Opening Day Results!

[75ft Arborist]

Well lets have them!

Was at McGregor today half way down the lake fishing around the causeway. Caught 15 pike all undersized and one was shy by 1cm:mad0100: Water was cloudy/muddy and saw very few on the sonar.

On another note i think you should have to write a test before you get your license. I witnessed 4 ppl all of whom were Asians on the shore keep undersized pike:angry3: I don't believe that they were poaching, just that they didn't know any better. Maybe we need to offer a copy of our regulations in other languages. Fwo was called but unfortunately, they had no one in the area.

[luckyme]

I would say something right then (if possible) when i think they were taking undersized fish.i never meet an angler mad with me when i ask about their catch and again i haven't met all of them.

[Stump thumper]

You don't believe they were poaching, I believe that is exactly what they were doing, they probably don't even have licenses. I have seen first hand and heard many times about people (of asian heritage) they throw everything they reel in into a bucket no matter size, species and take them home. I don't think understanding regs is the problem it is no respect for the regs that is the problem.:angry3:

[jacenbeers]

I caught a small pike and 3 nice walleyes. All at McGregor. I also saw 2 Chinese guys taking small fish and the F&W guys showed up and busted them.

[AthaB282]

maybe tell them the fish are undersize, write down their vehicle make model licence plate and call fisheries, they want to live in canada they will follow our rules and regulations

[SushiUnagi]

Being a Chinese myself as well I am actually glad to hear F&W busted them and I do not show any sympathy to them. Its probably education they need on the rules and regulations.

However, having said that, understand around the world especially in Asia there are no rules around fishing. Hong Kong for sure, where I was raised, there's no such thing as a fishing license. Neither in Japan, where I recently went to visit and fish (btw seabass fishing was awesome). In both those places at least, you pick up your gears and bait and off you go. No limit, no licenses, no rules.

If these guys are aware of the rules here and choose not to adhere to it, they totally deserve to be busted.

Being raised in Hong Kong and moved here when I was a teen, I don't recall when and how I found out that we do need a fishing license here. Probably via my brother, but how did he find out? Its not like when you go to the fishing store to buy gears and bait you need to show them you have a license before you can proceed with purchasing it.
Which brings up a similar topic: purchasing rifles...which you definitely need to prove you have a gun license. But thats because you could easily do harm with a gun as opposed to a fishing rod. Unless you accidentally hook someone's eyeball when you cast ;)

Just my 2 cents.

Lets focus on the topic! How did everyone do? I didn't get to go out today but hopefully tomorrow towards CVR or McGregor. Was anyone by the north end at McGreg?

[luckyme]

i hope you guys not assume that all asians native will do such thing.like a said, i will try to ask first and see how they'll respond, because F & W officers will be not always available right away. I don't like to have feeling somebody next to me try to judge me from who i am or what born of origin instead of what i do or did.:scared:

[Stump thumper]

My apologizes, did not mean to go off on a rant and off topic there.:sign0161:
How was everyone's opening day out?

[Walleyes]

Hit a couple holes on the SSR just around the Hat. Didn't do very good ourselves. But one fellow beside beached 3 Sturg the last one just after we got there. He was there bright and early at 7 a:m,,, we missed the bite.. 1 little wally for us,, oh well we will get at them again later in the week.

[SuCraM]

Me and a buddy hit Chestermere for a few hours and landed 18 pike. Was a good day and hope the bite is on for a few more weeks.

[75ft Arborist]

Just talked to my buddy, he was at Crawling all day. Clear water, and one keeper pike. That's the only bite he had all day:sHa_sarcasticlol: He did change location 4-5 times, but it didn't help.

[walleyechaser]

we only went out for 1.5 hours, too cold. We caught a burbot and a couple walleye, good to see some nice size fish in that lil time. no huge ones how ever

[hunted]

Was on Newell for about 1.5 hours tried trolling pike for the first hour nothing. Then tried for walleye and caught my first Newell walleye(about time!). Too bad I didn't get drawn for a tag he would have been close to a keeper, but no tag so didn't measure.

[ericlin0122]

me asian too, glad to see they were busted.
if i see anyone poaching, i will call, doesn't matter where they from! (make $$$ and bust poachers)
No excuse to say that's how they did it from where they were. Here, in canada, gotta follow the rules for everyone.

[the local angler]

just becarefull cause you don't know if they would be packing heat or anything. i was at the travers spillway and spoke to some phillipeno (sp) and apparently alot of people have been going inside the bouy markers at the spillway and fishing the bottom where the water dumps into and have been landing huge huge fish. F&W came and all were busted and it cost them $500+ per person for fishing inside the so called barrier. i don't know if the fish were seized or not but the guy i spoke to barely spoke english and he surpizingly admitted that he got busted keeping an under sized walleye and cost him $200 ish. but was really glad to see him measuring the walleyes when he was fishing next to me. i guess he learned his lesson.

[SushiUnagi]

apparently alot of people have been going inside the bouy markers at the spillway and fishing the bottom where the water dumps into and have been landing huge huge fish. F&W came and all were busted and it cost them $500+ per person for fishing inside the so called barrier.

Wow good to know! Thanks for the heads-up!

[KyleM]

If you arent an expert in english, figuring out our regs book could be difficult.

Theres also no excuse for breaking the regs.
After reading them for up here quite well Ive come to realize they arent the easiest to understand. Why is there still un-named/unknown lakes in the regs? For crying out loud put a name on these lakes already.

I hate the bucket briggade!

[Fishfinder]

SSR, three of us put forth a valiant effort Saturday. 8 hrs. 3 fish. VERY slow, but worth it anyway. Had a blast and one of our three was an 11# burbot which was awesome! Was tempted to keep it even though it was outta the nasty riv, but sent her back. Biggest Burb I ever seen. Watched 2 dudes show up and wrangle 4 sturg 100 yrds away from us with the exact same bait grrr. They only landed two which was surprising as I noticed they were using 4-5 hooks per BARBED rig as I helped take a hook out of one of their sturg. Tsk Tsk. Let them know of the regs and they plead ignorance. BS. Also discovered 6 dead prego suckers laying on shore upon arrival. Could not have been more than 12 hrs old. We got there at 6a.m. Stupid stupid some people are. All in all, despite the murky water and few fish, was great to be back on the riv again. May have to sneak out again today, b4 work and mamma day supper hehe.
Cheers n GL!

[Kim473]

If ignorance was a defence everyone would use it. I dont believe they new nothing. They have friends that know and can read the regs. Far too many imagrants that use ( I'm new to the country or I did not know ) LOL. I'm sure that there maybe a few that don't know but come on people most of them use that excuse.

[uglystickman]

I Have seen Asian dudes not only keep small fish of all kinds, I've seen them cook small pike without even gutting them. I'm pretty sure the idea is get full on fish Then take a bunch home. If they can read a map to get to the fish, they can read regs too. I always hope they get sick eating the guts. I don't mean to say (they) but how else can I say it.
I would rather see small pike killed than the red necks that take 3 monster mother pike home. Go buy some hallibut! It's tastes better than big dirty old spawnner pike anyway!

[madatter]

At Newell in Little Rainier bright and early....left the Hat at 430.
Beautiful morning but it did'nt last long.....got a little windy.
It was slow,saw one fish caught,at least I caught it:) in the 4 hours I stayed there.
By the time I left there were probably over 20 guys lined up along the draw and no one was getting hits.
Wandered around a bit,tried a few areas with not a whole of anything going on.
So I wanted to get out of the wind and tried someplace I never fished before.
Using big bait before so thought I'd try minnows and maybe then something would hit.
6 eyes and lots of hits later the bite was over,2 of the eyes were 5lb ish and they were slamming minnows......sure wish I had gotten some walleye tags this year.
Turned a crappy day into a happy one!!!

[Fishingnutter]

Well lets have them!

Was at McGregor today half way down the lake fishing around the causeway. Caught 15 pike all undersized and one was shy by 1cm:mad0100: Water was cloudy/muddy and saw very few on the sonar.

On another note i think you should have to write a test before you get your license. I witnessed 4 ppl all of whom were Asians on the shore keep undersized pike:angry3: I don't believe that they were poaching, just that they didn't know any better. Maybe we need to offer a copy of our regulations in other languages. Fwo was called but unfortunately, they had no one in the area.

Where I live, access to almost every wharf/dock has a sign with fish or crab and a measuring tape,,, a universal "right & wrong" sign.

At Milo last year (and a stunning sunny, not too hot, bugless, windless day I might add) the day was soured in that I stumbled upon a group of men and I greeted them as us fisherfolk the world over do, but the reply was "can't speak english!", so I smiled and continued on. They were keeping their catch in long grass. The only reason I noticed is that one was flopping about which got my curiosity up, a Walleye in the 30 inch range. No sooner had I noticed, the group of men became agitated, not so friendly glances exchanged (I felt the uneasiness of a F&W officer patrolling the woods alone) and they gathjered their fish and left with haste.

Point is, if you don't know how to read the regs (in this instance at least), how would you know that you're doing something wrong? Actually how could you read a map or know how to get about down countless near identical prairie intersections, or know the speed limit?

When I return to Alberta, I'm going to a friends printing shop and have several very big,noticeable, weatherproof signs made, and post them about, nothing nasty, just good ol' universal language,,,, pictures

It's infuriating adhering to conservation rules and seein zero results due a handful of people filling a bottomless pail

Quick tip on the Milo Canal at MacGregor, when setting up your pickerel rig, try so by having the lowest hook about 3' from the weight then set your rod/holder so that the tip is at the 2:00 o clock position and that your line is 45 degrees from you downstream. If you have a nudge and the lines in front of you, the swiftness will move the bait to quickly away. There's the lottery sized rainbows in there too,, haven't heard of a catch in years but if you get one, they're as scrappy as a sailfish.