pigeon lake netting tally Feb. 2010

[Bear Ballz]

FROM Vance Buchwald
Senior Fisheries Biologist
Red Deer OUR REFERENCE Pigeon Lake

TO Pigeon Lake File DATE

TELEPHONE
FAX March 3, 2010

(403) 340-5356


SUBJECT Pigeon Lake Commercial Fishery Catch Summary February 23-25, 2010

The Pigeon Lake commercial fishery was held February 23-25, 2010 with six Fish and Wildlife Officers and seven Fisheries Management staff present to monitor the fishery. Of the 32 eligible commercial fishers, 22 participated in the fishery and 99 of a possible 132 nets were set.

The table below summarizes the commercial harvest and was based on the net count data. The Daily Catch Records (DCR) data was very close to the net count data.

February 24 February 25 Total
Number of nets 98 99
Nets checked 86 85
# lake whitefish harvested 6,638 5,511 12,149
kg lake whitefish harvested 10,481 8,702 19,183
# walleye harvested 24 13 37
kg walleye harvested 27 14 41
kg northern pike harvested 131 44 175
# burbot harvested 97 86 183

The mean fish weight data used in the calculations was collected during the fishery and was:

Mean weight (kg) Sample size
Lake Whitefish 1.579 97
Walleye 1.123 9
Northern Pike 6.252 6

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

February 24 February 25 Total
Number of nets 98 99
Nets checked 86 85
# lake whitefish harvested 6,638 5,511 12,149
kg lake whitefish harvested 10,481 8,702 19,183
# walleye harvested 24 13 37
kg walleye harvested 27 14 41
kg northern pike harvested 131 44 175
# burbot harvested 97 86 183

The mean fish weight data used in the calculations was collected during the fishery and was:

Mean weight (kg) Sample size
Lake Whitefish 1.579 97
Walleye 1.123 9
Northern Pike 6.252 6



I got my lovely letter today from the wonderful premier . I will Take a picture of it tomorrow and post it . Same thing you've posted here , is what I basically read in my letter . Minus the numbers . But assured me that only the Whitefish were targeted , and kept . :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Like who are these guys Bsing . Its obvious that those numbers are COLLECTION RATES . But yet they said that the net sizes were to COLLECT Whitefish , Nothing else . 180 kg of Pike Thats alot of pike . 360 lbs . plus whatever the other numbers . You think they released them I doubt it , seems to me that those WERE COLLECTION Rates FFS im PIZZED off now . :mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2:

Maybe time to write Federal Fisheries . Not getting any answers from this freakin government .

Am I wrong for being so frustrated about this ? Being BOLDLY LIED RIGHT TO OUR FACES THATS BULLCRAP .

[J-C]

I got my lovely letter today from the wonderful premier . I will Take a picture of it tomorrow and post it . Same thing you've posted here , is what I basically read in my letter . Minus the numbers . But assured me that only the Whitefish were targeted , and kept . :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Like who are these guys Bsing . Its obvious that those numbers are COLLECTION RATES . But yet they said that the net sizes were to COLLECT Whitefish , Nothing else . 180 kg of Pike Thats alot of pike . 360 lbs . plus whatever the other numbers . You think they released them I doubt it , seems to me that those WERE COLLECTION Rates FFS im PIZZED off now . :mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2:

Maybe time to write Federal Fisheries . Not getting any answers from this freakin government .

Am I wrong for being so frustrated about this ? Being BOLDLY LIED RIGHT TO OUR FACES THATS BULLCRAP .

The worst part BBJ is that there is nothing you can really do about it unless you pay someone off who's higher up. We have the right to voice our opinions but its difficult to make yourself heard.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

The worst part BBJ is that there is nothing you can really do about it unless you pay someone off who's higher up. We have the right to voice our opinions but its difficult to make yourself heard.

Im not opposed about going to the media .

[Rockymtnx]

Here's the million dollar question.

Why was there a commercial fishery done on Pigeon Lake this winter? The commercial licenses were bought out a few years back with the idea of the commercial fishery being closed. More restrictions are being placed on Pigeon Lake due to the instability of its fish populations.
So with the instability of the fish populations how can a commercial harvest be justified?

Hummmm I think I will email Vance my question. I let you guys know what he says.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Here's the million dollar question.

Why was there a commercial fishery done on Pigeon Lake this winter? The commercial licenses were bought out a few years back with the idea of the commercial fishery being closed. More restrictions are being placed on Pigeon Lake due to the instability of its fish populations.
So with the instability of the fish populations how can a commercial harvest be justified?

Hummmm I think I will email Vance my question. I let you guys know what he says.

Here Let me post the lovely letter Mr Stelmach sent me .

:lol::lol::lol: 5 diffrent storys typical as of lately . Except Photobucket is down .

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

Ok Photobucket is back and runing here is the letter .


http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii122/JOHN_CONROY/442a9bfd.jpg

http://i263.photobucket.com/albums/ii122/JOHN_CONROY/2e1f9f97.jpg

[Kim473]

I know im not going there next year to try and catch. All Governments lye to us, but what can we do? Need all public to jump on board and not just the fisher people, not enough of us to put presure on them.

If I read that right almost 24,000 white fish where pulled out.

[huntsfurfish]

From the numbers, looks to me like they avoided the walleye and pike (some incidental catch is always possible). Good on that.
Actually, if this lake is as loaded with walleye as is said, then they did well avoiding them.

Looks like they were monitored quite well also(checked high percentage of nets). Good to see.

Nothing to bad, lake may benefit from this.

[roosterman]

Spoke with a PL resident who said there was a huge pike taken in the commercial pull. Any details?

[fish gunner]

y r they so dumb we had ppl asking us if we were netters so they could buy fish told them were to go and that the consumer is the real fault,the revinue frm sport fishing if done correctly would eclipse a comecial harvest
:mad3:

[Hannie]

From the numbers, looks to me like they avoided the walleye and pike (some incidental catch is always possible). Good on that.
Actually, if this lake is as loaded with walleye as is said, then they did well avoiding them.

Looks like they were monitored quite well also(checked high percentage of nets). Good to see.

Nothing to bad, lake may benefit from this.

Well said!

The first educated and informative post in the bunch.

The commercial fishery this year a Pigeon turned out better than anyone could have hoped.

The lake can handle X lbs of fish (bio mass) ...so removing below the qouta of whitefish is a problem how????

Pigeon lake handled a commercial fishery for decades and it can handle it now if it's manged year in and year out like it was handled in 2010.

[FishHound]

I agree, great job, any one who has run nets for white fish knows that the odd game fish is unavoidable, great percentage of whitefish, maybe the walleye will be able to grow now. Not suprised on the size of the pike, all those delicous walleye to eat. You don't target big pike, more times then not they'll leave a hole in your net big enough to drive a truck through.

[hal53]

I agree, great job, any one who has run nets for white fish knows that the odd game fish is unavoidable, great percentage of whitefish, maybe the walleye will be able to grow now. Not suprised on the size of the pike, all those delicous walleye to eat. You don't target big pike, more times then not they'll leave a hole in your net big enough to drive a truck through.
1 pike will normally roll the entire net into a 100 yard mess...and NO you can't release fish that have been in a net over night.

[Hannie]

I got my lovely letter today from the wonderful premier . I will Take a picture of it tomorrow and post it . Same thing you've posted here , is what I basically read in my letter . Minus the numbers . But assured me that only the Whitefish were targeted , and kept . :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Like who are these guys Bsing . Its obvious that those numbers are COLLECTION RATES . But yet they said that the net sizes were to COLLECT Whitefish , Nothing else . 180 kg of Pike Thats alot of pike . 360 lbs . plus whatever the other numbers . You think they released them I doubt it , seems to me that those WERE COLLECTION Rates FFS im PIZZED off now . :mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2::mad2:

Maybe time to write Federal Fisheries . Not getting any answers from this freakin government .

Am I wrong for being so frustrated about this ? Being BOLDLY LIED RIGHT TO OUR FACES THATS BULLCRAP .

I also used to think like this until I educated myself on the topic and went out an experienced it.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

I also used to think like this until I educated myself on the topic and went out an experienced it.

Hannie , The part that makes me the most mad , is They are increasing the minimum size regulation to keep Pike , and you have to be a holder of a Walleye tag . I could care less about the whitefish .

The fact that for 2010 100 cm to keep a pike . Thats a really nice pike , now that they removed all those other numbers of pike from netting . And the simple fact that they dont go back in the water is what is angering .

I might not know all the biological stand points but I sure as hell know what i see , when I spend countless day , hours on the lake .

The reasons people should be deeply alarmed and angered is because Alberta as a province has a fraction of what other provinces has for lake , and we have 5 or more times that in anglers . That is what gets me going . Sure its good to get rid of some of those other species to keep things equal from one species from overtaking , and becoming stunted . Alberta has no real purpose to commercially net . Sure there is demand for such on goings to happen , otherwise it wouldn't happen .

And Hannie you cant disagree with me there . On any which day there are 100's of people on that lake . With a little common knowledge you can be catching fish left right and centre . Something else needs to be done and Commercial fishing I dont think is the answer .

[fish-man]

Something to think about...

Pike are not an endangered species.

People don't generally go to Pigeon to catch pike. There are many better pike-fishing lakes in the province.

Does it really matter if the population of pike suffers in Pigeon Lake?

[Hannie]

Hannie , The part that makes me the most mad , is They are increasing the minimum size regulation to keep Pike , and you have to be a holder of a Walleye tag . I could care less about the whitefish .

The fact that for 2010 100 cm to keep a pike . Thats a really nice pike , now that they removed all those other numbers of pike from netting . And the simple fact that they dont go back in the water is what is angering .

I might not know all the biological stand points but I sure as hell know what i see , when I spend countless day , hours on the lake .

The reasons people should be deeply alarmed and angered is because Alberta as a province has a fraction of what other provinces has for lake , and we have 5 or more times that in anglers . That is what gets me going . Sure its good to get rid of some of those other species to keep things equal from one species from overtaking , and becoming stunted . Alberta has no real purpose to commercially net . Sure there is demand for such on goings to happen , otherwise it wouldn't happen .

And Hannie you cant disagree with me there . On any which day there are 100's of people on that lake . With a little common knowledge you can be catching fish left right and centre . Something else needs to be done and Commercial fishing I dont think is the answer .


Commercial fishing at Pigeon has little to do with making the commercial fisherman happy and everything to do with controlling the biomass of the lake.

Fish and Wildlifes goal is not to net the lake clean of whitefish but rather to make it a balanced fishery of ALL species...to have a healthy population of pike, walleye and whitefish.

Why can't people get their heads around it?

However, I suspect the sub par pike population has more to with the walleye lottery and bonker toting fishermen than it has to do with bio mass..but thats just me.


Seriously, people get in such a huff over the commercial fishery ( I once did as well) it's almost comical....but to understand it you certainly to need to look deeper than..."20K lbs of dead whites" which..unfortunately, is as deep as some people can think.

[fish-man]

However, I suspect the sub par pike population has more to with the walleye lottery and bonker toting fishermen than it has to do with bio mass..but thats just me.

Probably. I haven't fished Pigeon in a couple years, but when I did it usually went like this:
go to drop of, fish minnows. Catch whole ton of walleye. Get bored. Put on spoon, troll, catch a pike, clean pike (assuming legal size), go home. I know there was a lot of guys out there like that, keeping a pike so they can take something home at least.

[jrs]

Looks like the fishery was executed perfectly. That's a really low amount of by-catch, especially if you consider the sheer number of walleye in that lake.

[Hannie]

Looks like the fishery was executed perfectly. That's a really low amount of by-catch, especially if you consider the sheer number of walleye in that lake.

Yup, the few walleye that were caught is a micro percentage of the population and I can't imagine F&W would expect any better.

I'm sure the commercial fishery will continue and I'm certain it will help the overall fishery of the lake.

[Hannie]

However, I suspect the sub par pike population has more to with the walleye lottery and bonker toting fishermen than it has to do with bio mass..but thats just me.

Probably. I haven't fished Pigeon in a couple years, but when I did it usually went like this:
go to drop of, fish minnows. Catch whole ton of walleye. Get bored. Put on spoon, troll, catch a pike, clean pike (assuming legal size), go home. I know there was a lot of guys out there like that, keeping a pike so they can take something home at least.

No way to track it but I think we would all shudder if we knew how many unfilled walleye tags were justified with by bringing dead pike home.


.....truthfully this is a sportfishing problem and no where near a commercial fishing problem.

Joe Fishermen is angry you can't go to Pigeon an kill a 100cm pike? I really dont care.

I personally think 2 generations from now bonking fish will hardly be thought of we are being conditioned in Alberta to not even think about it..doesnt bother me one bit.

[Hannie]

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