Geraldine Pinker of Lenox caught this beauty of an 18-inch palomino along Snake Creek in Franklin Township. She also reported catching two good-sized brown trout on the East Branch of the Tunkhannock Creek, not far from Bingham’s Restaurant. STAFF PHOTO/ROBERT BAKER
BY KEVIN WOODRUFF
Anglers came out in droves on a beautiful morning on Saturday for the first day of trout season in the region.
According to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Waterways Conservation Officer Kadin Thompson, who patrolsWyomingCountyand parts ofSusquehannaCounty, there was a heavy turnout.
“I haven’t seen elbow-to-elbow fishing like that in the last four or five years,” Thompson said. “I’d say it was a pretty heavy turnout.”
Mild temperatures and sunshine certainly played a role in the large turnout Thompson said.
Three generations of the Bleck family in Hallstead give the trout a run along Snake Creek in Franklin Township. From left are Carl Zukus, Ben Bleck and Ben’s grandfather Paul Bleck. STAFF PHOTO/ROBERT BAKER
According to Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Waterways Conservation Officer Chad McKenrick, who covers northern Susquehanna County, one area fished heavily inSusquehannaCountywas Snake Creek inFranklinTownshipwith many anglers hitting up the local hotspot.
“I saw a lot of people at Snake Creek,” McKenrick said. “But the people with the best luck were up at Salt Springs.”
Many anglers pulled nice trout out of Silver Creek atSaltSpringsState Park, which according to McKenrick is stocked each year.
McKenrick also noted that anglers were pulling trout out of Starucca Creek.
Anglers also found success on the east branch of the Tunkhannock Creek inLenoxTownship.
However, Deer Lick Creek inRushTownship, an area that usually sees droves of anglers, was lightly fished as of mid morning on Saturday.
Even though many fish were pulled out of creeks in the region throughout the first weekend, Thompson feels there are still plenty of fish to be caught.
The Fish and Boat Commission will continue to stock creeks in the region through mid-May.
Thompson said that while it was a good first weekend, he did issue more citations that he has in the past few years.
Most of the citations were for keeping more than the creel limit of five per fisherman, and fishing without a license.
Thompson reminds that the creel limit is five fish per angler, no matter if a person is fishing alone or in a group.
“Some people think if they’re fishing in a group of three, their limit goes up to 15 collectively,” Thompson said. “It doesn’t work that way. I see this especially with adults fishing with their kids.
“A lot of kids lose focus quickly and parents will continue to fish after catching their five and put the other fish on their child’s stringer. That’s against the law.”
McKenrick saw the opposite on Saturday in northernSusquehannaCounty, issuing very few tickets to anglers.
For more information on PFBC trout fishing regulations or for trout stocking schedules for the region, visit www.fishandboat.com.
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