Nipissing regulations change

[Gerritt]

 

Actually they are, they let smaller fish swim through and like Nipfisher said, target the larger, 18"+, fish.

 

A buddy of mine in Quebec was telling me that next winter they are closing the ice fishing season in one of the lakes that he fishes. Won't be long before we are doing that here.

 

In my opinion, two things need to happen. They need to decrease the amount of ice huts and operators on the lake and they need to decrease the quota that the commercial fishers have.

Sorry my comment was misunderstood ( blame my night shift at work lol ) what I meant to say was that nets are non selective as to females or not, in response to saltydawg Edited May 14, 2014 by Gerritt

[Fisherman]

Nice submission Crosshairs..

[Nipfisher]

I agree with Crosshairs, but then this shows up on CTV news and boils my blood.

http://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=364143How is it JUST the anglers? Edited May 15, 2014 by Nipfisher

[bigcreekdad]

Does this affect there French River at all?

[crosshairs]

Yes I seen that Nipfisher, and it is NOT just the anglers. I am very disheartened and embarrassed by it. I should mention the community is starting to get upset and do not agree with this, they need to challenge these decisions to make change. She listens to 2 councilors who are commercial fisherman so hopefully the OMNR will act on all this because it is definitely a conservation concern, that's all they need to prove in court. This isn't a question about treaty rights, this is about protecting a resource but they just don't get it I guess. Like I said in previous posts this is a tireless battle. Hopefully the community or OMNR challenge this soon.

[blarg]

The mnr is working as an agent for the native fishery, that is all we are seeing with this change, allowing the small fish to go free to be caught by the commercial fishery, once they grow, putting anglers in direct competition for those larger fish with clearly inferior methods of catching them. If you aren't a commercial fisherman the government isn't concerned about you, it has been said many times, recreational non native fisherman are at the bottom when it comes to the management of the lake.

[bushart]

This 2 walleye limit over 18 inches is in a few lakes---actually it may be 19 5/8 inches

 

Golden Lake--Lake Clear---Lake Dore---maybe round lake--not sure---anyway not just special to Nip

[Nipfisher]

Crosshairs, I do truly appreciate your views on this subject. I wish all of the involved people would work together to address the status of the walleye population.

 

Absolute serious question....are natives allowed to shoot cormorants? I think a couple of days of blasting them with shot guns would help out.

[JimC]

Crosshairs, I do truly appreciate your views on this subject. I wish all of the involved people would work together to address the status of the walleye population.

 

Absolute serious question....are natives allowed to shoot cormorants? I think a couple of days of blasting them with shot guns would help out.

I took my time to slowly read through this thread, and was looking for the 'c' word, but not till this final comment did I see it. Why does this subject get (mostly) ignored. I've recently read that this invasive species of bird, NOT native to this area, now takes 100,000kg of game fish per year, which is way more than NFN and Sport anglers combined. Based on 3,000++ nests now estimated to be on Lake Nipissing, the math most probably supports this.

 

I realize that even if it was 'open season' on Cormorants, which it isn't, getting rid of these da*med "fish vacuums" would not be an easy task, but not impossible. Folks, these are ocean going birds, that have found their way to inland lakes, where the pickings are ...well, easier. Most significantly, in the ultra shallow waters of Lake Nipissing, its WAY easier .... the Cormorants, don't even have to work up a sweat to eat their body weight in a day, day after day, in Walleye and other game fish.

 

In recent years, I've seen first hand a seemingly endless black ribbon of Cormorants arriving in the spring, to feast on the distressed Walleye. I read that Perch are flourishing ... well not in the West Arm, Cache Bay area where I've spent vacation $$$ for over 35 years. Since the Cormorants population in that area began to expand exponentially within the last 7+ years, we don't see the 'keeper' Perch in that area anymore. Walleye is way down too, of course.

 

I call on these folks http://www.nfn.ca/council_members.php to lead an initiative to "Cull the Cormorants" before their numbers escalate to 1,000,000 ++++ on Lake Nipissing. These birds are smart, and communicate in the off-season you know. Chief Couchie, as you so often remind us, 'by treaty you have the right to hunt and fish'. I have no problem with that. You definitely have the 'fishing' part down pat ... how about doing yourselves, NFN, native North Bay-ites (like me), surrounding communities, and others who respect the resource Lake Nipissing has been, a HUGE favour, and take action against this extremely harmful, invasive species in order to help preserve the diminishing Walleye resource. You can do it. There are ways. You know where they nest. Make it uncomfortable for them. You have the treaty rights to act ... we do not. I believe this is important, and an essential step to restore the fishery to what we all want it to be ... what it was, but that's just me.

 

oh, and Crosshairs ... Great comments.