Ct should operate its river and stream trout fishery in much the same way that Mass. operates theirs. All streams open year round, keep the fly only and no-kill stretches, but eliminate the opening day thing. Also, all of our surrounding states have an electronic method of purchasing a fishing license - why are we still lacking this in CT? If we elimated a large portion of the state "spend" on opening day, we'd have some room for information technology to add to the state DEP website so one could purchase an on-line License. Mass, RI and NY all have this program.
Joe, agreed on the technology issue. I've purchased on line licenses in New York using the Decals system and it is fantastic but I don't get how that's related to opening day.
I pretty much agree with Joe about opening day but with one small difference. I'd like to see the fishing season stay open all year except for the week before opening day. If the state closed the fishing season for just one week then CT could still continue it's tradition of having an opening day with the wonderful circus like atmosphere.
I for one like the unique CT tradition of opening day of fishing. We don't have the Red Sox and we don't have the Yankees and we don't even have the Whalers anymore but we do have opening day!!! I think the newspaper publicity and t.v. publicity that fishing gets is great for our sport. Fishing license sales go through the roof and local bait shops and retailers get a nice bump in sales that amounts to Christmas in April. Mom's and Dad's remember the day because it's so well publicised and is such a big part of our CT heritage and families spend the entire day together persuing a fun outdoor activity. It's often a day when the next generation of fishermen and fisherwomen are first introdued to our sport.
I don't know any serious fishermen that take opening day seriously, and what's wrong with that!!! It's basically a state wide trout fishing derby designed for kids and grown ups that are still kids at heart. What's not to like about that???? You can choose to share in the fun or you can avoid the chaos whichever you prefer.
Personally I have always considered opening day to be like a day at the circus and who doesn't love the circus!!!
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#667794 - 01/29/0505:16 PM
Abolish Opening day of Trout season
MikeG
Member
Registered: 01/20/02
Posts: 13088
Loc: NW CT
I am throwing this out there for discussion :
60% of all trout stocked are caught within the first two weeks of opening day.
To me this seems like a great waste of a valuable resource. I would be a fool if I spent 60% of my annual income in a two week period.
It seems to me that it would make better sense to get rid of all the pressure the first two weeks of trout season brings.
I for one would like the season left open year round with the acception of special closures on waters where natural reproduction of trout is known to take place.
By getting rid of opening day it would put less of a strain on the DEP stocking crews, they would not be rushed to get all the trout in by a certain date. The DEP could spread out the stocking over a longer period of time.I also think this would create a better fishery and higher catch rates amongst anglers. It would also elimante the tradiotonal opening day meat hiunters/partiers that slob up our waters with trash and other junk.
The only ones who really benifit from opening day are the tackle shops who see a great boost in sales between the end of March until the end of April.
the state of Mass has no opening day or closed season on trout and they have a created a great trout fishery with fish bigger on average than what CT stocks.
I hope others join in this discussion and post their input here.
#667795 - 01/29/0505:57 PM
Re: Abolish Opening day of Trout season
Chris
Member
Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 5547
Loc: Meriden
In my opinion this will never happen.Opening day is a cash cow for the state.How many fishing licenses are sold just for those that only fish that one day a year?I know quite a few guys that fish that one day. How much tax for the state is generated from the sale of bait,tackle,food gas,beer.Lets not forget beer thats almost as important to opening day fisherman as bait. I dont know the answer to these questions.But I bet it's alot.Millions? I have also heard that tackle shop owners make half their yearly income from the weeks surrounding opening day.The state stocks with the knowledge that these fish will all be caught and kept by the meat hunters.If the state wanted to make better trout fisheries they would stock lake much earlier than a week before opening day and lower the limit of fish kept per angler..This would result in the fish becoming much harder to catch in return would probly keep alot once a year anglers away.Causing loss of revenue.I feel the first day of opening day weekend should be for children .After that it's a free for all.Bottom line it's all about the Dollars.If the state wasn't making a buck you can be sure there wouldn't be an opening day.With the state of Ct in the red like always and cutting funding to much needed programs.Why is it you never here mention of cutting the stocking program.$$$$$$$$$$$$ Like I said this is just my take on this subject and I may be wrong ? But I doubt it.
#667796 - 01/29/0506:14 PM
Re: Abolish Opening day of Trout season
MikeG
Member
Registered: 01/20/02
Posts: 13088
Loc: NW CT
Thanks for the input Fishy Fingers, BUT thats the problem , only a few people benifit from opening day and it is a finacial benifit that only goes to a few people(tackle shop owners).
We need to break away from traditions and start doing what is best for the fishery.
also wanted to add that several years ago we where in fear of losing one of our hatcheries due to budget cuts ,so the trout stocking program is and will continue to be cut into,fishing is considered a luxary.
A good fishery is very valuable- I read the average fisherman spends something like fifty bucks a trip if you count gas and food and lisences etc. But the state is too short sighted to understand the possibilities. "Ya gotta spend $ to make $"
#667798 - 01/29/0509:03 PM
Re: Abolish Opening day of Trout season
bunkerrman
Member
Registered: 07/31/03
Posts: 1667
Loc: Waterbury
The trout season in most areas is only closed for a month and a half. Opening day is a tradition for many people. I know that it is a major time point that I schedule things around and I am making sure all my tackle is ready to go and buy what I need for the upcoming season. Tackleshops do make a majority of thier livlihood from the opener and there are surrounding states to fish if people want to fish for the trout closed season. Many people don't realize that fishing season is open all year, whereas only opening day is for trout season. Just my opinion. Wayne
I fish fresh and salt as well as crab.Streams,rivers,ponds,lakes,bays,oceans.I buy a license so I can keep when I am going to eat it and throw back when I am not.
Mike, That is a great idea , but the problem is there are far too few fisherman like you, Capt. Alwive, Brandon, my self and a bunch of others from this board who fish all or most of the year for trout. If I remember the numbers from the cold water fisheries report it is like only 15-20 percent of trout fisherman fish beyond the first three weeks of the season. This being the case and with the DEP having to consider all users I feel that it will likely never happen . It is true that most tackle shops make the vast majority of there annual income from the 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after opening day. I work at a shop part time and it is crazy for those 5 or 6 weeks. If you think of the number of people who would not buy a license without opening day Wallop/Breau( sp) taxes would be down which in turn would mean less federal monies coming back to CT. Opening day is one reason I like that CT has the TMA's open all season you can hide out there the first couple of weeks cause most of those guys want their pound of meatand won't go to the C&R areas.
Cthighlands
" a man who has never been skunked while fly fishing is either god or a damn lier"- John Geirach
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