Time to start eating more bass and less pickerel?

[big guy]

Just reading through the Walleye Management Strategy document the MNR put together for Zone 17. On page 12 it talks about how bass have a negative affect on walleye populations, particularly largemouth. The document also notes that on most lakes in the region, walleye fishing constitutes about 60-70% of the angling effort.

 

Although there are many factors why walleye populations are getting smaller both in size and numbers, the main factor is harvest. Contrast this with the polar opposite view by many who target and/or catch bass and one can see how increasing bass populations are having a negative impact on the walleye fishery.

 

Maybe it’s time we had a switch in mentality, start keeping more bass for the table and make walleye fishing more catch and release.

 

Thoughts?

 

Walleye Management Strategy

[jediangler]

If walleye could fight and bass tasted great, I'd be with you. I'd rather keep the crappies and let both the bass and walleye go. Haven't kept a walleye in over 5 years and never kept a bass.

[wuchikubo]

If this is the case, I'd also be inclined to determine which size of bass would make the most negative effect on the walleye. I wouldn't want the bass to be over harvested either or make too much negative impact to the better breeding/stock population. In all, I think it's just more moderation we need to consider. I would suggest targeting more panfish as their population seems to be able to manage the pressure.

[LeXXington]

Eating bass you say.. humm Saw in OD Ontario there was a bass recipe

 

May need to try that

[hotrod]

If I'm going to go catch and release fishing then I'd rather catch and release bass than pickeral for the simple factor the picks don't fight near as much.

[cram]

Bass can taste great if you clean them right away. At least SMBs do. Light flesh, bit of a nutty flavour.

 

Thing is - i get the impression many fish bass for sport and walleye for "catch and eat".

 

I wonder why more people don't eat pike -- to me they are the best tasting freshwater fish (other than trout)

[timmeh]

The problem is too many people talk about how easy it was to catch a limit (and of course keep their limit) years ago, but complain that for some reason it's harder to get a limit today. I'd be inclined to think if harvest is the main reason for decreasing size and numbers of walleye then the solution to that problem would be to decrease the harvest of walleye (as has been done attempted slot sizes, etc.) So if we really want to increase walleye selective harvest is necessary.

 

Killing more bass is NOT going to help the walleye population. It will simply hurt the bass populations, and then 5 years from now we'll be wondering where all the bass went.

Edited May 29, 2009 by timmeh

[laszlo]

the unfortunate thing here is that many people are creatures of habit and still

behave in a very neanderthal type manner and will process this information

like this:

 

pickerel...taste good...me want...me keep

bass...taste bad...me don't want

[hotrod]

Sorry but I don't see anything neanderthal about keeping and eating your catch if it is within the legal limits. Lots of people prefer pickeral over any other fish and there is no need to call them names for it. If the populations are that low then the ministry needs to adjust the limits accordingly.

[pike slayer]

smallies taste fine, they just have more of a "plain" taste to them compared to walleye. i personally hardly fish for them cause they are such a poor fighting fish. Pike on the other hand taste better then smallies and walleye and are larger and better fighting fish and are a more of a low pressured species. With the lake trout limits being lowered next year in my area i think im going to target walleye more during the winter. I find in my area theres less and less ppl fishing.

[big guy]

Given the choice, I would eat a smallie over a walleye any day. I love their flavour, very unique. I will also eat perch before walleye.

 

I love walleye, but one thing I don't like about them is that they don't stay as firm in the frying pan compared to perch and bass.

[MCTFisher9120]

Not to sure about you but I'm cutting back on keeping fish in general this year. Joining the 99% C&R club this year

[charlied]

All i can say is good luck with that one! I keep no fish so it doesn't apply to me but lots of people eat walleye, so I can't see people following anything like this.

[aniceguy]

there is nothing wrong with comsuming a fish thats safe via a guide to consumption and overall harvest for comsumption doesnt impact the fish population. I think its a stretch to move comsumption to another species rather it should work on a lake by lake issue and determine what is sustainable, what size of the population is at risk and what size of population needs additional protection. Sadly with the FMZ process this wont occur and you ll have over harvest in some waters, pushing comsumption to additional species.

 

The largest predator a fish has over 16 inches is man, and until sustainable use perimiters are established on a fish population education of anglers overall by anglers themselves is the best method to assist with populations at risk, fishing boards have a purpose and this one in particular due to its divergent nature serves a great purpose of educating active posters and the lurkers looking for a place to fish Saturday am.

[Joey]

YES!!!

[laszlo]

there is nothing wrong with comsuming a fish thats safe via a guide to consumption and overall harvest for comsumption doesnt impact the fish population. I think its a stretch to move comsumption to another species rather it should work on a lake by lake issue and determine what is sustainable, what size of the population is at risk and what size of population needs additional protection. Sadly with the FMZ process this wont occur and you ll have over harvest in some waters, pushing comsumption to additional species.

 

The largest predator a fish has over 16 inches is man, and until sustainable use perimiters are established on a fish population education of anglers overall by anglers themselves is the best method to assist with populations at risk, fishing boards have a purpose and this one in particular due to its divergent nature serves a great purpose of educating active posters and the lurkers looking for a place to fish Saturday am.

 

well put!

[Greencoachdog]

The problem is too many people talk about how easy it was to catch a limit (and of course keep their limit) years ago, but complain that for some reason it's harder to get a limit today. I'd be inclined to think if harvest is the main reason for decreasing size and numbers of walleye then the solution to that problem would be to decrease the harvest of walleye (as has been done attempted slot sizes, etc.) So if we really want to increase walleye selective harvest is necessary.

 

Killing more bass is NOT going to help the walleye population. It will simply hurt the bass populations, and then 5 years from now we'll be wondering where all the bass went.

 

 

Well said timmeh!!!

 

Yes, Walleye are great tasting fish... but they aren't the only ones!

 

I would much rather eat a Perch, Crappie, Bluegill, or Catfish than a bass!!!

 

You'll be doing the Perch and Sunfish (Bluegill and Redear) population by taking a good feed or limit every so often, they have a tendency to overpopulate which will cause stunting.

 

... and yes, Pike are also excellent table fare as well!!!

Edited May 29, 2009 by GCD

[Kenny G]

I will eat the odd smallie and just love perch.

I don't eat walleye because I never catch them.

Pike are too much bother to clean.

LMB I find don't taste to good usually.

Kenny G.

[siwash]

bass is good eating... i never understood why people 'C & R' bass, but keep walleye w/o hesitation.

 

bass also decimated the brooke trout fisheries of central Ontario throughout the 20th century when they were intentionally released in brooke trout lakes...

 

 

they're like gobies!

[Fishnwire]

smallies taste fine, they just have more of a "plain" taste to them compared to walleye. i personally hardly fish for them cause they are such a poor fighting fish. Pike on the other hand taste better then smallies and walleye and are larger and better fighting fish and are a more of a low pressured species. With the lake trout limits being lowered next year in my area i think im going to target walleye more during the winter. I find in my area theres less and less ppl fishing.

 

 

Did you mean to say that smallies are "such a poor fighting fish" or walleye? I have never heard anyone refer to SMB as being anything other than excellent fighters...arguably one of the best pound for pound fighting fish in the lake. Walleye, on the other hand, don't fight worth a darn until you get above 3 pounds or so. That's the reason I release the bass I catch but occasionally keep a small walleye or two. Perhaps some people feel the same way. Decent size pike are fun to catch, but I find anything under about 22" a pain in the butt to clean, and I don't like the idea of harvesting one over about 26"...so my comfort zone is pretty limited.

 

I'd say pike, bass, and walleye are all different tasting but equally paletable. But I guess it comes down to each person's taste.

[Garry2Rs]

Isn't it time to recognize that these fish are worth more in the water than on the plate?

There is no economic sanity in our fishing. We will always spend much more on tackle and transportation than the cost of a few pounds of fillets.

Therefore, like golf and billiards this is just a recreation...

You don't have to gut the golf cart or the caddy, to show your prowess as a golfer, why do you insist on killing the future of fishing to prove you're a great fisher person?

Every fish you remove from the system reduces everyone's chances of success next week.

Look at the math...If there were 1500 guys from this board out fishing every weekend, and we only take a couple of "Keepers" on our two day trip, at the end of the season there will be 78,000 fewer fish in our waters. Those are our fish! the ones we could have caught next year, the ones our kids could have caught...

Now think about this, if there are an average of only 10,000 guys fishing this weekend, that's 20, 000 less fish on Monday, and 520,000 less fish by the end of the season...and none of these guys took a limit!

Next time you belly up the feast of wormy fresh fish you brought home, think about this...

You are eating your children's chance to enjoy something beyond Carp fishing.

[laszlo]

Isn't it time to recognize that these fish are worth more in the water than on the plate?

There is no economic sanity in our fishing. We will always spend much more on tackle and transportation than the cost of a few pounds of fillets.

Therefore, like golf and billiards this is just a recreation...

You don't have to gut the golf cart or the caddy, to show your prowess as a golfer, why do you insist on killing the future of fishing to prove you're a great fisher person?

Every fish you remove from the system reduces everyone's chances of success next week.

Look at the math...If there were 1500 guys from this board out fishing every weekend, and we only take a couple of "Keepers" on our two day trip, at the end of the season there will be 78,000 fewer fish in our waters. Those are our fish! the ones we could have caught next year, the ones our kids could have caught...

Now think about this, if there are an average of only 10,000 guys fishing this weekend, that's 20, 000 less fish on Monday, and 520,000 less fish by the end of the season...and none of these guys took a limit!

Next time you belly up the feast of wormy fresh fish you brought home, think about this...

You are eating your children's chance to enjoy something beyond Carp fishing.

 

i wish there were more of us out there bud.

 

seems a lot of fisherman get very defencive when it comes to this

subject and take GREAT PRIDE in keeping their limit.

 

most feel that if the government says you can keep a certain amount

of fish then they're going to keep that amount. me not so much.

i hardly keep anything and if i did it would be to eat that day and no more.

[POLLIWOGG]

The pro bass guys will start tippin you.

[dada2727]

I wish those walleye didn't taste so good! I keep walleye when I fish for them, and don't feel a bit guilty for it. I don't go over my limit, release the bigger ones, and only fish them for a few weeks until muskie opens anyways! I really don't see the populations of walleye suffering at all to tell you the truth. I have had more luck the last 3 years walleye fishing than ever before, and I only fish them in the month of may in the kawartha's.

 

Just my $0.02

[big guy]

I wish those walleye didn't taste so good! I keep walleye when I fish for them, and don't feel a bit guilty for it. I don't go over my limit, release the bigger ones, and only fish them for a few weeks until muskie opens anyways! I really don't see the populations of walleye suffering at all to tell you the truth. I have had more luck the last 3 years walleye fishing than ever before, and I only fish them in the month of may in the kawartha's.

 

Just my $0.02

 

 

Where are you located, are you in zone 17?