Seibert Lake - C & R

[schmedlap]

I have been accessing this forum for several years just for info and interest. I have finally joined to have some input on some issues. I recently read a (old) string on the matter of Seibert and the possibly declining population of really big Pike. Myself, my older fishing buddies, and more recently, my sons, have been going to Seibert, once or twice a year, for over 25 years - back when you really did need a good 4x4 sometimes. We love it not only for the really big pike, but also just because it is a premier place in terms of campground, scenery, wildlife, etc. For anyone who doesn't appreciate how special it is, I have met people who drove all the way from Minnesota and back over a long weekend just to get a few "big northerns", and they were very focussed on it, and appreciative of the opportunity to battle with those big guys, indeed.
We usually catch at least one or two "keepers", though I would never actually "keep" one. Our biggest all time was 46" (117 cm.). I find it hard to fathom why anyone would kill one - take a picture, release it, and go get your 1 each Walleye over 50 cm. (hell, you'll get them as "bycatch" when targeting big pike, and, if not, it takes very little effort there to get several keeper size ones) and eat those. I get a little sick when the F&W guy pulls 2 "keeper" carcasses out of the filleting station waste.
We have noticed that the Walleye are getting more predominant and larger, and the really big pike less common. Perhaps it is because people, for some reason, are killing the big pike they catch (?). This makes no sense to me at all. We are killing the very reason why we are there (?). These guys are not great eating!! I am strongly in support of putting in a 0 Pike limit, any size, at this lake (or go to one small one, if people really need to keep and eat one for some unknown reason). The only problem there is that there are'nt many "little" ones there - my sons are very spoiled in regarding 8-10 pounders as "just another little one" (where else do you know that this is the case?).
If you read the scientific studies (available on the web) from 25-30 years ago, this lake has a very unique genetic pike population with the hens being exceptionally large compared to the males. Common sense leads one to suspect it is the large population of relatively small walleyes that feeds this, but...?
What does anyone else think? Should we be lobbying F&W for complete C&R on the pike? Is there someone who can explain to me their rationale for keeping and eating one of these relatively rare specimens? There is little to compare, in our province, with the battle one gets out of one of these magnificent fish, or the thrill of landing one. I hope it is not something that disappears out of the ignorance of a few.

[diamond k]

Agree 100%

[canadiantdi]

I agree. Some people just dont get it.

[Fishfull Thinker..]

I agree maybe there should be a slot size on pike, it will keep the young strong & protect the trophys.I'm staying in lac la Biche for the weekend & then heading to Winefred Sunday.I absolutely love the lakes in this area,that's why I come here from Calgary.Anyway it shouldn't just be Seibert ,maybe touchwood,pinehurst ect ....,,.

[SNAPFisher]

I would be happy to vote a yes for C&R for pike there.

[Penner]

Many lakes in the Lakeland are in trouble as it's really the only place these daus you can catch & keep. Tons of angling pressure year round. Seibert is no exception when it comes to large Pike.

C&R for the Pike. :47b20s0:

[Bigwoodsman]

We would go to Siebert when it was an all day trip with the 4x4. A guy really had to work and use the winch especially when it was a little wet. You are correct in that it is a pristine place. The campground the lake etc. Used to make the trip a couple of time each summer. Always releasing the big pike, keep a Walleye or two for shore lunch etc. Would make a trip or two on the snowmobile in the winter for some great ice fishing action, or jump up to Spencer for some good ice fishing too. But when the motor homes started heading in there I stayed out. Too hard to watch all the fish coming out, a true trophy lake was ruined. I haven't been in their fishing since 1987, been up there a few times white tail hunting with the old man in his later years, enjoyed the campground and will always remember the lunch we had there when we turned around and there was about a 190 whitetail standing 50 yards from us, while we had hot dogs in our hand and not a rifle. Oh well, that is why it is called hunting, and not killing.

Back to Siebert I agree 100 percent catch and release on all pike, and limit the walleye. Also enforce the restrictions. I now have a three year old, and when she is old enough, I may just take her up there and show her a truly great spot in the Alberta wild....I can hope anyways.

BW

[Levy]

I completely 100% agree. My brother took a bunch of his friends from bonnyville there one winter, and that winter they hauled home around ten pike over the rest of the winter. Every winter since on facebook i have seen pictures of large pike in their garage from seibert. I don't know how people can honestly expect a trophy fishery to last if the pike being taken out are around twenty years old. If anyone is interested I would gladly speak to the wildlife officers and maybe even start a petition for this. Get enough signatures and bring it up at the next fish and wildlife meeting. I think they usually have them during the fall discussing what changes the public wants made to the regulations. Its a big lake and doesn't have crazy hard angling pressure but i would rather catch and release 25-30 ib pike in fifteen years from now than keep 14-18 ib pike.
Who know maybe a closure on harvesting those large pike might eventually bring back those 8-14 kg (17-30ib) (Chipeniuk 1975) pike that were once commonly caught in the lake. Its not like you need the fish for mounting anymore.

[Levy]

I think this topic would make a good AO poll.

[wbaj]

X1000!

[schmedlap]

I guess I expected to see that most true sportsmen would agree, but to get that much positive input in one day (?). Levy, I don't know how such things work systemically, but if there is a chance that a petition, or raising it at some F&W meeting might be sucessful, then I'm aboard. My computer skills can only be described as "minimal", and I really don't know much about how to "get this on the agenda" for the people who have some influence, but if you, and others, do, then I'm in.
As to the comments about the local deer population, we've had some very impressive bucks (quite aside from numerous other deer) wander through or right by our campsite in the last few years. I'm not a big game hunter, but if I was, that zone would be on my list!

[Safety D]

To bad Siebert is so dead for big pike compare what it used to be. I couldnt even catch a hammer handle in their last year? I agree catch and release 100% now on Northerns as there are hardly any left.

[burbotman]

Full agreement. Over the winter this very issue on lakes was debated several times.

My opinion then as now is that the province should offer different opportunities to meet the different demands of the anglers. Setting up lakes like Siebert as full C and R just makes sense. It would give a "destination" trophy lake for anglers so desireing. For those that the trip is not complete without taking home harvest, have other lakes to meet that need.

If anyone doubts the potential of a c and r pike like, just search Wabuman and see the positive response to that lake.

The 100 cm limit on some lakes is encouraging but why not go the whole way on a FEW select lakes.

Good post, I last went into Siebert in 99 and certainly know why the OP likes it.

[Bigwoodsman]

I completely 100% agree. My brother took a bunch of his friends from bonnyville there one winter, and that winter they hauled home around ten pike over the rest of the winter. Every winter since on facebook i have seen pictures of large pike in their garage from seibert. I don't know how people can honestly expect a trophy fishery to last if the pike being taken out are around twenty years old. If anyone is interested I would gladly speak to the wildlife officers and maybe even start a petition for this. Get enough signatures and bring it up at the next fish and wildlife meeting. I think they usually have them during the fall discussing what changes the public wants made to the regulations. Its a big lake and doesn't have crazy hard angling pressure but i would rather catch and release 25-30 ib pike in fifteen years from now than keep 14-18 ib pike.
Who know maybe a closure on harvesting those large pike might eventually bring back those 8-14 kg (17-30ib) (Chipeniuk 1975) pike that were once commonly caught in the lake. Its not like you need the fish for mounting anymore.


You have my support, let me know where to sign up. Siebert Lake Fishery is worth preserving and returning it to what it once was. May Lake about 80 KM East of there is another one with preserving as well.

BW

[kreator]

Fully agree. I've been going to Seibert since I was a little boy. My family trapped around the lake from the late 70s until the early 90s. I have pictures of me and my uncle with 30 pound jacks he caught on lures that were bigger me at the time.

Definitely not the same now. 'The Beaver Pond', the major spawning ground for the big pike, has basically dried up. So has the small bay to the southeast as well as the one that was around the point across from the campsite. Since Pinehurst went to the tag system, the crowd that have typically gone there have moved to Seibert. They also closed Ironwood campground, which has diverted campers elsewhere, many of which now routinely visit Seibert instead. It is one of a small number of lakes in the area with 'reasonable' access that you can catch and keep a walleye of decent size. Even 5 years ago, you could go mid-week at any point in the summer and have the campsite to yourself. Last summer, we went in on a Tuesday late June and it was completely full. There is a new boat launch on the north side of the campsite and the continued improvement of the road means just about anything can get in now. All of these things have affected the number of large pike in the lake. I see no reason why it shouldn't go to C&R.

What can we do? Even if everyone in this thread sent a letter (to who?), that would be a pretty good start.

[LacLaBicheNS]

I get a little bit upset inside everytime I go to seibert now.

I first went in 4 years ago. Great day, beatiful lake and campground.

Everytime I go in now it seems busier each time and more douche bags. Last summer I only went in once. I was shocked how good the road was and I was saddened to see the new boat launch they put it. The cruddy old launch did a good job of keeping lots of idiots off that lake.

I tent camped their for 14 days straight one summer. Fri-sun it was a zoo. Mon-thurs was one of my favoright places in AB.

The fishing in my short 4 years there has gone down hill as well.


And ya, they need to figure out why the water level keeps dropping. Import some beavers and let them damn the snot out of the lake to bring it back up

[Levy]

This is what i got so far for the online petition. Its short and i think gets the point across. Recommendations?

"This petition is for those that support the complete closure of the harvesting of "Trophy Pike" (Esox Lucius) or pike exceeding 100 cm from Seibert Lake. Due to increased accessibility and popularity of the Lakeland fisheries amongst outdoorsmen from around the province we feel that a transition to a catch and release fishery is a necessary step in the preservation, and possible improvement of the Northern Pike fishery in Seibert Lake."

LacLaBicheNS, the creek flowing out of there have more beaver dams than you can shake a stick at. The problem is the Creeks flowing in do too. Its a common state of creeks across the lakeland. Trapping isn't exactly appealing when you can make more money sweeping floors at a truck shop. Seibert lake has a small drainage basin i don't even think it has as big as the surface area of the lake. From what i have read decreases in water levels are attributed to increases in temperature and decreases in spring run off. There are two possibly geo engineering solutions to the decreased water levels however the provincial government doesn't give funding for projects like that. Local government has already tried several times to get permission to use water from the NSR to bring Muriel lake back up but were denied funding and any sort of consideration.

[schmedlap]

Right on!! Just trying to get this back on page one, so people can understand what the issue is (?).

[Gus]

signed

[LacLaBicheNS]

This is what i got so far for the online petition. Its short and i think gets the point across. Recommendations?

"This petition is for those that support the complete closure of the harvesting of "Trophy Pike" (Esox Lucius) or pike exceeding 100 cm from Seibert Lake. Due to increased accessibility and popularity of the Lakeland fisheries amongst outdoorsmen from around the province we feel that a transition to a catch and release fishery is a necessary step in the preservation, and possible improvement of the Northern Pike fishery in Seibert Lake."

LacLaBicheNS, the creek flowing out of there have more beaver dams than you can shake a stick at. The problem is the Creeks flowing in do too. Its a common state of creeks across the lakeland. Trapping isn't exactly appealing when you can make more money sweeping floors at a truck shop. Seibert lake has a small drainage basin i don't even think it has as big as the surface area of the lake. From what i have read decreases in water levels are attributed to increases in temperature and decreases in spring run off. There are two possibly geo engineering solutions to the decreased water levels however the provincial government doesn't give funding for projects like that. Local government has already tried several times to get permission to use water from the NSR to bring Muriel lake back up but were denied funding and any sort of consideration.

thats too bad about the water levels. If getting rid of some beavers damming the creeks feeding it would help than theres got to be something that can be done about those beavers no?

[pickrel pat]

does flowing water stop when it hits a dam? water follows the course of least resistance. it would go around the dam or over it.(unless its not actually flowing.) beavers probably been damming that creeck for thousands of years. its not the beavers.

[Bigwoodsman]

does flowing water stop when it hits a dam? water follows the course of least resistance. it would go around the dam or over it.(unless its not actually flowing.) beavers probably been damming that creeck for thousands of years. its not the beavers.


I agree, we can't blame the beavers or water levels for the decline in big northerners in this lake. Keeping the "Fat Girls" is the problem. The lake has been there for thousands of years. As a kid in the 70's we'd make a trip in there and catch and release lots of large fish. Huge fish were the norm. If I remember correctly Walleye fishing was never as good as Pike fishing back them but you would catch them.
The decline came when access to the lake improved to the point where you can drive in to the campground with minimal clearance vehicles. Now an improved dock???? It would take 5 - 6 hours just to travel the bush road most times back then.
That lake needs some respect from our fellow anglers, from the biologist, and from our Provincial Government!

BW

[cube]

Schmedlap posted "We have noticed that the Walleye are getting more predominant and larger, and the really big pike less common. Perhaps it is because people, for some reason, are killing the big pike they catch (?)"

I'm all for a Catch and Release designation for Seibert lake pike but I don't think that will necessarily be the answer.

In all the lakes around it, Pinehurst, Wolf, Touchwood etc. the decline in the pike populations has followed the incline in the walleye populations. This goes for others as well, just look at what happened to Pigeon when it went to a walleye centric management plan.

To top it all off they are now putting walleye into Wabamun, which if they take hold will probably lead to the demise of a truly great pike fishery.

I find it sad really

[schmedlap]

Just bumping this, so people can get the whole picture on the petition item below it.