Creel Count Monday, July 6th, 2015

Creel Count is a weekly digest of fishing numbers all across the country.

19 percent

For the first time since 2004, the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Commission (TWRC) will be increasing hunting and fishing licenses by 19%. The increase is in response to the increase in the cost of doing business. The TWRC relies almost entirely on license revenue for its operating budget. [WBIR]

124.15 pounds

The 3rd Annual Offshore Rodeo Fishing Tournament in Florida delivers again. An angler reeled in a potential world record black grouper that weighed in at 124.15 pounds and measured 57 inches with a girth of 48 inches. [WTSP]

300,000 fish

Think trout is the only fish species stocked in Pennsylvania? The Union City State Fish Hatchery in Erie County, Pennsylvania specializes in breeding warm-water species and it is the only hatchery in the state that is spawning northern pike and tiger muskie. This year they will raise 300,000 fish and not one of them is a trout. [GO ERIE]

$50,000 dollars

Save Our Susquehanna, a campaign to fund conservation projects along the Susquehanna River, was launched by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). The river, and particularly the smallmouth bass population, has been in decline for several years related to water quality issues. The PFBC has pledged matching funds of $50,000 for the campaign and will also give excess fishing license revenues to the program. [PENNLIVE]

20,000 dead

An estimated 20,000 (potentially 100,000) fished died related to contaminated water in the Conewago Creek in Adams County, Pennsylvania. Runoff from fire suppression activities in response to a fire at the Miller Chemical and Fertilizer plant was likely to blame. Officials from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said it may be several weeks until water quality returns to normal. [ABC27]