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The recent cold snap in our area was bound to start icing over popular ice fishing locales.
But officials with the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission are urging caution.
“We are fortunate that fishing and boating are year-round activities in Pennsylvania, even in the winter months," William Gibney, PFBC board president said during this week's meeting. "But whether you're enjoying ice fishing on your local lake, seeking out steelhead on the tributaries of Lake Erie, or running your bass boats up and down the river when it’s not frozen, please keep safety first.
"If you're active on the water and ice this winter, be mindful of changing weather conditions, check for adequate ice thickness, never go ice fishing alone and always wear your life jacket.”
Looking ahead to the spring, Executive Director Tim Schaeffer said that the commission is already laying the foundation for pre-season trout stocking in advance of an April 6 opening day.
He said the stocking schedules will go live on the PFBC website during the first week of February.
The commission plans to stock approximately 3.2 million adult trout throughout the season which, they say, is
"consistent with the number of fish stocked over the past decade."
"Commissioners voted to give final approval to regulations pertaining to horsepower restrictions and electric boat motors," according to a statement from the Commission.
Current regulations limit boat propulsion to electric motors only on PFBC owned or controlled lakes, some State Park lakes, and waterbodies specified in" a portion of the state code, which, in Warren County, includes portions of the Allegheny Reservoir.
The change was made due to advancements in technology that "have resulted in electric motors capable of very high horsepower and speed similar to gas-powered internal combustion engines."