Zone 10 Bass - how can this be policed?

[Steve]

So for the 2014 season they have opened zone 10 to small mouth bass all season. (at least most of zone 10, map linked below)

 

Ok. (don't agree, but that's not the point of this post).

 

What is strange is they only opened it to smallies. But in May/June up there, both largies and smallies will be on nests. We have now given permission to anglers to fish bedding bass, but only smallies? Number one, how in heck can that be enforced? (in waters that have both largies and smallies).

 

Number two, why only open it to one? Again, I don't agree with opening it at all, but to only open to one.....that is strange.

 

There has to be some reasoning behind this decision, but I cannot for the life of me figure it out.

 

Thanks!

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/document/mnr_e001330.pdf

[Roy]

Is there that much LM North of #17 and West of the Serpent, Steve? I was under the impression that it was almost all Smallies in that area.

[lookinforwalleye]

Ya I don`t think there is a lot of LB fishing up that way but as far as enforcement goes it will just like everywhere else they will do the best they can with the very limited resources they have.

The yanks have been fishing bedding bass for years hasn`t seemed to hurt their fishery.

[Steve]

i'll use a common lake with both, Lauzon Lake.

 

Has some real nice largies in that lake. Many of the lakes that Lauzon airways flies to have huge largies.

 

But i'm more thinking about the easier accessed lakes like Lauzon.

 

I'm just trying to think of the logic the MNR used. I guess if your going to "open the can of worms" and allow fishing during the spawn, I just can't understand how/why they limited it to only smallies.

 

I take this as "catch and release" on the largies and "catch and keep" (as per limits allow) on the smallies.

 

How can an MNR fella try to charge someone for fishing largies, which of course, are out of season in May in Zone 10, while they allow it for smallies.

[lookinforwalleye]

Must be a population issue with the smallies...if it were me and I was fishing a spot and catching out of season fish I would move on.

[Steve]

good luck telling that to an angler who is allowed to fish for bedding bass.

 

its like a kid in a candy store!

Edited December 30, 2013 by Steve

[lookinforwalleye]

I hear you!!!

[Bluegill]

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Edited November 6, 2014 by Bluegill

[Terry]

most of my largemouth and smallmouth spawn in very different locations in the lake

[Steve]

bluegill, page 2 of the attached document above.

 

Terry, that's interesting to hear. (and good to hear). I've never fished spawning bass (or paid much attention to spawning bass) so I'm not aware of their difference in spawning characteristics.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Steve

[fishindevil]

The smallies are invading lakes up there and doing major harm to the trout only lakes there have been many discussions on this issue including biologists and scientists and the MNR Ontario out of doors and several others have done articles on the bass invasion up there it's quite a big problem

[Bluegill]

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Edited November 6, 2014 by Bluegill

[misfish]

I have come to terms,why fight these that make the regs. They make the rules,I just say ok.

Im getting to old to worry about this crap any more. I fish,I hunt,come home to me wife and a home cooked meal and a cold brew.

 

Life is good,and I dont need any more stress in my life.

 

 

Live for today,and hope tomorrow comes .

[Steve]

fishindevil, I don't disagree. just wonder how they are going to police this?

 

bluegill, I'm not sure what you are talking about. After November 30th and before third weekend in June, only small mouth bass are open season. The limit of 6s and 2c applies. That would be the smallies limit.

[Terry]

bluegill, page 2 of the attached document above.

 

Terry, that's interesting to hear. (and good to hear). I've never fished spawning bass (or paid much attention to spawning bass) so I'm not aware of their difference in spawning characteristics.

I have fished them in the US but here I use to go and check them out spawning, great to watch (that's not perverted is it..lol)

[Bluegill]

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Edited November 6, 2014 by Bluegill

[Steve]

no worries

 

smallies = small mouth bass.

Edited December 30, 2013 by Steve

[aplumma]

Smallmouth and largemouth do have different spawning habitat. I don't want to start the argument of is it good or bad for the fisheries. I know we have fished thru both of the species and have not been able to document any negative impact in most real life situations. I have a really nice 20 acre farm pond that I fish and have watch the fish spawn for a few years and identified specific fish that I have caught during the previous spawn return and do it again in the same spot.

 

Art

[Steve]

cool. i agree with not wanting to argue whether its bad or not.

 

this isn't the thread for that.

 

I'm just curious to their reasoning of 1) why did they open it to only smallies and 2) how are they going to enforce it?

[misfish]

 

I'm just curious to their reasoning of 1) why did they open it to only smallies and 2) how are they going to enforce it?

 

 

There,s my point. Yer all worried about what they have done. Now WE/YOU,are worried about how THEY,will POLICE it.

 

Not my worries,it,s theirs.

[ctdd2006]

I live in FMZ ten and have been fishing in it over thirty years and I've never caught a LMB in the waters I fish. SMB are everywhere and I doubt this will have much of an impact on the fishery.

[Moosebunk]

If walleye are involved I would take a guess that it has to do with taking the smallie numbers down a peg (and increase fishing opps), to help bring/keep the walleye numbers up. They do often compete in the same spaces.

 

And, maybe not so much in that part of Northern Ontario, (but maybe so) it's more often the walleye to more anglers and travellers, that are the fish of importance for sport, food and tourism.

 

Policing this then... is not likely in any part of the plan. lol.

[Rich]

There likely won't be a policing issue here. A lot of people cant even tell the difference between a largie and a smallie.

[Steve]

so it appears, the way I'm reading it, is it'll be a free-for-all on catch and release largies.

 

mnr could never ever suggest you weren't fishing smallies, unless you were physically keeping the largies, which of course is not allowed.

 

but fishing for them seems to be open game.

 

essentially we have made it catch and keep (no size restrictions) for smallies and catch and release for largies.

 

btw, I did send this question to the MNR. Awaiting a response accordingly.

 

Will update this thread once I receive.

[Terry]

the reason you don't see many LM/SM hybridization is their spawning habits are different as is their home range (for the most part)

 

if people are catching lots of largemouth then they are doing it intentionally...and if they will do it during the new smallmouth open season, then they mostly have already been doing it for years and poachers are poachers..they will police it the same way they policed it in the past

 

I don't really see the problem

 

but maybe I'm not looking hard enough....lol