WNSYLVAMA DECEMBER—1979 Keystone State's Official FISHING BOATING * Agler Magazine
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, WNSYLVAMA DECEMBER—1979 Keystone State's Official FISHING BOATING * agler Magazine... ^ 40c Single Copy ERIE'S NIGHTMARE I his year, Erie County experienced the best salmon fishing season in history. Most of this success was due to the return of a record stocking of young coho salmon (971,000) by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission in the spring of 1978. Coho salmon have a three-year life cycle; they are reared in our fish cultural stations and kept in holding stations until they reach proper smoking age, then released. In September and October of 1979, they returned by the thousands. The chinook salmon, first introduced by the Fish Commission in Lake Erie in 1971, has a five-year cycle; and, since our earlier releases were small fish, little return has been realized. We are, however, holding a number of these for 18 months before smolting and expect better future returns. The tributaries to Lake Erie in Pennsylvania are very small. And, although adequate flows exist for smolting juveniles, the return of large numbers of adult fish running five to eight pounds provided the background for a nightmare! Some of these tributaries have been declared nursery waters in their entirety; on others, portions have been declared nursery waters for the purpose of securing spawn for succeeding generations of salmon. Surplus salmon are either transported to inland lakes to provide additional recreational fishing, or sold, at high bid, to a commercial fishery. Although the Fish Commission had attempted, early in the salmon program, to secure property for parking and public use facilities along a number of tributaries, including Trout Run, the expected resistance from landowners mandated our acquiring additional property only on Walnut Creek. This has developed into what might be called a "mini-state park"! Our public use building at Walnut Creek will be completed over the next couple of years. What bothers us is people's reactions: the horror stories from our beefed-up law enforcement patrols in Erie County, from the news media, and from disgusted anglers ... it proves that all of the slobs were not depicted in "The Guns of Autumn." Lined up, elbow-to-elbow, at the mouths of the tributaries, these people fought each other, knocking each other down to command a better spot for snagging fish; kicking, stomping, netting . even extending their activities into nursery waters where a great number of them were promptly and properly arrested. One pair even devised a bomb which, tragically, exploded prematurely — one of those young men lost both his hands. We arrested a public official in a business suit, complete with shirt, tie, and vest, and no boots, wading glassy-eyed into the nursery waters on Trout Run! The Fish Commission cooperated with local municipalities and the Erie County Health Department in restoring some semblance of order to this intolerable display of odious human behavior: parking on private property, cleaning fish on front lawns . relieving themselves on private property! To help alleviate this insufferable mess, portable toilets were installed, through a cooperative effort, on Trout Run where no public land is available; trash was picked up; warning signs were posted. In early October, the Commission opened greater lengths of Elk Creek, Walnut Creek, Crooked Creek, and Twenty Mile Creek, followed shortly by permitting trout and salmon fishing in all Lake Erie tributary streams, except designated nursery waters. One thing is certain: the 1980 returns of coho will not be in any record numbers such as were seen in 1979. Our water supply problems and disease cut the number of coho salmon smolts drastically, and that will show up in the 1980 run. We think the salmon program is a success. Certainly those motels and other businesses in Erie County which have benefitted from the influx of tourists and anglers should agree to that. We also noted how relatively few slobs it takes to turn a clean sport into a nightmare. Unfortunately, the atmosphere is infectious, and people who would have never thought of illegally snagging fish turned to that unsportsmanlike conduct to "get their share." We are going to do our best, with sportsmen's cooperation, to see that this does not happen again. The program is too good to have it ruined by ungrateful slobs! Ralph W. Abele Executive Director Pennsylvania Angler Pennsylvania's Official Fishing & Boating Magazine Published Monthly by the PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA Richard L. Thornburgh, Governor MEMBERS OF THE PENNSYLVANIA FISH COMMISSION John A. Hugya, President Johnstown Leonard A. Green, Vice President Carlisle William Cox Elysburg William O. Hill Erie Walter F. Gibbs Reno Calvin J. Kern Whitehall Sam Guaglianone Johnsonburg Jerome E. Southerton Honesdale James J. Stumpf Laughlintown MEMBERS OF THE BOATING ADVISORY BOARD Nicholas Apfl, Chairman Fairless Hills Clayton Buchanan Pittsburgh Sherwood Krum Hawley Charles Chattaway Monongahela Leon Lyon Beliefonte Volume 48 - No. 12 CONTENTS December, 1979 Jig Time in December by Tom Fegely 6 Cold Water Walleyes by Bob Korosa 9 The Point by Wes Bower 12 Safety on Ice by Virgil Chambers 16 Juniata River Musky Fishing by David R. Thompson 19 Lake Wilhelm's Panfish by Richard E. Faler, Jr 24 Economy Fishing Outfit by Frank Lucas 26 FRONT COVER Talk about die-hard fishermen! The story of some hot action during cold weather begins on page 6 of this issue. Dr. Dale Steventon in the foreground is wearing a "float coat" which offers protection from both the cold weather and an unexpected dip, should one occur. Smokey Schaffer, who stood up cautiously for the picture, wears a PFD vest under a heavy outer garment. Photo by Tom Fegely. BACK COVER Staff Photographer Russell Gettig has captured, once again, the beauty of winter along one of Pennsylvania's streams. Winter photography, when you are not too engrossed in your fishing, can be an exceptionally rewarding experience. MONTHLY COLUMNS WATERSIDE WANDERINGS 2 FLY TYING 28 MEALS FROM THE CREEL 4 STREAM NOTES 30 ANGLER'S NOTEBOOK 32 James F. Yoder, Editor POSTMASTER: All 3579 forms to be returned to the office of the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 17120. The Pennsylvania Angler, (ISSN 0031-434X), Copyright 1979, is published monthly by the Pennsylvania Fish Commission, 3532 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Second Class postage paid at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: One year—$4.00; Three years—$10.00; 40 cents per single copy. Send check or money order payable to the Pennsylvania Fish Commission. Do Not Send Cash. Changes of address should reach us promptly giving both old and new addresses, including both zip codes. Subscriptions received and processed by the end of the month will begin with the second month following. The Pennsylvania Fish Commission will not assume responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, or illustrations while in their possession or in transit. Communications pertaining to the magazine should be addressed to: The Editor, Pennsylvania Angler, Pennsylvania Fish Commission, P.O. Box 1673, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Unsolicited materials, manuscripts, or photos will not be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope for their return. Waterside Wanderings by Linda Steiner D<"ecembe r is marked by ice guides, turns monofilament line into knows who has put a filled, capped formation and at this time of year the stiff wire and freezes to woolen gloves container in the freezer. This is als° waters of the state are slowly locking and jackets. The hazards of being a the reason why the ice is on the top of up in frozen form so that soon the only winter fisherman! a lake. recreation for the angler will be In the transformation from liquid to The coldest water in a lake is fishing through small holes cut in ice solid, water is an incredible substance. always just below the ice, and the 1 covered lakes. But right now, I find It is an excellent heat retainer, as it warmer water is beneath that, so tha myself between fishing seasons. requires unusually large amounts of only the shallowest ponds ever free2 With Pennsylvania's lakes and warming and cooling to raise or lower solid. It is no wonder that when ice ponds still becoming ice, the surface is its temperature even one degree. That fishing, I usually find that the fish ar often too thin to stand on and too is why a big body of water always has near the bottom. thick to fish through. This always a mitigating effect on the climate of While I am waiting for all this to seems to be the case when I can get the area surrounding it, both summer happen, I am most often along the some time to go winter trout fishing in and winter. waterside in December while engag one of the lakes which the Fish But when water does freeze, as is in other outdoor activities, such as Commission stocks. I guess I'll just happening in ponds and lakes across hunting, hiking, ski touring, or jus1 have to wait for the ice so I can trade the state, it is doing something else rambling — if the snow isn't too de my spinning rod for a jigging pole, or that is quite remarkable. As in most Along with the transformation of be lucky enough to go out on one of substances, water becomes denser as it water to ice comes the first of the those December days that feel like cools, but unlike many other liquids, it season's deep snowfalls and, if I ca lingering fall or early spring, and find doesn't simply become thicker and do nothing else, I can be there to the lake clear.