Bass Season Changes 2013 - Reasoning for FMZ's?

[lhousesoccer]

Hey everyone - I know a thread got locked on this topic a while back. I'm not looking to start a big argument here, I'm just looking for some info. The bass season will open a week earlier in FMZ's 17, 18 and 20, with the reasoning and justification given as earlier springs, warmer waters, faster bass growth, and earlier spawning, which I agree with and can understand.

 

I was poking around the MNR's website looking for a document that discussed or summarized the decision making process, and pros and cons that went into this decision, because I was hoping to find a reason why FMZ's 16 and 19 were left out.

 

I could maybe see 16 as not being included because the northern part of 16 includes Georgian Bay and Huron, which probably stay colder. Simcoe, however, is also in 16, and I think you could say the same temperature changes have occurred there as elsewhere in southern Ontario. But why leave out 19, which is mostly Erie and St. Clair? I can't imagine they are any different than Lake Ontario or central and eastern Ontario in terms of temperature changes.

 

I just was hoping to find something written on the MNR site that explained the decision making, but I can't find it.

 

Does anyone know?

[dheitzner]

I don't know, but definitely thought the same thing when the changes came out...

Darcy

Edited February 28, 2013 by darcyheitzner

[John Bacon]

I attended a seminar on this topic a while back. They mentioned that Lake Ontario bass spawn in July and that the were not even protected by old seasons. A delay in the opening season for Lake Ontario was under consideration at the time.

 

Perhaps some of the other large water bodies have a similar late season.

[Rich]

Something I was always wondering, as Erie is considered the shallowest and warmest of the great lakes, and Ontario one of the deepest and coldest.

[Ron]

Mostly because there is not an advisory council for FMZ 19. There is only a few FMZs left that do not have an advisory council. Therefore there is no voice from stakeholders on that particular body of water. I will see what i can dig up in regards to background information you may find interesting. Perhaps do a google search on Mark Ridgeway of Trent University

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_166747.html

 

Cheers, Ron...

[lhousesoccer]

Thanks Ron and everyone else. I'm not sure I'd buy the "let's try it here before doing it there" argument. That's the sort of experiment you do on marginal fisheries where there's not much at stake, and wait and see what happens before replicating it on your best fisheries. In this case, 17 and 18 have most of the better fisheries overall. The Advisory Council thing makes sense, but why is there no council for 16? With Simcoe in the middle of it, you'd think they have one! If that link you sent, Ron, is a complete list of councils, 15 doesn't have one either, which includes the Muskokas, the Haliburtons and Algonquin!

Edited February 28, 2013 by vtbass

[Djeep]

this is purely speculation, but I feel lake erie and lsc probably get hit harder by US anglers during the year round bass season due to proximity & fishing quality compared to the other zones where the regs have changed.

 

lake ontario also shares border with us but much more water inbetween shorelines.

 

the increased angling pressure on lsc & southern erie from the US anglers combined with an early opening date in Ontario may cause more negative effects on the populations that cant outweigh the positive economics of a single week of angling.

 

Especially in lsc where the majority of bass spawn around the same time (I believe: uniform water depths/temps) so on a late spring, the early regs could impact parenting bass significantly by combined pressure of canadian and us anglers.

 

this is the only reasoning i can speculate why seasons in my area have not changed. feel free to negate any of my comments as I am just making a guess!

Edited February 28, 2013 by Djeep