travers spillway? or little bow camp ground?

[happyfisher]

I was gonna fish the PP cause that's the only place I have ever fished..

Is the spill way good? I don't know where the spill way is...lol...

Is it on the very south side?.....

Just wanna try something new...maybe just the doc at the camp ground?

Thanks all

Happy

[Chris84]

The spillway is on the north leg of the lake. Just use caution as you are not allowed to fish right at the spillway, there is a minimum distance you have to be from it. I just cant remember what the distance is off the top of my head. Its always worth trying something new. Good luck

[fish99]

I was gonna fish the PP cause that's the only place I have ever fished..

Is the spill way good? I don't know where the spill way is...lol...

Is it on the very south side?.....

Just wanna try something new...maybe just the doc at the camp ground?

Thanks all

Happy

was there on sunday did good at the spill way, well worth the drive. good luck

[ak-71]

was there on sunday did good at the spill way, well worth the drive. good luck

Any keepers? (or ever in this lake?)

[Buck Krazy]

Catch and release only

[ak-71]

New rules? Used to be 1 over 50 cm I think?

[retrieversrule]

Too many fisherman not enough water poor management to much poaching.Seems like a guy can never eat fresh fish in AB anymore

[ak-71]

I just wanted to ask if anyone is catching keepers - all I had at spillway were undersized


Travers Reservoir:
that portion west of SW 2-15-22-W4 (North of a line from the farm building to Little Bow Provincial Park pumphouse on the east).
June 1 to Mar. 15 – Walleye limit 3 over 50 cm; Pike limit 3 over 63 cm; Perch limit 15; Lake Whitefish limit 10; Burbot limit 10.
Mar. 16 to May 31 – CLOSED
the remainder of the reservoir
May 8 to Mar. 15 – Walleye limit 3 over 50 cm; Pike limit 3 over 63 cm; Perch limit 15; Lake Whitefish limit 10; Burbot limit 10.
Mar. 16 to May 7 – CLOSED
No fishing within 25 yeards (22.86 m) of the Canal inlet structure (see General Sportfishing Regulations)

[iliketrout]

A few years ago our ratio was around 1 in 10 fish over 50cm

Last year we were around 1 in 20.

This year we are less than 1 in 30.:thinking-006:

[Winch101]

I,ve had 100 fish days there and no keepers ....why
between the poaching night fisherman and the fact that no one puts a keeper back....just go look in the cleaning table can at 5:00 on a weekend night and you will see where the keepers are ....Also I believe that closing a lake has only a minimal effect on how many fish are being killed .The locals and the poachers are not participating in that C&R program...No law enforcement .

[huntsfurfish]

Be prepared for 1 over 55

[huntsfurfish]

And if that doesn't help, tags.

[Winch101]

Again I say ,it doesn't matter what the regs are ,I spend a lot of time at those res.,s and I see a lot of undersize fish going home.And never have I seen a F&W officer. Those C&R lakes out in the boonies ,the locals are absolutely whippin those lakes They don't even think of keeping illegal fish as poaching....Those fish are theirs and the Govt can go.....Crawling Valley is a prime example ....poachers paradise ....and now they have to beat the netters to the punch ...Why the h.....should those hoots get to net , ya da yada etc.etc. Its a losing battle ,only way is total closure or pay rewards for turning in poachers ....

Take a little bit out of each fishing licence sale and create a rewards program for turning in Poachers .Kind of a Crime stoppers with fur or fins .
Seeing as F&W officers have more power than RCMP ...have a few
well publicized freezer raids . Be pro active ...oh wait its the Govt never mind ....keep filleting...

[huntsfurfish]

Poaching is a problem, and u are correct regs will not affect poachers. But will affect others.

1 over 55 will come and tags may follow. Poaching is a problem and is factored in to the equation.

[steelhead]

Hillarious.



Travers is the most productive walleye fishery in the south. Year round stream flowing through helps along with its massive size.


All you can go to the spillway and catch a million fish, but no keepers, but, my group and i can go to the deep end and catch multiple keepers along with alot of smalls.


Poaching has little effect on the walleye populations in that lake. theres millions of walleyes, literally millions!


If you want to catch bigger fish and more keepers, go anywhere else but the spillway and try other methods to catch them.


If you go to the spillway and think you will get a keeper, your foolin yourselves.


People have a bad day at Travers and they blame the poachers right away and those that keep keepers.

No, your the problem. Dont be so lazy, go hunt other areas and switch up methods.

I got on a school of walleyes last week, and they were all over 22 inches. None were caught under that length. We kept none.

That was no where near the spillway.


Your complaints of this lake due to your lack of actively looking for keepers other than jigging at the spillway, is going to make the higher ups place tags and higher size limits on this lake, and its not needed.

All because you lazy anglers are lame hunters.


I remember last year when BBJ was heading down this way and started fishing this lake. Always at the spillway. Everyone goes to the spillway.


Dont mess this lake up with your complaining. The rest of us can get keepers.



STEELHEAD

[Winch101]

I don't think we are talking about the same reservoir.....
I don't believe they are going to change the limits ,all indications are
That the gooberment fish boys are going to shut it down and tag it up.

I didn't say you couldn't catch any keepers ,but it ain't as good as it once was for. Size . I don't think the rational that there's a million fish so poaching is incidental really washes...if you talk to the F&W out of LA ,they know there's a pile of small fish being kept there but not enough manpower to get it under control .
More anglers go there once cause they read about it on here ,go blanko
And don't go back .. We will see what the numbers say when all the PRoS
Are there next week.....

[steelhead]

The govs great fix for our lakes, tag it and shut it. pretty lame by everyones standards.


This lake doesnt need tags and they are supreme idiots if they think so. of course there will be no research done to find a cause to implement those silly tags, so it will be all loss. Poachers dont buy tags. fools.

Aint as good for size?? I saw 2 over 31 inches caught and released at the spillway last week, and many over 22. is that not good enough? Gotta look harder for them. they are everywhere.

I talk to fnw outta brooks. he gets the calls. yes, the poachers all take undersize fish. rarely oversized.

And you know what?, thats good! let them take all the little ones. Theres trillions at that size. Its when they start taking the lower populations of larger size walleyes that there is harm done. Of which, there is only a couple hundred.

But no, they have everyone scared of a slot limit in this province saying that the lakes will be fished out in a day. Some lakes, yes, Travers would benefit immensely with a slot limit. Billions of smaller sizes, very few, but good pop. of larger fish.

I scuba that lake. I spent hours underwater and into some good depths. If anyone says there is no fish in that lake, they are stoopid. if anyone says there is no big fish. Laugh at them and tell them to work harder.


With a lake that big, only 4 or 6 percent of that lake gets fished in any given year. No one fishes below 30 feet and theres alot of unfished water where all the monsters hide.

If they tag this lake, it will only be the poachers that help the lake survive. The law abiding public arent taking enough walleyes out of there. Then comes the Pigeon lake syndrome where the smart guys made cnr and all there was was big skinny fish. Just like all the other lakes they did this too. Weve seen all the posts about it.


2 days angling by, lol, pro's!! lol, will not be a good enough estimate on the fish sizes in that lake. Even they dont fish past 30 feet.


The only lake that doesnt need a tag system in all of Alberta, and they are gonna tag it. idiots.

Ah well, they wrecked walleye fishing in this province already, may as well let them continue to ruin all our gems. That is something they do an amazing job of.


STEELHEAD

[huntsfurfish]

:)

[Winch101]

And really is the walleye fishing ,the only sustainable resource that these cONSERVATIVES have miss managed...

Everything they touch turns to CACA ,

If you , as I am , Catch and releasing , then the limits matter little ...

and if the lack of harvest is contributing to the lakes demise

then we should be handing out potato bags at the dock and spillway

5 gal pail isn't big enough ,encourage harvest.

I just don't like catching walleyes in 40 ft plus , too many gaggers ,
I don't like bottom bouncing , so I do what I do , and I live with what I catch. What really sticks in my craw is those SOB tories here always
cutting back on resource funds , and then filling their own pockets
or holidaying south of the border on a weekly visit .

Your intimation that your personal fishing is somehow more substancially
factual about the state of the walleyes in Travers than the numbers posted by two days of hard angling by people who are purported to know what they are doing is somewhat confusing . The only answer is major test netting
by by a unbiased group and I don't mean the Twin Creek Colony.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Hillarious.



Travers is the most productive walleye fishery in the south. Year round stream flowing through helps along with its massive size.


All you can go to the spillway and catch a million fish, but no keepers, but, my group and i can go to the deep end and catch multiple keepers along with alot of smalls.


Poaching has little effect on the walleye populations in that lake. theres millions of walleyes, literally millions!


If you want to catch bigger fish and more keepers, go anywhere else but the spillway and try other methods to catch them.


If you go to the spillway and think you will get a keeper, your foolin yourselves.


People have a bad day at Travers and they blame the poachers right away and those that keep keepers.

No, your the problem. Dont be so lazy, go hunt other areas and switch up methods.

I got on a school of walleyes last week, and they were all over 22 inches. None were caught under that length. We kept none.

That was no where near the spillway.


Your complaints of this lake due to your lack of actively looking for keepers other than jigging at the spillway, is going to make the higher ups place tags and higher size limits on this lake, and its not needed.

All because you lazy anglers are lame hunters.


I remember last year when BBJ was heading down this way and started fishing this lake. Always at the spillway. Everyone goes to the spillway.


Dont mess this lake up with your complaining. The rest of us can get keepers.



STEELHEAD

We fished all over the Travers before we anchored up at the spillway . All though it was effective .

Travers and many of them southern reservoirs may have a lot of pressure but they are managed far better then the north . Some of you guys can travel a 1/2 hour to catch and keep a few legal walleye . Around here you have to drive 3 or 4 hours for the most part all though there are a few lakes you can still keep the odd walleye out of , except for the tag lakes .

There's times you go out there and cant even get into any what should be legal fish , there all stunted cookie cutter fish .

As for netting I don't think there is any place in this province for it . I don't care who you are . Go net Saskatchewan or Manitoba or Ontario . When them places start having the issues we have here then they can chime in . How many posts per a year do we read guys headed east to go fill a cooler of Walleyes .

Poaching is a huge problem in Alberta and its sad . I have seen countless people doing it and I don't even give warning , If I see you keeping fish and you shouldn't be most likely you have or will be reported . I have no shame in reporting your ass .

I'm fairly sure that The report a poacher program does give prize money still for a conviction of said poacher or poachers . The more information you give more likely hood that there will be a conviction . I have turned many people in but refuse to collect the money . Money doesn't make me do the right thing . But then again it to isn't my right for not call it in but do because I want to .

I have plenty more to say but gotta run .

[steelhead]

I have to add this in response to a BBJ comment. Not a shot at bbj.


"Travers and many of them southern reservoirs may have a lot of pressure but they are managed far better then the north . "



That is not correct. These lakes havent been managed in almost 15 years. The last bit of management in these areas happened when they changed the regs to what they are now from the old limits. And, that was it. Been like that for years. No management. These reservoirs are so healthy, they are very self sustaining and very very healthy. Its all due to the mass of water flow through them in summer. If Pigeon and other hard hit, closed system lakes, with no major water flow, were to get irrigation type flow all summer,,,, then they too would be as healthy as the southern reservoirs.

And the pressure question. Yah. lemme tell ya, theres no pressure on these lakes. Even the poachers arent a pressure. The only pressure on these lakes is at only about 3 points where public can use without boats.

The pressure points - Docks at PP, Spillway. And, thats about it. Makes up about .00001 percent of the lake. No one fishes the rest of the lake. Really!I go to the spillway, gong show, go tour the rest of the lake, no one!

The only pressure on these lakes are at the shore fishing points. And on these lakes, there are very few.

If there is so much pressure on Badger, why are there still pike over 4 feet coming out of there every year? And not just one, many of them. Everyone says it gets hammered. What a crock! The hutterites and I are the only ones out there most of the year. I had the hut out this winter for a month and a half, 51 days of fishing. According to my logs, 30 of those days, I was the only one fishing that lake.

The thought of pressure on these lakes all comes from the big lie the gov told us a long time ago, and all of you still believe it. I see it used everytime and i just laugh.

The good ole " 800 lakes and 2 million people fishing them" pressure lie. That is all pure cat pee. Tripe.

Think about it! Read that again, Just that phrase alone is outlandish and reeks of bull. And thats the reasoning behind thier stellar management. They use lakes in that statement. What about rivers and trout ponds? Theres a billion miles of river in Alberta? LOL, do they not get pressured? I think rivers get it more than the lakes! A heck of a lot more!

If you go by liscence numbers, then break it down to those who fish just trout ponds, those who just fish the rivers only, not lakes, those who fish one or 2 days on thier liscence, lakes that are fly in only and never get fished, those that only fish lakes, those that only shore fish, those that come from other provinces and fish a day or 2, Those that buy a liscence, fish, and catch no fish.....

........ You may come to realize, there is really no fishing pressure on any water body in Alberta. Only where there is public shore fishing access like on lakes and many sections of river. And, thats it.

This lie was made up to give the gov a chance to throw out new blanket regs to hide the fact that they dont want to spend money on fish and management. And then fix the lakes that are a problem one by one other than working on them all. And its worked. They have done nothing to these lakes in 15 years. Saved money Now they are going too far.


Theres no management on these lakes. Theres no pressure.


Its all lies. All of it. And many believe it! Especially here.

And another funny one. All those bios are lurkers here. They use this board as a management tool. They see you complain, they change something.

You all complain about Travers and poachers and how you cant catch a big fish.
Now they want to tag it.

You honestly think a tag will catch you a keeper at Travers?

Bah ha ha, ha ha ha. yaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! Priceless!


STEELHEAD

[huntsfurfish]

One mans opinion.:)

[steelhead]

Oh no. Its more than one mans opinion. Many here will agree.

Many of those of the same opinion dont frequent or even post on this sheeple forum.

Even I had to get these ideas from somewhere.

I was taught walleye management in uni. about the third year.

I think these bios didnt get the same edumacation many other fine stewards of canadas resources did. This is the only province that has regs like this, and we see the results.

They are making it up as they go along. And they know it too!


And thats my opinion!


STEELHEAD

[Fishnafterwork]

Oh no. Its more than one mans opinion. Many here will agree.

Many of those of the same opinion dont frequent or even post on this sheeple forum.

Even I had to get these ideas from somewhere.

I was taught walleye management in uni. about the third year.

I think these bios didnt get the same edumacation many other fine stewards of canadas resources did. This is the only province that has regs like this, and we see the results.

They are making it up as they go along. And they know it too!


And thats my opinion!


STEELHEAD



Very valid points!

I found your last two posts very enlightening ... The way u describe this fits for a lot of the thinks I've been wondering about...

[MathewsArcher]

http://srd.alberta.ca/FishWildlife/FisheriesManagement/FallWalleyeIndexNetting/IndexNetSurveyReports/documents/TraversReservoir-FallWalleyeIndexNetting-2011.pdf

[Fishnafterwork]

http://srd.alberta.ca/FishWildlife/FisheriesManagement/FallWalleyeIndexNetting/IndexNetSurveyReports/documents/TraversReservoir-FallWalleyeIndexNetting-2011.pdf

So I took from that they figure almost all fish over legal limit were removed... So why are we not trying a slot size on one of these lakes?

Over harvested or improperly managed?

[steelhead]

"So I took from that they figure almost all fish over legal limit were removed... So why are we not trying a slot size on one of these lakes?"



Bam!! Nailed it.


Thanks for finding that again mathewsarcher. I saw it before but didnt care because they werent making reg changes. But now they are. Even a lay person can figure that out from those findings.


2 at 16-17 inches and one over 65.


It will have trophy status in 4 years and excellent fishing until then.


Thats what the charts they provide say.


STEELHEAD

[MoFugger21]

I just quickly skimmed through that report, but... did it note where the nets were set? General locations, etc? I didn't see any mention, but I could have missed that.

Also... I'm by no mean a biologist or expert on fish surveys, but doesn't 406 total fish seem like a small sample size to conclude that walleye in Travers are in a vulnerable state? Just seems for a reservoir the size of Travers, 406 fish seems like a very small representation of the total fish population.

[pikergolf]

Very valid points!

I found your last two posts very enlightening ... The way u describe this fits for a lot of the thinks I've been wondering about...

I don't think his posts are valid at all, he and a small group I am assuming, have patterned a group of fish. He lives in an area where there is not a lot of sophisticated pressure and thinks there is an endless supply of fish, he's wrong. He is also quit proud of his accomplishment, and for that I can't fault him, but catching fish does not a fishery expert make.

As he continues to crow others will take notice and his little honey hole will attract the eye of other walleye chasers and bam the end of another fishery.

Absolutely no malice intended by me.

[Winch101]

Every time there's a thread on here about how good travers is.
The boat traffic quadruples ....most go home empty handed ..
And it's back to bussiness as usual ....there are better res. in the south
For eaters than travers.

I don't put a lot of faith in Govt studies ,I have had fabulous fishing
In fished out lakes more than once ...

[DiabeticKripple]

i think a slot size is whats needed. based on the report, the 5 year olds dominate the population, and they arent spawners yet. so why not set a slot limit designed to target this age group? then some will slip through the slot and become spawners.

say 1 35-40cm?

[Pikehunter13]

I don't think his posts are valid at all, he and a small group I am assuming, have patterned a group of fish. He lives in an area where there is not a lot of sophisticated pressure and thinks there is an endless supply of fish, he's wrong. He is also quit proud of his accomplishment, and for that I can't fault him, but catching fish does not a fishery expert make.

As he continues to crow others will take notice and his little honey hole will attract the eye of other walleye chasers and bam the end of another fishery.

Absolutely no malice intended by me.

This includes everyone talking about this topic thread. :sign0161:

Alright close the thread.

[huntsfurfish]

This includes everyone talking about this topic thread. :sign0161:

Alright close the thread.

How do you know?:)

[Pikehunter13]

How do you know?:)

I don't know. :)

I'll leave it for the REAL SMART/INTELLIGENT people to figure out. You know the biologist and university studys

People on here are MR./MS.... Know it alls :argue2: :sign0161:


:bad_boys_20:

[Chris84]

This has gone pretty sideways from the op's question about trying a new spot on the lake......to the op, yes try new spots. Contrary to the doom and gloom in this thread, there are good spots on this lake.

[MathewsArcher]

If we can remove almost all fish in an age class though harvest with the limits we have now, how will a slot limit help?

The study indicates walleye have had at least two years to spawn before they are being harvested allowing for some recruitment. Will enough fish actually make it through the slot to allow for reproduction and recruitment? Doubtful, if as the study indicates we are removing almost all the fish above the size limit.
If very few fish actually make it through the slot, there will be less fish of reproductive size in the system eventually.

Alberta's problem is too few lakes, to many fisherman and too much pressure on the resource.

[steelhead]

"If we can remove almost all fish in an age class though harvest with the limits we have now, how will a slot limit help?"


I will tell ya how.


For one, with the regs now, we are taking fish from a small population size slot. The graphs show the pops of keeper size are an eight of the smaller, non-spawning, size class. And that starts at size 450mm, not even keeper size. That can be easily fished out. Theres very few according to the study.



In the graphs you provided, they show a spike at 350mm.

Only for a short time are they at this size within a year, the study states they grow pretty quick in Travers..

The graph also shows a decline very soon after, That is when mortality starts up and the keeper size slot starts. They get eaten, taken, they die ect. The graph also show the gradual decline of numbers over larger sizes. These graphs are typical to many other lakes in many other provinces. One reason why all the other provinces, but this one, has a slot limit at these sizes.

Before these fish disappear to nothing, how about harvest some. They are all dying and disappearing anyways. As the graph shows.


Now, what this province does is take from the larger size slot, of which, according to the graphs, are an eight of the population of the 350mm.

The next bit of numbers is an example.
So, as it is now, were taking fish from a pool of 50 fish at 500mm, when we can be taking from a pool of 640 at 350mm. Those 640 quickly grow, according to the study, and the next size moves up, and is ready for harvest. And with closures, they have time to grow and meet the next size slot

Its still not going to be easy to get those keeper size of 350mm. It will be almost impossible. You will be getting all sizes from tiny to 700mm. But at least the vulnerable 450mm and bigger spawners are left alone to create larger numbers in the future.


Example numbers again, but relate to the graph.

So, what slot sizes on this lake will do for us, is allow us to take from a pool of 1280 fish in a year instead of 100 fish in the current keep size, allow many of this size to move on and be protected until they reach an age where thier spawning had lessened, and then can be harvested again. This protects ALL fresh spawners entirely. No take until huge and tired, 650mm.





Direct quote from the study, and this says it all and everything i am saying, and they came up with it. Found under "age class stability"

" As a
result, the age class distribution could stabilize with increased survival amongst the older
Walleye age classes. "


What a great conclusion they came up with. What we have all been saying for years. protect the spawners. If they came up with this, why arent they doing something to fix that? duh, like a slot size? lol





Imagine, protecting 6 years of spawners compared to 2 years of spawners of which has an extreemely low population past500mm.


Imagine the spike on the graph at 350mm, in 4 years, if 6 years of spawners are protected.


Imagine, catching and releasing many more large protected fish, with a chance still to take home a trophy and a shore lunch.

This way, even the poachers will be legal!! they keep all the small fish anyways!!LOL



No. Doesnt sound like it would work?



This is the only province in Canada that thinks it wouldnt.



Yah, just tag it. That will fix it.


STEELHEAD

[steelhead]

aw pikergolf and pikehunter10.


Trying to get a discussion shut down on a discussion board because you have nothing valid to add.


A modest way for you to concede defeat. Pick on the guy you disagree with. LOL, with no malice intended. Thats a derail off topic, and i'm still on it.


I even told the OP to search for other spots. Dont follow the crowd. Big fish everywhere.

What valuable tidbit of info have you added to this topic to help the op?

Dirting everyone isnt helpin the op at all!

Go ahead, give him some tips on travers to atone. :bad_boys_20:


STEELHEAD