Walleye in FMZ17

[GBW]

Hey all.

So what are your thoughts on the slot limit size 35-50CM in FMZ zone 17 other than Balsam lake?  Do you see it working?  I hope it is!!  No I'm not 'fising' for it to be changed...  Last year I got a lot of too small and too big fish and not many in the slot.  If you fish this zone often for walleye what have your findings been?  Don't get me wrong as I always put the big one's back (pre-slot size coming into play).  And on day's where I wasn't catching 2 or 3 keepers they (slot size to keep) would all go back as I wanted to ensure enough of a fresh not frozen meal for myself, my kids and my parents.  So what are your findings in relation to what you are catching and or seeing?  

G

[AKRISONER]

I dont know, we seem to catch walleye incidently easier in the middle of summer on the kawarthas than anywhere else. I also  caught my #2 PB walleye on chemong last year...I keep hearing of more and more 30 inch fish coming out of those lakes...Personally I am a huge fan of the "dont keep over size" slot rule rather than the contrary keep only below and above that is implemented up in FMZ 14.

Last year i saw too many people keeping 8+ pound walleyes and I thought to myself why in the hell are they allowing this?

[Garnet]

So I fish Rice, tri lakes, Sturgeon, Cameron , Balsam and have many

friends that bass fish scugog. You need to approach each lake separately. 

So rice is sliding put still very good. Balsam slot can never be changed .

[jimmer]

I fish Pigeon in the spring and target walleye prior to opening of bass. I did notice that we were catching more smaller fish last spring along with the larger ones, it was still tougher to find fish in the slot.  Another thing that I noticed in the last few years is that the walleye move through some areas much quicker than they did years ago.  There used to be a good spring walleye bite up unit July in shallow areas, but I find that it's done by the end of June or early July recently.  These are just my observations from my experiences.  I generally release all of the walleye I catch unless I have a guest and they want to keep some.

 

[Tjames09]

3 hours ago, Garnet said:

So I fish Rice, tri lakes, Sturgeon, Cameron , Balsam and have many

friends that bass fish scugog. You need to approach each lake separately. 

So rice is sliding put still very good. Balsam slot can never be changed .

Why wouldn't Balsam slot change?

[jimmer]

48 minutes ago, Tjames09 said:

Why wouldn't Balsam slot change?

It was put in place by a local group and the Ministry approved it.  They say it's working. That's all I know

[Garnet]

I blame my self. I was in the scugog group and did some good work.

Balsam never needed a slot it had a balanced population up to 9 lb.

Tons of 2-3. The problem was the guys on committee couldn't catch a walleye in a rain barrel.

The main guy was fishing same area as me and catching nothing. I was crushing them.

I offered to help him wouldn't take help.

Now the in slot fish  dominate and if changed the boats would show and 1 year it would be over.. 

[chris.brock]

8 minutes ago, Garnet said:

Now the in slot fish  dominate and if changed the boats would show and 1 year it would be over.. 

I fish Balsam the odd time, I'm just trying to understand what you're saying.

Is it- if they changed the Balsam slot to match the other zone 17 lakes, lots of people would come and fish it out in a year?

[AKRISONER]

37 minutes ago, Garnet said:

The problem was the guys on committee couldn't catch a walleye in a rain barrel.

 

Im guessing old habits die hard?

Reminds me of the guys that fish in pointe au baril in the fall for walleye...they all seem to do somewhat ok, but they all fish like the 1970's when you could throw a straight hook down in the water and pull out your 6 fish limit in 5 minutes.

My dad taught me to fish...i learned the old ways, The same methods he used back in Manitoba when we used to pull a 25 fish limit in an hour. They sorta worked...then i took it upon myself to learn different techniques, how to read the water, what gear to use...sure enough ive got the whole family catching a hell of a lot more fish then we used to.

Edited April 18, 2018 by AKRISONER

[Acountdeleted]

Oh. I thought for a second you couldn’t keep between 35 and 50. Just checked. Perfect eater size for up at the cottage. 

I’m good with this. 

[misfish]

2 hours ago, jerpears1 said:

Oh. I thought for a second you couldn’t keep between 35 and 50. Just checked. Perfect eater size for up at the cottage. 

I’m good with this. 

Their all gone Jer, 

[GBW]

2 hours ago, jerpears1 said:

Oh. I thought for a second you couldn’t keep between 35 and 50. Just checked. Perfect eater size for up at the cottage. 

I’m good with this. 

Yeah 35-50CM can be kept here OTHER than Balsam.  

Keep the post's coming as I enjoy reading others findings.  Makes me think I may have to change things up a bit, not much but just a tad...  

[KawarthaGuy]

Good question bud.  Been fishing FMZ17 for 30 years and have seen the good times and the Scugog collapse.  Years before the Ministry closed Scugog I said the lake was fished out for Walleye despite creel surveys indicating the lake was healthy.  But then again Pacific Sockeye and Atlantic Cod also collapsed but those examples involved a lot of politics.

Anyway, I think the new regs are working and the fish are coming back.  Rice is healthy and has the advantage of the Trent for spawning and with two good spawns the lake recovers quickly.  I used to fish the Tri-lakes a lot but have stayed away because I think Buckhorn and Chemung were in tough shape with only big fish but not all sizes.  I'm going to start going back and see how the lakes are doing.

Kawartha Guy  - Go Leafs Go!

 

 

 

[captpierre]

I asked a CO at the Sportsman Show as to why the slots are opposite in Balsam compared the  rest of the Kawarthas. He didn’t know.  I was told before that the MNR didn’t know which way was best so they are experimenting with both. 

I had a good year on Pigeon last year. Eyes in all sizes. Nice to see. A real joy to catch a big girl occasionally.  Best time for me was June/July.  Hope the spawn goes good this year. 

[chris.brock]

I read Balsam was thought to be different than the other Kawartha lakes and the walleye would benefit with the different slot regs.

That doesn't really make sense to me. It seems pretty similar to Pigeon for example.

[GBW]

See my home lake is a 'land locked lake' but does have an underground river to another lake.  4ML is my home lake.  Since selling my tinny and truck I am stuck there unless as a guest in another's boat.  Hence the reason for my question to everyone.  To see how other lakes are producing.  Hell the local college fishing program net's 4ML yearly and has yet to catch a crappie yet I know 100% as a member of this board's daughter has caught one and he sent me a pic.  I even know the spot from the background.  Yet to find one...  If he read's this he can post the pic as I will not as it is his daughter holding the fish.   May try more this year to find them too if the winds stay low as the tinny is sold...  

Edited April 19, 2018 by GBW

[Acountdeleted]

3 hours ago, misfish said:

Their all gone Jer, 

Dang. That’s true. The heat wave a few summers ago got most of em. 

[Garnet]

98% of Balsam walleye are in the slot.

The mnr study's told them balsam walleye mature a little later .

What they didn't know was balsam walleye are deeper than most

cottage anglers can fish and MNR  where missing the walleye on there trap nets.

The guy showed me a trap net location front of net in 8ft.

I tried for a bet 50 walleye by noon I stand on trap and cast out.

No bite that time. 

Edited April 19, 2018 by Garnet

[captpierre]

33 minutes ago, Garnet said:

98% of Balsam walleye are in the slot.

The mnr study's told them balsam walleye mature a little later .

What they didn't know was balsam walleye are deeper than most

cottage anglers can fish so they where missing the walleye on there trap nets.

The guy showed me a trap net location front of net in 8ft.

I tried for a bet 50 walleye by noon I stand on trap and cast out.

No bite that time. 

98% are in which slot?

[Garnet]

98% are in the release slot it's ABOUT  13.5 to 21.75.

So if slot was changed to Kawratha lakes slot it would be a sladder.

I don't like slots because it condenses the population.

[Garnet]

I'm  hoping Canada /US walleye Tourney starts going to Tri Lakes.

It would not be without issue but it would return a little of the discovery flavour.

 

[Dutch01]

Garnet is correct, it is because Balsam walleye are believed to hit maturity later than in other Kawartha lakes. I read the actual report a few years back but I can't seem to find it now.

[KawarthaGuy]

Hey Capt,

Glad to hear Pigeon is doing well.  I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned stocking Walleye to speed up the recovery?  I like the idea of transferring some Quinte fish to the Kawarthas like the Ministry did into the Toronto Islands and Hamilton Harbour.  Seems to have worked to establish a population quickly.

Kawartha Guy - Go RAPS go!

 

[chris.brock]

The Kawarthas already have a self sustaining walleye population so it's different than Hamilton H or Toronto Islands.

[Sinker]

I love the slot. I think its the best thing for the kawartha lakes, other than trent severn maintaining a stable water level for the spawn. 

 

We are getting all year classes in rice, sturgeon is missing a year maybe 2, but getting better, and tri lakes are fairly similar.  No problem to catch a meal of keepers, and always a few overs for fun. 

 

Stocking is never the answer for self sustaining populations. They will do it on their own if water levels would stay consistent until the eggs hatch. Sooo many years the fish spawn, then TSW lets the water go and eggs are left high and dry. Its total crap they are allowed to do that every year. 

Even if you cant catch a fish in the kill slot, but getting overs and unders, its a good sign. Scugog still has eyes in it, big huge ones, and tiny ones, but the spawn gets messed up there all the time with water levels. There are other issues, but fish that cant spawn successfully is a big part of it. 

 

Thats my take anyways. No science to back it up, just 30 years fishing the lakes and watching it all happen. 

 

S.