lesser slave walleye regs

[live2bout]

I took a quick look through the 2007 regs just out and it looks like they have dropped the walleye limit to one at lesser slave with a minimum size of 43 cm. It seems to me that Alberta is far behind other jurisdictions in proactive regs and programs aimed at supporting and improving existing fisheries. Why are we not protecting spawning age fish in Alberta lakes but instead targetting them with minimum size limits that ensure only mature fish are harvested?

[jrs]

That is odd. I like some of the ideas they use in Ontario. You can only keep walleye under 45 cm or over a large size (can't remember upper limit but it protected majority of spawners). It does seem some management is a few years behind here. If the lake can support it good but you probably could have a limit of three walleye under 45cm as opposed to one spawner. It is nice to keep the odd big one though, guesse thats how the tag system could also be incorporated. I'd much rather keep a little guy for the fry pan. I fish mostly pike lakes with no size limit for that reason.

I watched a fishing show last week (it was a terrible one but....) and they were on a lake in Ontario with a slot size, they caught lots of huge eyes and kept a bunch of little ones for supper. There were a ton of boats on the lake and it seemed to be working good.

[Mike W]

Just curious did they take out the 2 under 43cm and one over 43cm rule?

[huntercam]

yes in 2007 its 1 over only and then 2 over through the ice next year

[not enough lakes here]

We have way higher fishing pressure on our lakes so they set size limits to let the fish spawn a few times before being kept. Lakes would be fish out before walleyes reached the size where they are protected. At least thats what i've been told.

[Mike W]

Huntercam .....just so I am understanding you correctly you are allowed only one Over 43cm until winter and then in winter you are allowed 2 over 43cm?

[sheep hunter]

Two over from Nov 1-March 31.

[bearbait]

wow????why would they do that??we go may long every year and catch at least 4-5 hundred fish in 4 days....i liked the one over 43 and two under...guess there will be alot less wallys in my freezer this year....
some times i wonder whos makin these calls...
wallys grizz ect. ect.
dumb!!!:\

[tuffyy]

Owning property at Shaws I can tell you the quality of fishing has NOT gone down in the lake.The number of smaller fish being caught would indicate a large thriving population.The lake does see high fishing pressure and as a result the goverment has decided to cut the limit.Its unfortunate but with the high pressure the goverment decided to step in before the walleye population did get damaged...

[Mike W]

Intresting!!
Good to know and I would rather see the gov't step in before there is a issue.

However I would still like to se a slot limit like over 40cm but under 50cm when you catch 50 walleye a day catching one in the slot should be easy!

Mike

[tuffyy]

Its kind of a shame,but I do hope it reduces the amount of traffic and pressure on the lake.The walleye are still thriving in this lake and I hope it stays this way.Guess I will be hitting the pike a little harder this summer.I find that if you can fillet Pike properly (Y-bone removal) there pretty darn good anyway...Anyone ever see this video?Its a good teacher if you dont know how...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcWyGrV0qao (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcWyGrV0qao)

[Red Sky Shane]

Talking with those who know at Fish & Wildlife,, the thinking for the winter is that there is WAY less pressure on the fish stocks, as there are a lot more fairweather summer fisher-folks than in the winter. They've decided to allow for two in the winter.

Sitting on the ice on a cold day should allow for more than one fish as a reward. There's some days on Slave that a guy only catches a bad Oilers game.

I'm with tuffyy, in that it's better to protect the resource now, rather than have nothing left later. This lake will be a jewel for years to come that way.