This is a good idea, horribly executed!
As already pointed out, we have "same stream, different seasons" issues which may cause enforcement difficulties. 'Honest, I didn't realize the county line was through here.' Time, education, and enforcement will settle some of this, IF we assume that all are willing to learn and obey.
I live in Juniata County. We are included in the early season. This seemed strange and unwise. When I spoke with the Fish Commission Regional office, I asked how the lines were determined. It was based on average temperatures and the final lines so determined were adjusted to match county lines. Now, a couple of things come to bear here.---
For example: East Licking Creek runs along the Northwest border, in Juniata County. All of the section (a good number of miles) above the reservoir in in the forest. It stays cooler, and fishes longer than the lower sections eventually running into the Tuscarora Creek at Port Royal. The temperature lines are outside air temperature lines. The typical water temperature and terrain and such seems to have not been considered. Other streams in this and some in Perry County to our south have this characteristic.
In the upper reaches of Licking Creek there is a section called the project. It is 'artificial lure, delayed harvest'. This one small section out of 30-40 miles was set aside for those of us who fly fish and release all. HOWEVER, it is not uncommon to find cheaters there after the early stocking and before the otherwise regular season starts. When approached, they all feign stupidity about the regs and usually leave the area. Now that the season starts 2 weeks early as compared to Mifflin County, to our North, we will have to endure double the population of fishers on this small stream. Some take their 5 fish limit, and return later for another 5, some bait fish the restricted water. Most are just folks out having a nice day fishing. We have an enforcement problem and a cultural one. This new double opening day severly aggravates these problems.
Perhaps the Fish commision should just open state fish markets -- IMHO the concept of starting the season early for SE counties due to the too warm temperatures there in the latter part of the season was a good concept. The execution part of the plan appears to be based on simplistic generalizations and county boundaries instead of stream qualities, and was poorly thought out.
