Michael_Brown

With that kind of thinking it's a wonder any angler ever survive's fishing a new body of water. I wonder jediangler how you have made it this far considering how "dangerous" fishing is. Personally I use good judgement, look at maps ask questions and proceed with caution anytime I'm accessing new water, winter or summer. Smart ass comments aside, it's exciting acessing new water to fish. Caution is used and lessons are learned to hopefully make it a fun day. The oppourtunity to fish these lakes in the winter is fanatstic. I realize that accidents can happen but they will everywhere people access new water regardless of the season. Ice anglers are some of the safest people out there, as we carry tools to check the ice depth. Be safe and have fun.

The new regulations do not come into effect until Jan 1, 2010 in zone 17. We will have to wait until then, although Pigeon should be frozen by then.

Was Ron stuck in that photo or did he just lock his keys inside again?

Good Thing Ron doesn't drive a bulldozer.

I would suggest not listening to Ron about ice safety unless you would like to make the news. People call 911 when they see Ron heading out on the ice. Come on Ron, I dare you to say I'm wrong.

They are hiring a couple of CO's http://www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/Preview.aspx?JobID=23768 I thought this might look interesting to a number of people for different reason's. The MNR has posted two employment positions for Conservation Officers. Anyone interested can apply. This would also answer the earlier posted question concerning how much our fine CO's are paid. Good Luck.

Hey Ron: What are we doing on Jan. 1, 2010? Any plans yet? Set aside Feb. 13 for a day fishing with the family. I have the place for you. I'll explain later. I know Matt likes to stalk our posts secrectly while he is at work, so this thread should surprise him. Of course if he wants to go with us on Jan. 1, 2010 he is buying the coffee as payment for another free guiding trip. Funny thing is in all those photos he takes credit for in the publications, he places his name on the photo but not the real angler who lead him to the fish. Have a great holiday and good fishing! Mike

Little Matty G's Dad Matty G was in his 5th grade class when the teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living. All the typical answers came up - fireman, policeman, salesman, etc. Matty G was being uncharacteristically quiet and so the teacher asked him about his father. 'My father's an exotic dancer in a gay bar. The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some colouring, and took little Matty G aside to ask him, 'Is that really true about your father?''No,' said Matty G, 'He plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other kids.'

I'm not aware of any highways in the Maynooth area that have 100kph zones. There are a few moving brown and white traffic cones. Deer numbers seem to be down everywhere. Still a few pockets left with numbers but hard to find. I would imagine there will be a reduction in tags issued next year. On a positive note the wolf/coyote hunting should be very popular this winter with good results expected.

Here is a map of Zone 17. It does include Canal Lake. Hopefully your auger works better than your computer Richyb. Have Fun.

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsF...age/264442.html Here is a link to the regulation changes. Pike in Balsam may be easier to catch in the winter as they tend to inhabit shallow areas in the winter. Will be a nice bonus to hook a 10lb pike when looking for 10 inch crappie.

To the die hard carp anglers. The beauty of the regulation changes is that yes the carp and other non-classified species such as rockbass, ling, catfish and the elusive logperch will be open for year-round angling. The current regulations effectively placed a moratorium on all angling from Nov 15 until the fourth sat in April. This will no longer be in place. These fanatstic species will open on Jan 1, 2010 and will not close. Also to Mike the Bass Fisher, it is not just the pressure on scugog that will be reduced but also the Haliburton lakes with their sensitive lake trout populations and other surrounding lakes. Sure anglers will still go there to enjoy the fishery but when you want a feed of tasty crappies or just to get the kids out for a nice afternoon in Feb. The Kawartha's will be open for family fishing fun. Curious note. I have caught catfish, bass, muskie and other species through the ice as incidental catches. I have never caught a carp through the ice. Smart fish. To Ron Reyns; For over three years of monthly meetings you have represented the anglers of this region as a stakeholder on the fisheries advsiory council and made a huge impact. Your advice, insight and passion for the sport we love has been reflected in these changes. On behalf of all the anglers and future anglers who will enjoy even one extra day of angling because of your volunteer work. Thank You.

Well said Rick. Remember most people fear change because of the unknown. The cottage resorts on Simcoe had similar fears before they put a 50 fish limit on perch but they have actually increased their business since. As for the limits on panfish. They will be region wide. The main fish expected to be targeted in the winter will be crappie and a 30 fish limit per person, is more than enough for a good feed. The 300 number for sunfish is due to the fact that most anglers fishing for sunfish are from the US. Surveys indicated that the average US angler travelling here was taking home just over 200 sunfish for a weeks fishing so this number will allow those anglers to still enjoy their week of fishing. The 7 inch size limit was chosen to protect the large sunfish in the population which keep the smaller male sunfish from spawning. Once a sunfish begins to spawn they devote most of their energy to reproduction and almost none to growth. If the smaller males begin to become successful spawners, thus maturing earlier, because of a lack of large males, the population can become stunted which is very hard to reverse. So when you look at the fact that you are only allowed 30 over 7 inches it resembles the crappie limit. Also for those that don't really want to worry about a size limit (like kids) 30 is a fair number of sunfish. Crappies and sunfish are both not native to these lakes but they are established now. The year-round pike fishery is to try to limit the spread of this fish in the Kawartha's. They are very hard on the Musky and walleye stock and are being treated as invasive. They still fight really hard. These lakes are not really great perch lakes but we still have a good population. Looking for monster perch, Simcoe is probably better but we will catch our share. The size at spawning is not as important with perch as it is with sunfish. As far as the contradiction by opening panfish but putting a limit in place. Currently we have no limits on panfish but a closed season for five months of the year. That is a true contradiction. The limits are fair and liberal enough so everyone can enjoy the fishery without abusing it or damaging it. I hope that answers most of the questions mentioned. Trust me, after sitting through 3 years of almost monthly meetings for the fishery advisory council. Ron, myself and the other coucil members have become some strange collection of panfish experts.

I assume that the fines collected by the CO's do not go to the MNR. They would go to the municipality where the fine was issued. Do you think you are overpaid for the work you do? I sure most people if they knew would say you are overpaid and some would say your not paid enough....whatever you make. I want to thank the CO's we have for the work that they do.

To those who are concerned about ice angler safety. You should realize that ice anglers are one of the safest groups out there in the winter. We actually carry tools to check the ice depth. Some other groups just drive faster and hope for the best. Wise and safe decisions should be used always on the ice, new lake or not. Take your time, do your research, ask questions and get out and enjoy this great new angling adventure. Just a note, please read the new changes completely. Sanctuaries will continue to take effect in Mid-november. Fast water areas and causeways will be off-limits through the winter.

Here’s the process for registering an ice hut. Anglers can call our MNR office (705-755-2001) or email ([email protected]). Anglers need to provide: their full name, address, phone number, date of birth, and outdoors card number. EMAIL IS PREFERRED where possible, if calling have the information available and leave it on the voicemail if you get it. Please let people know that we expect a lot of requests, so it may take 2-3 weeks to process and get them a number, so don’t leave it to the last minute. There is no fee for registration, and anglers only need a single number for multiple huts. Details on how the number needs to be displayed will be provided. Portable huts less than 7m squared don’t need to be registered. For FMZ 17, the hut removal date is March 1 – all of which will be included in the regulation summary when it’s released. One thing I would like to communicate that ice hut owners need to act responsibly, and make sure the huts are off the ice. Making sure the huts are properly blocked to reduce the chance of them being frozen in, keeping them in areas where ice isn’t rapidly deteriorating, etc. Reflective materials are probably a good suggestion too.

I agree with Ron. Conduct yourself in a professional mannaer and be respectful of people and everything should be fine. They will be some opposition to this, there always is with new changes but this is a great chance to get out and enjoy our resource with family and friends, it's worth defending. Some groups wanted to keep "their" lake closed but in the end the MNR decided to extend the angling oppourtunties to everyone in the region. If "their" lake only has small panfish then chances are nobody will fish there anyway. Problem solved. Hopefully they will see the huge upside of this for this region. As anglers we should take the time to point how fantastic this is. We can take the kids out ice fishing without having to drive 1+ hours in any direction, it will add millions of angling tourism dollars to this region, it will help protect our resources and build our fishery. The list goes on. Personally I going to follow Ron and drill right next to him because that guy can catch small fish.

The harvest slot is different but it should result in anglers catching more fish by protecting the large females and the average Kawartha walleye is about 17 inches, inside the slot. These announcements are official. This is what is coming as of Jan. 1 2010. Get out and enjoy your new angling oppourtunities. I would like to thank everyone involved in the Fishery Management council, public information sessions, surveys, and the MNR staff. This is a huge accomplishment. It will represent millions of angling tourism dollars for the zone and probably the most significant increase in angling oppourtunities for the province in years. Now everyone pick a spot and get ready for Jan. 1, 2010. Mike

I have read most of the threads I could find about importing a boat from the US. What I didn't find was info concerning state tax. If I pay $1000. state tax on a purchase and then pay GST and PST. Can I apply to the state for a refund of the state tax. I shouldn't need to pay tax twice for one purchase. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

The public information session meetings ended last night in Oshawa with about 30 people in attendance. I would like to take a minute to thank all who participated and provided their support or concerns. The questions asked have been recorded and will discussed at the next council meeting. To the MNR staff and in particular the fishery advisory council volunteer members who helped set these meetings up, give presentations, answer questions and gave up their personal time to attend. A very big thank you. If you were unable to attend a public meeting, please feel free to review the information posted on the council website and complete a survey. http://www.ontario.ca/zonecouncils http://www.FMZ17survey.ca This is your opportunity to have input in to how your fishery is managed.

Oshawa Tonight Tonight is the last of the public information session meetings. The location is in Oshawa, 7:00-9:00 pm. O’Neill C.V.I.. Thank to Ron Reyns for his presentation on behalf of the council last night in Port Hope. For those who attended the meeting and were wondering why it started 5 minutes late....it was the guy from the CAA tow truck's fault. It took him a few extra minutes to get the keys out of Ron's locked truck.

Always taking the chance to promote Muskies Canada, that's why they pay you the big money Ron. I heard after the "dip" into Chemong lake the fish on your back resembled a carp. Any truth to the rumour?

Hi Everyone; Tonight's meeting is in Port Hope and I just received word that there will be FREE coffee and possibly COOKIES for those who attend, along with valuable information concerning the fishery resource. Come out and have your opinion heard and show support for some progressive angling regulation proposals. The facebook petition to have Ron Reyns give the opening presentation topless has been slow to change public opinion but come down and meet a dedicated angler member of the council who has been working hard to improve the fishery we all enjoy.

Thank You. To the OFC people who made it out to the meeting last night in Peterborough. I enjoyed meeting you and appreciated your questions and comments. It is nice to see people "walk the walk" and support something they believe in. We had approx. 70 people at the meeting last night in Peterborough. The MNR has received just over 600 completed surveys , so far. Considering that with 1.4 million anglers in the province and zone 17 is one of the most popular angling destinations, we can do better. Please take the time to complete a survey and help spread the word. If you would like more information visit the website posted earlier in this thread or plan to attend one of the remaining information sessions.

Hey Ron. This Sat.is the 4 Sat. in April. Stony might be a good choice. Not sure. I have heard Balsam is a good perch lake and I know Chemong lake has some decent fish. I would try sandy flats in 5 or 6 feet of water. Good Luck.