Guys can I catch any species of fish on the Delaware river as long as I release it even if out of season to cull? I am hearing the Stripped bass are already coming up the river with 55 degree water and I want to know if I can target them as long as I release the ones I catch.
Question about PA fishing law. Need help.
- Thread starter SEPATOPTEN
- Start date
The short answer is yes, but you should check the regs for dates and sizes if you decide to keep one. Please let us know how you do. I am heading out to the Susqy flats this weekend I think.
From the Pennsylvania state line upstream to Calhoun Street Bridge:
– Jan. 1 through March 31 and
– June 1 through Dec. 31 28 inches 1
From the Pennsylvania state line upstream to Calhoun Street Bridge:
– April 1 through May 31 21 to 25 inches 2
From Calhoun Street Bridge upstream:
– Open year-round 28 inches 1
From the Pennsylvania state line upstream to Calhoun Street Bridge:
– Jan. 1 through March 31 and
– June 1 through Dec. 31 28 inches 1
From the Pennsylvania state line upstream to Calhoun Street Bridge:
– April 1 through May 31 21 to 25 inches 2
From Calhoun Street Bridge upstream:
– Open year-round 28 inches 1
So I can target pretty much anything as long as I don't keep the fish. I have fished at the Calhoun st. Bridge in Morrisville/Yardley area for smallmouth. I hear the wing dam in Lambertville is a smallmouth hot spot.
By the way I almost forgot to thank you. Never fished the Susquehanna River I had heard at one time it was one of the best Smallmouth Fisheries in the country. Is that true?
I'm hitting the susquehanna this weekend for some smallies. It is a bit earlier then I usually fish but with it being so warm, it may be worth it. Definitely something to try because a 5lb smallie is not out of the question on the river. I am most familiar with the north branch and that's where I am heading.
BTW, almost all fishing is catch and immediate release when out of season. Obviously trout being the exception before the season starts in the spring since they shut down fishing on those stocked bodies of water.. I don't think any other species has a no fishing regulation in PA, but I could be wrong on that. I do know for example you can't target smallmouth bass in the spring in Canadian waters on lake Erie like you can on the US side. When I head up the buffalo area in the spring for smallmouth fishing, Canda is off limits until late June I believe. So it depends on the exact regulation.
Susquehanna in and around Harrisburg 30-40 years ago was tremendous. It really did not matter what you threw at them. Numbers and size were there. 20-30 years ago it was decent. Last 20 it has been on life support by comparison to what I experienced in the 70's and 80's. Algae blooms from agricultural runoff are one part of it, but I suspect there could be more. Funny thing is 15 years ago it was clear the river was sick as bass fry were dying but you never heard a peep from the Fish Commission.
i will be going after stripers on the flats around Havre deGrace.
Its still pretty good fishing even though the fish are struggling. Smething like 80% of bass have some ailment.
Large mouth and smallmouth fishing on the east branch of the Susqy closes i believe April 1 to June 16. You can not target bass during that time, meaning no carch and release.
No. You may not target a specific species that is out of season. The PFBC Officers know the types of baits that are used to target Strippers (Rockfish below the Mason Dixon) and if they catch you using those types of lures you'll be in a world of trouble. I wouldn't even have lures that are known Stripper baits with me on the river. Remember, PFBC Officers are college educated, usually life-long fishermen/women that know a setup for a specific species. You won't be able to fool them so don't try. There are fishing seasons for a reason...
I see others have told you to go ahead...don't.
Hey
Hey thank you. I am sure these folks were either unaware of that or were sure it was legal. I have never even kept a fish in my life other than a striper trip charter were I caught a big keeper. If it was just me I might have let it go. Thanks so much.
bwifan
Well-Known Member
I miss the old wing dam in Lambertville... Fished it for years for Shad. Out there with chest waders at sunrise and and a cigar to keep the bugs away and at sunrise the shad would just start nailing the shad dart and it was on for the next 2 hours... Light gear and you would be worn out by 9am and ready for a good breakfast. Smallies are a blast on the Delaware and yes the new wing dam provides great small fishing... Enjoy it.
The Delaware river regs say you can catch striperes from Jan-Dec or am i missing something. I know there were peoplle out there today.
I'm not sure of when the season starts/ends.... Catching by accident may be ok, but if your tackle or fishing methods indicate that you were trying to catch them then this would be considered fishing out of season. The rule isn't just catching and keeping, but merely trying to catch them (even with the intent to release) would be illegal.
I'll echo this....Granted my info is 25 years old, but in my PSU days I was a State Park Officer during the summers. Worked very closely with the Fish Commission guys. Bottom line...if you look like you're trying to fish for something out of season, you're guilty. You can't be trolling a 6" spoon and say "but officer, I was just trying to catch a few sunnies"
As another poster previously stated, the Susquehanna river, from Harrisburg to the Safe Harbor dam and below, was a world class smallmouth bass area. The numbers have dropped off dramatically over the past 20 or so years due to a sick river. Many smallies now caught have one or more lesions on their body and others have been found with tumors of some sort. "Back in the day" it was not uncommon to catch 50 to 60 smallies on a average day. Today, a good day would be 10 to 15. No one seems to know, or care, why the numbers have dropped off so dramatically. Some blame parasites, others blame farm and industrial chemical runoff and TMI. Whatever is causing the lesions is also impacting channel catfish. Large channel cats in the 32 inch range as well as smaller cats are found with lesions as well. Love catching the smallies but I wouldn't eat any fish out of that river if I was starving.
It is a sad state of affairs when a premier waterway in the state is sick. I see the SOS (save our Susquehanna) here and there, but it does not seem to have taken hold. You would think that there would be more attention and concern. Jeez - not too long ago they had the bass master in Pittsburgh on the three rivers - go figure. The heavy metals that are in the sediment of the Mon, Ohio, and Allegheny from the steel area has be a carcinogenic sludge.
This is 100% absolutely not true. Bass is not in season from mid april to June, but you can fish for them all you want except in parts of the Susquehanna and Juanita rivers. There it explicitly states no targeting of the species during the closed season. However, you can target them all you want in the no harvest part of the season everywhere else inland, Delaware, NB of the suskie etc. There is a section on fishing for bass during this time in the rules book on what you can can not do. Even for closed species like shad in the lehigh river, you can still fish for them, but you can't keep any and that is a closed season all year(not that you will be catching many shad in the lehigh). It specifically states that in the regulations, catch and immediately release only! Same for the vast majority of species that aren't open all year. The only fish I'm not sure of is walleye, and I don't fish for them anyways. Striper season is open all year above the calhoun street bridge so unless the poster is south of there it doesn't matter.
if there is any questions you can always call the fish commission, and I know I am correct because I asked this same exact question several years ago about bass and the fish commission responded it was OK, and that's what the regulation book says as well.
Again you are 100% wrong and nobody said anything about keeping fish when not in season. I think that has been stated in every single response about not keeping fish out of season. You can target bass for example ALL YEAR.The fish commission WANTS and ALLOWS you to fish for bass especially during the spring, because that is trophy season. Ask any guide for example who targets smallies. They are licensed by the fish commission and they are 100% allowed to fish for bass in teh spring, all catch and release. Guides wouldn't have their licenses long if they were breaking the law. Maybe you personally don't agree, but your opinion frankly doesn't matter and you shouldn't be giving people the wrong info. Here are the rules from the fish commission directly. SO you can clearly see you are wrong!!! Don't be spreading wrong info. Ask the game commission. Maybe this was the case many many years ago, but it is perfectly legal now.
BTW, I had this conversation via email and in person with fish commission several times at lake Minsi when I was bass fishing, out of season, and they were stocking trout. They watched me catch several bass and were explaining to some grouchy old guy that thought what I was doing was illegal. Needless to say they told him he was wrong.
Bass-Lakes
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted
Additional regulations may apply–see Big Bass andCatch and Release Bass regulations
Jan. 1 through April 15 and Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 15 inches 4 (combined species)
April 16 through June 17 NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
June 18 through Oct. 30 12 inches 6 (combined species)
Bass-Rivers and Streams
Largemouth, smallmouth and spotted
Additional regulations may apply–see Big Bass andCatch and Release Bass regulations
Jan. 1 through April 15 and Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 15 inches 4 (combined species)
April 16 through June 17 NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
June 18 through Sept. 30 12 inches 6 (combined species)
NOTE: It is not a violation of the bass regulations if a bass is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass.
Just for example fishing in some wild trout water when trout is out of season.
NOTE: It is legal to fish for trout in Class A trout streams year-round, with no harvest beginning the day after Labor Day through the opening day of trout season the following year.
Again, trout is out of season but it is perfectly legal to target trout!
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Well you are the knucklehead because I proved you wrong right from the fish commission rules. Again, I had this conversation already and you are WRONG!!!!!!!!!!! You are just spreading false information. You think you know what you are talking about but you DON'!. You are allowed to TARGET but not keep BASS during the non harvest season. Here is another rule from the fish commission that proves you don't know what you are talking about. There are special regulation on the sections of the susquehanna where YOU CAN NOT TARGET BASS DURING THE CLOSED SEASON. those are special regulation and they CLEARLY state about NOT TARGETING BASS in this section. That is it, everywhere else is catch and immediate release, which means YOU CAN TARGET THEM! Ask any guide who is licensed by the fish commission if they can fish for bass from mid april to mid june. The answer is yes you can target them as long as you re not repeatedly casting into a spawning nest as the rule state. Tell that to all the spring time bass fisherman and fish commission officers on the lakes when this is happening that they are wrong. You'll get laughed at.
So I suggest you go learn the rules and stop spreading wrong info. YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!
Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, YorkSusquehanna River (98.0 miles) from the inflatable dam near Sunbury downstream to Holtwood Dam, including all tributaries to a point 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence.From 12:01 a.m. on May 1 through June 17:
CLOSED SEASON, NO TOURNAMENTS. During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.
Remainder of the year:
NO HARVEST—CATCH AND IMMEDIATE RELEASE ONLY; catch-measure-immediate release tournaments only.Dauphin, Juniata, PerryJuniata River (31.7 miles) from SR0075 bridge at Port Royal downstream to the mouth, including all tributaries to a point 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence.
When you are wrong you're wrong! Nice try though. You can't disprove my points from the RULES!!! A typical know it all who knows nothing! So anybody listening to this fool, just know he doesn't know what he is talking about.
What does this mean?
NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
NOTE: It is not a violation of the bass regulations if a bass is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass.
Now take note of this!
CLOSED SEASON, NO TOURNAMENTS. During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.
HMMM???? Notice the difference? Explicitly says NO TARGETING vs immediate catch and release. That is for section of the river. Like i said when you are wrong, you're wrong. Tell this to all the guides and thousand of people bass fishing in the spring. Stop spreading the wrong INFO!!!! MORON
NO HARVEST - Catch and immediate release only (no tournaments permitted)
NOTE: It is not a violation of the bass regulations if a bass is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken. It is unlawful for an angler to cast repeatedly into a clearly visible bass spawning nest or redd in an effort to catch or take bass.
Now take note of this!
CLOSED SEASON, NO TOURNAMENTS. During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.
HMMM???? Notice the difference? Explicitly says NO TARGETING vs immediate catch and release. That is for section of the river. Like i said when you are wrong, you're wrong. Tell this to all the guides and thousand of people bass fishing in the spring. Stop spreading the wrong INFO!!!! MORON
SOme more info for you directly from the fish commission. HMMMM! What does it say about limited catch and release during the mid April to mid June time frame????
With respect to harvest management, inland harvest regulations differ slightly on rivers and on lakes. Prior to 2000, a closed season existed from mid-April to mid-June, no bass fishing was permitted at that time. This period generally corresponded to the time of black bass spawning in Pennsylvania and some anglers and scientists were concerned that fishing during this period would reduce juvenile production and ultimately adult bass density. Currently, there is no field study that conclusively indicates that catch and release fishing during the spawning period subsequently reduces density of adult bass at the population level (Hanson et al. 2008). Many other fish species are pursued in Pennsylvania waters from mid-April to mid-June, black bass can be inadvertently or intentionally caught at that time. Recognizing that black bass capture would inevitably take place from mid-April to mid-June, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission accommodated limited catch and immediate release bass fishing at that time, however additional harvest restrictions were put in place in conjunction with the change. Specifically greater harvest restrictions were put in place during cold weather periods. Greater harvest restrictions were designed to ameliorate catch-and-release loss that was expected to occur in conjunction with catch-and-release fishing from mid-April to mid-June. Making up for loss required that a cool weather harvest restriction yield sufficient saving of adult black bass to effectively make up for catch-and-release losses. On lakes it was expected that harvest restrictions during cool weather and during ice fishing periods would yield sufficient saving if restrictions began in November. On rivers, surveys showed limited black bass fishing after November, thus few bass would be “saved” after November. This finding indicated that it was necessary to apply restrictions to rivers beginning in October so that sufficient numbers of bass were preserved to make up for anticipated catch and release loss. For lakes, application of restrictions in November was deemed sufficient to make up for losses. Thus, the 12 inch minimum size limit and 6 bass creel limit was applied from mid-June through September on rivers and through October on lakes. (Tip: to remember the last month of the “regular” bass season for inland waters, the “S” in September can be thought of as symbolizing a river or stream and the “O” in October can be thought of as symbolizing a lake). Harvest restrictions in the cold weather period included a 15 inch minimum size limit and 4 fish creel limit, which extends through the following year to mid-April. The restricted catch and release period from mid-April to mid-June requires immediate release of all bass caught, forbids anglers from repeatedly casting into a clearly visible bass spawning nest, and does not permit bass tournaments.
Here's the entire link for you.
http://fishandboat.com/pafish/bass_black/00bass_overview.htm
Read the post from the fish commission. You have ZERO idea what you are talking about.
" Many other fish species are pursued in Pennsylvania waters from mid-April to mid-June, black bass can be inadvertently or intentionally caught at that time. Recognizing that black bass capture would inevitably take place from mid-April to mid-June, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission accommodated limited catch and immediate release bass fishing at that time, however additional harvest restrictions were put in place in conjunction with the change."
So what does that say? That is RIGHT WHEN THE SEASON IS NO HARVEST!!!!!! That means you can FISH FOR THEM during the no harvest part of the season!!!!! Geez, learn the rules already. I'll freely admit when I am wrong, but you are DEAD wrong on this issue. I showed you the rules 10 times already and you don't believe them and are making your own rules up. You are WRONG on this issue and you're giving out bad info!
Did you read anything I posted? Did you read the article from the fish commission? What did it say?
It is only no targeting during the NON HARVEST SEASON on sections of the susquehanna. They changed the laws so you CAN TARGET BASS from mid april to mid june. Read the damn links i sent. It's says it clear as day. Again, I had this conversation with the fish commission, the rules are black and white, I gave you the history and you still are dismissing it. You are wrong on this!
from the fish commission AGAIN!
" Many other fish species are pursued in Pennsylvania waters from mid-April to mid-June, black bass can be inadvertently or intentionally caught at that time. Recognizing that black bass capture would inevitably take place from mid-April to mid-June, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission accommodated limited catch and immediate release bass fishing at that time, however additional harvest restrictions were put in place in conjunction with the change."
accomodated means they allow for bass fishing during this time but it is catch and release only. This is no harvest season for bass! Show me where it says you CAN NOT TARGET BASS at this time. I showed you where it says that on the susquehanna. Admit you are wrong because you are. You are making up your own rules. These are the rules and info right off the fish commission site.
Once again that ONLY APPLIES TO PORTIONS of the Susquehanna river. You aren't reading the rules. I explicitly stated that is the only place you CAN'T target bass during the closed season. Everywhere else it is catch and release during this time. You aren't reading any of the rules. Again, I posted that to show you where it says you CAN'T target and that rule only applies on one section of the river. The rules for every other river and inland lake is catch and release!
§ 61.1. Commonwealth inland waters.
(a) It is unlawful to take, catch, kill or possess fish except during the seasons specified in this section. It is not a violation of this section if a fish caught out of season from water where fishing for other species is lawful is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken......
As opposed to
Closed Season & "No Targeting" iwhich is a subjective matter to the PFBC Officer abd is "hair thin" and will be walking away with a citation.
(a) It is unlawful to take, catch, kill or possess fish except during the seasons specified in this section. It is not a violation of this section if a fish caught out of season from water where fishing for other species is lawful is immediately returned unharmed to the waters from which it was taken......
As opposed to
Closed Season & "No Targeting" iwhich is a subjective matter to the PFBC Officer abd is "hair thin" and will be walking away with a citation.
What part don't you understand. Read the entire section!!!!! That only applies BELOW Sunbury on the susquehanna river. You can't read. You are taking one specific rule for a certain part of the river and applying it everywhere. That is no correct! The rules are as plain as day. Here is is again.
Cumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Northumberland, Perry, Snyder, YorkSusquehanna River (98.0 miles) from the inflatable dam near Sunbury downstream to Holtwood Dam, including all tributaries to a point 1/2 mile upstream from the confluence.From 12:01 a.m. on May 1 through June 17:
CLOSED SEASON, NO TOURNAMENTS. During the closed season, it is unlawful to target or attempt to catch a bass. A bass that is accidentally caught during the closed season must be immediately released unharmed without being removed from the water. It is unlawful to possess bass in, on or along these waters.
That only applies below Sunbury. The rules everywhere else are catch an release only during mid april to mid june.
Here's another article explaining the rules.
"Keystone State regulations allow for bass fishing year ’round with special regulations for specific waters. At most waters, bass fishing is strictly catch-and-release for the first few weeks after smallmouths start hitting in the spring, but there are opportunities to catch the smallmouth of a lifetime during this peak period for trophy fishing."
http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/fishing_bass-fishing_pa_0306_02/
This is the spring, hmmm mid april to June???? right during the closed season. So every other fisherman, guide, magazine is wrong and you are right. Not to mention the fish commission who told me I am right many times.
Stop spreading the wrong info to everyone!
I'm not even sure why this is continuing. The rules are in the book and you can contact the fish commission as well. Only on portion of the susquehanna river below sunbury, you can't target bass. Every else is catch and release during the no harvest spring. It's right in the rules book. I don't know why he won't accept the fact, but all he is doing is giving out wrong information.
So you, I, thousands of other bass fisherman, guides and the fish commission itself are wrong and he is right. Yeah, that makes perfect sense. I think there is a lack of reading comprehension. He is fixated on the rules that applies to sections of the river and applying it everywhere. That's like reading 1+1=3 in a book and then saying that is correct, even though it's wrong.
All he is doing is giving out incorrect info to everyone.
I can't even tell you how many times I have run into the fish commission at Nockamixon, minsi, leaser lake(years ago before it was drained and just recently reopened). From april to june, everyone on those lakes are bass fishing and the fish commission is there all the time. The only thing they are checking is that you are releasing bass, because you are allowed catch and release during this time. Anybody can ask an officer directly or email/call them and get the info directly from them if you don't believe the regulation book.
BTW, I just got off the phone with the northeast division of the PA fish commission and THEY CONFIRMED you can target BASS all year, even during the no harvest season, as long as you are not throwing repeatedly into their beds. I asked, if I go to harris pond in May(which is right next to their NE HQ) and specifically target bass, that is legal. The answer is YES!!!!!!!!! Here is there number if you want to call them and verify my results with them. . 570-477-5717
Like I said and they repeated this, the only place in the immediate area you CAN NOT TARGET bass is on the susqueahanna river below Sunbury during the no harvest season. Everything else is catch and release during the no harvest season. LEARN THE RULES!!!!!!!!!!! Stop spreading wrong information to people.
I am a law abiding sportsman, but I am also a magnet for PGC, PFBC, and MD DNR officers when out in the field, lake, or river. Never been cited. I would have had my licensed permanently revoked by now if what he said was true.
(I think this thread is continuing because we are all itching to get out on the water!) It's all good!
Although this really is stupid, you see lot's of these people around who think they know what they are talking about and don't. Not just in regards to fishing, but I see a lot of bad advice on these boards. I usually keep out of that, but fishing is one my main hobbies and I consider myself a very respectful outdoors man who follows the law. SO I get a little angry when someone is clearly giving out the wrong information to people. I've run into so many people who think they know the rules and regulations and they flat out don't. You have people who either are too stupid to know the laws and just ignore them, and then you have those who think they are god's gift to fishing and want to lecture people on what they think should be done. I think the poster falls into the second category. Then for this guy to keep insisting he is right, is just flat out stupid. I'm sure there are golf people like this as well. Anyways, it's always good to smack someone down and put them in their place. I just find it amazing how stubborn people are when they are clearly wrong.
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I am a law abiding sportsman, but I am also a magnet for PGC, PFBC, and MD DNR officers when out in the field, lake, or river. Never been cited. I would have had my licensed permanently revoked by now if what he said was true.
(I think this thread is continuing because we are all itching to get out on the water!) It's all good!
100% right. It does bother me though when people are lecturing others and they are wrong. If he were right, I probably would have been fined thousands of dollars already for how many times I've been stopped by the fish commission fishing for bass in the spring. BTW, I'm going out on Saturday to the NB of the susquehanna lol.
I hear ya. I fish once or twice a year so it is good to be educated on topics like this.
