Your original thread title was "stupid waste of money"....????....

I can only speak for myself, but I like to catch Hatchery rainbows & eat them. my kids do, too.
It get's pretty boring for fishermen in DFW in january/february
real cold, too. typically water temps become unsustainable for trout in late april/ early may, but if you look at the stocking #'s by water body, one can ascertain that those trout are long gone by then.
I'll continue paying for them, so what's the big deal?

Texas does some trading as well with other states. I believe we get our trout from Arkansas, and give them catfish or something or other. At least that's the way it was done years ago. (I have friends in low places)

The cities actually fund part of the purchase in order to hold " kid fishing events". It's an awesome opportunity to get a kid hooked on fishing, trust me, I take a bunch of kids every year and help their parents understand how easy and cheap it is to fish for trout.

I see it now, and it wasn't my doing. I titled the thread, "Why Does Texas Stock Rainbow Trout?". That's still what shows in the forum list. I've learned something else- how to change thread titles in replies.

If the aim is to have easy to catch fish in the winter that will die by spring, well, the program is a success. Letting people noodle out the back of the truck would be more efficient.

I was a contractor for parks and wildlife for years and I worked all over the State of Texas and talked to alot of head rangers at the parks. They stock the lakes alot of times for fishing day to get kids to come out to the parks for fishing, Like a family day or days. I think its to get the younger kids intrested in fishing may for the first time. In Corpus Christi state park they net off an area for just that reason and after the week is over they pull the nets and let the trout into the lake where you can catch them for a week or two before they die. Also I am sure at that time bigger fish feed on them like big black bass and catfish.
Parks and wildlife has a ton of fish hatcheries all over the state and they grow all kinds of fish in them. Stocking trout is safe for the lake because they will die off and not harm the other fish or habitat.

The fact that some of you do not like the trout stocking program does not make it stupid - only controversial. I for one enjoy catching the trout, and it gives the bank fishermen and kids something to catch in winter that is larger than a sunfish.

The other fish used for the neighborhood fishing program is the channel catfish in the summertime. It has many of the same advantages.

My advice is if you do not like the neighborhood fishing program don't go. Do something you like instead and let the rest of us enjoy it.

The reason I said "stupid" is because of the title "stupid waste of money." The trout offer opportunities to get kids and adults involved in a sport they may not have the chance to participate in otherwise. Much of the funding comes from private dollars (see TTBC). If those private dollars want to support this cause, more power to them. Trout are readily available and thrive during a time of year when many folks would not be out. Trout in winter, catfish in summer. Keep the kids interested year round. Great program, imo.

100%!!!!

STUPID is the state protecting cormorants!:-) (Sorry)

With that I agree 100%. Unfortunately, the Feds are the ones protecting them. We as a state just stay in line with the feds so our funding keeps coming.

I wonder how/why Michigan was given permission to control cormorants?

Because the Michigan DNR was able to provide factual data proving a decline in fisheries due to Cormorants. TPWD has not been able to do this. There are 23 states in the U.S. with relaxed Cormorant Control policies endorsed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We aren't one of them.

I think I see more cormorants than bloody starlings.

But do they eat the trout?

Isn't it kind of a dupe? These kids think catching fish is as easy as putting fish food pellets on a hook, and its a fish per cast. A rainbow trout at that. What happens in the spring when these little CFLs have no more trout?

Daddy?
Yes, little Johnny.
How come we aren't catching any trout?
Well, because the state didn't put any trout in here.
Oh.
Do you understand that, little Johnny?
Yes, daddy. Fish come from the government.

When the trout die off, just change to bluegill and you will still catch fish all day long.

Most of them are full of bream and catfish. At least the ones where I have lived.