NEW FISHING REGULATIONS FOR FMZ 17!

[wuchikubo]

According to the OFAH website the three lakes that had walleye open for winter will still be open. Yes, that means Scugog is still open for walleye fishing through the ice.

 

OFAH website announcement

 

"... Under the new regulations, dozens of area lakes, including such popular angling destinations as Sturgeon, Balsam, Buckhorn, Chemong, and Rice Lake, will see winter fishing seasons for bluegill, yellow perch and black crappie. Walleye seasons will remain closed during the winter in F.M.Z. 17 with the exception of where they previously existed on Lake Scugog, Crowe Lake and the lower Trent River."

 

 

Great job to all of those involved on this change, just hope they will have enough CO's to check on the possible walleye poachers.

Edited November 18, 2009 by HearingFish

[Sinker]

I think a year round open season on Pan fish is going to kill a lot of people....

 

I'm thinking the same thing. I've fished the kawartha's most of my life, but I have no idea how the ice is on those lakes. Its going to be a learning experience for sure. Just wait till the no parking signs go up too!! Its funny, you open up a fishing season, and the whole area will get locked down with no parking signs! Just wait until the ice fisherman see me smashing the ice to get out after ducks......... They're not gonna like me too much at first ice

 

I think its great though, I already have my waypoints saved and ready to go

 

S.

[Guest gbfisher]

Im game for opener again this year......

[Big Cliff]

Crap and I gave my ice hut away a couple of years ago LOL. I have to admit, it will be nice on one of those beautiful winter days to be able to jump on my bike and get a fresh feed of nice crappie or perch. Sturgeon isn't much different than Scugog as far as ice conditions are concerned, some dangerous spots but if you don't know, you shouldn't go anyway. I don't think the pressure on the new lakes will be too bad, you don't get the jumbo perch here like you do on Simco, no white fish, no pike, no lake trout. Trust me I'll be watching for anyone taking walleye in my area and believe me if I see it, I will report it and I have a very good telescope and can see a lot right from my dining room!

 

Apart from that, no one has any ice fishing experience on the new lakes, it will take a long time for people to figure out the patterns and and a few trips with little results will make a lot of people go back to the areas they know produce fish.

 

Over all, I think it will be good for the areas bait and tackle shops and and many others.

[irishfield]

I have a very good telescope and can see a lot right from my dining room!

 

 

What is the neighbours wife wearing these days Cliff???

[Terry]

What is the neighbours wife wearing these days Cliff???

 

LOL

[crappieperchhunter]

This is SWEEEEEEEEET news!!!!

 

I had planned to retire to the Kawartha's anyway....but now I just HAVE to retire there!

 

Bring on the ice!!!

[jediangler]

Any bets on which lake a car will go through first?

Or which one will claim the first ice-fisherman?

And don't worry, I'm sure no one will take advantage to poach any walleye while they're out there.

I do like the length limit going up on muskies though.

[mbosh1980]

thanks for the post. lokss like i'll be spending winter weekends on the hardwater of clear lake.

[GBW]

Now that I have informed my father about the new reg's, he too will be watching all the time on the lake he's on.

for those that need a float suit, time to get it is now before they start to sell out and turn into a huge backorder... ice pic's too...

[Big Cliff]

What is the neighbours wife wearing these days Cliff???

 

I can't see anything

Edited November 19, 2009 by Big Cliff

[Michael_Brown]

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.

[aniceguy]

somr great changes in particular allowing for extended catch seasons

 

Once again the OMNR didnt take avaliable science into place and make an effectice change to support sustainability when concerning Rainbows in FMZ 17.....

[fishermccann]

What I like is that we can get rid of the Pike in Balsam all year now. Kill and eat them all!

[ecmilley]

It'll be nice to try out some ice fishin on sturgeon, i know the lake well enough from sledding and have been marking spots on my handheld gps, i guess the sledders will have to be more careful now with fisherman on the lake

[jimmer]

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.

I hope you're right Mike. Have you been out on Simcoe lately. I just have to shake my head at times when I see what some people do out on the ice. I think their minds freeze, preventing them from making safe decisions.

Anyone that lives on the lakes should keep an eye out for anyone that is poaching walleye/muskie/bass and call the TIPS line.

[linweir]

What I like is that we can get rid of the Pike in Balsam all year now. Kill and eat them all!

If we can fish pike all year on all lakes of F 17, does it mean I can have my bass gear ready all the time?

[Tom McCutcheon]

If we can fish pike all year on all lakes of F 17, does it mean I can have my bass gear ready all the time?

 

 

Are you serious????

 

The reason for the open season on Pike is to try and cut down on this invasive species.

[GregF2]

Does anyone think that the MNR's decision to allow ice fishing contradicts it decision to have limits on panfish? So, one end, you limit the panfish fishery, but yet on the other end you allow ice fishing, so that allows a chance to have more panfish harvested? Makes absolutely no sense to me. I don't mind the restrictions and limits on walleye and panfish to help preserve fishing for future generations, but opening up ice fishing will not help. I guess my opinion is in the minority, but it also comes from fishing Rice Lake for over 40 years.

[gone_fishin]

Does anyone think that the MNR's decision to allow ice fishing contradicts it decision to have limits on panfish? So, one end, you limit the panfish fishery, but yet on the other end you allow ice fishing, so that allows a chance to have more panfish harvested? Makes absolutely no sense to me. I don't mind the restrictions and limits on walleye and panfish to help preserve fishing for future generations, but opening up ice fishing will not help. I guess my opinion is in the minority, but it also comes from fishing Rice Lake for over 40 years.

 

i think the limits for sunfish are there for Rice lake alone... Bluegills and Pumpkinseeds are the 2 most sought after species in Rice Lake, believe it or not... Thousands of Americans come up every year and take home coolers full of them. i think the limit is in place to restrict how many they are taking home, but still not deter them from coming up here.

[linweir]

All I mean is new regs allow us use big lures such as spinnerbaits, jerkbaits to fish pike on these lakes all year.

For sure will catch more out-of-season fish like Muskie and Bass.

 

Wonder if it's a good ideal or not.

[gone_fishin]

All I mean is new regs allow us use big lures such as spinnerbaits, jerkbaits to fish pike on these lakes all year.

For sure will catch more out-of-season fish like Muskie and Bass.

 

Wonder if it's a good ideal or not.

 

how about you think about it this way... how many lakes in Zone 17 have Pike in them... aside from Balsam, cause i don't think it will fly with a CO that you're actually fishing for Pike there... i could be wrong, but it's a far cry from first... most of the lakes that do have a fishable population of pike, they have more or less taken over the lake... at least taken over in the sense that most (or all) of the musky are gone. take Dalrymple and Canal as examples... the musky are nearly extinct in these lakes, if not already extinct. sure you'll catch some OOS bass, but that will be no different to any other lakes where Pike are open before Bass (which is everywhere i can think of).

 

a couple things i don't totally agree with on the new changes are as follows:

 

limit on Crappie... they are an invasive species to these lakes (welcomed by some, not by others), and the gov't has acknowledged that fact... so why put a limit on them, when these fish will obviously impact the other sport fish in these lakes???

 

also, why put a slot on Sunfish and not Perch? if you can only keep 30 Sunfish over 7.1 inches... why not make a similar rule for Perch? for example: if the limit is 50 Perch, only 10 can be over 10 inches...

when i was young we would catch a lot of big perch in Rice lake, but now i haven't seen a 10 or 11 inch perch out of there in years.

 

And the positives...

 

i love the new slot for Walleye... in years to come there will be some MONSTERS in the kawarthas... everything over 20 inches has to go back... that means every fish in there right now that is already at that size can not be harvested or even kept to be mounted and will only get bigger!!! also, all the cigars have to go back giving them a chance to grow to at least reasonable eating size!

 

and the raised legal musky size is great too...

 

looking forward to fishing some of these lakes this winter!

[Steelcat]

Remember one thing though... with the new HST coming which means everything will be more expensive (gas, boat rental, cottage rental, food), and for Rice Lake, since getting a conservation license will only allow people to get 15 sunfish, that means people will be forced to get the full license... Combine all these additional costs, I'm sure many friends from the south or from anywhere will want to come back... cost a lot more for a lot less fish. One of the resort owner on Rice Lake already said they'll most probably lost 3/4 of their customers from the states due to the limits and the cost.

[bigfish1965]

The economy may keep people away, but limits never will. Anyone coming strictly for a feed can buy it at the grocery store for far less than it will ever cost no matter what the limit.

[Michael_Brown]

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.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Michael Brown