into the country. This year, I have a standing order for 1,000 of them if my bait supplier can ever get them.
"They're more expensive, but as trout bait, they put waxworms to shame,''Strock added.
2022 trout season facts
When: Opening day of trout season for the entire state of Pennsylvania is Saturday at 8 a.m.
Creel limits: Fishermen can keep a total of five trout seven inches or longer per day during the regular season from opening day Saturday until Labor Day, Monday, September 6. The creel limit for the extended season, from Tuesday, Sept. 7 through Dec. 31, is three trout seven inches or longer per day.
License fees: Fishermen ages 16 to 64 years of age must purchase a trout license at a cost of $22.97 and a trout permit stamp at a cost of $9.97. Seniors ages 65 and older can purchase an annual license at a cost of $11.97, or a lifetime license at a cost of $51.97. Licenses can be purchased online at www.fishandboat.com on the FishBoatPa mobile app, or in person at 700 retail license issuing agents and county treasurers.