Ron Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 (edited) Rice Lake Tourist Ass. at it again. Northumberland News For anyone who is ice fishing Rice Lake, please send me a PM. I want to make arrangements to attend the council meeting and show our inupt. Edited April 14, 2010 by Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 The last paragraph says it all Ron. They blame the restrictions for not making a reservation... when it's truely the dollar value, and no longer a cheaper vacation by crossing the border. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Exactly Wayne, some of the RL Ass. members understand but the others still have their heads stuck up their Association. They are trying to blame the new fishing regs for the downfall of their business. The sad part of it is, they are trying to convince the local municipalities to get the fishing regulations reverted back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Brown Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 This really annoys me. A small group is trying to influence how we as anglers are allowed to enjoy our resource. After years of MNR meetings, reviewing the latest science, speaking with as many related stakeholders as possible, public surveys, public meetings, etc. This kind of backdoor fear mongering crap has to stop. It is time for the anglers of the area to step up and let our local politicians know how important our sport is to the tourism of the area. Consider that the person leading this from RLC is only interested in lining her pockets and could care less about the fishery resource. Their target market are the few anglers who were causing the problems by taking thousands of fish during their stay. This abusive group is exploiting the resource, period. One group of 30 or so members likes to put off that they represent all of Rice lakes interests. I tend to think that the tens of thousands of anglers who enjoy the fishery would have a better opinion. I take offense to the comment about the sunfish limits were not discussed at the FMZ 17 meetings. Considering I was at all the meetings since the council started and the person making the comments was at zero. I can tell you that she is completely wrong. In fact it was shown that Rice Lake in particular was showing signs of stress due to over-harvest of the larger fish. I will be at the meeting and I will be speaking up. I for one will not tolerate this. Any other kawartha area anglers who would like to stand up and defend our new angling oppourtunities, please join us. Get involved or accept what you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Brown Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 The upcoming council meeting is Thurs., Mar. 4, 2010 at 1:00 p.m. Grafton Municipal Office with this topic to be discussed at 2:30 pm. I have sent an e-mail to the council requesting to speak to this topic and provided my opinion of the tactics of the RLCA. If you wish to send your comments to the municipal council here is the e-mail form link. http://www.alnwickhaldimand.ca/en/council/...form.aspx?id=75 Get involved or accept what you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roy Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 For 300+ fish, he'd better have a commercial license. Y'know, when you have problems with your business, it's easy to blame government regulation. I can think of a hundred ways to make their business opportunities more palatable for them and their guests. Stifling MNR directives is not one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tb4me Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 I dont get it? They want people to catch more than 300 at a time? what happens when there is no fish left to be had? Am I wrong here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuskyGreenHorn Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Wow, guys please go tear this lady a new one at the meeting. I saw their both at the fishing show and I kept a wide berth in fear that I may be encouraged by security to leave the show if i paid that both a visit. Just rediculous. My buddy and neighbour decided to go and talk to them. He talked to a women and was telling her that he fishes rice a ton and he lives nearby in elizabethville. She then tried to ask him to come stay and enjoy the resorts and talk about how great the area is. He had to laugh, he said "lady, i am 10 mins from rice lake, why would i stay at a resort." I guess she knows the area really well eh..... Nice to see good old Ben spoke up and the paper got it right this time though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnybass Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Based on the limited info in the article, I actually agree with her position if I understand it correctly. Why should there be any new limits on sunfish? Is the sunfish fishery in any danger? Sweet Geeeeezzzzzzuss. People have gone mad I tell you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diggyj Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 (edited) What was the limit before it was 300 for sport and 15 for conservation? Edited February 26, 2010 by diggyj Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael_Brown Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 There was not limit before. That was the problem, some abusive anglers were taking thousands of fish and nothing could be done to stop them. It was well known that every spring, anglers with were stopped at the borders with several thousand fish taken from Rice Lake. The unchecked harvest of sunfish has started to show damage to the size structure of population. In sunfish communities large males are very important to the population, not enough of them and the smaller males become sucessful spawners dedicate their energy to reproduction not growth. This causes the population to stunt. There is no question the lake has a good population of sunfish but the need to protect the fishery from overharvest of the larger members of the population is important. Most of the harvest is by non-resident anglers. Nobody is blaming all non-residents anglers but the need to stop the ones abusing the resource is very real. The RLCA blaming the panfish limits to the problems with their business is concerning. The increase in the Canadian dollar, price of gas, US Border security and numerous other factors are far more of an issue limiting their business. Maybe effort towards effective marketing would be a better idea instead of blaming their problems on the MNR. The simple fact that some of the RLCA members have based their business on catering to a small group of abusive anglers, should have all anglers upset. As a business owner they should be upset when someone staying at their resort is glutanous and harvests excessive panfish. It is also true that over the last few years clients from Rice Lake have been switching to other Kawartha area lakes due to the decrease in average size of the sunfish on Rice. We need to protect our resource, to ensure it remains a top quality fishery for years to come. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timmeh Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 (edited) We need to protect our resource, to ensure it remains a top quality fishery for years to come. Exactly, and fortunately people are standing up to this resource abuse. Who in their right mind would complain about a 300 fish limit? I mean seriously, how dang greedy are some people? Edited February 26, 2010 by timmeh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJQ Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 RELEASE THE HOUNDS!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cram Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Maybe its me, but i wouldn't drive 3 mins away to catch a sunfish. And some people come in from the US to do it? Yikes. Let alone cleaning them??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Seriously..I want someone to tell me to my face that 300 fish just isn't enough,.... Some serious stupidity going on up there. The fish do not belong to the resort operators. They belong to everyone. The MNR doesn't just pick limits out of thin air. I guess long term sustainability takes a back seat to a quick buck, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom McCutcheon Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 (edited) Ron and Mike; I figure if I show up also, that will equal two voices to the RLCA members one voice... I will be there.... Tom. Edited February 26, 2010 by Tom McCutcheon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnybass Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Does anyone have an estimate of the number of sunfish in Rice Lake? Probably in the millions would be my guess. So there are a handful of our brothers to the south who are taking occasional trips up here and taking a couple of thousand sunfish (which none of us up here really fish for anyway) - They are pumping money into our economy (during a recession), and we're gonna start imposing limits - on sunfish? I say heck, come on up and go nuts on the sunfish! Drop a grand or 2 $ during your stay. The local businesses will thank you for it. A few bad apples CANNOT destroy the sunfish fishery! (it feels weird even saying "sunfish fishery"). It would take an army of thousands of people fishing night and day for years to fish 'em out. Even then, I would guess the sunfish population would bounce right back in a couple of years. To me this is a non issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfish1965 Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Does anyone have an estimate of the number of sunfish in Rice Lake? Probably in the millions would be my guess. So there are a handful of our brothers to the south who are taking occasional trips up here and taking a couple of thousand sunfish (which none of us up here really fish for anyway) - They are pumping money into our economy (during a recession), and we're gonna start imposing limits - on sunfish? I say heck, come on up and go nuts on the sunfish! Drop a grand or 2 $ during your stay. The local businesses will thank you for it. A few bad apples CANNOT destroy the sunfish fishery! (it feels weird even saying "sunfish fishery"). It would take an army of thousands of people fishing night and day for years to fish 'em out. Even then, I would guess the sunfish population would bounce right back in a couple of years. To me this is a non issue. No disrespect, Johhny, but there is no way in hell the limit is in any way the reason there are less travellers. The US is in a recession, their dollar has plummeted and most do not have passports. I would have to go with the MNR's view of the population and sustainability over yours, sir. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonnybass Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Rick, I didn't say that the limits were the cause of reduced tourism. The facts you pointed out definitely have a negative affect on tourism. No argument here. BUT, given that fact, why make it even less attractive for the American sunfish anglers to come up? Granted, I'm not an MNR scientist, but come on, sunfish for all intents and purposes are a limitless resource in Ontario. If there was a nuclear war, everything would be wiped out except cockroaches and sunfish. Moreover, sustainability is only part of the equation that must be considered. What about economic considerations? Furthermore, if there has been a sharp drop in the number of Americans who travel up here to strip us of our sunfish due to the factors you pointed out, then why at this point in time is this even on the table? This to me seems like a solution in need of a problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whopper Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 Maybe its me, but i wouldn't drive 3 mins away to catch a sunfish. And some people come in from the US to do it? Yikes. Let alone cleaning them??? Yep not all people are bass pros, walleye hunters or muskie freaks. Alot of families travel to Rice because of the pan fishing. The die hards will still come, the new limit won't stop them, it's enough A lot of people come from Ohio to fish Rice and mostly because of rising cost and job losses they won't be able to return Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted February 26, 2010 Report Share Posted February 26, 2010 The only thing this affects is the amount of fish they get to bring home. They can each eat 300 per day if they want. I don't see the big deal with the 300 fish limit.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuskyGreenHorn Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 (edited) Science takes part, not sides. The timing of the new regs with the economical hard times is unfortunate, but the lake has no clue about that. If the MNR feels that the regs need a change, they obviously have good cause. Also, rememeber its the whole zone, not just Rice Lake that these regs apply to. These regs will ensure that fishery is sustainable over the long term. Thats means buisness will be sustainable over the long term. I am all for weeding out greedy buisness's that want to exploit a public resource for their own short term gain. And besides these regs are brand new, most locals don't even know about them yet, nevermind our friends from south of the boarder. How can something they most likely don't even know about stop them from coming, unless the resorts are informing them (which we know the aren't) then how could he vast majority even know about this? And lets say a family of 5 comes for a visit, they can each take 300 home, thats still 1500 fish. I live 10 mins from rice lake and have had plenty of fish frys supplied by rice and bet i haven't taken 1500 from there in my whole life. The association is being short sighted and greedy, shame on them. Anyone who doesn't believe that people don't clean hundreds of panfish in a week I urge you to go to a resort at Rice Lake and see for yourself. Sunfish are just as tasty as perch and crappie and easy to clean. i could whip off 100 myslef in 30-40 mins no problem. And thats with a regular fillet knife and they use big drum style scalers and electric knives. Edited February 27, 2010 by MuskyGreenHorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sinker Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 The tourists will whine about the new limits, but they'll also whine about the small size of fish they catch when they do come up. You can't make everyone happy, all the time. Just wait a few years when rice is full of bull gills again. The fishery isn't the same as it used to be.......even for crappies..........they're just not there like they used to be. The lake gets pounded.......not only by our southern friends. S. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhousesoccer Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 Exactly, and fortunately people are standing up to this resource abuse. Who in their right mind would complain about a 300 fish limit? I mean seriously, how dang greedy are some people? Some US states, including New York and Vermont, allow anglers to sell panfish (bluegill, pumpkinseed, yellow and white perch, and black and white crappie) legally caught by hook and line. There are "commercial fish buyers" all over the place, mostly operating out of baitshops, who buy them whole live weight (uncleaned, unfilleted), and the price is pretty high. The price paid per pound is on a sliding scale, but perch and crappie go for over $2.00 US per pound for fish over 12 inches, and down to $1.30 or so a pound for the smaller ones. Take 300 or 400 or 500 panfish to a commercial buyer (and these numbers can be caught easily in some fisheries in just a weekend) and that's quite a bit of beer money These US fishermen will pay for their entire week's vacation with what they sell back in the States. When you put a dollar value on a public resource, nothing good can come from it. I can't stand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeXXington Posted February 27, 2010 Report Share Posted February 27, 2010 Does anyone have an estimate of the number of sunfish in Rice Lake? Probably in the millions would be my guess. So there are a handful of our brothers to the south who are taking occasional trips up here and taking a couple of thousand sunfish (which none of us up here really fish for anyway) - They are pumping money into our economy (during a recession), and we're gonna start imposing limits - on sunfish? I say heck, come on up and go nuts on the sunfish! Drop a grand or 2 $ during your stay. The local businesses will thank you for it. A few bad apples CANNOT destroy the sunfish fishery! (it feels weird even saying "sunfish fishery"). It would take an army of thousands of people fishing night and day for years to fish 'em out. Even then, I would guess the sunfish population would bounce right back in a couple of years. To me this is a non issue. LOL, Were you the fisherman from the COD industry in the 70's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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