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Bass season opens June 13
In the minds of anglers, warmer summer weather marks the beginning of bass season, which officially opens on June 13 across the Commonwealth.
The black bass is one of the most popular sportfish targeted by Pennsylvania anglers, says Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) Executive Director John Arway, who expects a large turnout on the state’s most popular lakes and streams, including PA’s Best Bass Fishing Waters.
“Trout and bass are the two most popular sportfish among anglers,” he said. “And one of the reasons bass is popular is because the Commonwealth has so many fantastic spots for anglers to catch smallmouth and largemouth bass, from creeks and rivers to large ponds and lakes.”
Many anglers fish for bass while visiting Pennsylvania state parks, where families and kids can enjoy fishing along with other amenities, including camping, hiking and biking, and canoeing and kayaking.
“State parks are great family-friendly places to fish, particularly if you have young kids,” Arway said. “Kids can have fun fishing and also enjoying other outdoor activities. Our Commonwealth has over 86,000 miles of streams and rivers to fish and more than 4,000 lakes and reservoirs.”
During bass season, anglers can keep a daily limit of six bass, which must be at least 12 inches in length.
Arway added that anglers who use smartphones can use the PFBC’s new “FishBoatPA” app to better navigate the Keystone State’s streams and lakes during bass season.
“The use of smartphones has skyrocketed, so we have found a way to improve the fishing and boating experience for our anglers and boaters,” he said. “Now they can spend less time looking for information and more time fishing and boating.”
The “FishBoatPA” app is available for free on both Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store.
Also this year, adult anglers are enjoying a first-ever $1 decrease in the price of their fishing license, a promotional campaign the PFBC is marketing under the slogan “Catch the Value!”
“This is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to our loyal customers,” Arway said. “And at the same time, we think the price reduction will attract lapsed anglers back to the sport.”
The PFBC reminds anglers that “catch and immediate release” no harvest regulations apply to smallmouth and largemouth bass on the lower sections of the Susquehanna River (below Sunbury) and Juniata River (below Port Royal) and into the rivers’ tributaries to points one-half river-mile upstream from the confluence. For more information about the smallmouth bass issue in the Susquehanna River, visit fishandboat.com/susq-impairment.htm.
Lackawanna State Park makes national list
Three Pennsylvania state parks have been recognized among the Top 10 Family-Friendly Places to Boat and Fish in the U.S., according to Take Me Fishing, whose Top 100 list was released this week. In total, all seven of PA’s state park entries in the sweepstakes registered in the Top 100, which includes park and recreation areas in 25 states.
The three parks earning Top 10 honors include Keystone State Park, Westmoreland County; Presque Isle State Park, Erie County; and Lackawanna State Park, Lackawanna County.
“We know that Pennsylvania provides fantastic fishing and boating opportunities for families,” Arway said. “Now outdoor enthusiasts from across the country have voted and told us that they, too, think Pennsylvania parks have a lot to offer to families.”
“We encourage everyone to visit Pennsylvania’s state parks this summer and enjoy time outdoors with friends and family,” he said. “If you’re new to the sport, check our online calendar and sign up for a free Family Fishing Festival or a Basic Boating Course.”
The Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation’s (RBFF) Take Me Fishing campaign initiated a nationwide vote in March to provide families and outdoor enthusiasts with a recommended list of the best family-friendly places to experience the joys of boating and fishing as the weather warms up around the country. Criteria for the top places to fish and boat included having a public body of water within an hour of a major city with good fishing opportunities, and family-friendly amenities.
“Whether it’s fishing for trout in a mountain stream, or floating in a lake in search of bass or bluegills, fishing at a state park and family fun go hand-in-hand,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. “This national distinction highlights three of our state parks, but so many others across the state promise family fun and adventure, thanks to their wealth of waterways and fishing opportunities.”
After the votes were cast, all seven of Pennsylvania’s entries made the Top 100 list. The other PA parks include:
Little Buffalo State Park, Perry County
Moraine State Park, Butler County
Nockamixon State Park, Bucks County
John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, Philadelphia and Delaware counties
The release of Take Me Fishing’s Top 100 list kicks off the celebration of National Fishing and Boating Week (NFBW), which takes place June 6-14, 2015.
PFBC launches Susquehanna River campaign
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has launched an “S.O.S. – Save Our Susquehanna!” campaign to fund water and soil conservation projects along the Susquehanna River, whose young smallmouth bass population has been plagued over the last decade by illness and elevated mortality rates.
“The Susquehanna River is sick and someone has to take steps to fix it before it is too late,” Arway said. “This is about conservation and protecting our aquatic resources so they may be enjoyed by future generations as guaranteed by our state constitution. We need leadership to begin working on fixing problems that we know exist.”
“The PFBC’s very mission of Resource First requires us to step up our efforts to help our smallmouth fishery before it’s too late,” he added. “The time for action is now. This campaign will help fund projects to reduce known sources of pollution in critical areas where diseased bass have been found.”
Examples of some projects include:
Identifying sites and working with willing farmers and colleges and universities to test soils and reduce nutrient and sediment run-off to control nuisance algae blooms that produce low oxygen levels and high pH conditions that are harmful to young bass; and
Working with physicians and hospitals throughout the basin to keep pharmaceutical drugs and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) out of the river because of the harmful effects that they cause to fish.
From now until the end of the year, the PFBC expects to receive $3 million in revenue from sales of approximately 130,000 resident annual, senior resident annual, and non-resident annual licenses. Under the S.O.S. – Save Our Susquehanna!” campaign, once the $3 million threshold is met, all additional sales from the three licenses will be dedicated solely to funding Susquehanna River projects.
“To kick off the campaign, we are pledging $50,000 in matching funds from the Commission,” Arway said. “I’m optimistic that we will raise and exceed the $50,000 from anglers, other conservationists, and anyone who cares about our natural resources and supports our efforts to do everything in our power to protect and conserve them.”
“Once we raise $50,000, the S.O.S. – Save Our Susquehanna! campaign will have its first $100,000 to begin working on projects to fix the river,” he said.
The campaign coincides with the upcoming start of bass season on June 13.
DCNR non-game grants available
The Wild Resource Conservation Program is accepting applications for grants to protect the state’s native biodiversity.
The program, overseen by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, safeguards Pennsylvania’s non-game animals, native plants, and their habitat. Grant applications will be accepted in three areas: surveys, research, and conservation and management.
“These grants offered through the Wild Resource Conservation Program (WRCP) help support field research and on-the-ground conservation projects that protect some of our most vulnerable species,” said DCNR Acting Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn. “Programs to reintroduce river otters and fishers in Pennsylvania, preserve and protect rare plant species, and bridge the gap between scientific discovery and good conservation policy are just a few of the many efforts supported by WRCP grants over the years through this program.”
Among this year’s grant priorities are projects focused on aquatic surveys and research, climate change, white-nose syndrome, invasive species, and more. Applicants are encouraged to review the detailed list of priorities to ensure that their project fits this year’s criteria.
Launched in 1982, the program encourages and supports research and protection efforts to conserve Pennsylvania’s diverse native wildlife resources, including bird and mammal species, amphibians and reptiles, insects and wild plants.
Applications are being accepted until June 30, for work to be performed between January 2016 and June 2017. Applications will only be accepted electronically through DCNR’s online grant application system. To apply for a grant, or to learn more about the application process and this year’s priorities, visit the DCNR website at www.dcnr.state.pa.us, choose “Wild Resource Conservation” under “Quick Links,” then “Apply for a Grant.”