Following the Fish Stocking truck?

[jjf]

Maybe it just me but I think it is pathetic to be following the fish stocking truck when they pour the fish into the water. While visiting a trout fish hatchery this winter the guide was telling me that they have had guys literally following the truck the day the drop the fish off. I know we all fish for different reasons but come on...Does anyone actually do this

[susquayuga fisher]

The only possible exception might be a Dad with his youngster, but the fishing lesson learned would be overshadowed by the ethical issue....

[AD]

We tend to see the same retired folks follow our stocking trucks around, some on a daily basis when we really get into the stocking.    They will wait for us to leave the hatchery and pull out behind us, doesnt matter how far we are going, even up to three hours away, they follow us.      Some of them just dont have much else to do, and just like to watch the fish go out, which is fine.   But others are already out of the vehicles with rod and reel in hand before we can get the first netfull out and then they just end up getting in the way.      Sure the fish being stocked are there for everyone to catch, we all hopefully bought a license (and in some places a trout stamp) your money helped pay for those fish, but they will be there five minutes later, and days later even, they have fins they will swim and spread out.   
     Give the guys some room to get the fish out and off the trucks and into the streams, rivers and lakes.   

[JimP]

Personally, I never saw the point of it. I never cared much for the taste of freshly released trout myself. Once they've been in a particular lake for a while, I might care to eat a couple, now and then. Here in VT, many of the fish stocked aren't of a size to interest me anyway, quite frankly. For me at least, I think I'd be quite embarrassed to be seen following the hatchery truck! Good Lord!    -Jim

[big big rdg]

I call them the trout rats, the ones who are there everyday taking their limit or more and using too many lines in many cases. Not my kind of fisherman.

[jjf]

OK, I'm glad it is not just me.  It might be fun with the kids to see all the fished released but I could never follow the truck with the intent to fish as the empty them into the water.  

Tight lines

[adkRoy]

There is a group of my students whose fathers do this. Every year they get together, got to the local hatchery to find out what is being stocked where, and will be there waiting for the truck to arrive. My students don't see anything wrong with this (besides the fact their all special ed.) because their fathers taught them that this is ok. They've even shown me pictures of their catches.  I told them they might as well have gone to the supermarket and buy the fish.

[reelbigfish]

  Trout only need to be 10" to keep here in Mi.  I tried to eat some smaller freshly stocked bows I caught fishing with my daughter one time cause she wanted to eat the fish she had caught.  The hatchery had been feeding them dry dog food with a high
liver content.  That's all I could taste was liver.    Yuck.  Liver tastes so gross.

[jdjyoung]

 I love following the trout truck!.................... To help them stock! You guys don't realize what a job it is until you start carrying them five gallon buckets a couple hundred yards to the creek. After a while, they start getting pretty heavy! Nice to have fresh arms there to help out.

  So next time you see a stocking truck, forget your pole, just bring yourself!  And if you want to teach your kid a thing or two, bring him/her with, They'll have just as much fun without their poles as they would with them

 come on 4/1

 Jd

[Buckski]

Man it needs to be done with some secracy, I know guys who have stocked their ponds with breeders.
The guys dropping them off them tell their friends and these so called sportsmen catch a limit of big fish and throw them into their own pond.
One guy had more money than most and could afford to stock his own pond.
REAL SPORTSMEN!

[walleyechaser]

Thankfully here in Michigan most of the fish that get stocked are fingerlings.  I couldn't imagine doing that unless I wanted to show my kids the fish.   Good to hear people like to help maintain the fishery.  What better way to destroy it than by catching the fish as soon as they are dumped in the lake.

[MickeyFinn]

It's my biggest pet peave...One of my areas most popular stream runs right through my backyard.. Every year in the middle of april I watch the truck pull up drop 500  8-10 inchers in at the bridge down the road and watch the vehicles pull in right after them.. I would have to say 300 of the fish stocked are caught in a weeks time..Then 3 weeks later they come and throw in 300 14 - 18 inchers..With the same scenerio happening right after.. I can not figure out why the fish are not stocked  before the season opens to let them spread out.. Last year though I expeienced some great fishing all season because right after they stocked the creek it poured rain for a week pushing the fish all over the place, all the bridge fisherman said the fishing stunk partly because they were to lazy to walk more than 200 yards away from the bridge.. Following the trucks around to me seems like fishing out of a 50 gallon barrel where is the sport in that..

[MXFisher]

Happens all the time in the oatka near my house. I was watching them stock one year and there we guys on the other side of the creek fishing!!! There was a class of 3rd or 4th graders helping with the stocking and about 10 guys on the other side catching the fish, most were keeping them!!!! The fish were in the water less than 1/2 hour. Worst part is a couple of them had there kids with them so you know what those kids ar being taught, how not to be a sportsman. Guess that why they had to put a slot limit on the fish there. 2 over 12 a day and 3 under 12 for a total of 5.

Last year around opening day I was fishing near a bridge on the same creek. I saw a guy pull up and take fish from a few people who had them in buckets. After 2 pick ups, I made my way up there and asked what they were doing. Turns out the guy they were giving them to was stocking his pond, and he's a local cop. I know for a fact he was in possision of more than his limit at least twice that day, but he would drive to his pond stock it and come back to see his nephews who were catching them for him. I hope I don't see it this year, I would have to make the call.


656

[jjf]

I love following the trout truck!.................... To help them stock! You guys don't realize what a job it is until you start carrying them five gallon buckets a couple hundred yards to the creek. After a while, they start getting pretty heavy! Nice to have fresh arms there to help out.

  So next time you see a stocking truck, forget your pole, just bring yourself!  And if you want to teach your kid a thing or two, bring him/her with, They'll have just as much fun without their poles as they would with them

 come on 4/1

 Jd

Great point JD,
I spoke with another fish hatchery and the guy was explaining to me all the recruiting they have to do to get a helping hand(students & prison inmates). It sounded like  there were short staffed for the stocking. Or just short staffed in general. I don't mind the idea of helping those DEC guys out but i will certainly not bring a pole

[MikeVT]

The same nonsense happens in my area also.  The only good part about it is once the fish get a little smarter, those dopes can't catch anymore and they stay home.  I usually try to fish before they stock so I can hit the brook trout.  Any rainbow I catch under 15 inches is usually a fresh stockie and it goes back.