Harvest of Bass from Warren Area

[ppalko]

Has anyone noticed a huge increase in the number of smallmouth bass being harvested from the dredge pool at Warren? I've made five trips to that area this fall and during each I've noticed numerous Amish individuals catching and keeping stringers of fish. I'm not sure if they are exceeding the 4 fish limit but I can guess that they have been fishing on more days than I've been there. That said, that could amount to a harvest of hundreds of smallmouth from a single pool. This pool has always been a haven for large numbers of bass in the fall and with the stable weather and water levels this year, fishing this area has been easy. I'd guess that this ridiculous harvest rate will have a long term impact on the fishing here for years to come.

ppalko

[toothyfishman]

Doesn't surprise me one bit.....I have nothing nice to say about "them" and their fish keeping.
I guess report them and hope they get fined....doubt it will matter since they always have plenty of cash on hand to pay a fine with since they don't pay taxes!
Good luck....confront them, report them, do all you can!

If they get fined enough maybe they will go away. Or maybe only keep the limit.

[Bob Seybold]

" THEY " managed to destroy the good deer hunting in Juniata Co. and seldom obeyed the game laws. When confronted one said basically the deer were put here to harvest and feed their families and smiled. I too don't have much good to say about " THEM " Do they buy fishing licenses ?

[ppalko]

I seem to see fishing licenses from a distance, however, they tend to move as soon as you are the vicinity. This past Wednesday, a group of 6 spread out on shore and then four split up in two boats. They definitely have a strategy to get as many fish as possible. Stringers are "hidden" on shore and then retrieved when as then run to load up the buggy and leave. And they really do run in a serious hurry. They also will follow you around if you are catching (and releasing!) fish. I can't imagine that the area of the river around Warren will sustain the rate of harvest that this group appears to be accomplishing. It's a complete shame as the bass fishing in the fall is usually a highlight for me. A similar thing happens on Keystone Lake near me. A friend of mine counted fourteen buggy and trailers in the parking lot a few years ago. So far at the dredge it seems to be the same group each time. Maybe the refinery can leak something into the river to make the fish non-edible but not kill them.

I plan to pen a letter to the Fish Commission to at least offer an opinion.

[Red Childress]

We rolled in there yesterday to make a few musky casts and they quietly vanished. They usually get there at sunrise and put in a full 9-hour shift.

[Bob Seybold]

I would guess that given the opportunity these charaters would keep any musky or pike they caught too. From my experience with them they beleive " Meats Meat " I don't know why alot of them think the laws don't apply to them. I fished a Walleye tournement in Grand River, Ohio and three boats of them combined fish and won, the last time I fished that tournement. The boat I was on said they do it all the time !

[muskyjerk]

Tough issue for me, not only because of the Amish families my family has been friends with for 25 years, but also because I see enough of some ethnic groups that are no-licenses, over-limit fishermen.
I've never fished with the Amish but they sure are happy when I share fish and return the favor with farm grown food.
Could the "English" or non-Amish be dressing up in Amish garb as part of their poaching scheme.(:

Solution- Alert your local WCO about the place and individuals so he patrols. Especially if it is a consistent pattern. It'll be out of your hands and you'll know you have done what you can within your limits as an angler.

Please - No Amish lynch mobs. Plenty of people think the rules don't apply to them. sit at a stop sign and see how many people don't even slow down.

[ppalko]

Honestly the "who" involved does not concern me. It's the insane harvest rate that is occurring. The particular group involved has the time to fish everyday for months and is using that time to systematically catch and harvest huge numbers of fish. It would be no different than if a guide decided to keep every legally caught musky and pike in his boat. They have the ability to fish everyday for an extended period and could harvest a lot of fish if inclined. The impact of just one guide doing this would be severe I believe. Obviously, a guide doing this would make little sense as he would be hurting the fishery in which they make their money and thank goodness just about every guide I know practices catch and release. The group I'm observing seems to have little regard for the future of this fishery and the impact of harvesting so many fish. Even if they are doing this in a completely legal manner, I can't imagine that the bass population will be the same in the future in this area of the river and that is sad.