Many refer to “the good ole’ days,” when life was much better.
Some argue that the past offered people a better quality of living. Others, particularly fish, would disagree.
Shad, striped bass, muskellunge, walleye, bass, trout, and many other fish would, in fact, argue that fishing has never been better than today, where people can and do catch a trophy. Through conservation and intense resource management, many fisheries have been revived, while many more have been introduced, and nearly all have thrived.
“In a lot of cases, we’ve fixed what man once broke,” according to Dan Tredinnick of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Tredinnick said that the Delaware River was a prime example of man nearly destroying fisheries.
“There was a pollution block on the Delaware in Philadelphia,” Tredinnick said. “The fish (particularly shad and striped bass) would hit the pollution block and could not go any further.”
This pollution block resulted in the shad run being nearly decimated and striped bass not living in the Delaware. Twenty years later, the shad run is better than ever and anglers are regularly breaking the record for striped bass in the river. Striped bass are as far upriver as Port Jervis, New York.
Tredinnick also cited the Lehigh river shad, which had been eliminated because of the damn built at the mouth of the Delaware, which prevented their passage back to their natural spawning grounds. After 100 years, shad are now running back up the Lehigh because of the fish ladders which allow their passage around the damn.
Today, waters are primarily clean and clear, producing large, trophy fish. “Two-thirds of the Pennsylvania state trophy fish have been taken in the past ten years,” Tredinnick said when asked about the larger size fish today.
“Fishing has never been better,” according to Bob Soldwedel, former Chief of New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Fish, Game & Wildlife’s Bureau of Freshwater Fisheries. “There are more fish and the fish are bigger.”
Soldwedel says that there are subtle examples of improved fishing everywhere. In New Jersey, fish such as the hybrid striped bass, northern pike, tiger muskellunge, muskellunge, lake trout and channel catfish are now resident. Thirty years ago, these fish did not live in any waters in the state.
Soldwedel also cites the newly-constructed reservoirs, including Round Valley, Spruce Run and Merrill Creek Reservoirs, which harbor blue-ribbon fishing. These reservoirs, which now offer some of the best fishing, particularly for trout, that the state has to offer, were not present thirty years ago.
While fishing quality has improved over the years, one may think that the opportunities have dwindled. This, in fact, is not true, with there now being more fishing access than ever, according to Soldwedel. The states own more land and have provided public access with their land purchases.
Fishing Numbers Continue To Drop
Some may even argue that although there are now more fish, bigger fish, and more access, the number of people have increased. According to Soldwedel, this is also not true. In fact, there has been a nationwide decline of one percent per year of anglers purchasing licenses.
“License purchases have declined for the past five years,” according to Soldwedel. In fact, the number of anglers on the water have decreased nationally five percent over the past five years.
The Best Fishing Opportunities Are Now
The good ole’ days of fishing are now. Fishing has never been better, with more fish, bigger fish and a larger variety of fish being available to the recreational angler. With less competition on the water, there is not a reason for anglers to stay home – so go fish.
