OOS Pike Fishing at Harbourfront?

[yakpiker]

Looking off my balcony just now, there are two guys tossing stick baits on the Toronto Harbourfront.

 

Since pike season is closed on Lake Ontario during the month of April, I wonder what they are fishing for?

[TC1OZ]

HAWK EYES WATCH OUT!

 

Go ask them if you really want to know... or report them and hope someone shows up.. or stop creeping on people out your window.

[solopaddler]

Unfortunately lake O isn't a sanctuary.

They may very well be targeting pike but it'd be pointless to report them.

Unless of course they kept a fish.

[spinnerbaitking]

If they are Pike fishing report them if a C.O. shows up it might scare them enough to stop them, if not it's only a phone call

Richard

[Syn]

I heard Carp stay close to the walls.

[yakpiker]

I placed a report with the Conservation Officer hotline. They reassured me there are regular patrols in this area. The two guys had walked away already.

[MJL]

Looking off my balcony just now, there are two guys tossing stick baits on the Toronto Harbourfront.

 

Since pike season is closed on Lake Ontario during the month of April, I wonder what they are fishing for?

 

I vividly remember walking around Ashbridges bay park a few years ago in mid April. There was an angler tossing a big buctail spinner (Mepps Musky Killer I believe), fixed to his wire leader with his Med-heavy action baitcasting outfit...Pretty sure he had the intent to fish for pike. As luck would have it, as I was walking by, he hooked and landed a huge chrome brown trout over 15lbs on his set up. As unethical as some anglers can be, as Solopaddler said, Lake O isn't a sanctuary for other species at this time. I've caught browns and salmon on Husky Jerks and jointed raps during pike season along with sheepshead and the odd carp (on Cleos of all things).

 

There are also some steelheaders who target 'suckers' in areas closed for trout...If I remember correctly, a number of years ago, steelheaders could also target "Atlantic Salmon" in Bronte when they had a year round season for them.

[Mykester]

I heard Carp stay close to the walls.

 

I thought this too, but if OP is correct then I haven't heard of stick baits being used for carp

 

Plus if they're using wire leaders, definitely pointing at pike.

Edited April 7, 2010 by Mykester

[Ben_Daniels]

There sure are a lot of Browns out there too... I've caught a couple on stick baits, spinners, and spoons, you know "Pike" lures, all around this time. Around this time of year alewife's come in shallow to spawn and their so thick you could almost walk on them in a couple places right near shore. Browns, Steelhead, and yes sometimes Pike usually aren't far behind. I've seen schools of 6-10 browns smashing alewife's in the Toronto Harbor in 2-5 feet of water, should I not fish for them because I'm using a "Pike" or "Bass" lures and fear being shunned? I think not. Targeting either Browns or Pike this time of year I'd probably work my lure about the same way... were they using leaders? lol. I posted one pic of a Brown that I caught in April I think, while Pike season was closed, a couple years ago and will never do it again because of the backlash and hateful pm's I got due to the lure I was using. Should there be no Brown fishing in April all together? I don't think so, its some of the most fun fishing for them. In fact I'm not a fan of closed season for any species so long as it's catch and immediate release, then it becomes personal judgment on where to fish and what fish to target. If a fish is locked into a bed I say you shouldn't be fishing for it, which is your decision, but a fish who hasn't spawned or has finished spawning should be fair game IMO, with immediate release, in case you did catch a fish on a deeper bed. Look at Lake Erie, some of the best smallmouth fishing is on the US side which is open year-round, has it affected their fishery? I don't think so. Why is Southern Ontario the exception to the rule when it comes to bass season? We're one of the only places in North America that has a closed bass season, are our fish that special and delicate? I know its nice to say your doing good things for the environment but come on what's really so special about our bass?..... Like a lot of our laws they come from good intentions that look right on paper but are unenforceable in real life....I don't fish for pike in April, I do follow the rules, these are is just my opinions.

RANT OVER.

 

-Ben

[Syn]

I thought this too, but if OP is correct then I haven't heard of stick baits being used for pike

 

Plus if they're using wire leaders, definitely pointing at pike.

 

haha I totally missed that part in the original post. /Facepalm.

Edited April 6, 2010 by Syn

[Ben_Daniels]

I vividly remember walking around Ashbridges bay park a few years ago in mid April. There was an angler tossing a big buctail spinner (Mepps Musky Killer I believe), fixed to his wire leader with his Med-heavy action baitcasting outfit...Pretty sure he had the intent to fish for pike. As luck would have it, as I was walking by, he hooked and landed a huge chrome brown trout over 15lbs on his set up. As unethical as some anglers can be, as Solopaddler said, Lake O isn't a sanctuary for other species at this time. I've caught browns and salmon on Husky Jerks and jointed raps during pike season along with sheepshead and the odd carp (on Cleos of all things).

 

There are also some steelheaders who target 'suckers' in areas closed for trout...If I remember correctly, a number of years ago, steelheaders could also target "Atlantic Salmon" in Bronte when they had a year round season for them.

 

That wasn't me lol.....if he visually spotted a brown that big I would do that same thing and toss a huge spinner/spoon because it was probably chasing around alewifes very aggresively...give it an imitation of a huge alewife for a huge brown...doesn't sound like that's what he was doing but hey great example of why our regs just don't work...we should streamline them in my opinion to more enforceable, reasonable rules.

 

-Ben

[discophish]

I'm thinking that I should now wear a paper bag over my head next time I walk through there! If it's not the satellites, it's something else!

 

A good friend of mine lives in the next building. I don't live too far myself. Strangely enough, I have yet to take a rod and cast. I think it's because people would end up looking at me funny to say "what the heck are you doing?". Although, I have taken my rod out to relieve myself over that wall. They all looked at me the very same way. Odd indeed.

[diggyj]

I saw a guy last year hook a 30 lb Carp using a husky jerk bait in pike infested waters!

[Spiel]

Stick baits are killer for spring trout and salmon, after all it's smelt and alewife they're inshore gorging on.

[kbc]

man stick baits are not only good for pike and such. i use all sorts of different stick baits all spring in lake o for kings, coho's, browns and bows. if you were really that concerned about it you should have just gone and asked them before getting all uptight and calling the co's about it.

[Lunatic]

I think "hawk eyes" would be put to better use if he were taking pictures and calling MNR for person or persons who are blantantly doing something unlawful like showing up with buckets and filling them with OOS fish,throwing gernades into the water ect. IMO taking pics or calling anyone because YOU do not like the lure being used is spineless and uncalled for. even if someone is fishing for pike a day or 2 early i wouldnt care.

i have caught walleye using a top water frog. should i expect hawk eyes to take my picture and call the MNR because i should only use the frog for bass?

 

im also not against anyone who takes a pic of an OOS fish that was caught accidently. sorry but if i am fishing for pike in may and catch a 6 pound bass,you can bet your ass im taking a pic of it.

[Grimace]

If I really gave a crap about this type of thing and I was really offended at such horrible actions, I would go down and snoop around, talk to the guy all nice like and find out his intentions ( whatcha fishing fer). If he said pike, then we would have a bit of a conversation about it. I would either educate an ignorant person or have a rather nastier conversation with a poacher.

 

Funny thing is, whether it is your business or not he would end up having to tell you he was fishing for browns. In turn, you would end up learning something, whether you deserved it or not.

 

Poacher to teacher in ten minutes. If you don`t mind riding the elevator for a 30 seconds.

 

This is why license plate reporting does not hold water, because the reporters often do not hold water.

[fishermccann]

Looking off my balcony just now, there are two guys tossing stick baits on the Toronto Harbourfront.

 

Since pike season is closed on Lake Ontario during the month of April, I wonder what they are fishing for?

M. Y. O. B.

[mepps]

"spineless and uncalled for"??

 

Completely disagree. Making a call is the proper thing to do. The CO will check them out, if they are not targeting out of season species, all is well - if they are, and the CO can prove it they will be fined accordingly. Wether the fish are being kept or not is only a small part of the issue. The area is closed now because of spawning - simply catching a spawning pike will potentially damage future populations.

 

MYOB??

 

Its important for all of us to help preserve our fishery, even if they are pike.

Edited April 7, 2010 by mepps

[dsn]

I thought this too, but if OP is correct then I haven't heard of stick baits being used for carp

 

Plus if they're using wire leaders, definitely pointing at pike.

 

I disagree with the point if your using a wired leader that your fishing for pike.

Using a wired leader can help when you fishing for some other species thats open and trying to prevent losing lure because there might be pike around. Example fishing for perch when pike are around.

 

My cousin fishes for sunfish and uses a wired leader cause he hates retying hooks if they get snagged on bottom and the line breaks. Or to change a lure its easier to open a clip put on your favorite lure then snap it closed.

 

DSN

 

 

[jedimaster]

One less pike is 10 more bass. I say kill em all.

[Twocoda]

im not familiar with the location but ...bows and hoes should be cruising close to shore if there is a river in the area....our pier up here is covered with fisherman chucking all kinds of hardware and body baits lately ....some beauty Cohos have been caught...

[Mykester]

One less pike is 10 more bass. I say kill em all.

 

[highdrifter]

One less pike is 10 more bass. I say kill em all.

 

That's just pure blasphemy!!

[CLofchik]

One less pike is 10 more bass. I say kill em all.

 

Sunfish (bass) are nothing but forage for real fish.