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Lake Erie Charter Captain Dave Adams of D & D Charters answers questions and provides tips and insights into fishing the region.
If you would like to Ask the Captain a question, please click HERE.
April 1, 2002
Quite often, professional anglers and outdoor writers are asked questions. Some are easy, such as: "What color spoon should I use." Occasionally, though, some are incredibly hard to answer.
Recently, a Pennsylvania angler, Brad Wright, emailed this question to me: "Where do you think the U.S. fisheries will be in the next fifty years with respect to population of fish, ecology, conservation, ect.? Also, what do you think the role of fishing, as a whole, will be in the U.S. in fifty years?"
Not only is this of the toughest ever asked of me, but also it really got me thinking. What does the future hold, not only for the U.S. fisheries, but also here in Pennsylvania?
According to the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission the future of fishing in Pennsylvania is at a crossroads.
With that and before we look fifty years ahead, let's look back to the year 1866. It was at a convention held in Harrisburg to investigate pollution, bad conditions existing in mountain lakes and streams, and the stopping of spring shad runs by dams, which resulted in Governor Andrew G. Curtin signing the law that named James Worrall Pennsylvania's first Commissioner of Fisheries.
Then, in 1922, the first resident fishing license was sold at a cost of $1. For the first time the Commission became self-supporting; a total of $207,425.53 was the first year's income for licenses sold to all citizens over 21 years of age.
Ecology and conservation is important to the Commission too. For example, in October 1961, more than 116,280 fish were killed in the Susquehanna River. The Commission accepted a $45,000 voluntary contribution from the Glen Alden Mining Corporation - at that time it was the largest settlement to date ever to be made in the United States for fish killed by pollution.
Is this agency only concerned about fish? No. Considering that in 1972, and during Hurricane Agnes, Fish Commission personnel, using patrol boats, aided stricken residents throughout the Commonwealth. They received special citations from Governor Milton J. Shapp.
These are only a few examples of a successful independent agency. Still, this is all quite amazing considering that the Fish and Boat Commission is an organization comprised of only 438 permanent, salaried positions and about 130-150 temporary seasonal positions. I don't even want to begin to calculate the amount of waterways, parks, and projects that the are responsible for, but their major functions include fisheries, boating, property and facilities management (including engineering), environmental services, law enforcement, education and information, and administrative services.
Only such highly dedicated personnel can do such an enormous task. And only eight men have led this independent agency and that group of special people since it was first established in 1866. Currently this man is Peter A. Colangelo.
Mr. Colangelo, who was sworn in as Executive Director on October 3, 1994, came to the Commission from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District. Before his retirement from federal service in September 1994, Pete served 34 years with the Corps, 20 of which he served as Chief of the Natural Resource Management Branch. While there, his responsibilities included supervision of more than 150 permanent and 100 temporary employees; management of an $18 million budget; supervision of 16 flood control dams in five states; and management of the Corps recreation and natural resources for 16 million recreational visits per year.
An agency with such a proud and successful history that is being led by a man with these credentials needs to make no excuses, nor should they be denied any support from the Pennsylvania angler; or for that matter, from any elected official.
Those elected officials should also remember that each year, nearly 2 million people, including about 600,000 children, go fishing in Pennsylvania. Fishing annually generates about $1.3 billion in economic impact for Pennsylvania, supports nearly 17,000 jobs, and contributes more than $50 million to the state's General Fund in state sales and income taxes.
The PF&BC says it faces fiscal challenges in funding the programs that anglers expect, as well as addressing a mounting backlog of project needs at infrastructure such as dams, public access areas and hatcheries. In addition, water quantity and quality issues at Commonwealth fish hatcheries have necessitated changes in adult trout stocking (the agency's flagship program).
Within all of us is a desire to save that special moment, be it the trout rising to the fly or the sunfish your child just caught. Fifty years from now the population of fish, the ecology, the conservation of resources, and many more special moments will be there - providing that the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission and its leaders remain in place. And providing they have the necessary means to do that.
I'm willing to pay any amount (including a license increase) and do anything that I can, in hope that the fisheries that I now enjoy are there in fifty years. And still being managed by someone I trust - the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.
How about you?
Good fishing,
Capt. Dave Adams
Dave Adams is an author and professional charter captain who operates D & D Charters on the Pennsylvania waters of Lake Erie.
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