Lake Scugog Stewards goal is to ban winter fishing in Scugog

[Entropy]

She said that the fish populations are in decline, and that the Lake Scugog Stewards are encouraging the Ministry of Natural Resources to close the ice fishing season on Scugog. She said she doesn’t fish but that they think it needs to be done.

 

I said I would like her to encourage the L.S. Stewards, to communicate to the MNR, that a catch and release winter fishery would be much more acceptable. It would still give people the freedom to get out fishing and enjoy winter. That is why people live here. She said that the MNR can’t enforce the fishing as it is and that by closing it in the winter it would make it ovious if someone is breaking the law, because there would be no ice huts or people fishing at all. She went on to say that anyone could go and kill a deer in the forests and no one would know the better. I just shook my head, no good logic to it. I would rather see a catch and release fishery all year than ban it at any point.

 

Just a heads up. One of the Lake Scugog’s Stewards main objective is to close winter fishing on the lake.

 

Entropy

Edited June 25, 2014 by Entropy

[jimmer]

Not sure they can close the lake to all fishing since zone 17is now open all year for panfish and pike. They might be able to shut the walleye fishery down for the winter, but I can't see it ever being re-opened again if they do it.

[lookinforwalleye]

Something has to be done before all the walleye are gone...I would support a all year no limit fishery on crappie, the remaining walleye would be grateful!!!

[jimmer]

I think many follow that rule anyways.

[Sinker]

I've had a hut on scugog for over 20 years. There are not many eyes left in there, I'll tell ya that. Not compared to what it used to have, that is for sure.

 

It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if they shut it down to ice fishing for WALLEYE. The problem is, most guys are fishing crappies these last couple/few years. Walleyes aren't even worth fishing for.

 

Back in the day, you could go out and catch double digits of walleyes any day of the week. Its crazy how its changed.

 

S.

[captpierre]

I agree. Something has to be done before they collapse totally.

 

It's the only winter walleye fishery around and is so close to the GTA

 

It can't take the pounding

[crappieperchhunter]

I've had a hut on scugog for over 20 years. There are not many eyes left in there, I'll tell ya that. Not compared to what it used to have, that is for sure.

 

It wouldn't hurt my feelings one bit if they shut it down to ice fishing for WALLEYE. The problem is, most guys are fishing crappies these last couple/few years. Walleyes aren't even worth fishing for.

 

Back in the day, you could go out and catch double digits of walleyes any day of the week. Its crazy how its changed.

 

S.

I agree it used to be awesome for walleyes. I know I have said this before...but I remember reading in an American crappie magazine years ago...that crappie are a hugh predator problem to walleye fry. And I don't think in is a coincidence that the walleye fishery started to go south at the exact same time the crappie population took off. I honestly believe this is the problem not the fisherman's harvest. I noticed no decline in the fishery at all until the crappie showed up. For the 20 years I fished it before that it was always good.

 

But back to the OP saying the Stewart doesn't even fish. I think anybody who doesn't fish or have a clue about the fishery is in no position to make or force judgement on something they know nothing about.

Edited April 14, 2014 by crappieperchhunter

[fishnsled]

I met a guy 10 years ago or so at the launch on the bog and he was complaining then about the fishing on the lake. Was telling me how great the fishing used to be and how him and his Dad could go up in the morning and get their limits and return in the evening and do the same. Then get up and do it again the next day. I asked him if he realized he was part of the problem. He didn't seem to grasp that. :wallbash:

[Terry]

I met a guy 10 years ago or so at the launch on the bog and he was complaining then about the fishing on the lake. Was telling me how great the fishing used to be and how him and his Dad could go up in the morning and get their limits and return in the evening and do the same. Then get up and do it again the next day. I asked him if he realized he was part of the problem. He didn't seem to grasp that. :wallbash:

so true, hear stories like that all the time

[lookinforwalleye]

I agree it used to be awesome for walleyes. I know I have said this before...but I remember reading in an American crappie magazine years ago...that crappie are a hugh predator problem to walleye fry. And I don't think in is a coincidence that the walleye fishery started to go south at the exact same time the crappie population took off. I honestly believe this is the problem not the fisherman's harvest. I noticed no decline in the fishery at all until the crappie showed up. For the 20 years I fished it before that it was always good.

 

But back to the OP saying the Stewart doesn't even fish. I think anybody who doesn't fish or have a clue about the fishery is in no position to make or force judgement on something they know nothing about.

Ditto for every other kawartha lake!!!

[Sinker]

Ditto for every other kawartha lake!!!

Except all the other kawartha lakes still have a few eyes left.

 

S.

[EC1]

I'm kind of for it. The folks that fish crappie on Scugog makes it an absolute zoo on the weekends. If the people dispersed across the Kawartha's, it won't be quite as crowded.

 

It'd also make the spring crappie trip on Scugog more worth it, instead of it being the last pickings after an entire winter of beating. I have no clue how the ban will work though - No fishing after Dec 31? No ice fishing in general?

[irishfield]

Scares me considerably when a non fisherperson wants to stop those that do..... is how Zone 11 came up with a one month laker season.

 

Only Lake Temagami had this Feb 15th to March 15th Laker season in the entire area and it was only brought upon from pressure from a cottage association that didn't want people fishing in front of their cottages when they weren't around to guard them. Said association had the ear of an MNR employee that happened to have a brother in the association and they changed the regulations without any scientific validation. When they combined a few zones into the new Zone 11 they made all the natural population lakes this same 1 month season, again without any science to back it up.

Edited April 14, 2014 by irishfield

[moxie]

Great idea. No catch and release. Shut it down. Add more lakes to the list. Maybe actions like this will be enough to get the ball rolling towards marching to Govt offices somewhere and demanding an explaination as to where the hell all the money we pony up is going cause it sure ain't helping our fisheries.

[Garnet]

You are in Luck.

 

Walleye would have been closed this year but the reg. didn't get passed in time. So it's a done deal for next years ice fishing.

 

Seem the walleye have bounce back on Scugog . Many friends have reported catching many walleyes of all sizes.

[Sinker]

Im not sold on the crappie thing. I think trent severn has more to do with missing year classes than crappies. Take out a wholw year class, or a few in a row, and you'll notice the difference in catch rates. Sure, crappies will have an impact, but they dont take out a whole year class....or two or three in a row!

 

S.

[Sinker]

Scares me considerably when a non fisherperson wants to stop those that do..... is how Zone 11 came up with a one month laker season.

 

Only Lake Temagami had this Feb 15th to March 15th Laker season in the entire area and it was only brought upon from pressure from a cottage association that didn't want people fishing in front of their cottages when they weren't around to guard them. Said association had the ear of an MNR employee that happened to have a brother in the association and they changed the regulations without any scientific validation. When they combined a few zones into the new Zone 11 they made all the natural population lakes this same 1 month season, again without any science to back it up.

It may not make sense in tamagami, but it sure does in the kawarthas.

 

S.

[wormdunker]

I could produce pix of me catching nice walleye in Buckhorn & Bobcaygeon back in the 60s (4 & 5 lbers). Too bad those 2 areas have had a lot of pressure & now you are lucky to harvest a 14" walleye. I don't fish said area any more, unfortunately I have now been forced to travel further north to towns such as Gogama area & Shining Tree. If I'm going fishing It's nice to harvest 2 or 3 nice walleye. I don't need a pick up truck full to be happy.

[dracokaos]

I cant remember which board I was on but I read a post and the guy was saying that maybe a rotation closing of ice fishing for numerous Kawartha Lakes may be the answer. Gives each lake a year off but still keeps the fishing open.

 

I just thought it sounded like an interesting idea...

[esoxansteel]

I was talking with a neighbor about the massive amounts of frost heaved mud in the shallows of Lake Scugog. She said she was a Lake Scugog Steward, and would look into the effects of this.

 

What she said next caught my attention.

 

She said that the fish populations are in decline, and that the Lake Scugog Stewards are encouraging the Ministry of Natural Resources to close the ice fishing season on Scugog. She said she doesn’t fish but that they think it needs to be done.

 

I said I would like her to encourage the L.S. Stewards, to communicate to the MNR, that a catch and release winter fishery would be much more acceptable. It would still give people the freedom to get out fishing and enjoy winter. That is why people live here. She said that the MNR can’t enforce the fishing as it is and that by closing it in the winter it would make it ovious if someone is breaking the law, because there would be no ice huts or people fishing at all. She went on to say that anyone could go and kill a deer in the forests and no one would know the better. I just shook my head, no good logic to it. I would rather see a catch and release fishery all year than ban it at any point.

 

Just a heads up. One of the Lake Scugog’s Stewards main objective is to close winter fishing on the lake.

 

Entropy

 

 

 

The fish populations are not in decline in Scugog, but the Walleye are, the rest of the species are doing very well, Crappie have exploded much like the other Kawarthas experienced, but with an explosion usually comes a decline, so hopefully once the Crappie level out so to speak, hopefully the Walleye will pickup, right now what Scugog is experiencing is low to no recruitment, with next to no young Walleye entering the fishery, that is the troubling part although all the other K Lakes experienced the same thing a few years back, but are starting to rebound at different levels with Rice Lake leading the way. There is a lot of discussion on Scugog at FMZ17, and that discussion will continue, recruitment is the issue, there likely ARE enough spawning Walleyes left to sustain Scugog if they were spawning successfully and the young fish were entering the fishery, but that is not happening. To solve any issues you have to find the source, and to me personally closing the winter Walleye fishery will save some slot size Walleye from been harvested, but it wont bring back the numbers to what people remember, not even close, in fact it might not even be measurable, when the ongoing issue is recruitment Just my 2 cents for what its worth

[crappieperchhunter]

Im not sold on the crappie thing. I think trent severn has more to do with missing year classes than crappies. Take out a wholw year class, or a few in a row, and you'll notice the difference in catch rates. Sure, crappies will have an impact, but they dont take out a whole year class....or two or three in a row!

 

S.

I never thought of that...but I agree. I was told 2 or 3 springs ago all the eggs below the dam in Caygeon where left high and dry when they played with the water levels at the wrong time.

[wormdunker]

She is a Lake Scugog steward, doesn't fish? Easy have her replaced with someone who has knowledge of the said subject.

[Sinker]

A spring like this one is the worste kind for recruitment. Fish spawn during really high water, then the severn boys let the water go, and guess what....no walleye! ive watchedd it happen in all the kawartha lakes.

 

The lakes are productive enough to rebound, but it takes years before we notice it.

 

Anyone who fishes the tri lakes will agree the walleye fishing has sucked the last few years...wait a couple more years and it will be good again.

 

Rice lake is a perfect example. 4-5 years ago, rice was practically void of walleyes. A few good years of recruitment ( due to proper water managment at TSW) and now the lake is one of the best walleye lakes going....likke it used to be.

 

 

Just my opinion, based on experience.

 

S.

[Beans]

I can't understand why the pickerel are even open on Scugog when they are closed everywhere else in the Kawarthas during the winter...and we wonder why the decline in numbers...

[Dara]

I think, its really nice living in the north where we don't have all these problems.

 

You should include scugogg in the Ford/Wynne mass transit line.

 

 

Why not have them stock the lake a bit more...and keep them steward groups out of it...their ultimate goal is to close a lake for anything except property owners use