More Bad News For Nipissing

[Bernie]

I like this rule better than the previous slot.
At least what you catch will have some meat on the fillets.

I threw back small ones anyway. Didn't leave much to keep with the slot size.

[curlrap]

Walleye are going to be in demand now, i can picture all the walleye for sale signs. The natives are going to have to fish extremely hard to supply all the walleye cravings people are going to have. This is great news for them and theres no limit when it comes to purchasing these fish.

[Oggie]

Walleye are going to be in demand now, i can picture all the walleye for sale signs. The natives are going to have to fish extremely hard to supply all the walleye cravings people are going to have. This is great news for them and theres no limit when it comes to purchasing these fish.

And there's the problem. If people don't buy it they wont fish. Its not about the cultural harvest. Time to educate the public.

Dan o.

[glen]

Do they deliver walleye? I would like to order some fillets next time I rent a hut on nip.

[woodenboater]

Saw this on my Twitter feed. Looks like Nip is not the only lake to have walleye issues. Wonder if the MNR could follow lead and change the pike and bass regs as well for certain lakes ?

 

http://www.startribune.com/local/252352921.html?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=t.co

[Nipfisher]

As a Nipissing angler I care about the walleye and I am o.k. with 2 fish limit but I think anglers should be able to catch and keep 2 walleye. If I catch a 19" and a 14" what's wrong with that?

I will not squawk about the Native rights to fish commercially as it is their right.

 

Is there over-fishing? absolutely. What is over-fishing?

 

Lots of anglers caught lots of walleye (mostly small) this winter. Those smaller walleye swim through the 3" x 3" squares in the nets. The 18"+ fish do not.

 

I will focus my angling on pike, muskie, bass, and perch this year. I will keep some walleye but not target them as often.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Nipfisher

[Nipfisher]

Just saw this in another story.

 

Concerns about the cormorant population on the lake also continue to go unheeded, Fedeli continued.

 

“We know cormorants are responsible for taking more than 100,000 kilograms of fish out of the lake each year. It’s mindboggling that the Ministry continues to downplay this factor as well,” said Fedeli.

 

[crosshairs]

As a Nipissing angler I care about the walleye and I am o.k. with 2 fish limit but I think anglers should be able to catch and keep 2 walleye. If I catch a 19" and a 14" what's wrong with that?

I will not squawk about the Native rights to fish commercially as it is their right. However, the numbers NFN released for 2013 is 51,000 kgs. of walleye harvested. If anyone thinks the 1000 or so huts and soft water anglers caught that much walleye......get your head out of your asses.

 

Is there over-fishing? absolutely. What is over-fishing?

 

Lots of anglers caught lots of walleye (mostly small) this winter. Those smaller walleye swim through the 3" x 3" squares in the nets. The 18"+ fish do not.

 

I will focus my angling on pike, muskie, bass, and perch this year. I will keep some walleye but not target them as often.

The 51000 kg mentioned in the article is for all the fisheries native and non native. At the meeting yesterday i was lead to believe the kgs for the first nation and the anglers are almost even. If both give up 10000kg then we will be in the safe 30 000kg zone.

[Headhunter]

^good to see you here Crossfire...

HH

[Nipfisher]

Sorry Clayton, I misread the article. I thought that was the native harvest? I will edit my posts.

 

How do they estimate the recreational angler harvest? With creel surveys? I may see one volunteer doing them once per season.

 

Likewise I guess they would have to rely on estimating the non complying natives who are not registered.

 

Am I correct about the size of the regulated net squares (3")? I remember hearing that they were made bigger a few years back.

Edited March 26, 2014 by Nipfisher

[crosshairs]

Sorry Clayton, I misread the article. I thought that was the native harvest? I will edit my posts.

 

How do they estimate the recreational angler harvest? With creel surveys? I may see one volunteer doing them once per season.

 

Likewise I guess they would have to rely on estimating the non complying natives who are not registered.

 

Am I correct about the size of the regulated net squares (3")? I remember hearing that they were made bigger a few years back.

 

The angler harvest is by creel surveys, apparently there is a real science to it we had a crew doing it in the french river and the omnr do the rest of the lake.

 

As for the first nation non compliance or questionable catch numbers each person is reviewed individually and assigned a number of fish based on # of times out, fisherman skills, locations and dates, and the numbers are compared with other reporting fisherman. For the most part fish move in schools during hot summer weather so where one fisherman is getting them they usually follow that person.

 

The mesh size they use is 3.5 and 3.75". if they go any smaller the bicatch is at least doubled and the 4" well it is illegal to sell the larger walleye due to contaminates.

[Bernie]

Hello Crosshairs.

I appreciate your input.

 

I am curious and have a question for you.

I often hear and sometimes see the commercial boats out through the night out on the reefs in the South Bay.

Why do they do this at night?

[akaShag]

Hello Crosshairs, and thanks very much for your factual information, I surely do appreciate it.

 

Doug

[crosshairs]

Hey everyone, I don't come on very often due to the fact a person can get wore out fighting all the time lol. At work everything is polical, so doesn't necessarily mean the right decisions being made, deal with OMNR always a polical agenda there too just get tired.

 

Anyways, Bernie there is a huge problem with nets being tampered with, stolen, damaged etc. There is less chance of them being seen setting them and harder for the people to find them. The OPP and OMNR are trying to get a handle on it, they want to create a data base with dates, times, locations boats seen in the vasinaty. Also some just don't want to upset people that are angling in the area, but we do have some that don't give a ---- either. The majority of the time I am out there after dark and early morning.

 

Humans are very predictable, and don't like to change. One of our fisherman I just need to look at the calendar and water temp and I will know where to find him, most them have everything documented on their calendars in there garages and welcome me to veiw them. It doesn't matter what race we all have bad apples.

 

aKashag, no thank you I have read alot of your posts and enjoyed them.

 

I understand people don't like the unknown, and in regards to first nations it isn't taught in schools or at least it hasn't in the past. I have several friends who actually hated first nations people until they started to learn about the history and have became good friends now. They understand a bit better why things are done the way they are. I try to share what ever information I can, I have to be careful because of my work lol. Hopefully we can collectively work through these hard times and get this lake back to a healthy state.

 

Take Care all.

[Bernie]

Thank you for your reply Crosshairs, it is appreciated.

[misfish]

Thank you for your reply Crosshairs, it is appreciated.

 

 

It,s nice to hear from the other side. I like this comment,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

Hopefully we can collectively work through these hard times and get this lake back to a healthy state.

 

Well said crosshairs. After all,we are all in this together.

[bushart]

"Work Collectively"

 

Makes me think of a line from a movie...you know that famous Pacino speech in "Any Given Sunday"

 

"Either we heal as a team...or we will die as individuals"

 

actually applies to many things going on in this world

 

Hope Nip gets better

Edited March 26, 2014 by bushart

[aplumma]

I fit into this equation as a tourist my roll in this is to bring money to the area and leave it there. This affects everyone in the Nipissing area. I personally do not fish for walleye unless a friend wants to run out in the evening I will tag along. I am hopeful that the fisheries will recover to the point that it attracts more people to bring money in and support the local economy. My view is that the area needs both the fisheries as well as tourism to make the area better off. With discussions between the angling population and the Natives both remembering that it is the third part called the tourists that can take it or leave the area.

 

 

Art

[Muskieman]

Awesome reply Crosshairs !

[crappieperchhunter]

Has anyone or any group tried to promote alternative species? I have a cottage in the Kawartha's and haven't harvested a walleye from up there in over 5 years maybe 10. Still fish them a little but let them all go. If I want a feed of fish I go after crappies,bluegills or perch and even keep the odd smallie. Lotsa pike up on Nip still I assume. I actually prefer eating them over walleye. And I see reports and pictures of decent perch.

 

Just throwing that out there. Might be a good idea to try and change a few people's minds and point them in a different direction to help the walleye fishery recover.

 

And as others have mentioned...good to hear from you crosshairs. Makes the haters realize we all get up in the morning and put on our pants one leg at a time.

Edited March 27, 2014 by crappieperchhunter

[Oggie]

You're so right Crosshairs when you say the Native community has its bad actors just like the Non-Native community. We sometimes forget that and paint the whole first Nations with the same brush.

 

Nice to read your very reasonable input. Maybe we can turn the corner on Nipissing and improve the fishery collectively.

DAn O.