Stepping up on my soapbox for a second

[Acountdeleted]

If I'm out of line on this, please someone tell me but this really bugs me.

 

My parents have owned a cottage in the Kwarthas before I was born and our lake is fortunate (after this weekend I'm thinking unfortunate) enough to have great bass, walleye and muskie fishing. With the long weekend and walleye being open there were a lot of people on the lake. As a rule, I have a couple of spots that I like to hit up for a walleye but if I catch a bass I won't go back to that spot until after bass opener (call me a little neurotic but I don't like bothering or hooking into spawning fish)

 

There were a few spots I saw people fishing, rocky shoals and weed beds in <4 feet of water where I knew all they would catch are bass but I kept my mouth shut as, they are just trying to have fun and probably didn't know where to target walleye.

 

What really really got me was, on sunday afternoon, a guy with a a bass boat worth more then my car, comes trolling by all of the docks on our side of the lake, tossing what looked like a spinner bait in and around all of the docks. Now, again, don't judge a book by its cover, but this guy looked like he knew all too well what he was doing and all he would have been doing is pulling spawning bass off of their nests.

 

Has it got to the point where people just don't care anymore? The mentality of 'I'm going to catch the fish I want, when I want and unless I get a ticket I'm going to keep going?'

 

Don't get me wrong, I like keeping fish for dinner as much as the next guy, but I would really like it if, when I have children or grandchildren, I can take them out to catch more then just White Sucker an Carp.

Edited May 21, 2013 by jeremy84

[Christopheraaron]

Did you get the lic #?

[BillM]

Did he at least have two power poles on the back?

[Harrison]

Bass boat means nothing. It's like saying everyone who drives a Porshe is a good driver and knows all the rules on the road. Complete nonsence.

 

Any dolt with $50k can buy a boat.

 

Some of my favourite water is the thickest milfoil and in less then 4ft for walleye on the Kawarthas.

Edited May 21, 2013 by Harrison

[Acountdeleted]

Did you get the lic #?

 

Was up on the deck. didn't get a chance to.

Bass boat means nothing. It's like saying everyone who drives a Porshe is a good driver and knows all the rules on the road. Complete nonsence.

 

Any dolt with $50k can buy a boat.

 

Some of my favourite water is the thickest milfoil and in less then 4ft for walleye on the Kawarthas.

 

I didn't mean because of the boat. 4ft of Milfoil I totally agree with you on that one, but the guy who really burned my bacon was pitching and flipping under docks. I haven't fished a lifetime but I've never caught a walleye under a dock with no surrounding veg before.

[aplumma]

Please note that I am in a place where it is legal to fish for bass all year around. I have fished in the time of the spawn and returned the fish back to the water in a timely manner. This is what I have observed. The bass will return to the nest area and continue to guard it. I have seen very little predatory reactions from the surrounding fish. I know there are many that say this condemns the nest and we have wiped out a whole brood of bass. I think the impact is minimum on the bass as far as the breeding and year of the young. Now the important point is if it is illegal for them to be fished then that is what I would be angry about. As far as devastating the lakes population I think that it is not likely.

 

 

Art

[Terry]

but it is illegal here and he knew exactly what he was doing

grab a camera and snap a few pictures or better yet a video and tell him the mnr and youtube will be seeing him fish out of season

[Harrison]

I didn't mean because of the boat. 4ft of Milfoil I totally agree with you on that one, but the guy who really burned my bacon was pitching and flipping under docks. I haven't fished a lifetime but I've never caught a walleye under a dock with no surrounding veg before.

I would think you are correct in your assumptions. Good thing is poachers are creatures of habit.... he'll be back. Take some photos and when you have them PM me and I'll give you a number to send them to.

[Acountdeleted]

Good call. Thanks for the good advice guys.

[mike rousseau]

Happens everywhere...

 

As soon as one predatory species opens its a free for all....

 

For example... If pike is open... A spinnerbaits is a great pike bait...

 

It's very hard to prove...

 

I used to pound pike in the opening few weeks on buzz baits.... Legitimately.... But then the next guy could be using the same bait for OOS bass... Only a few feet shallower right beside me....

[jimmer]

I have lived on a kawartha lake for the past 26 years and have fished the kawarthas for many more. I see this every year and it also drives me crazy when it is so obvious. Trying to avoid spawning bass is not easy in some shallower ends of the lakes, but they should not be targeting them. I think some people just don't give a sh.....

[adempsey]

Caught two Walleye in 3-4 feet of water in/near some weed beds using a Shad Rap last weekend. Buddy did catch an OOS Smallmouth though. We were there for the Walleye but could have easily been accused otherwise.

 

Pitching docks though? Well, I guess he could be after pike......

[Acountdeleted]

No pike in the lake. Only bass, walleye, muskie (Which are also OOS). I give people benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise but pitching docks in May is just bad form.

[BillM]

Pitching docks for pike, that's a new one.

[Rich]

People just straight up dont care.

 

I show people a big bass i caught last year... Usual reply is " i get one that big every May" ... I just shrug and stop talking to ameteurs like that.

[Sinker]

Typical bass boat owner. They can't catch any real fish, so they resort to OOS bass! Give 'em a break, they just can't catch real fish!!

 

 

LOL

 

 

S.

[Garnet]

Dock fishing for pike standard stuff on Muskoka.

 

You can't legislate morals.

 

If you come home mad, upset you have missed the point.

[Sinker]

We're talking about the kawarthas, not muskoka, and a lake with no pike.

 

S.

[porkpie]

I was fishing in a back bay in 3 feet of water the other day. I also caught some out of season bass. You would be beside yourself. Now, we did boat a pile of crappie in that same bay, and filled our cooler with em. But I can only imagine what people thought! I don't drive a bass boat though, and I wasn't tossing spinnerbaits. I can only hope people thought we where a bunch of rubes that had no idea what we where doing!

[Handlebarz]

When the wife and I were out on the weekend we saw a boat casting for pike I would say but one guy was using bigger baits and doing a figure 8 after each cast the wife was pissed off big time. It bugged me but what can you do as they were in a area full of pike of they down sized and were not doing the figure 8 it would not look so bad.

 

I really get a kick out of the guys whining about OOS bass fishing but head to the NY side of the big lake to target the same fish the cry about on our side of the water.

 

As for what you have there that's just frustrating for sure.

[Christopheraaron]

When the wife and I were out on the weekend we saw a boat casting for pike I would say but one guy was using bigger baits and doing a figure 8 after each cast the wife was pissed off big time. It bugged me but what can you do as they were in a area full of pike of they down sized and were not doing the figure 8 it would not look so bad.

 

I really get a kick out of the guys whining about OOS bass fishing but head to the NY side of the big lake to target the same fish the cry about on our side of the water.

 

As for what you have there that's just frustrating for sure.

 

The bigger baits might be a sign of targeting musky but I get some really brave pike following my lures, when I'm throwing lures for pike I always figure 8

[adolson]

I avoid catching OOS bass by following these two simple guidelines:

 

1) Bass isn't open? Fish for trout.

2) Bass is open? Fish for trout.

[Garnet]

O Sinker you just need to learn to relax.

 

So I'm heading thru the back channel and here is a Blue/White Skeeter flipping under cuts. My normal is to slow and idle by. Not this time my 20ft bassboat will sit in the water about 15mph and throw a huge wave. I mentioned something about OSB and took off.

 

Most of my fishing lately has been between 8-18 ft and yes I've caught some bass.

 

If you go to the cottage or fishing and spend all your time mad, disappointed, frustrated you a missed the point. Phone the hotline and get back to smiling.

[Acountdeleted]

I was fishing in a back bay in 3 feet of water the other day. I also caught some out of season bass. You would be beside yourself. Now, we did boat a pile of crappie in that same bay, and filled our cooler with em. But I can only imagine what people thought! I don't drive a bass boat though, and I wasn't tossing spinnerbaits. I can only hope people thought we where a bunch of rubes that had no idea what we where doing!

 

See, but I have no problem if you're targeting crappie. This lake has zero crappie, zero pike. It has perch, walleye, bass, muskie. If you were in 3 feet of water tossing a 4 inch spinner bait into docks, I think it would probably look a little suspect too.

 

O Sinker you just need to learn to relax.

 

So I'm heading thru the back channel and here is a Blue/White Skeeter flipping under cuts. My normal is to slow and idle by. Not this time my 20ft bassboat will sit in the water about 15mph and throw a huge wave. I mentioned something about OSB and took off.

 

Most of my fishing lately has been between 8-18 ft and yes I've caught some bass.

 

If you go to the cottage or fishing and spend all your time mad, disappointed, frustrated you a missed the point. Phone the hotline and get back to smiling.

 

When I'm out on the water, I love it. I caught nothing but some sunshine this weekend and I loved it. I was happy to be alive and outdoors and even just washing a few lures. Like I said, someday I hope to have kids and show them the same thing.

Edited May 21, 2013 by jeremy84

[mercman]

Most just dont give a crap. I deal with it everyday on my FB fishing group. I have seen 54 inch Musky laying half dead on gravel and rocks because the angler was shore fishing and wanted a pick. I have seen OOS fish posted as if it was something to be proud of, and i have seen people targeting Sturgeon under the guise of Catfish fishing. When i speak up, i am blasted, so now i just shut my pie hole and do may part by adviseing the MNR of all the locations these idiots are publicizeing, and when they are fishing the spots. Sooner or later i see a post by someone getting nailed and i giggle my butt off