Bass Anglers

[esoxansteel]

The online survey is up for FMZ17, and the proposed change to move the start of the Bass season, to the 3rd Saturday in June from the 4th Saturday in June, the link is fmz17survey.ca, for anyone interested.

[asdve23rveavwa]

Done!!!

 

I am strictly catch and release as far as bass are concerned, so, opening the season a week early for me isn't about filling a freezer. I do feel, that, the populations in this zone are healthy, and, with the trends toward warmer springs opening the season a mere seven days early would in no way harm the fishery.

 

For that matter how many extremely healthy bass fisheries in the US and northern Ontario have no closed season, not that I would go that extreme for a high pressure, slow growth...compared to the US...area like zone 17.

[Christopheraaron]

Done.

[misfish]

I am strictly catch and release as far as bass are concerned, so, opening the season a week early for me isn't about filling a freezer. I do feel, that, the populations in this zone are healthy, and, with the trends toward warmer springs opening the season a mere seven days early would in no way harm the fishery.

 

I wont be filling this survey OUT(no disrespect),as like Frank said,I too, am a C&R guy. Dont see the point. Dont understand all this opening/closing/limiting/moving dates.

 

I can see limiting catches/keeps.

 

Maybe I need to get a following of closing Lake Ontario tribes, one year at a time.

 

Oh, never mind.I asked about this a few years ago, and got shot down. Not enough policing to enforce .

[Christopheraaron]

I think that not many people actually keep bass, if it was something like pike or walleye dates then I could see some problems but frankly I don't think this would hurt.

[asdve23rveavwa]

I wont be filling this survey OUT(no disrespect),as like Frank said,I too, am a C&R guy. Dont see the point. Dont understand all this opening/closing/limiting/moving dates.

 

I can see limiting catches/keeps.

 

Maybe I need to get a following of closing Lake Ontario tribes, one year at a time.

 

Oh, never mind.I asked about this a few years ago, and got shot down. Not enough policing to enforce .

 

Some valid points Brian. Lowering the limit works for me too, but, I just find the bass season so short that an extra week to pursue them, LEGALLY, would be nice.

As far as other changes...how about closing Scugog to winter walleye fishing, or rotating Scugog/Rice...but, that's a whole other discussion

[esoxansteel]

Councils goal with the MNR is to open up angling opportunites for the public, but MOST important is having minimal to no impact on the resourse, and with science showing us that Bass are spawning earlier, and therefore the natal protection period for Bass is also moved up as well, and finished earlier because of the trend of increased water temps during that period, moving the season to the 3rd Saturday in June fits in with councils mandate.

[EC1]

A week early would be nice, but can we follow some of those American rules, where it's C&R only until a certain date or something along those lines?

 

I think that zone 17 bass is more than sustainable, but walleye on the other hand could probably use a bit more protection.

Edited April 24, 2012 by EC1

[Lunker777]

I don't know how an imaginary line can decide the different between pre spawn fishing and post spawn fishing being good/bad.... the imaginary line I refer to is the Canada/US border on Lake St.Clair. Clearly LSC has a VERY healthy population of bass.... along with Lake Erie.

 

I'm strictly catch and release ( I don't eat fish at ALL ) BUT I don't see how there could be any harm to fishing bass all year.

 

PS... this isnt regarding zone 17... just my .02 cents

Edited April 24, 2012 by Lunker777

[Dave Bailey]

Probably the only way to resolve the argument is to have a period, say 5 years, during which it is year-round open season on bass, with catch and release only until post-spawn. Population counts would be done at regular intervals, and the idea would be scrapped, retained, or adjusted as necessary.

[Joeytier]

I think that not many people actually keep bass, if it was something like pike or walleye dates then I could see some problems but frankly I don't think this would hurt.

Local tournaments are clearly having an effect on big bass populations in smaller, pressured lakes. Not that I think a week would makes things any worse (I voted in favour) but nonetheless.

 

I really enjoy keeping the odd small to medium sized smallmouth for the pan. Very mild, sweet flesh, similar to perch.

[Live2fish85]

The bass have done very well with the season being open all year in the states. I think they would do just fine here with the same laws as the states.

 

Some studies show that bass have no trouble finding there bed from a km away.

[PainInTheBass]

I was under the impression that one of the reasons for not fishing for bass during the spanw (particularly on beds) is so that their eggs/fry do not get eaten while they are off of their beds. I think that is the only real time when I would not want anglers catching bass.

[Jer]

Is there another link to this survey? I can't seem to load the page, keeps freezing up my browser.

[BillM]

Probably the only way to resolve the argument is to have a period, say 5 years, during which it is year-round open season on bass, with catch and release only until post-spawn. Population counts would be done at regular intervals, and the idea would be scrapped, retained, or adjusted as necessary.

 

I doubt the white bucket brigade would care if it's 100% catch or release or not. Perfect excuse for them to be out on the water even earlier.

 

Leave bass opener where it is.

[jedimaster]

My personal feeling for the Kawartha system would be to rotate the lake so that each lake is only allowed keeps for 1 out of the 5 years. Its a special ecosystem all being joined and needs special consideration... I think this would tremendously help the system as a whole, but I am no bioligist or pollitician. Imagine the Walleye boom if each lake was given 4 years to reproduce with no fish coming out of the lake. Combined with some sort of anual quota tagging system or reduce limits / slots or something to help curb obliterating the Keep lake of the year...

 

This would still allow people to fish CnR on all the lakes, but only keep from one lake each year. Balsam Year 1, Sturgeon Year 2, Scugog Year 3 etc....

 

This would also tend to help curb poaching from lakes and make it real clear for anyone keeping fish from lakes they shouldn't be.

Allowing the MnR to focus its resources more precisly on the keep lakes, with quick checks on the others...

Edited April 25, 2012 by jedimaster

[hirk]

Local tournaments are clearly having an effect on big bass populations in smaller, pressured lakes. Not that I think a week would makes things any worse (I voted in favour) but nonetheless.

 

I really enjoy keeping the odd small to medium sized smallmouth for the pan. Very mild, sweet flesh, similar to perch.

 

who says they clearly have a negative effect,is this speculation on your part or based on a biological study?

As for fishing during the spawning period for bass a study was done on recruitment sucess on a lake the size of Rice and it was found that to maintain a sustainable population of large mouth it literally only required a handfull of nests to survive for adaquate recruitment. Im not suggesting bed fishing should be allowed but this shows it doesnt have the impact people percieve.I think a c&r early season wouldnt hurt the fishery myself but doubt we will see it anytime soon.

[Roy]

They've just opened up winter bass and musky fishing here in zone 4.

[Christopheraaron]

They've just opened up winter bass and musky fishing here in zone 4.

 

Don't brag!

[Roy]

I'm not bragging, trust me.

[esoxansteel]

who says they clearly have a negative effect,is this speculation on your part or based on a biological study?

As for fishing during the spawning period for bass a study was done on recruitment sucess on a lake the size of Rice and it was found that to maintain a sustainable population of large mouth it literally only required a handfull of nests to survive for adaquate recruitment. Im not suggesting bed fishing should be allowed but this shows it doesnt have the impact people percieve.I think a c&r early season wouldnt hurt the fishery myself but doubt we will see it anytime soon.

 

 

The study also took into effect, Bass tournaments, and the increased pressure of them on bodies of water such as the Kawarthas, and there is minimal effect, other then the weekend pressure on the body of water, meaning the tournament organizers are doing it right, and mortality in Bass tournaments is really a non-issue for the larger publisized tournaments, and the Kawarthas are a fine example where Bass tournaments happen on these waters every weekend, and fishing is still excellent.

[esoxansteel]

Here is another link to access the survey, and also the Zone councils, there is the science part of the study, to give you honest data, and not what is sometimes perceived regarding the proposed changes to the Bass season in 17,

ontario.ca/zonecouncils will get you where you need to be, and click on the Zone thats of interest, ie the surveys in Zone 17

 

 

[danc]

 

 

Some studies show that bass have no trouble finding there bed from a km away.

 

They must be really smart. I know that I've had a problem with that a couple of times.

[monsterfish]

Survey Completed LR!

[esoxansteel]

They must be really smart. I know that I've had a problem with that a couple of times.

 

 

Now thats funny