Trout Season Opens Saturday, Tips to Catch a Fish

Trout season starts at 8 a.m. Saturday, but if you’re not there before then, the good spots will be taken.

On Wednesday, volunteers dumped buckets of trout into the Borough Dam at Chapman Park for Doylestown’s Youth Fishing Program.

On opening day, youth aged 16 and under are cast their lines and catch fish for free.

It’s a community fishing tradition that goes back so far no one really knows when it started. Mike Satchel, owner of Mt. Lake Pool & Patio, used to fish their when he was a kid. But by the early 1990s, the pond had been so full of silt the Borough was going to pave it over.

Satchel came to the rescue and raised enough money to start this program.

"It's the greatest thing you'll ever see, he said. "Casting stars a 8 a.m. and by 9 they will catch 400 fish."

The childen get a keepsake "license" for the event, and everyone who catches a fish gets a plaque; volunteers clean the fish and even teach the children how to cook them, Satchel said. Trout range in size from 8 to 24 inches.

The program is also in need of volunteers and donations. For more information, please email info@kidsfishdoylestown.org.

For everyone else fishing in streams, you need a real license. And if you really love fishing, you get a multiple-year license. Check with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Here are some fishing tips from the state:

Trout (Brook, Brown, Rainbow) Fishing Tips

WHERE

Habitat -- Cold clear lakes and streams, and some rivers

HOW

Bait -- Minnows, worms, salmon eggs, corn, cheese, prepared baits fished on light wire hook drifted on the bottom

Lures -- Spinners and small crankbaits

Line -- 2-8 lb. test

Hook Size -- 6-14

Lure Size -- 1/32 to 1/8 oz.

WHEN

Spring -- Mid-day

Summer -- Early morning, Early evening