CrowMan

Very nice fish ! A Chain Pickerel is one of my bucket list fish. Yeah, the Striper fishery is amazing out there. We did a summer road trip out to NB a few years back and fished for them in the ocean...they fight like super-size Largemouth...gill rattling head shakes on the surface ! It's a quicker drive than going to say Thunder Bay...but the food is so much better...Lobster, Oysters, Mussels, Clams.. I know the Smallmouth for the most part are considered an invasive species out there (competing with their precious Atlantic Salmon), so I assume there is no season and those were pre-spawn ?

Yeah, the Brits are an odd bunch when it comes to fishing. In "Match Fishing", which is kind of the equivalent of a Bass Tournament (except much smaller fish), they catch as many "minnows" as they can and whoever has the biggest total weight wins..The top "anglers" of these tiny fish are treated like celebrities. Not knocking the British (I was born there myself), but I guess you got to work with what you have..

Like I said, unless you counted the pores on the lower mandible, it's difficult to confirm one way or another. I'm certainly no expert in fish ID...however, two things have me thinking its a Pike, and not a cross. Google "juvenile Northern Pike images"...all kinds of examples with that exact colour pattern. I've caught many myself with that colouration in lakes that the nearest Musky was more than 200 km away. Second, I had a cottage on Wahsoune Island right in the middle of Massassauga PP for several years. Never saw a Tiger, never heard of one....but I did catch young Pike that looked exactly like that. I may be wrong, but for whatever reason Pike and Musky just don't seem to hybridize in Georgian Bay. Although not always the case, Tigers (and pure Muskies) typically have darker stripes on a lighter background. In the Kawarthas you will see olive coloured Tigers, but its a dark stripe on light. The photo is a typical mature Tiger (49") from NW Ontario's Eagle Lake this past September....big head, rounded fins...Tiger traits vs Musky. If you want confirmation, find Gord Pyzer on Facebook. Gord knows his toothy critters.

Looks like a Fallfish to me. They can get up to 12". When I was a kid, and learning to fly fish, I used to catch them in a local creek. They readily take dry flies and put up quite an acrobatic fight. Never tried eating one...but you'd need a bunch for a decent meal..

Food looks awesome ! What lodge is it ?

Looks like a juvenile Northern Pike to me. They often have that colour pattern when young. You can count the "pores" on the underside of the jaw to be sure. Does the water you're fishing have both species ?

"Battery Management System". It's an electronic system built in to the battery that monitors voltage, current, and temperature. It prevents overcharging or short circuits, etc. Keeps the battery from blowing up on you and ensures that you get the best longevity. ..makes it kind of "idiot proof". Even the most basic of lithiums should have it... Check the specs on your charger vs the charging requirements of your battery...you might be OK

Also, I find a Bluetooth monitor very useful. You can quickly check the status of your battery from your phone. Not sure if your battery has it built-in, but you can add it on for $30

Yes, dont trickle charge lithiums...the faster you charge them, the longer they last. If you don't have a lithium specific charger, the battery will only charge to 60% or so of capacity. Lithiums need a higher voltage to fully charge. Assuming your lithium has a BMS built-in...it should automatically monitor and prevent over-charging, over discharging, and charging at sub-zero temps.

Very cool ! Excuse the pun... It seems to me that folks love their minnows in NW Ontario. Last September we stayed for 10 days at Temple Bay on Eagle Lake. They include 2 dozen minnows per person per day with your accommodation. We definitely used them....if you wanted to, it was easy to bring a couple of dozen Walleye to the boat before lunch. Shore lunch was never a problem. Most of the time, however, we were more interested in chasing larger toothy critters. One morning, my buddy and I decided to conduct an experiment. He fished with a plain jighead and live minnow, I used the same jighead but with a 3.3" Keitech soft plastic swimbait. I matched him Walleye for Walleye, and in fact the plastic landed more fish. I think because the live minnows were easier for the fish to "steal" and strip off the hook...even though we were using the through the mouth/gill then through the tail method of hooking them on the jig. After a while, we switched it up...just to make sure it wasn't the "operator" that was making the difference...same results. After that we donated our daily allotment of bait to some fellas from Wisconsin, although in hindsight considering the price of Keitech's (and how easily they get chewed up) it may not have been the most economical move.. Now this was September, and the fish were very active...in colder water when they're more sluggish, I definitely agree that live bait can make a difference.

https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/overfishing-walleye-in-northern-ont-leads-to-5-5k-in-fines-1.6899422

I suspect the system is set up that way...just another way to dig into your wallet.

If you go to the website that is listed on the back of the Boater Card, it lists a link for lost or replacement cards that takes you here: https://ilostmycard.com/ Not sure if you tried that. In the last 20 years, I've been pulled over by the OPP on the water probably over a dozen times. Never once, did they ask me for any paperwork including the Boater Card. It's always been a "safety check"...enough life jackets on- board, working flashlight, sound-making device, etc..It's always in my wallet, but they never ask...which I find odd, because if you're pulled over on the road for whatever reason the first thing they ask for is license and registration. Perhaps, it has something to do with "probable cause"....they can only ask if they believe an offence has been committed. Just like at a RIDE spot-check, if they don't suspect you've been drinking, they just let you pass through with out asking for your license.

This discussion takes me back to the musings of my first year Philosophy & Ethics prof.. I think every living creature "experiences pain"...defined as some kind of physical reaction to a force or condition that does harm to the organism. It's a survival mechanism. But that's different than "feeling pain". As Descartes stated some 400 years ago..."Cogito, Ergo Sum"...I think, therefore I am. Only humans are sentient beings that can "suffer from pain"...and although I often think otherwise, it also excludes my beloved dog.

In Germany and Switzerland "catch & release" fishing has been banned for some time now. You can still catch a fish and eat it, but C & R is considered "torturing an animal for your own personal amusement". Obviously Bass Tournaments aren't a thing there... "In Switzerland and Germany, catch and release fishing is considered inhumane and is now banned.[5] In Germany, the Animal Welfare Act states that "no-one may cause an animal pain, suffering or harm without good reason".[6] This leaves no legal basis for catch and release due to its argued inherent lack of "good reason", and thus personal fishing is solely allowed for immediate food consumption. Additionally, it is against the law to release fish back into the water if they are above minimum size requirements and aren't a protected species or in closed season."

I can imagine they were fine eating. Those Quebec Reds are definitely on my bucket list. My son, an Environmental Engineer, worked at the Mary River mine on Baffin Island for a few years. He would come home twice a month and always brought back fresh and smoked wild Arctic Char...damn, one of the tastiest fish that swims. I've also bought Arctic Char from my local grocery store or fish monger, but apparently it's farm raised...just not the same at all.

Of those three, Parry Sound (G Bay) would be my first choice, especially this time of year.

Nice ! I'm curious...did you notice a difference in taste between the Quebec Red Trout (which are basically land-locked Arctic Char) and Speckled Trout ?

Yes...a lot folks use lithiums for off- grid camping/RV's. The solar panels would be fairly substantial though. However, a generator will certainly work.

You won't regret spending a few more $ if your main motor quits and you need to limp back to port with the TM. Speaking from experience.

Smallmouth in the river below Sauble Falls. Upstream even better Bass and some small Pike, especially in the feeder lakes (which also have LM) to the north. If you have a canoe or kayak, a float trip down the Rankin R. (trib of Sauble R.) can be very rewarding. Musky in the middle section of the Saugeen is your closest best bet (again a float trip will get you to the best spots). SMB throughout, and some big Cats in the lower river.

It seems the MNR does "come down on someone based on a pic". Don't get me wrong, the example in the link is apples and oranges compared to the photo that was posted here...but it looks like the CO's do troll the fishing forums on-line.. https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/social-media-photos-of-lake-sturgeon-net-fines-for-local-anglers-1639609

If you're looking for the closest good Chinook fishing to Ottawa, then it's the west side of Prince Edward County. A number of years ago, I would regularly fish out of Wellington in July. Classic spots like Scotch Bonnet would consistently produce the biggest Salmon during the first half of the "Great Salmon Hunt" derby. These were mostly US fish that would disappear by early August. Lately, the local Angler's Club pen raises Chinooks to maintain a summer long fishery. Scott Walcott from "Bay of Quinte Charters" still takes his boat over to Wellington for the month of July. He also owns West Lake Willows Resort, if you're looking for a place to stay. He runs a 35ft Kingfisher. There's also a few other guys that run charters out of Wellington and Brighton that time of year.

As far as I know, only one person can have possession of the fish. Someone will need to claim it, and they'll get the summons/fine.

Given the extent of their actions in falsifying documents...beyond the Fish & Game Act violations, they should've also been criminally charged with Fraud under the Criminal Code. That would have provided for a far more reaching punishment, than basically what is the equivalent of a speeding ticket or similar under the Highway Traffic Act. Although they received fines and suspensions, they get off with no criminal record.