Late spawn proceeds walleye opener

[Spiel]

Late spawn proceeds walleye opener

 

 

Friday May 16, 2008

Garett Williams / Miner and News

 

 

 

The third Saturday of May is upon us a little earlier in the calendar year and a cooler spring has also helped pushed back the walleye spawn, leaving Ministry of Natural Resources specialists guessing how well the fishing will be this weekend.

 

“This is a cooler than normal spring, but it’s in the range of spring weather that we get in this area,” Norm Hissa, an MNR fish and wildlife technical specialist, said. “Because there’s quite a variance, walleye are well adapted to spawn earlier or later, they’ve been doing it for thousands of years, so it’s not that unusual. It’s just that for us, we fix a date, but they go by water temperature. The water is a little cooler, the fish are running and they’re spawning now, so it’s hard to say if the fishing will be great or what it will be.”

 

The spawning process is strenuous on the fish, which puts a damper on fishing immediately afterwords, Hissa said.

 

This Saturday may be opening day for walleye in the Kenora District, but the Ministry of Natural Resources wants anglers to be aware that some areas are off limits to any fishing, at least until the end of the month.

 

These areas are MNR-sanctioned fish sanctuaries where all fishing is strictly prohibited.

Some of the fish sanctuaries in and around Kenora local anglers must avoid include Sabaskong Bay on Lake of the Woods, Laclu (Belle) Creek in Pellatt Township and the Winnipeg River from the Norman Dam to the westerly tip of Tunnel Island. There is no fishing allowed in these areas from April 1 to May 31 to allow enough time for fish to move in, congregate and spawn.

 

Fish sanctuaries are vital to the local fisheries and the MNR will be monitoring these areas closely until the end of the month. If anglers were allowed to fish in these areas this early in the season, it could disturb the spawn and upset the delicate balance of this aquatic ecosystem.

Responsible anglers should fish clear of all spawning sites and throw back the bigger, spawning fish, Hissa said. After all, two fish can make hundreds to put back into the ecosystem.

 

“Sportsmen would probably feel that they should release those big fish or not fish in spawning areas, but it’s hard to say whether they’ll do that,” he said. “Everybody wants to catch a large fish, the biggest fish and some years it’s a little easier than others because of water temperature or how late or early the spring is.”

 

Licensing and regulations

 

There are two licensing options available – a sport fishing licence is $23.79 for Ontario residents, $44.06 for Canadian residents and $66.40 for non-residents; or a reduced limit conservation licence costing $13.87, $26.63 or $40.64 depending on residency status. Single day licences for residents and eight day licences for non-residents are also available.

 

Lake of the Woods anglers with a sport fishing licence have a limit of four walleye, not more than one greater than 46 centimetres. Conservation licence holders have a limit of two, not more than one greater than 46 centimetres.

 

Anglers on the Winnipeg River to the Manitoba corder can catch the same number of walleye. However, the fish must fall between 35-45 centimetres or not more than one greater than 70 centimetres.

 

There have been no regulation changes in the Lake of the Woods area, which lands in Fisheries Management Zone 5, Hissa said, but he recommended all anglers familiarize themselves with the 2008-2009 Recreational Fishing Regulations Summary, which also includes where any sanctuaries are located. Fish sanctuaries are noted in the section titled ‘Exceptions to the Regulations’ that follows each fishing zone’s seasons and limits regulations.

 

Changes to the MNR’s new ecological framework for recreational fisheries management in Ontario were delayed one year to the beginning of 2008. The framework is based on managing fisheries on a zone basis rather than on an individual lake basis and replacing 37 fishing divisions with 20 fisheries management zones.

 

“Everybody should review the regulations anyways, to see if there are any changes,” he said. “Don’t just take it for granted that everything is the same.”

 

The summary is available from the Ministry of Natural Resources district offices, licence issuers and on the ministry’s website at www.mnr.gov.on.ca.

 

Call 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) toll-free any time to report a natural resources violation or contact your local ministry office during regular business hours. You can also call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).