Come on now Keith....Let's try not to take things so literally....Of course we know the opening day fish are stocked weeks in advance....My point is made simply by looking at your post.....Let's try not to be so stereotypical of the weekend warriors.....Everyone deserves an equal opportunity to be on the water, whether they choose to do it 300 days a year, or just on opening day weekend....I used to fish in excess of 300 days a year before I got married & had 3 kids.....Now I'm lucky if I can find 3 weekends where I can actually go do some serious fishing w/o one of the kids wanting to tag along....Don't get me wrong, there's nothing that I like more than teaching my kids something new about the outdoors, but there's a lot to be said for the peace of mind I get from getting away alone on occasion.....Yes, I do know "true fishermen" who can only fish a few time s a year.....Just because people have obligations more important than fishing doens't make them any less a lover of the sport.....I'm a little thrown aback by your blanket labeling of the people who can't go fishing as often as us more fortunate as "littering slobs".... I'm sure I don't need to inform you that there are just as many "littering slobs" who fish every weekend as there are those who only fish a handful of times a year......I try not to preoccupy myself w/ trying to figure out who left the can of soda or the empty cigarette pack behind....I just pick it up & toss it in a receptacle when I get a chance.....And by the way, how do you know by seeing someone litter how often they fish, or how skilled they are at it? Please tell me how you do it....I'd like to develop that level that intuitiveness....

GAWN FISHIN'

As my point is being made by you. I never said a true fisherman cannot "fish a few times a year" I referred to those who go out ONLY on Opening Day. You posted the stat about 1/2 the people who are out opening day won't ever go out again the rest off the year. Pick up the litter in an area the Monday after Opening Day. Go back 2 weeks later and see how much litter has accumulated. I'm willing to bet that Opening Day produced more trash than the two weeks that follow.

When I hear about 35 boats on Mohawk pond , the size of a baseball field it gats a bit rediculous plus trash. I catch and release most stockies. I think it is time to spread the trout season year long. Have a special opener for trout parks for the kiddies. Just a thought.

Great discussion everyone, I just read the entire post. I'm not sure how I feel about this. I could be swayed either way to be honest.

Growing up opening day was an event for me to go fishing with my dad. It was a tradition then, and although it's now me and my buddies that go out on opening day, it's still a tradition. If not a tradition, at least "an event". Opening day creates a reason to camp out and look forward to something and get anxious!

On the other hand I see the neagtive effects of it and I also see the upside to not having an opening day.

No more 4AM Pancakes or crazies casting 6" atom poppers for trout and best of all, seeing the wide eyed children standing next to their dads and grandpa's waiting to cast their 1st line out at exactly 6AM. - I say keep opening day just the way it is.

See you on April 15th. -Todd

PS I moved our wedding date (4/24) up a week seven years ago so all our anniversaries would not fall on opening day.