Nipissing reg change? two walleye limit

[Rod Caster]

Rumor round north Bay is Nipissing is going to a 2 walleye limit this winter. If your looking for a cheap ice shack, its time to buy.

 

I'm not sure how credible my sources are, but this seems like a natural progression from all the resource meetings happening lately.

 

Doesn't bother me too much as I mostly enjoy catching walleye for fun, but this would certainly have an affect on fishing tourism in the area.

 

Anyone else hear about this?

[jim]

How much did the netters quota change?!

[SlowPoke]

As of last weekend its still up in the air.

They're also considering flipping the slot regs...40-60cm keepers

[Muskieman]

I've also heard something similar , a surprise 2 Walleye limit , or a total winter ban for 5 years , ( I know some business owners who filled out a survey) something to figure out their annual fishing related income ..( probably for math on their payouts )

 

And also heard that if after these trials , a TOTAL 5 year closure to all forms of fishing ... ( this is from a few FN buddies of mine )

Whatever it is that they choose to do , something has to be done .

[pics]

How much did the netters quota change?!

I believe in the future, many lakes will only be open to substinance fishermen...you know, so they can fish for their families...with a few thousand pounds to sell to us guys who are no longer allowed to fish there.....

[GreenCanada]

I would support a full ban or even a reduction in harvesting levels to 2 fish. The resource is getting abused and if something isn't done, it will not survive much longer. This should have happened years ago, so while I offer sympathy for those (tourism and other related businesses) affected, more should have been done sooner.

 

Hopefully something finally gets done.

[northernpike56]

Hopefully, the gill netting gets stopped.

[Lip-ripper]

Sounds good to me... I don't really fish nipissing in the winter.

[frodobuggins]

I thought the only limit Nippising had in the winter was the amount of beers one could drink? After 20 yrs plus of ice fishing (drinking) with little or mediocre results, i don't think i would notice the change to 2 keepers. Its 2 more than i usually keep

[Billy Bob]

BAN THE GILL NETS and the lake will rebound, just like Lake Erie did....

[jerdog]

BAN THE GILL NETS and the lake will rebound, just like Lake Erie did....

 

Lake Erie has the largest commercial gill net fishery in Ontario. My estimate is that approx. 6500km of gill net (183 walleye/km of net, 1.2 million walleye caught) was set in Erie in 2011. I'm not sure Lake Erie is the best example for your argument.

 

Lake Erie Walleye Task Group Report

[Joeytier]

BAN THE GILL NETS and the lake will rebound, just like Lake Erie did....

Reducing limits for sport anglers will hopefully put pressure on NFN to smarten up. At the very least, it's a step up from the finger pointing and useless 'us and them' rhetoric that gets absolutely nothing accomplished.

[Billy Bob]

Lake Erie has the largest commercial gill net fishery in Ontario. My estimate is that approx. 6500km of gill net (183 walleye/km of net, 1.2 million walleye caught) was set in Erie in 2011. I'm not sure Lake Erie is the best example for your argument.

 

Lake Erie Walleye Task Group Report

 

But what you're not taking into consideration is since the mid 1980's all the GILL NETTERS on the USA side were bought out and eliminated.....NYS, PA, OHIO and MI no longer gill net walleyes or perch.......so yes, it is a good example....

[Billy Bob]

Reducing limits for sport anglers will hopefully put pressure on NFN to smarten up. At the very least, it's a step up from the finger pointing and useless 'us and them' rhetoric that gets absolutely nothing accomplished.

 

If the sport angler's limits or reduce and the KILLING GILL NETS still allowed, you will NOT see much improvement if any at all.

[Headhunter]

If the sport angler's limits or reduce and the KILLING GILL NETS still allowed, you will NOT see much improvement if any at all.

Well, for once I have to agree with BB... scarey as it seems! LOL

I would have no issues with a two fish limit as long as they scrapped the slot... as far as ice fishing is concerned, I don't personally care if they scrap it, although I would bet that many local businesses wouldn't be happy... unless the buy-out compensated them well.

All of these moves though would be inconsequencial should the netting continue...

HH

[Fish Farmer]

Ban selling Walleye, anyone caught selling Walleye gets $10.000 Fine

I guess we can't go there.

Tourism is going down hill anyway because of the Gas prices.

I got an idea, Lets all go shopping state side.

Edited September 10, 2012 by Fish Farmer

[solopaddler]

Can you imagine the quality fishery on Nip in a few years if they banned winter fishing and gill netting? I'll bet it rebound quickly and in a big way.

 

It's unfortunate that the powers that be can't see the benefits of such sweeping changes. Or more likely don't have the stones to rock the boat quite that much.

 

It's really too bad, I used to love fishing Nipissing. It's been about 10 years now since I've fished it and unless things change I doubt I ever will again.

 

Very sad.

[Joeytier]

Can you imagine the quality fishery on Nip in a few years if they banned winter fishing and gill netting? I'll bet it rebound quickly and in a big way.

 

It's unfortunate that the powers that be can't see the benefits of such sweeping changes. Or more likely don't have the stones to rock the boat quite that much.

 

It's really too bad, I used to love fishing Nipissing. It's been about 10 years now since I've fished it and unless things change I doubt I ever will again.

 

Very sad.

It has the potential to bounce back very quickly. It is still quite a productive walleye fishery, and I have seen Kawartha lakes in far worse shape than Nip bounce back very quickly with strict regulations.

[TJQ]

I thought the only limit Nippising had in the winter was the amount of beers one could drink? After 20 yrs plus of ice fishing (drinking) with little or mediocre results, i don't think i would notice the change to 2 keepers. Its 2 more than i usually keep

 

 

hahahaha... ya i concur.

[jedimaster]

I thought it was cormorants causing the fish problem? haha jk I think a 1 or 2 keep limit is fine in a lake that is clearly struggling. The netting and other types of fishing also need to be looked at.

[blarg]

Reducing limits for sport anglers will hopefully put pressure on NFN to smarten up. At the very least, it's a step up from the finger pointing and useless 'us and them' rhetoric that gets absolutely nothing accomplished.

 

 

So basically we are applying the happy wife, happy life theory to managing the lake, hey, well lets not fight, ill just take the blame and the pain and you just keep behaving the way you always do, really? That is unimaginably pathetic, NFN will not smarten up, just like the woman who is never wrong, they are entitled, that is their bottom line, beg the government to send them a some number of millions a year to buy them not netting the lake and i promise you some of the band will still net the lake. There are no shortage of white guys who would do the same, NFN isn't special, they are just people.

[Billy Bob]

I thought it was cormorants causing the fish problem? haha jk I think a 1 or 2 keep limit is fine in a lake that is clearly struggling. The netting and other types of fishing also need to be looked at.

 

I'm SURE cormorants are having a negative effect on the walleye population....as you can check here (a summarized report), Oneida Lake, once a walleye factory for NYS also had problems with cormorants....but first and foremost, KILLING GILL NETS should be outlawed on the Big Nip....

 

http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/72333.html

[LucG]

As much as complete ban would upset both sides, (commercial fishery/tourism) it might be the only thing we could to do for a quick recovery of this lake.

[jedimaster]

Why not just do a one time massive stock, have a complete ban, only catch and release, no commercial fishing for X years, possibly 3 years or 5 years. Let a few breeding classes have a chance to repopulate the lake.

[Billy Bob]

Why not just do a one time massive stock, have a complete ban, only catch and release, no commercial fishing for X years, possibly 3 years or 5 years. Let a few breeding classes have a chance to repopulate the lake.

 

Stocking a lake doesn't mean all's well afterward....Oneida Lake in NYS gets a annual stocking of 150 MILLION fry each and every year....and it's still struggling and no commercial fishing is allowed on the lake.....but let's say a massive stocking for the next 5 years does do well, and hopefully it will....but then letting KILLER GILL NETS once again on the lake will result in the same conditions you are experiencing now....and that makes no sense whatsoever....