Pickerel stocking on Nipissing axed

[Headhunter]

Tilapia Sucks... like lipstick on a pig... no matter how you cook it, it sucks!

Has there been any discussion with the MNR and NFN regarding cormorants? Appreciate your help...

HH

Crosshairs, again, thanks for chiming in... Any comment on my earlier post, quoted above... re NFN's take on the cormorant problem?

 

Guys, I understand everyone's frustration, but bashing Crosshairs or any other First Nations member, will not do anything, but make the situation worse. They have the legal right to do as they do and until that changes, may I boldly suggest that we as anglers try to work together with First Nations for the betterment of all. If that really bothers you, take some time to read up on First Nations agreements... again, I don't necessarily personally agree with what's in place, but LEGALLY, rights are rights.

The more I read and learn, the more I am beginning to think that the MNR are one of the biggest problems, the lake has. Is it a funding problem, a management problem, a political problem; sorry I can't answer that... but let's not alienate each other and allow the powers that be, to divide and conquer.

HH

[crosshairs]

From what I have been told, the Cormorant population has boomed and has now stabilized to what the food source could sustain. If they were that much of a problem we would see perch numbers also dwindling, but instead they are also booming. The perch are starting to fill the void that is left from the walleye, supposedly once that void is filled it is hard to swing back the other way. It all has to do with so much energy in the food web and bunch of mumbo jumbo to me. I am sure it has been discussed, I just haven't heard anything of it.

 

I believe there is another Lake Nipissing summit being planned as we speak, and new this year OMNR is planning to participate so when it is announced I recommend all who can attend do so, personally I felt last years helped us all to see it from others perspectives and in the long run we are all fighting for the same outcome. A healthy lake for all to enjoy now and in the future.

[Headhunter]

Thanks Crosshairs...

HH

[dhickey]

It becomes our responsability to adjust and preserve!!

 

Otherwise I here Africa/south america/ along with the oceans is open to pilligers...

For those that would rather exploit than preserve???

 

Expliot or preserve???

HMMM.

Canada may well be on the list to??? I just wont admitt it.

 

As for NIPPISING .

Yall better pull you heads up soon.

[JimC]

I have taken the time to read each and every post on this thread and have learned some stuff, had some laughs, and respect everyone's right to say what's on their mind. As a North Bay born person, my Dad took me fishing at an early age, and though I now reside in S.Ont. I have returned to a lodge on Lake Nipissing for over 30 yrs, bringing my wife and kids since they were 1 yr old. My daughter and husband now have a 3yr old son, and they join us annually for our family vacation.

 

This preamble is meant to indicate my deep concern for the future of the Walleye fishery, and therefore the viability of the lodge we consider our 2nd home, and other similar, well managed businesses around the Lake. I also make an early spring trip for 15yrs with friends to same place, but have noticed business is slipping big time in recent years. The latest move by MNR to cut daily catch (and by extension, total possesion) limits to TWO is just another nail in the coffin for some folks who have sunk possibly their life savings into what is their dream to operate a family vacation destination on Lake Nipissing. What about them? and what about my kids, and now, my Grandson, who may miss the chance to enjoy a beautiful week fishing on Lake Nipissinhg, in the years ahead?

 

My main point here, and subject of this thread, is that I cannot understand why MNR has refused to allow knowledgeable volunteers to initiate and manage a restocking program, with so much evidence of success stories, per links on this very thread, plus the methods to do it, ie. gather eggs and sperm from native Walleye, thus allowing the fry to grow some before being released, and increase survival rate. For sure It is only part of a needed solution to a very complex problem; however, I think it is totally irresponsible of the MNR to veto the offer made by Stewardship council and others. Not sure where NFN stands on this, maybe its in this thread, and I missed it? Perhaps Crosshairs can shed some light (btw, I really enjoy reading your perpective). If there is any sanity left in MNR brain trust, I urge them to reconsider ... especially with knowledge that Yellow Walleye are a stocked species to Lake Nipissing in the first place.

Edited April 7, 2013 by JimC

[glen]

Yep fishing is better when there is a chance at catching something.

I remember how fishing used to be and that makes it hard to accept the way it is now. We need better fishing right now. What are they doing to improve fishing? That is the sad part.

[Sinker]

Glen, your either fishing the wrong water, or your not a great fisherman. No offence intended, but I don't see anyone else complaining about not catching fish, just not being able to keep them.

 

That said, I know nothing about nip. Never fished it, or even laid eyes on it for that matter.

 

Its not hard to catch a feed of fish around here though.

 

S.

[Gerritt]

This whole thread sickens me.

 

 

so much deception on each side....

 

we all know where the problem is...

 

No one has the balls to say it...

 

I do.

 

The Nip will NEVER recover if the nets are not stopped and spearing is outlawed, I have seen natives spearing fish on the south river.... and we are talking about spawning fish here... hard to have natural fish when they are speared before they have the chance to mate... stupid.

 

it makes me sick plain an simple..

 

There are alot of facstor at play on Nip... netting and native spearing being two of them

 

and we are to trust these stewards?

 

no thanks.

 

G

[fishindevil]

Your right gerrit but we as a group of anglers are not allowed to speak the truth cause we might offend someone !!!!! Hey you live near Brighton just drive into shannonville at hwy 2 as see the natives spearing the spawning walleyes and filling pickup trucks for personal use !!!!! The opp are there as you are only allowed to watch from the bridge !!!!!! And they do it all night long with generators and big lights all setup !!!!!! Check it out its not far from your place at all

[Roy]

This whole thread sickens me.

 

 

so much deception on each side....

 

Yet you only complain about one side.

 

 

Your right gerrit but we as a group of anglers are not allowed to speak the truth cause we might offend someone !!!!! Hey you live near Brighton just drive into shannonville at hwy 2 as see the natives spearing the spawning walleyes and filling pickup trucks for personal use !!!!! The opp are there as you are only allowed to watch from the bridge !!!!!! And they do it all night long with generators and big lights all setup !!!!!! Check it out its not far from your place at all

 

You well know that these threads always degenerate into racial garbage. The topic at hand is not spearing in Shannonville but stocking on Nipissing.

[ecmilley]

those fingers that spend time pointing could be used to do some work!

seriously we all know that nipissing is in a decline right now, but lets look back at the bay of quinte, from a awesome wally fishery in the late 90's early 2000's had a population crash what brought it back to the state it is today? there was a 4 fish unlimited size possession today only one larger fish the natives still net and spear there guess what still fish for everyone to catch.

not one sole user group that can be held accountable for all problems but if all user groups can't decide on a course of action then may as well find another lake

Edited April 9, 2013 by ecmilley

[Fish Farmer]

With all the crap happening with uped gas prices, taxes, toll roads, launch fee gouging, etc. No money left when I get to Nipissing, and to just catch and release with no fish fry, I'll stay home. Sorry Tourism, like said before, the big bang is coming.

X2 Gerritt, you said it, very true. Time for the Sheep to come out of the closet.

[Nipfisher]

This whole thread sickens me.

 

 

so much deception on each side....

 

we all know where the problem is...

 

No one has the balls to say it...

 

I do.

 

The Nip will NEVER recover if the nets are not stopped and spearing is outlawed, I have seen natives spearing fish on the south river.... and we are talking about spawning fish here... hard to have natural fish when they are speared before they have the chance to mate... stupid.

 

it makes me sick plain an simple..

 

There are alot of facstor at play on Nip... netting and native spearing being two of them

 

and we are to trust these stewards?

 

no thanks.

 

G

 

Gerritt,

I have had this conversation about spearing with NFN fisheries, and several years ago when they implemented the moratorium on netting during the spawn they continued to allow spearing. My concern was taking ripe females out of the spawn but the NFN "try" to target male fish when spearing.

 

This year the NFN Fiseries is considering revisions to the 2013 fishing regulations. Here is the planned dates for this year, as stated in the www.nfn.ca newsletter for March 2013

This is a reminder that the gill net moratorium will be in effect from April 1, 2013 up to and including

May 10, 2013. Our annual gill net moratorium is in place to allow as many walleye to spawn as possible and we are seeing the positive results from our management efforts.

 

The ice out is predicted to be late this year (exerpt fFrom North Bay Nugget April 9, 2013 -

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority stated last week the spring thaw is about two weeks behind.

The majority of Lake Nipissing remains covered in snow and ice, however there are spots of open water at the mouth of Chippewa and Parks Creek and along some of the shoreline.

And it doesn't look like Mother Nature is going to be too quick to help.)

 

I have concern that if the ice is out late and water temps are too cold for spawning then the the spawn will be late. If the moratorium dates are not ammended then the spawning walleye will end up in the nets.

Edited April 9, 2013 by Nipfisher

[Rod Caster]

Don't they milk the fish and replace the fertilize eggs when they spear? Other FN (Shawagina) do this and their fisheries are seen as healthy by the MNR. This would seem like simple, good management practice, no?

[Nipfisher]

Don't they milk the fish and replace the fertilize eggs when they spear? Other FN (Shawagina) do this and their fisheries are seen as healthy by the MNR. This would seem like simple, good management practice, no?

 

Not to my knowledge but I am not NFN.

[Rod Caster]

From what I understand, this was the traditional practice during the spring spearing. I hope they haven't lost this practice.

[crosshairs]

NipFisher, in regards to your concerns over late ice off since 2003 there have never been spawning walleye left on the spawning beds may 10th. Normally the whole last week there is minimal walleye on the shoals. Might count 20 all night on prime areas and they are just bombing around feeding. Usually males hoping for some strangler females. lol. Remember the nugget states when the lake is totally ice free. Last year it was april 11, but we were out in the boat patroling march 30. This year is to be back on track with normal years, I will be on the boat the last week of april sometime. The spawn will begin in certain areas first, wasi, west arm, then areas with open shores and the last is the shoal spawners in the big water.

 

The females don't go up to the areas until they are ready to go, the males will sit there for a month waiting, the female will go up one night and she is done. It is really interesting to sit and watch. A trick my dad showed me when I was a kid was to sit there in the dark and just tap my foot on the water (imitating a female splashing) and the males will come over to my foot and sure enough they did.

 

The walleye will spawn when the time is right, i have watched them in prime spawn with the ice 10 feet off shore.

 

JimC i beleive NFN is struggling with the whole hatchery issue. Their is alot of science against it but there is also science for it. To be honest I do not know where they really stand. Remember at NFN the politicians are the grassroots workers bosses, sometimes decisions are made on how it effects voters not what staff recommend or endorse. Personally i worry that if all these fingerlings and eggs are put in it will give this false idea that we all can keep taking out this amount of walleye or even more. Sustainability is only taking what the resource can reproduce, if the lake can only sustain so many #'s of walleye per year then that is it. This might be a stupid analyagy but when moose numbers are down less tags are given to allow a recovery, we do not breed them to try and help make more so we can keep taking. That is just my personal opinion, again I have nothing against the people wanting to do this. At least they are at the same table as NFN and wanting to do something.

 

RodCaster, some of the people out are doing this, they will spawn them out. The majority of people spearing are families with their kids, it isn't to make money or slaughter them, it is to teach the kids and keep traditions alive. With the commercial regs and spearing regs alot of people just don't bother to go out anymore. Wether it is the regs or just concern for the fishery or both alot have made that choice.

 

Also the same ripe female that might get taken is the same female that could have been caught all winter, a spawning age female is a spawning age female. Again i have nothing to gain from this except the opportunity to share information with you all and hopefully create a healthy fishery for my kids to enjoy. I have fished twice in the past 3 years and not once this year. I am not doing this so I can catch more fish. I have 4 boys and they are all taught to take only what you need, and to respect all fish and animals we harvest. I take 1 moose and 1 deer a year and this feeds my whole family of 8 people. I usually just run out of meat the week prior to school starting. Soon we will go for smelts then for catfish, sometimes my mom will ask for suckers to can so the boys will come and help get some for grandma. (BTW she just adds ketchup and it looks like salmon). We eat rabbits in the winter and occationally we will get a beaver from a trapper. We try not to purchase as much as possible, you don't know what is in any of our food anymore. This is a choice we make, others have to do this just to get by.

 

Anyhow if anyone feels I am speaking with deception, to somehow gain something out of this mess I am sorry. Again I am just sharing information that alot of people donot know, when I was in CO training the whole class was so upset with what they learned there in regards to their FN neighbors. What made them most angry was that they never learned any of this stuff through school. I had 1 elderly gentleman in our class come up to me and appologize for hating us his whole life only to find out why FNs are angry, he said told me to share my information, knowlegde with anyone who wants to learn because they don't know.

 

Anyhow I appologize to the admins, again i am not talking about stocking on lake nipissing but I feel people need an understanding of the whole situation on both sides. Thanks all and have a great day.

[Nipfisher]

Crosshairs, Your input is greatly appreciated, you are a valuable resource to this board and I always look forward to your comments. My comments are not intended to be anti-NFN. I apologize if they come across that way. I was happy to see that NFN is always reviewing and revising their regulations.

 

I may go try and see the walleye at Wasi or South river this year.

 

Don't get me started on the smelts...lol. We are not allowed to target Nipissing creeks, streams, or rivers until they cross Hwy. 17 (North side) . No smelts run that far. Same with suckers however I know of a few places to get them legaly. I have tried the suckers and they are pretty good. The guy who introduced me to them eats it cold with salt and pepper after it has been cooked in margerine. In the spring (after opener) there are tons of smaller catfish to be found in the weedbeds around our trailer.

 

Nice picture in the newsletter by the way.

 

Blair

Edited April 9, 2013 by Nipfisher