Busy times for Nipissing CO's

[kickingfrog]

The local paper has 3 different convictions for violations for Nipissing.

 

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2015/06/23/man-fined-for-illegal-fishing

 

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2015/06/22/two-men-charged-2000-in-fishing-fines

 

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2015/06/22/two-men-charged-2000-in-fishing-fines

 

 

MNR considering restocking.

 

http://www.nugget.ca/2015/06/23/mnr-considering-restocking-lake-nip

[G.mech]

I really don't understand this government sometimes. The LNSA has been successfully harvesting eggs and stocking walleye for decades with the blessing, guidance and supervision of the MNR at NO COST to the taxpayers. This year at the last minute the MNR put unworkable restrictions on them which ended the stocking program and now the MNR wants to do stocking... go figure.

[Rod Caster]

Public pressure on the MNR maybe?

 

Anyway, I trust that the lake will rebound with the current management practices. The lake took a beating, now we need everyone to hold hands and be patient.. it's a walleye factory and it just needs some breathing room and maybe a boost (stocking). The local FN seems a bit more inline with what the other stakeholders are saying, so that can only help.

[AKRISONER]

gotta love that on a lake where its highly public that the pickerel population is suffering, there are still idiots out there catching and keeping slot fish.

 

I guess morons will be morons, but to me the fines are way too low. I would hope a lifetime ban from fishing would also be included. 0 tolerance for these idiots. "we didnt catch anything" but somehow we have 15 filets.

 

This is why possession limits dont make much sense. There needs to be some kind of rule about the fish being frozen, dont tell me these morons didnt catch all of those fish that day as well.

Edited June 24, 2015 by AKRISONER

[nuke]

I'm not sure if the new slot size of greater than18" is the way to go. I would have thought that the previous slot of less that 15 3/4" was more geared to protecting the present time mature spawning females?

I would be curious to get a quick read of these studies.

Maybe closing the lake for a few winter seasons would be better? But, of course, that wouldn't interfere with other activities on the lake.........

 

Mike

[Rod Caster]

I think the idea is that by going over 18", people will catch/keep very few fish. Nearly equivalent to closing the lake.

[Sterling]

I'm not sure if the new slot size of greater than18" is the way to go. I would have thought that the previous slot of less that 15 3/4" was more geared to protecting the present time mature spawning females?

I would be curious to get a quick read of these studies.

Maybe closing the lake for a few winter seasons would be better? But, of course, that wouldn't interfere with other activities on the lake.........

 

Mike

 

There is a complex science behind fisheries that few people understand. We can pretend that we understand spawning and fish populations, but at the end of the day the MNR has competent people behind these decisions. Yeah, they make stupid decisions once in a while, but they're also being critiqued for everything they do, all day every day.

[Sinker]

 

There is a complex science behind fisheries that few people understand. We can pretend that we understand spawning and fish populations, but at the end of the day the MNR has competent people behind these decisions. Yeah, they make stupid decisions once in a while, but they're also being critiqued for everything they do, all day every day.

 

Ha...you must work for the MNR.

 

I agree, there are a few competent people within the MNR, but they are nothing more than puppets.

[Sterling]

Ha...you must work for the MNR.

 

I agree, there are a few competent people within the MNR, but they are nothing more than puppets.

 

Father in law works for the MNR. I can't comment on the public heads we see in the papers, but the guys behind the scenes are fishery encyclopedias.

 

As for me, I work in the mining industry, where we work to destroy the environment and ensure there is nothing left for future generations.

Edited June 25, 2015 by Sterling

[Sinker]

People who have spent their whole lives on the water over generations are fisheries encyclopedias. MNR staff are book smart. There is a huge difference.

[Sterling]

People who have spent their whole lives on the water over generations are fisheries encyclopedias. MNR staff are book smart. There is a huge difference.

 

With all due respect, most people haven't a clue how fisheries work. Even those with generations of experience on the lakes (myself included). Fishing experience does not necessarily translate into understanding of fisheries and aquatic wildlife.

 

The MNR staff with decades of experience have a deeper understanding of how fisheries work than the public. That I can guarantee.

[G.mech]

Well I'm no marine biologist but in my simple mind having the LNSA continue to stock 2 million fry & fingerlings each year was better than not stocking anything. The MNR claims stocking doesn't help the walleye populations but that is totally contradictory to the history of the lake. The yellow walleye that currently inhabit the lake were introduced from the south less than 100 years ago. Prior to that, the native walleye that called Lake Nipissing home were a variety of the blue walleye that was basically wiped out after WW1 by commercial gill netters and anglers who were allowed to keep 35 fish per day. If stocking doesn't work, how did the yellow walleye establish such a stronghold on the lake in the first place?

 

As far as who knows what about fisheries, I think there are arguments on both sides but something sure seems fishy with this whole management plan.....

Edited June 25, 2015 by G.mech

[Sterling]

Well I'm no marine biologist but in my simple mind having the LNSA continue to stock 2 million fry & fingerlings each year was better than not stocking anything. The MNR claims stocking doesn't help the walleye populations but that is totally contradictory to the history of the lake. The yellow walleye that currently inhabit the lake were introduced from the south less than 100 years ago. Prior to that, the native walleye that called Lake Nipissing home were a variety of the blue walleye that was basically wiped out after WW1 by commercial gill netters and anglers who were allowed to keep 35 fish per day. If stocking doesn't work, how did the yellow walleye establish such a stronghold on the lake in the first place?

 

As far as who knows what about fisheries, I think there are arguments on both sides but something sure seems fishy with this whole management plan.....

 

What the MNR actually said is this;

 

 

 

"Stocking itself is not an effective tool to recover the walleye population on Lake Nipissing, as there is a naturally reproducing walleye population; we just need to allow this age class to grow to spawning age".

 

From what I understand, Lake Nipissing is potentially the most productive lake in Ontario (for walleye, that is). We can stock it all we want, but if anglers are pulling 30% of Walleyes out each year, the population will continue to decline. We might as well deliver fingerlings directly to peoples' doorstep or put them straight into nets.

 

Here's an excerpt from the management plan regarding stocking efforts and their effect on the walleye population;

 

 

 

The 2007–2010 Interim Fisheries Management Plan recommended a study on the effectiveness of the community hatchery stocking program on the lake to determine how the current program should move forward. The study examined the relationship between walleye summer fingerling stocking rates and young-of-the-year catches in the Fall Walleye Index Netting assessment. No relationship was found. Similarly, there was no significant relationship between the number of

Draft Fisheries Management Plan for Lake Nipissing

24

walleyes stocked and the contribution of these fish to the population or adjacent year classes. Finally, there was no relationship between the number of walleye stocked and angler catch rates either 2 or 3 years later when those fish would have been recruited to the angling fishery. The study concluded that this low-intensity stocking program was not providing a measureable benefit to the walleye population or the fishery of Lake Nipissing, (Kaufman 2007) which was to be expected by a small scale stocking program.

 

I don't claim to fully understand or agree with any decisions being made. What I'm saying is that the ecology of the lake is complicated, and that these important decisions should be left to the people that spend inordinate amounts of time and effort studying the water bodies in question.

[Sinker]

 

 

 

 

I don't claim to fully understand or agree with any decisions being made. What I'm saying is that the ecology of the lake is complicated, and that these important decisions should be left to the people that spend inordinate amounts of time and effort studying the water bodies in question.

I'm not disagreeing with you, or trying to start an argument, just having a discussion.

 

Its not MNR staff that make the decisions, we all know that. Its the higher uppers that need to get their heads out of the sand. MNR has known this was going to happen for years now, and have done nothing. The problem is the timing of making their decisions. Local fisherman and residents could inform the MNR better than the MNR can themselves about populations in the lake, they are the ones out there the most.

 

Do you really think MNR biologists spend enough time to get accurate data? I'll tell you straight up that they don't. By the time they collect enough usable data, its already too late.

 

I don't know much about nippising itself, and I've never fished it, but I do know a little about fish biology, environmental effects on lakes, and ecology.

 

MNR= Ministry of NO RESULTS

 

This whole province is a joke when it comes to natural resources.

 

S.

[manitoubass2]

Just to provide a little insight to what añglers know/do.

 

Years ago on my homebody of water, a man drowned, unforunately.

 

MNR/OPP contacted a couple of us local anglers that know the water to assist in locating the body.

 

Divers couldnt find it due to the complicated currents.

 

But we did, almost immediatley we knew where that body would go

 

Anyhow, both sides make valid points. But the MNR should def include anglers for there knowledge and passion of the waterbodies they fish.

 

I know the MNR here include us where they can(which is mostly about poaching and new species) and I for one appluad them for that?

Edited June 25, 2015 by manitoubass2

[G.mech]

Well hopefully doing nothing is a good solution because that's the current plan. The LNSA wanted to increase stocking by 4x but instead were shut down. How can putting fish into the lake be a bad thing????

[Rod Caster]

Doing nothing is probably the best plan. The lake would rebound on it's own just fine. Unfortunately neither rec angler or FN can be patient for more can 1/2 a season.