Proposed New Bass Changes for Southern Ontario

[SmokestackLightnin]

Looks like the MNR wants to change bass opener from the fourth Saturday to the third Saturday in June for selected zones. For your reading pleasure, MNR has created a document highlighting the proposed bass season changes for Southern and Eastern Ontario:

 

 

 

http://www.mnr.gov.o...prod_095259.pdf

[kickingfrog]

That's "southern" Ontario?

[FishTracker]

Thanks for sharing! That would mean I could have two opening day weekends in June! I'm OK with that!

[bushart]

Soooo with seasons starting to change due to climate change and Manhattan subways under aqua

 

Somewhere Al Gore is sittin back chuggin a cold one....smokin a stogie....sittin in a rocker on da porch just sayin.....

 

Told ya so man

[davey buoy]

Not zone 16?,waiting for that last week is always the hardest!!

[Luke V.]

Why not include zone 19?

[irishfield]

Why not just open them all year long, like they are in the North?

[ecmilley]

yup pretty sure there was a big debate here earlier this year about the same thing.

[Rich]

Lol. There really could easily be a c&r only season, during the spawn, and bass would be fine. They're littered, everywhere. Armchair pros everywhere are lucking into big bass all the time. Guess that could be proof the season works, too. I dunno. A week of extra bassin is cool too.

[BillM]

By the time the fourth Sat in June rolls around most of those fish have been off the beds for a while. I don't think losing a week will impact the fishery at all. Hell, how many guys out fishing for pike on the weed edges are constantly getting into bass, I know I am! No where near any beds.

[TJQ]

It always makes me wonder.... they are an invasive species, but cause they are fun to catch and decent to eat, they get protected... id say open the season year round everywhere..... they effect walleye and trout populations so what makes them better than asian carp.. i love fishing for them but sometimes it seem a bit hypocritical to me.

 

ive seen a lake north of here full of pickerel, one year i caught a bass, had never caught one there before, .. and now theres more bass than you can shake a stick at, and far far less pickerel.

[TJQ]

The extensive expansion of the species beyond its native range has led to concerns of the potential impacts of smallmouth bass introductions in Ontario and elsewhere. Introduced smallmouth bass have been associated with negative impacts to aquatic ecosystems including the transfer of parasites and disease, the alteration of small-bodied fish communities, and the potential to negatively influence other important recreational sportfish.

 

From the 2012 MNR bass report....

[chessy]

hope they don't forget to send the proposal in for early season .. they forgot to send the two trout limit in lake ontario in, how can they forget ...

[misfish]

and now theres more bass than you can shake a stick at.

 

Does it work? I mean, shaking a stick at them?

 

Open all year,I dont see a prob. But Im no bioligest.

[Christopheraaron]

Does it work? I mean, shaking a stick at them?

 

Open all year,I dont see a prob. But Im no bioligest.

 

Worked down south.

[kemper]

Lol. There really could easily be a c&r only season, during the spawn, and bass would be fine. They're littered, everywhere. Armchair pros everywhere are lucking into big bass all the time. Guess that could be proof the season works, too. I dunno. A week of extra bassin is cool too.

 

 

Depends what type of fishery the powers that be are looking to have. Pulling bass off the beds for any length of time is a bad thing, have you seen how fast a sunfish is?

[Joeytier]

That was an informative read.

 

I would definitely back a year round season, but given their economic importance that will never happen.

[Rich]

Have you seen the fishing across the great lakes? Doesnt seem to hurt em.

[Live2fish85]

I don't think a year round season would hurt the bass at all. It has worked in the state's without any real problems.

[BillM]

I don't think a year round season would hurt the bass at all. It has worked in the state's without any real problems.

 

The US has a lot longer of a growing season then we do up here. I don't think opening bass all year would be a good idea, but a week or two earlier then it is now most likely wouldn't hurt anything.

[Christopheraaron]

The US has a lot longer of a growing season then we do up here. I don't think opening bass all year would be a good idea, but a week or two earlier then it is now most likely wouldn't hurt anything.

 

it works in new york too though, i guess close them to ice fishing and have a year long softwater season?

[ecmilley]

actually I think an all round open season would have economic benefits for most of ontario and would help walleye populations in certain areas but given I now have an open all year panny fishery and decent walleye/bass/musky on my lake. i am thrilled to get the edge off a week earlier for bass

Edited November 1, 2012 by ecmilley

[ecmilley]

The US has a lot longer of a growing season then we do up here. I don't think opening bass all year would be a good idea, but a week or two earlier then it is now most likely wouldn't hurt anything.

i agree with the week or two, but longer growing season can be in debate, carolina has a longer grow but new york is marginal, central/southerontario grow season is longer or the same as wisconsin or minnisota but also research has proved that shorter growing seasons translate to longer life in fish so it would be a case of 6 of one 1/2 doz of the other, i think lake champlain could be a model for central/soouthern ontario bass fishing

[irishfield]

Seriously guys.. do you think the "growing season" is longer North of New Liskerd?? We can't fish Smallies year long on Temagami.. but I sure wish we could and that they tasted better. In the 9 seasons now... that I've been on the lake.. they've gone from an incidental catch to being absolute pests!

[BillM]

Not to mention all those guys who flip pads & stumps in 2 FOW for walleye have one less week of feeling bad about those pesky incidental bass!

 

So that's not how I'm supposed to fish for walleyes?

 

Oh damn, lol.