Sylvan Lake is done

[muskie032]

Thank you F&W for allowing a 1 walleye limit. Sylvan lake is now toast. Massively being over fished and no more excellent catch and release days.

[58thecat]

man tuff gig...if you say catch and release only people complain...if you say one fish...people complain....if you put a slot size...people complain.....if you put a draw/tag system...people complain...common denominator....people complaining.


how about this...we anglers take charge of our actions...ran into a fella with similar complaints....yet he still had his...I asked why...gotta get my share...:(

[Smoky buck]

Way too early to jump to any conclusions expecially on a one walleye limit that has not even run a whole season. To many the walleye over stocking was a negative on other species and they were happy to see them thinned. My self I think walleye fight like a wet sock so have little interest in C&R walleye and rarely target them in general

There is still a ton of lakes where you can C&R walleye all day at the worst. It’s a matter of fishermen have different interests so management is trying to find a way to please a variety of fishermen

[muskie032]

Let's just say it was enjoyable to jig the walleye. All 25 of them and they would be there the next time you went out. Made for a fun day on the water. Not sure they were ever overpopulated or crowding out other fish. Look what happened to the pike in Sylvan, you allowed a 1 fish limit and they got decimated. This was not the walleye's fault. Yes trout are more fun to catch I agree there.

[smitty9]

Thank you F&W for allowing a 1 walleye limit. Sylvan lake is now toast. Massively being over fished and no more excellent catch and release days.

Wasn't F&W

[WinefredCommander]

About time they opened a damn lake and it might as well be that one.

[muskie032]

Wasn't F&W

Well my bad ok Alberta environment? Whoever did it then. I'm just having my rant cuz it is now going to turn into a recreational lake that's non fishing. Like so many lakes we already have here in Alberta. :argue2: lol

[Smoky buck]

Let's just say it was enjoyable to jig the walleye. All 25 of them and they would be there the next time you went out. Made for a fun day on the water. Not sure they were ever overpopulated or crowding out other fish. Look what happened to the pike in Sylvan, you allowed a 1 fish limit and they got decimated. This was not the walleye's fault. Yes trout are more fun to catch I agree there.

To each there own personally I don’t target Sylvan to say much about the make up of the fish population past or present. I can only go on what others have said about the lake

I am 90% C&R myself but I also respect people fish for multiple reasons. The fisheries in Alberta are there for all angles so some variety in management is a good thing in my opinion. Lots of changes I would like to see but understand that a portion of fishermen would view them as a negative change

PS some trout are ok but rainbows suck to me lol

[dfrobert]

Save a pike, whitefish, and perch....bonk a Walleye.

[HuyFishin]

Save a pike, whitefish, and perch....bonk a Walleye.

Just bonk a couple. Not all haha

[WayneChristie]

Way too early to jump to any conclusions expecially on a one walleye limit that has not even run a whole season. To many the walleye over stocking was a negative on other species and they were happy to see them thinned. My self I think walleye fight like a wet sock so have little interest in C&R walleye and rarely target them in general

There is still a ton of lakes where you can C&R walleye all day at the worst. It’s a matter of fishermen have different interests so management is trying to find a way to please a variety of fishermen

Double digit Walter's on the fly after dark are pretty scrappy 18 inchers on 60 pound braid with a 6 ounce weight dont even rate a sock :scared0015:

[WayneChristie]

OP ever consider maybe the schools were all known so when their friends started to go missing they found somewhere else to hangout? I dont know never fished for them in Coronavirus Lake

[muskie032]

Save a pike, whitefish, and perch....bonk a Walleye.

I hope your not disappointed in 5 years when the pike, perch and whitefish fishing still suck. :bad_boys_20:

[muskie032]

OP ever consider maybe the schools were all known so when their friends started to go missing they found somewhere else to hangout? I dont know never fished for them in Coronavirus Lake

LOL Good one.

[EZM]

What kills me here is there are millions of walleye at Wabamun that are destroying that lake and stunting every species in there ………. why not consider doing that in a lake like that.

I one year all the people from Edmonton can correct 15 years of poor management of that watershed.

If that lake get any more walleye in it, they will be breaching the water and throwing themselves at you like those Asian Carp.

[slough shark]

Well my bad ok Alberta environment? Whoever did it then. I'm just having my rant cuz it is now going to turn into a recreational lake that's non fishing. Like so many lakes we already have here in Alberta. :argue2: lol

This move wasn’t meant to make sylvan a better fishery immediately although at least you can finally keep a walleye somewhere, it was meant to give a boost to whitefish, perch and pike populations which we ought to start seeing increase in the next couple years. Other than walleye everything else has been in the decline and removing a mid level predator ought to improve that

[Smoky buck]

Double digit Walter's on the fly after dark are pretty scrappy 18 inchers on 60 pound braid with a 6 ounce weight dont even rate a sock :scared0015:

If I have to find a double digit walleye just to get a good tug on fly gear that sounds like a lot of work. Sorting through a ton of little wet socks to find one that can actually fight lol

I still get the itch once in a blue moon to target them but rarely

[SNAPFisher]

I think it is too early to tell. Maybe after a good decimating this year they will put a tough slot on or close it again. We'll see.

I only targeted whites at Sylvan so cannot speak too much to the wallies.

[FlyTheory]

Well my bad ok Alberta environment? Whoever did it then. I'm just having my rant cuz it is now going to turn into a recreational lake that's non fishing. Like so many lakes we already have here in Alberta. :argue2: lol

Pretty sure that AEP poll everyone did last year is the reason why all these limits are available. The people voted! The scientists hazard against this, but hey, democracy trumps science and suspicions! Lets see what happens

[fordtruckin]

Thank you F&W for allowing a 1 walleye limit. Sylvan lake is now toast. Massively being over fished and no more excellent catch and release days.

You realize that on average 10% of fish caught and released will die? Doesn't matter what you as an angler does fish will die and if you don't use artificial bait the mortality rate increases. The end result is does the fish waste away in the lake/river or do you get to feed yourself with it. So unless your excellent catch and release days are catching less than 10 fish (which I wouldn't say is an excellent day...) a 1 fish limit will statistically result in less fish killed than if you just CR a bunch. Do a search for various studies done on Hooking Mortality.

For starters here is a good article and specifically mentions walleye's mortality rate as done by the Minnesota DNR.

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2019/04/24/how-and-how-long-you-handle-released-fish-will-determine-if-they-live-or-die/

[muskie032]

You realize that on average 10% of fish caught and released will die? Doesn't matter what you as an angler does fish will die and if you don't use artificial bait the mortality rate increases. The end result is does the fish waste away in the lake/river or do you get to feed yourself with it. So unless your excellent catch and release days are catching less than 10 fish (which I wouldn't say is an excellent day...) a 1 fish limit will statistically result in less fish killed than if you just CR a bunch. Do a search for various studies done on Hooking Mortality.

For starters here is a good article and specifically mentions walleye's mortality rate as done by the Minnesota DNR.

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2019/04/24/how-and-how-long-you-handle-released-fish-will-determine-if-they-live-or-die/

I don't believe it. If you don't lung the fish, there is no blood and your only bring them up 15 feet. They will not die. It's only when you bring them up from really deep or are not paying attention to your rod and they swallow the hook is where you kill them. I've caught the same fish over 4 times in a day easily.

[WayneChristie]

If I have to find a double digit walleye just to get a good tug on fly gear that sounds like a lot of work. Sorting through a ton of little wet socks to find one that can actually fight lol

I still get the itch once in a blue moon to target them but rarely

not where I fall fish, pretty rare to get any under 5 pounds. 45 1 night and maybe one of those under 5, most 8 plus and lots of doubles. then again I live in Gods country :sHa_shakeshout: Im definitely spoiled

[dfrobert]

I hope your not disappointed in 5 years when the pike, perch and whitefish fishing still suck. :bad_boys_20:

Have watched more than a few lakes get over populated with Walleye and the rest the species in the lake go down hill real fast. Pigeon, isle, LSA, just to make a few in Central Alberta.

Finally starting to see some schools of whites again in LSA. Weird eh, might have to do with the walleye retention the last 5-6 year. Figure it out. Or your an expert who wants to catch 25 starving to death Walleye?

[pikergolf]

Pretty sure that AEP poll everyone did last year is the reason why all these limits are available. The people voted! The scientists hazard against this, but hey, democracy trumps science and suspicions! Lets see what happens

This right here. The bio at the meeting I attended told me this would happen. Fishermen are equipped better and far better at catching fish. he predicted even a one fish limit would damage fisheries. But there are soooo many fishermen that are sooooo much smarter than bio's. They got their way.

[Red Bullets]

I don't believe it. If you don't lung the fish, there is no blood and your only bring them up 15 feet. They will not die. It's only when you bring them up from really deep or are not paying attention to your rod and they swallow the hook is where you kill them. I've caught the same fish over 4 times in a day easily.

Do you think that fish you caught 4 times didn't get stressed? Would be boring catching the same fish over and over. Must be very competitive for food if the same fish keeps biting.

Sylvan lake has been fished and harvested for a hundred years. And back in the day limits were liberal. Never killed the lake then and it won't now.

If god didn't want us to eat fish he wouldn't have made them out of meat.

[pikeman06]

clean those stunted walleyes out of there. Go to wab and catch and release runty walleyes all you want. Lakes polluted with walleyes soon have no perch no whites skinny pike, you name it. See all those people out there catching wallies and having fun? They wanted to keep a fish and thats why they are out there fishing. You can still throw them back. Lots left.

[CNP]

Thank you F&W for allowing a 1 walleye limit. Sylvan lake is now toast. Massively being over fished and no more excellent catch and release days.

I'm laughing at this.

[K.J]

I'm laughing at this.
Me too lol

[Bushleague]

Way too early to jump to any conclusions expecially on a one walleye limit that has not even run a whole season. To many the walleye over stocking was a negative on other species and they were happy to see them thinned. My self I think walleye fight like a wet sock so have little interest in C&R walleye and rarely target them in general

There is still a ton of lakes where you can C&R walleye all day at the worst. It’s a matter of fishermen have different interests so management is trying to find a way to please a variety of fishermen

100% agree, I've never been able to fathom the desirability of a C&R Walleye fishery. Walleye typically don't fight very hard, and most of the best ways of catching them bore the heck out of me, if I'm not going to eat them I'm not much interested in fishing for them. If you want to create a quality C&R lake, than pretty much any other species makes more sense.

The only appeal I can see is that once over populated they can be caught in large numbers with very little effort... meh.

IMO they should have these lakes on a rotating open season, one year Pidgeon, Wab the next etc... if the lakes can sustain a HEALTHY (not necessarily shooting fish in a barrel numbers) population then over lap them. Instead of one fished out lake, you get multiple balanced fisheries.

[Who Da Fisherman]

Well my bad ok Alberta environment? Whoever did it then. I'm just having my rant cuz it is now going to turn into a recreational lake that's non fishing. Like so many lakes we already have here in Alberta. :argue2: lol

Which lakes?
I can catch fish on all these mid AB and south lakes.
WDF

[Who Da Fisherman]

You realize that on average 10% of fish caught and released will die? Doesn't matter what you as an angler does fish will die and if you don't use artificial bait the mortality rate increases. The end result is does the fish waste away in the lake/river or do you get to feed yourself with it. So unless your excellent catch and release days are catching less than 10 fish (which I wouldn't say is an excellent day...) a 1 fish limit will statistically result in less fish killed than if you just CR a bunch. Do a search for various studies done on Hooking Mortality.

For starters here is a good article and specifically mentions walleye's mortality rate as done by the Minnesota DNR.

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2019/04/24/how-and-how-long-you-handle-released-fish-will-determine-if-they-live-or-die/

Are you saying the OP killed 2.5 fish each time out?
Well now we know what happened to that spot :thinking-006::bad_boys_20:
WDF

[Dewey Cox]

35 post since june '09, and six in this one thread he started to argue with everyone?

Obviously just waiting to have a legitimate discussion.

[Who Da Fisherman]

not where I fall fish, pretty rare to get any under 5 pounds. 45 1 night and maybe one of those under 5, most 8 plus and lots of doubles. then again I live in Gods country :sHa_shakeshout: Im definitely spoiled

Braggart lol

[Who Da Fisherman]

Have watched more than a few lakes get over populated with Walleye and the rest the species in the lake go down hill real fast. Pigeon, isle, LSA, just to make a few in Central Alberta.

Finally starting to see some schools of whites again in LSA. Weird eh, might have to do with the walleye retention the last 5-6 year. Figure it out. Or your an expert who wants to catch 25 starving to death Walleye?

Same with Pine Lake before the winter kill and then blue algae.
We had a spot, 2 of us with 2 tubs of minnows, be gone in 2hrs.
But the perch were decimated.
Oh, and this is one of those recreational lakes, great, we didn't even need to jig as all the boats going by did it for us lol.
WDF

[muskie032]

35 post since june '09, and six in this one thread he started to argue with everyone?

Obviously just waiting to have a legitimate discussion.


No dude I don't live on these forums obviously. I just had to vent today, not trying to get in arguments. Don't worry I'm done now.

[Smoky buck]

not where I fall fish, pretty rare to get any under 5 pounds. 45 1 night and maybe one of those under 5, most 8 plus and lots of doubles. then again I live in Gods country :sHa_shakeshout: Im definitely spoiled

I miss pike fishing in southern Alberta but walleye just never caught my interest much.

[fordtruckin]

Are you saying the OP killed 2.5 fish each time out?
Well now we know what happened to that spot :thinking-006::bad_boys_20:
WDF

I’m not saying the OP did anything. I’m just saying statistics and studies show despite what an angler does, just because you release a fish doesn’t mean it survives and they have shown how accurate the mortality percentages are. If you want to believe Everything you releases survives to make you feel better than be my guest. That kind of mentality goes along with people who herd shoot Or shoot at running animals and because a critter isn’t laying on the ground dead when everything moves off they say it was a clean miss and Don’t even walk up to check for blood.

[58thecat]

You realize that on average 10% of fish caught and released will die? Doesn't matter what you as an angler does fish will die and if you don't use artificial bait the mortality rate increases. The end result is does the fish waste away in the lake/river or do you get to feed yourself with it. So unless your excellent catch and release days are catching less than 10 fish (which I wouldn't say is an excellent day...) a 1 fish limit will statistically result in less fish killed than if you just CR a bunch. Do a search for various studies done on Hooking Mortality.

For starters here is a good article and specifically mentions walleye's mortality rate as done by the Minnesota DNR.

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2019/04/24/how-and-how-long-you-handle-released-fish-will-determine-if-they-live-or-die/

Ya I find that hard to believe....a jig with a pinched barb in the lip out of say 10 feet of water brought to the side of the boat one twist of the pliers and released or even a quick belly grab and a quick pic then drop in.....can't see any harm especially death of that fish....now maybe a deep Gil hook?.....or just over tha last few weeks I have killed a lot of walleye cuz I am probably averaging in the 30's each outing....:scared0015:....now there is 20 boats out.....boys are having a hey day....lake will be done in a few months....nope...sorry not buying into that one.

[Smoky buck]

Ya I find that hard to believe....a jig with a pinched barb in the lip out of say 10 feet of water brought to the side of the boat one twist of the pliers and released or even a quick belly grab and a quick pic then drop in.....can't see any harm especially death of that fish....now maybe a deep Gil hook?.....or just over tha last few weeks I have killed a lot of walleye cuz I am probably averaging in the 30's each outing....:scared0015:....now there is 20 boats out.....boys are having a hey day....lake will be done in a few months....nope...sorry not buying into that one.

Read the whole link and there is a lot of factors that effect survival rate and % of death. 1 in 10 is plausible in some cases but it can be much lower or higher. Done with care my opinion survival rate is high but the % of anglers who put in the effort is much lower than what many might think. Lots of studies out there and lots of different mortality rates

Truth of the matter is C&R has a greater impact then anglers would like to admit. There is a reason why in BC once you retain your one legal steelhead you must stop fishing

Fish can be tough as nails or extremely frail but

[58thecat]

Read the whole link and there is a lot of factors that effect survival rate and % of death. 1 in 10 is plausible in some cases but it can be much lower or higher. Done with care my opinion survival rate is high but the % of anglers who put in the effort is much lower than what many might think. Lots of studies out there and lots of different mortality rates

Truth of the matter is C&R has a greater impact then anglers would like to admit. There is a reason why in BC once you retain your one legal steelhead you must stop fishing

Fish can be tough as nails or extremely frail but

I was only responding directly to fords statememt.....I know that at different lakes, locations globally fish can be tuff as nails and then in other areas weak....

Catch a fine mountain rainbow and wow what a beautiful hardy fish.....catch one here at little bear right now....good god...soft to the touch...weak....probably will die upon release....


In a nut shell can't paint the same picture with one brush....

The article mentions the many factors that play into fish mortality just not rounded to simply catch and release.....

[Talking moose]

not where I fall fish, pretty rare to get any under 5 pounds. 45 1 night and maybe one of those under 5, most 8 plus and lots of doubles. then again I live in Gods country :sHa_shakeshout: Im definitely spoiled

This guy speaks the truth... I was in your country this weekend briefly. First eleven walleye caught were all between 26” - 30”.
Insane.

[Dan'ol]

I grew up with a cabin at sylvan lake in the birchcliff area. I remember as a kid catching perch off the dock, days of catching some really big Pike and some nice whitefish, and then in recent years the non-stop walleye action. I have almost never been skunked at that lake. Couple weeks I went out there and I agree that the fishing was slow, prob the slowest I have seen in years. However, if it means that the perch and pike come back I would be really excited.

[barbless]

Just my observation. At CVR which has been C&R for a very long time for walleye, of all the times, over all the years (there have been many years), the amount of people that say they get 30 to 40 walleye a day and the amount that we catch from my boat ,the only fish I have seen dead and floating or washed up on shore have been two white fish and one trout (way back in the day). Have not seen any walleye yet. Maybe the pelicans or the pike get em. Been going there the better part of 30 yrs and been all over that lake one end to the other. But that is just there and they are plentiful.

[Walleyedude]

Just my observation. At CVR which has been C&R for a very long time for walleye, of all the times, over all the years (there have been many years), the amount of people that say they get 30 to 40 walleye a day and the amount that we catch from my boat ,the only fish I have seen dead and floating or washed up on shore have been two white fish and one trout (way back in the day). Have not seen any walleye yet. Maybe the pelicans or the pike get em. Been going there the better part of 30 yrs and been all over that lake one end to the other. But that is just there and they are plentiful.

I agree.

The 10% mortality rate statistic doesn't pass the sniff test with me either.

If that number was legit, the walleye population in most AB C&R lakes would have been decimated years ago. The exact opposite is true.

The fact that lakes where anglers are complaining of over populated walleye, while at the same time talking about consistent 50-100 fish days, would seem to be impossible given that mortality rate. That would be the equivalent of every angler or every boat keeping a limit of 5-10 walleye a day. That is simply NOT a sustainable number, it's NOT realistic. A look at how quickly any lake with a retention limit tends to get thinned out should really make it obvious what the effects of a higher mortality rate truly are. PCR is a prime example.

The University of Regina is running a walleye tagging program in partnership with the Sask Walleye Trail. The results to date have been pretty incredible. They are proving that C&R works, even on fish with what was deemed "severe livewell stress" at the time of release. Anglers are reporting fish that were tagged 3-5 years ago, fish that have traveled 10-50+ miles, fish that have been caught and released 5+ times, and on and on. I have no doubt there's a mortality rate, and in talking with the U of R students, they also believe there is a mortality rate, but they have been as surprised as anyone at how low the rate actually is.

Proper fish handling technique is the key.

[SNAPFisher]

No dude I don't live on these forums obviously. I just had to vent today, not trying to get in arguments. Don't worry I'm done now.

It is a sensitive subject so just take that with a grain of salt.

I know why you posted what you did and understand what your saying. Some of the fishing buddies I know saw the 1 limit walleye change and said immediately that Sylvan was "done" or would be. Your post is confirming some of this.

I'm hopeful that they will continue to change regs as needed. We'll see.

[Talking moose]

I’m not saying the OP did anything. I’m just saying statistics and studies show despite what an angler does, just because you release a fish doesn’t mean it survives and they have shown how accurate the mortality percentages are. If you want to believe Everything you releases survives to make you feel better than be my guest. That kind of mentality goes along with people who herd shoot Or shoot at running animals and because a critter isn’t laying on the ground dead when everything moves off they say it was a clean miss and Don’t even walk up to check for blood.

Show me the statistics for walleye.
However when it comes to still fishing with bait..... I’d agree. Atleast 10%. Due to the fact so many anglers are to cheap and lazy to cut and leave the hook in the fish. Rather than lose the hook and have to re tie, they would rather rip it out with pliers.

[kollenberger]

I dunno what op is saying due to covid being have the blessing of taking the rest of the year off and head out fishing almost everyday. Last week me and my buddies were on sylvan 4 times and the worst day between the three of us was 24 walleye. That was the worst. I dont see any decline from last year at all maybe your spot is over fished and they left? Maybe your one of the marina bay people who are saddened that the walleye left the bay because as one said their buddies all left? What is really sad about sylvan, is a guy used to be able to target huge pike. I'm sure they are still in there but why would they bite a hook when they can have a feast of walleye? The lake is over populated by walleye and some need to go its for the best. Walleye fishing is like shooting fish in a barrel and really boring.

[SNAPFisher]

Let's just say it was enjoyable to jig the walleye. All 25 of them and they would be there the next time you went out. Made for a fun day on the water. Not sure they were ever overpopulated or crowding out other fish. Look what happened to the pike in Sylvan, you allowed a 1 fish limit and they got decimated. This was not the walleye's fault. Yes trout are more fun to catch I agree there.

Actually I recall a 3 over 63 cm limit for pike, like Gull had. Well I can't speak very much to the walleye fishing in Sylvan, I certainly want to see those "big girls" / pike stay where they are with better management. That lake can produce some bigguns and those should be better protected than in the past.

[wind drift]

Actually I recall a 3 over 63 cm limit for pike, like Gull had. Well I can't speak very much to the walleye fishing in Sylvan, I certainly want to see those "big girls" / pike stay where they are with better management. That lake can produce some bigguns and those should be better protected than in the past.

What does the better management look like? What rules would need to be in place to allow the “girls” to live long enough to get big in a high pressure lake like Sylvan? Is catch and release good enough? Bait ban? Special licence to fish the lake?

[Coiloil37]

My self I think walleye fight like a wet sock so have little interest in C&R walleye and rarely target them in general

Personally I would change that to somewhere between 99.5% and 100% of freshwater fish.

[Pioneer2]

80% of a walleye's diet is perch.

[Walleyedude]

80% of a walleye's diet is perch.

What makes you say that?

[Talking moose]

80% of a walleye's diet is perch.

Yup. The ones I catch in the NSR agree.

[Red Bullets]

What does the better management look like? What rules would need to be in place to allow the “girls” to live long enough to get big in a high pressure lake like Sylvan? Is catch and release good enough? Bait ban? Special licence to fish the lake?

The reason you don't see as many big girls is probably because they are choking on the sharp pointy dorsal fins of the walleye they are reduced to eating. Sort of sad, it's like feeding a dog the same dog food it's whole life. :sHa_sarcasticlol: :sHa_shakeshout:

80% of a walleye's diet is perch.

Walleye are also filling up on the big schools of native minnows that support the other fish species too.

[wind drift]

The reason you don't see as many big girls is probably because they are choking on the sharp pointy dorsal fins of the walleye they are reduced to eating. Sort of sad, it's like feeding a dog the same dog food it's whole life. :sHa_sarcasticlol: :sHa_shakeshout:



Walleye are also filling up on the big schools of native minnows that support the other fish species too.

Another question...how do pike and walleye get along in remote fly-in lakes with very little fishing pressure? Are the walleye all stunted and the pike few in number? Are the forage fish scarce? I’m curious. One might think if that was the case, nobody would pay to fish them. Also makes me wonder if my Grandpa was telling tall tales about fishing Moose Lake in the 50’s and 60’s, catching boatloads of pike, walleye and perch on the same trip. I should dig up the old photos.

[Red Bullets]

Another question...how do pike and walleye get along in remote fly-in lakes with very little fishing pressure? Are the walleye all stunted and the pike few in number? Are the forage fish scarce? I’m curious. One might think if that was the case, nobody would pay to fish them. Also makes me wonder if my Grandpa was telling tall tales about fishing Moose Lake in the 50’s and 60’s, catching boatloads of pike, walleye and perch on the same trip. I should dig up the old photos.

I was being somewhat sarcastic about the big girls choking.

The remote lakes are a more balanced ecosystem. The walleye were most likely not stocked and the predator species developed together.

My example , (might be flawed, welcome to correction) , If F&W would have stocked a million northern pike fry instead of walleye into some lakes we would have more pike and less walleye. Not a balanced ecosystem. In recent years there are more fish eating birds, like pelicans and cormorants competing for the native minnows too.

A person could still catch a good assortment of nice fish at Moose lake in the late 80's too.

[Coiloil37]

There are still plenty of big pike in sylvan. I fished it heavily until 2018 and we averaged two or three a day like this in the summer.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200722/97efe0d18a7ca84b449f104a1f00c33b.jpg


I “probably” saw more pike in the weed beds ten years ago then recently but I’ve caught more over 15lbs in the past five years then ever before.
The trick is to fish where the fish are and to be honest I never saw anyone else fishing where I did. That picture should be enough to tip you off where that is. Fish the bottom of that drop off where it goes from 6 to 13’ in less then a boat length. It’s loaded with pike and walleye on top of the 2’ weeds that grow on the bottom of that drop off. When I ran out of shiners I used to troll a rapala that ran at 10’ around 3-4 km/h along the bottom of that drop off and it would slay them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200722/22f9595f2d6f0e0927eea65ce9010586.jpg

[58thecat]

What makes you say that?

Nope......I feed them about 20 lbs of minnows a week:)

They just gotta do a little surface water dance for me in return......:sHa_shakeshout:

[58thecat]

There are still plenty of big pike in sylvan. I fished it heavily until 2018 and we averaged two or three a day like this in the summer.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200722/97efe0d18a7ca84b449f104a1f00c33b.jpg


I “probably” saw more pike in the weed beds ten years ago then recently but I’ve caught more over 15lbs in the past five years then ever before.
The trick is to fish where the fish are and to be honest I never saw anyone else fishing where I did. That picture should be enough to tip you off where that is. Fish the bottom of that drop off where it goes from 6 to 13’ in less then a boat length. It’s loaded with pike and walleye on top of the 2’ weeds that grow on the bottom of that drop off. When I ran out of shiners I used to troll a rapala that ran at 10’ around 3-4 km/h along the bottom of that drop off and it would slay them.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200722/22f9595f2d6f0e0927eea65ce9010586.jpg

Beauty pike....hmmmmm.....maybe they are the reason eye numbers fluctuate????

[SNAPFisher]

What does the better management look like? What rules would need to be in place to allow the “girls” to live long enough to get big in a high pressure lake like Sylvan? Is catch and release good enough? Bait ban? Special licence to fish the lake?

All great questions. For me, I think C&R for pike for Sylvan should continue. This is year 2 for that regs change. That and improving forage species like perch.

Bait ban is a tougher one for me while there is a 1 walleye limit. Maybe something to look at adding in a couple of years - maggots and mealworms only.

[SNAPFisher]

There are still plenty of big pike in sylvan. I fished it heavily until 2018 and we averaged two or three a day like this in the summer.

I “probably” saw more pike in the weed beds ten years ago then recently but I’ve caught more over 15lbs in the past five years then ever before.
The trick is to fish where the fish are and to be honest I never saw anyone else fishing where I did. That picture should be enough to tip you off where that is. Fish the bottom of that drop off where it goes from 6 to 13’ in less then a boat length. It’s loaded with pike and walleye on top of the 2’ weeds that grow on the bottom of that drop off. When I ran out of shiners I used to troll a rapala that ran at 10’ around 3-4 km/h along the bottom of that drop off and it would slay them.


Great for sure and it should be kept that way so this continues. That is just my opinion. The 3 over 63 cm limit was taken away in time in this case. Again, just my opinion on where Sylvan could have gone or gotten worse.

[buckman]

If you open only one or two lakes for fish retention they will get pressured by anglers who like to eat a fish or two.

Surely its better to open up more lakes that hold good numbers of Walleye and Pike to a limit of one of each with a slot size.

Its seems to me at least, that Walleye do have an impact on forage fish like Whitefish and Perch in most lakes they have been stocked in.

This in turn affects the amount of food for Pike. Result seems to be stunted Walleye and skinny Pike.

[wind drift]

If you open only one or two lakes for fish retention they will get pressured by anglers who like to eat a fish or two.

Surely its better to open up more lakes that hold good numbers of Walleye and Pike to a limit of one of each with a slot size.

Its seems to me at least, that Walleye do have an impact on forage fish like Whitefish and Perch in most lakes they have been stocked in.

This in turn affects the amount of food for Pike. Result seems to be stunted Walleye and skinny Pike.

I think we have a warped perspective on natural abundance of fish and species interactions. We have no idea what our lakes were like pre-settlement. Everything we think we know about our fish comes from a time of exploitation, in many cases spectacular overharvest, and forced recovery. In theory, why would species that have coexisted since the glaciers receded not coexist now? We fully protect walleye in many lakes for 20-plus years while still allowing harvest of pike, then wonder why there are more walleye than pike...and then proceed to blame the walleye for the situation, or cormorants, or dry years, or comets, or demonic intrusion, etc. I think we have to be objective and consider that most of what our fisheries are today is due to us, and most of what we know is based on untestable observations, stories and stories about stories.

[OL_JR]

I think we have a warped perspective on natural abundance of fish and species interactions. We have no idea what our lakes were like pre-settlement. Everything we think we know about our fish comes from a time of exploitation, in many cases spectacular overharvest, and forced recovery. In theory, why would species that have coexisted since the glaciers receded not coexist now? We fully protect walleye in many lakes for 20-plus years while still allowing harvest of pike, then wonder why there are more walleye than pike...and then proceed to blame the walleye for the situation, or cormorants, or dry years, or comets, or demonic intrusion, etc. I think we have to be objective and consider that most of what our fisheries are today is due to us, and most of what we know is based on untestable observations, stories and stories about stories.

I think that is a reasonable perspective but also painting with a broad brush. Some lakes do not seem to handle the introduction of a predator like walleye as well as others. Maybe Sylvan would eventually come into balance if things were left as is but how long do you want to wait? 10 years? 20 years? With a "1 any size" limit the goal isn't a baby walleye fishery. It's to thin them right out and help things along.

How many of you took the fisheries survey that had a number of central Alberta lakes involved, including Sylvan. There was some very specific questions in that survey regarding where the management should go for Sylvan. Did you want a walleye fishery or a pike fishery? Just curious honestly.

[SNAPFisher]

I think we have a warped perspective on natural abundance of fish and species interactions. We have no idea what our lakes were like pre-settlement. Everything we think we know about our fish comes from a time of exploitation, in many cases spectacular overharvest, and forced recovery. In theory, why would species that have coexisted since the glaciers receded not coexist now? We fully protect walleye in many lakes for 20-plus years while still allowing harvest of pike, then wonder why there are more walleye than pike...and then proceed to blame the walleye for the situation, or cormorants, or dry years, or comets, or demonic intrusion, etc. I think we have to be objective and consider that most of what our fisheries are today is due to us, and most of what we know is based on untestable observations, stories and stories about stories.

But it's the "Governments" fault for allowing anglers to take those pike. They really should get their crap together. ;)

I'm curious as well what OL is asking. For me, I like seeing the variety and fanning the potential that is there. There are still good "mollies" in Sylvan. The pike seem to find the forage. I certainly feel it is not a bad thing not to have another walleye stocked lake and have zero issues with a fishery that maintains large pike plus the other species that can thrive.

[pikeman06]

But it's the "Governments" fault for allowing anglers to take those pike. They really should get their crap together. ;)

I'm curious as well what OL is asking. For me, I like seeing the variety and fanning the potential that is there. There are still good "mollies" in Sylvan. The pike seem to find the forage. I certainly feel it is not a bad thing not to have another walleye stocked lake and have zero issues with a fishery that maintains large pike plus the other species that can thrive.
Hello snap fisher???? Same guy??? Singing a different song?or maybe finally figured out what a lake full of stocked walleye looks like in the end? Either way nice to see you coming around.

[SNAPFisher]

Hello snap fisher???? Same guy??? Singing a different song?or maybe finally figured out what a lake full of stocked walleye looks like in the end? Either way nice to see you coming around.

???:confused:
Nothing changed for me. Same thing I've always said. It seems you like to make up your own view point for others ...or maybe you just get confused easily.

I still have zero issues with walleye tags. How about you? Pigeon is close to home, I have tags for it. Why do you think I had them in the first place? Oh, and they seem to have a certain size limit on them. ...almost....like a slot.

[MetisHunter]

Can’t catch them anyways

[Zip-in-Z]

Sylvan was done long ago, now the kids and visitors are helping fix it.

D.

[Nikanit]

I remember my first time ice fishing on Sylvan a mere 13 years ago. I used to see huge schools of dace, lot's of perch, large pike, and nice whitefish with an occasional walleye. It's been 5 years now without the dace and the perch, and I rarely see pike of size anymore

[TROLLER]

Been to Sylvan several times the last few months and have excellent walleye action each and every time. I never keep fish but all the complaining about no fish makes we wonder how many really know how to target this fish. Jigging all day in the same old spot will not continue to give the same result every time. The fish are deeper as of yesterday and will stay that way as the water continues to warm. 66.8F yesterday.

No offence meant but the lake has a good population of walleye and I do not see letting some that want keep one fish. I have caught several small guys which makes me think the lake is having a good healthy supply well into the future.Lots of white fish see them swiming around constantly as well as schools showing up on the sonar.

[pikergolf]

Been to Sylvan several times the last few months and have excellent walleye action each and every time. I never keep fish but all the complaining about no fish makes we wonder how many really know how to target this fish. Jigging all day in the same old spot will not continue to give the same result every time. The fish are deeper as of yesterday and will stay that way as the water continues to warm. 66.8F yesterday.

No offence meant but the lake has a good population of walleye and I do not see letting some that want keep one fish. I have caught several small guys which makes me think the lake is having a good healthy supply well into the future.Lots of white fish see them swiming around constantly as well as schools showing up on the sonar.

How heavy are the fish ie skinny or fat.

[Red Bullets]

I think we have a warped perspective on natural abundance of fish and species interactions. We have no idea what our lakes were like pre-settlement. Everything we think we know about our fish comes from a time of exploitation, in many cases spectacular overharvest, and forced recovery. In theory, why would species that have coexisted since the glaciers receded not coexist now? We fully protect walleye in many lakes for 20-plus years while still allowing harvest of pike, then wonder why there are more walleye than pike...and then proceed to blame the walleye for the situation, or cormorants, or dry years, or comets, or demonic intrusion, etc. I think we have to be objective and consider that most of what our fisheries are today is due to us, and most of what we know is based on untestable observations, stories and stories about stories.

Pre settlement the lakes were quite different. Examples...Places like Gull lake never had whitefish before the 1930's. Not sure about Sylvan. Sylvan has a small strain of whites. Pigeon originally had the same small whites. In the 30's a fellow suggested stocked pigeon lake with a bigger strain of whitefish. The original strain of pigeon lake's whites only grew to 2 lbs. while the new strain grew to 4. The same whitefish strain was then taken from Pigeon lake to stock Gull lake with whites.

Fish stocking goes way back. Looking at stocking lists from the last hundred years it is pretty revealing. The lists don't say which lakes but just give numbers.

So... The span between 1926 and 1952 over 30 million walleye were stocked in the province. During that same time period only 2.7 million northern pike were stocked. And 2.7 million of those pike were stocked between 1951 and 1955. In the last 30 years only 6,442 pike were stocked. And Just between 2006 and 2012 over 180 million walleye were stocked.

http://www.abll.ca/tables/Fish/Fish_Stocking

I think I see the imbalance. Could be the reason you just don't see as many pike anymore. Could it be the province is stocking so many walleye as a fish eating bird feeding program maybe?

[TROLLER]

How heavy are the fish ie skinny or fat.

Most in the 40-45 cm range are nice and getting fatter. The little guys as you would expect are on the skinny side but that will change as they get older and more wise in their ways of hunting.

That being said I have still not caught any over 55. I think late fall when you start to drag a crank with down rigger the big guys will be around.

[K.J]

I remember my first time ice fishing on Sylvan a mere 13 years ago. I used to see huge schools of dace, lot's of perch, large pike, and nice whitefish with an occasional walleye. It's been 5 years now without the dace and the perch, and I rarely see pike of size anymore

You should have seen the Perch in there back in the 70's. When I was a kid I remember wading around along the beach and there was huge schools of perch everywhere. And they weren't all stunted little guys either. Nice big humpies were very common

[Cageyc]

Hopefully the experts made the right decision. I see many walleye being cleaned at the fish cleaning stations. I noticed from a lake that I frequently fished about 4 yrs ago that the fish size is greatly reduced today. This was a tag only lake but now has a possession of one.

[Red Bullets]

You should have seen the Perch in there back in the 70's. When I was a kid I remember wading around along the beach and there was huge schools of perch everywhere. And they weren't all stunted little guys either. Nice big humpies were very common

The Alberta record perch was held by Sylvan lake for a long time. Caught in the 60's I believe. 2 1/2 lbs or so.

[bwackwabbit]

Yup totally dead, don't bother fighting to crowded launches and COVID crowds!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200802/313de0e620a0c06af6dfd452aed3d088.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

[K.J]

The Alberta record perch was held by Sylvan lake for a long time. Caught in the 60's I believe. 2 1/2 lbs or so.

That is correct. I remember a lot of controversy about that record as well. Many folks believed it was a small walleye. They thought there was no such thing as a 2.5 pound Alberta perch.

[Talking moose]

The original strain of pigeon lake's whites only grew to 2 lbs. while the new strain grew to 4.

There’s whites up to 10 in pigeon now. Average is probably over 5 lbs. another different strain or same ones?

[Red Bullets]

There’s whites up to 10 in pigeon now. Average is probably over 5 lbs. another different strain or same ones?

Must be the same bigger strain. No one has stocked any other bigger ones. I'm thinking the whites are getting big because no one is really fishing for them. It used to be the commercial fishermen were taking out 75K kilos of whites during one pull, every year or two. Didn't get a chance to grow. Whitefish can live up to 50 years, more likely 25 is average. I imagine a 50 year old white would have at least 3 lbs. of just fat.

I was amazed when I read David Thompson's accounting of his stay at Lac St. Anne in the first decade of the 1800's. The biggest white caught in a net weighed 18 lbs. according to him. Biggest he'd ever seen.

[Zip-in-Z]

Yup totally dead, don't bother fighting to crowded launches and COVID crowds!

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200802/313de0e620a0c06af6dfd452aed3d088.jpg

Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk



Nice Pickerel .... I think I netted that BYT & a bunch more. Sylvan was a zoo yesterday, it was 28C maybe warmer, they closed the main parking lots at 11:30, today we just had a monster storm go through it's 14C and raining, I imagine it was just chaos trying to get your boat out today.

Edit: Didn't get 1 White yesterday, disappointed.

A few boats washed up today, I imagine there's more..



https://i.imgur.com/0i78D5B.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/u9yec1d.jpg



D.

[oilngas]

Is it just my old age or does the engine on the pontoon look a little off kilter?

[Kurt505]

Is it just my old age or does the engine on the pontoon look a little off kilter?

I think it’s just tilted up and turned.

[FearNoFish]

I think its pretty naive to say the 1 fish limit will destroy the fishery. C&R mortality has a much larger impact. I give a reference below for 16%. Even at 5, the multi weekend c&r warrior has a far bigger impact on the fishery. If you catch and release 25, you likely kill 3-4. My guess, the decline will likely be as a result of increased fishing pressure because the new harvest rules will attract more anglers, which will mean more C&R focused on walleye, and thus more mortality. An angler who releases 10 walleye to find a keeper 1-2 times per year, does far less damage than a CR angler catching 50 walleye a day 5-6 times a year.

There are lots of estimates on C&R mortality out there. This one from Ontario cites 16% mortality rate and I like it because its a review of about 110 scientific papers on the topic https://www.ontario.ca/page/catch-and-release-fish-handling :

"The impact of mortality caused by catch-and-release practices is often underestimated by both anglers and fishery managers. From a review of 118 catch-and-release studies (Appendix 1), which, in total, involved over 120,000 fish, the average mortality associated with catch-and-release angling was 16.2%. Thus, while many anglers may assume that by practising catch-and-release they are having no impact on the fish population, a significant number of released fish may die. Additionally, many anglers will continue to fish after they have caught their limit under the premise that they will release all further fish caught, however they often do not take into consideration the number of fish which will inadvertently be killed as a result of this practice."

[wind drift]

I think its pretty naive to say the 1 fish limit will destroy the fishery. C&R mortality has a much larger impact. I give a reference below for 16%. Even at 5, the multi weekend c&r warrior has a far bigger impact on the fishery. If you catch and release 25, you likely kill 3-4. My guess, the decline will likely be as a result of increased fishing pressure because the new harvest rules will attract more anglers, which will mean more C&R focused on walleye, and thus more mortality. An angler who releases 10 walleye to find a keeper 1-2 times per year, does far less damage than a CR angler catching 50 walleye a day 5-6 times a year.

There are lots of estimates on C&R mortality out there. This one from Ontario cites 16% mortality rate and I like it because its a review of about 110 scientific papers on the topic https://www.ontario.ca/page/catch-and-release-fish-handling :

"The impact of mortality caused by catch-and-release practices is often underestimated by both anglers and fishery managers. From a review of 118 catch-and-release studies (Appendix 1), which, in total, involved over 120,000 fish, the average mortality associated with catch-and-release angling was 16.2%. Thus, while many anglers may assume that by practising catch-and-release they are having no impact on the fish population, a significant number of released fish may die. Additionally, many anglers will continue to fish after they have caught their limit under the premise that they will release all further fish caught, however they often do not take into consideration the number of fish which will inadvertently be killed as a result of this practice."

Doesn’t that last sentence in the quote counter your point? If the guy keeping his 1 fish catches 10 before he puts it in the cooler, then catches another 15 before he quits, he’s killed 3-4, plus 1, which is a 25-33% increase in dead fish.

That might not be an issue, unless it exceeds what the lake can sustain for harvest.

That said, I thought the goal for Sylvan was to shift it to put and take for walleye anyway, in which case, there’s no big risk in overfishing it now. As a stocked lake with a 1 fish any size limit, Sylvan’s job might be to absorb a ton of pressure and provide marginal to poor fishing for the masses.

[Kurt505]

Doesn’t that last sentence in the quote counter your point? If the guy keeping his 1 fish catches 10 before he puts it in the cooler, then catches another 15 before he quits, he’s killed 3-4, plus 1, which is a 25-33% increase in dead fish.

That might not be an issue, unless it exceeds what the lake can sustain for harvest.

That said, I thought the goal for Sylvan was to shift it to put and take for walleye anyway, in which case, there’s no big risk in overfishing it now. As a stocked lake with a 1 fish any size limit, Sylvan’s job might be to absorb a ton of pressure and provide marginal to poor fishing for the masses.

Have you fished it recently?

[Big Sky]

Red Deer Advocate article written in 2011 by Bob Scammell. It mentions the Sylvan Lake record perch.

Starting in 1988, and for about a decade, I worked along with the Alberta Fish and Game Association and Alberta’s Fish and Wildlife Division to co-ordinate, rationalize, document and tidy up the keeping of what are variously called the Alberta Angling or Sportfishing Records. It was a decade of fascinating work that gave me a magazine article each year.

The first efforts resulted in the removal, for the first time ever from the records, of a fish that had long rankled many anglers, particularly a surprisingly large number of perch fans. In 1976, a 14 year old lad caught a three-pound, 10-ounce fish in Sylvan Lake and immediately cooked and ate it. Eventually, through a series of after the fact investigations of highly circumstantial evidence and prodded by some adults, someone determined that that the fish “must have been a perch” and the new Alberta record perch at that.


Such a silly putty process does not produce credible records, particularly for the hard core perch fishermen, who asserted, flatly, that “there are no three pound perch in Alberta.

So, in 1988, fish and wildlife decided that the fish was more likely a walleye, and it is just not good enough for the establishment of provincial records that someone says they think they ate a record something or other, and restored the previous Alberta record perch to its rightful place. Today, 23 years later, the Alberta record perch is two pounds, 15.5 ounces.”

https://www.reddeeradvocate.com/uncategorized/setting-the-record-straight-on-record-fish/#:~:text=Current%20Alberta%20record%20bull%20trout ,on%20bull%20trout%20is%20lifted.

[goose]

I caught quite a few walleye this weekend, they had their heads stuck deep in the weeds hahaha, I used a silver jig head with a minnow, easily caught over a dozen in a couple of hours.

cheers
Goose:sHa_shakeshout:

[Springer]

The only issue I have with Sylvan is I wish there was a few more boat access. Sunbreaker Cove launch is super busy and I think twice before going there on busy days or even the time of day.
If the weather gets bad what a cluster trying too get off the lake...

Now the whining about keeping a Fish. I am so very thankful I can take my Grandkids out , they can catch a Fish put it in the live well and when we get home put it on the plate.

Im just thankful to catch a few and enjoy a day off of work on the lake and bring home the tastiest Fish ever.....next to halibut..

Like was stated at the start of this thread by 58TheCat . People will complain either way instead of being Thankful for the opportunity Sylvan provides us now

[SNAPFisher]

The only issue I have with Sylvan is I wish there was a few more boat access. Sunbreaker Cove launch is super busy and I think twice before going there on busy days or even the time of day.
If the weather gets bad what a cluster trying too get off the lake...

Now the whining about keeping a Fish. I am so very thankful I can take my Grandkids out , they can catch a Fish put it in the live well and when we get home put it on the plate.

Im just thankful to catch a few and enjoy a day off of work on the lake and bring home the tastiest Fish ever.....next to halibut..

Like was stated at the start of this thread by 58TheCat . People will complain either way instead of being Thankful for the opportunity Sylvan provides us now

Great post! :)
Agree on a few better launches to help out. I've only been to Sunbreaker in the fall. I can't imagine how that is on a long weekend in summer.

[PlayDoh]

You realize that on average 10% of fish caught and released will die? Doesn't matter what you as an angler does fish will die and if you don't use artificial bait the mortality rate increases. The end result is does the fish waste away in the lake/river or do you get to feed yourself with it. So unless your excellent catch and release days are catching less than 10 fish (which I wouldn't say is an excellent day...) a 1 fish limit will statistically result in less fish killed than if you just CR a bunch. Do a search for various studies done on Hooking Mortality.

For starters here is a good article and specifically mentions walleye's mortality rate as done by the Minnesota DNR.

http://www.northlandoutdoors.com/2019/04/24/how-and-how-long-you-handle-released-fish-will-determine-if-they-live-or-die/


There’s is no real way to know that kind of statistic. Each lake, on a different day has an entirely different set of people on it. I would imagine the 1 in 10, is probably closer to 1 in 30-40, the 30th being the person who doesn’t know what their doing.
One day a guy drops his pliers in the lake, or some random happening that causes a released fish to die.
What percentage of fish caught will die of natural causes soon after released? Hit by a prop. Don’t get enough O2 from the part of the lake their in? A lake in Florida compares to a lake in AB?
It’s obvious this isn’t the area a reliable figure can be blankety applied.
If the fish I release die, their day was coming.
Consider the amount of bait introduced into a lake. A free easy meal compared to expending a lot of energy getting it, while avoiding being eaten itself. Look at the PP at pigeon. If catching and releasing was a real harm to them, they wouldn’t be there. I’m certain their there as much for the bait as the natural prey. How many fish would have died without that bait meal?
Near infinite factors at play.

[Zip-in-Z]

Big wind here, a few boats in trouble this morning.

D.



https://i.imgur.com/ywYWfCm.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/ZBtcV9m.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/y2jac7q.jpg

[Dom4]

Big wind here, a few boats in trouble this morning.

D.



https://i.imgur.com/ywYWfCm.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/ZBtcV9m.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/y2jac7q.jpg


Pardon my ignorance on this subject but why do so many images of boats sinking or being randomly washed up come from sylvan lake?


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[WinefredCommander]

And that right there is why you take your boat out when you're not there. OUCH!

[dryflyguy]

Or spend a few bucks and buy a lift?