Bass Fishing in Alberta

[mszomola]

Just came from Ontario in January , beautiful province !

But no bass fishing out here is hurting big time. I dont understand the big deal , the trout are non native , the walleye is hurting , this province needs a fish to bridge the gap and bring in more rec fishing as opposed to lets go out and catch our limit today.

Other things being missed is the big industry following with bass , the tournaments , the events , the bass club conservation efforts. With bass fishing you could take a ton of pressure off the prized fish in alberta and spread the love around a lot more.

hows Island lake doing these days ?

[whitetail Junkie]

Just came from Ontario in January , beautiful province !

But no bass fishing out here is hurting big time. I dont understand the big deal , the trout are non native , the walleye is hurting , this province needs a fish to bridge the gap and bring in more rec fishing as opposed to lets go out and catch our limit today.

Other things being missed is the big industry following with bass , the tournaments , the events , the bass club conservation efforts. With bass fishing you could take a ton of pressure off the prized fish in alberta and spread the love around a lot more.

hows Island lake doing these days ?

x2,Seems to be the Trout Capital of the World out here.I heard that bass would'nt survive our cold alberta winter's??? or thats atleast what they tell us? I heard that theres a Bass lake near Edmonton???? If yaa want some good bass fishing the closest place around here is in BC,they have some great bass lakes that i've fished dozens of times!!!

[italk2u]

There are atleast a dozen threads on this topic..please click on "search" at the top and type in "Bass fishing"
It'll save a lot of time, effort and redundancy

[Rockymtnx]

mszomola, welcome to Alberta and the Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum.

But no bass fishing out here is hurting big time. I dont understand the big deal , the trout are non native
Where did you get this information from? :argue2: All others are native.

the walleye is hurting
Hurting? On the weekend I was at a lake and caught over 100 6-7 pound walleye. Even a few that were over 9 pounds. We fished this lake for three days. On Saturday I seen three boats, Sunday four boats, and Monday not a single other boat. Being a long weekend and a lake with this many big fish there should have been a couple hundred boats on it. I think people are wanting fish with in 30 mins of the city and not willing to go get them. Like I explained there are a ton of fish out there in Alberta. People just have to get out there and get them.

Another problem is we only have so many lakes in Alberta. If you compare Alberta to SK, MB, BC, & ON we have way fewer lakes, which equals to more fishing pressure. The lakes everyone believes are a problem are all within an hour of Edmonton or Calgary. YES some f these lakes are being over fished.

Number of natural fish bearing lakes:
Alberta 800 (Yes eight hundred)
Saskatchewan 94,000
Manitoba 110,000
Ontario 250,000

With bass fishing you could take a ton of pressure off the prized fish in alberta
Many years ago Alberta made the decision that no new non native species fish or animals would be introduced to the province. The theory is that every time you introduce something new there are dramatic effects to the rest of the ecosystem around it. Ie: You release bass into a lake, they put pressure and competition on the other species there. You may get fish competing for the same food source. Eventually one of them will have to give in a thin themselves out. The introduction of new species to a ecosystem is sometimes like playing with fire. A prime example is the introduction of perch to lake Sundance in Calgary. Do a quick search on it in the fishing section and you will see the havoc it has caused.

Another thing to mention is that bass were introduce to Alberta many years ago. As you will find out they did not make it. Our winters are cold and harsh and they don’t seem to reproduce. Sure I would love to have bass to fish here in Alberta, but it’s just a fact of life, they don’t belong here!

Sorry to rain on your parade but this is why we don't have bass in Alberta.



I heard that theres a Bass lake near Edmonton????
The lake that was stocked near Edmonton does not have any left in it. There have been no records of any being caught for several years now.

[FishingMOM]

Hurting? On the weekend I was at a lake and caught over 100 6-7 pound walleye. Even a few that were over 9 pounds.


For Those of us who grew up fishing walleye in the great lakes 6-7lb fish is hurting
we are used to 12-17lb fish

Only time we got the little ones was threw the ice

[wildman]

anyone looking for bass or 17lb walleyes are in the WRONG PROVINCE!!!!!
ps. IMO would be cool to see some trout ponds switch to bass!!! we have prenty of potholes full of mud-trout!!!

[jesse34567]

You might have luck at island lake, if any small mouth are their they are small.

[noslack]

Finally found some bass!! Can anybody guess where I caught these bad girls and boys??



http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs117.ash2/39178_10150250435705473_753340472_13854030_3622515 _n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs200.snc4/38319_10150250439375473_753340472_13854183_1651668 _n.jpg

[DANOMAN]

My guess is somewhere near vernon B.C.?????:scared0015: Oh crap i forgot your probably here ! i say gatineau?

[whitetail Junkie]

mszomola, welcome to Alberta and the Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum.


Where did you get this information from? :argue2: All others are native.


Hurting? On the weekend I was at a lake and caught over 100 6-7 pound walleye. Even a few that were over 9 pounds. We fished this lake for three days. On Saturday I seen three boats, Sunday four boats, and Monday not a single other boat. Being a long weekend and a lake with this many big fish there should have been a couple hundred boats on it. I think people are wanting fish with in 30 mins of the city and not willing to go get them. Like I explained there are a ton of fish out there in Alberta. People just have to get out there and get them.

Another problem is we only have so many lakes in Alberta. If you compare Alberta to SK, MB, BC, & ON we have way fewer lakes, which equals to more fishing pressure. The lakes everyone believes are a problem are all within an hour of Edmonton or Calgary. YES some f these lakes are being over fished.

Number of natural fish bearing lakes:
Alberta 800 (Yes eight hundred)
Saskatchewan 94,000
Manitoba 110,000
Ontario 250,000


Many years ago Alberta made the decision that no new non native species fish or animals would be introduced to the province. The theory is that every time you introduce something new there are dramatic effects to the rest of the ecosystem around it. Ie: You release bass into a lake, they put pressure and competition on the other species there. You may get fish competing for the same food source. Eventually one of them will have to give in a thin themselves out. The introduction of new species to a ecosystem is sometimes like playing with fire. A prime example is the introduction of perch to lake Sundance in Calgary. Do a quick search on it in the fishing section and you will see the havoc it has caused.

Another thing to mention is that bass were introduce to Alberta many years ago. As you will find out they did not make it. Our winters are cold and harsh and they don’t seem to reproduce. Sure I would love to have bass to fish here in Alberta, but it’s just a fact of life, they don’t belong here!

Sorry to rain on your parade but this is why we don't have bass in Alberta.




The lake that was stocked near Edmonton does not have any left in it. There have been no records of any being caught for several years now.

Thanks for the answer's!!! your hands must be cut from all them Eyeballs.A guy I work with goes to calling lake for walleye every year and he catches hundreds of 6 pound walleye just like you did:thinking-006: Congrats on the more than succesful fishing!!!

[whitetail Junkie]

[QUOTE=wildman;645160
ps. IMO would be cool to see some trout ponds switch to bass!!! we have prenty of potholes full of mud-trout!!![/QUOTE]

x2 I wish the Alberta Govenment would get there azz on the Bass.I'd love to fish them in alberta,good eating aswell,taste like perch!

[Rockymtnx]

Thanks for the answer's!!! your hands must be cut from all them Eyeballs.A guy I work with goes to calling lake for walleye every year and he catches hundreds of 6 pound walleye just like you did:thinking-006: Congrats on the more than succesful fishing!!!

I will start a new thread with some pictures for everyone in a few days.
:D

[mszomola]

Thanks for the replys! I appreciate the incites !

Couple of questions ,

one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number ) and I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.

Secondly , I know of the great bass fishing in bc , I've had some great outings on Windermere and tie lake , just got back from osoyoos had a blast. Thing is though why do we have to drive to other places and spend money in other provinces when we can use the energy to establish some opportunities here? The bass clubs back home had come up with tremendous efforts , including stocking programs , revitalizing marshes and wetlands , building bird houses , planting trees , taking kids out fishing ( that's another thing I noticed but does every kid learn to ride seadoos nowadays? ) anyways the sport thrives back home. And I'm sure great things would happen in Alberta if it were embraced.

[mszomola]

Noslack I would Love to know if it's an Alberta lake :)

To the other poster about starting a new thread with pics I'll be sure to contribute a few of my own, even tell you how and where ( there's alot of anglers it seems no matter where you go think they have these incredible spots and special approaches but last I remember in some tournies back home those same folk were getting slayed :)

[209x50]

Thanks for the replys! I appreciate the incites !

Couple of questions ,

one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number ) and I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.

Secondly , I know of the great bass fishing in bc , I've had some great outings on Windermere and tie lake , just got back from osoyoos had a blast. Thing is though why do we have to drive to other places and spend money in other provinces when we can use the energy to establish some opportunities here? The bass clubs back home had come up with tremendous efforts , including stocking programs , revitalizing marshes and wetlands , building bird houses , planting trees , taking kids out fishing ( that's another thing I noticed but does every kid learn to ride seadoos nowadays? ) anyways the sport thrives back home. And I'm sure great things would happen in Alberta if it were embraced.
Congrats on calling a mod a liar on your second post. I know the lake that Dan was on and if they only caught 100 it was a slow 3 days.

[209x50]

For Those of us who grew up fishing walleye in the great lakes 6-7lb fish is hurting
we are used to 12-17lb fish

Only time we got the little ones was threw the ice
Ahh horse feathers! I have fished the great lakes a lot and a 12 pound fish was a pre spawn female that got your picture in the local paper. They weren't evry other fish between the 17 pounders on the line LOL!!!

[whitetail Junkie]

Thanks for the replys! I appreciate the incites !

Couple of questions ,

one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number ) and I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.

Secondly , I know of the great bass fishing in bc , I've had some great outings on Windermere and tie lake , just got back from osoyoos had a blast. Thing is though why do we have to drive to other places and spend money in other provinces when we can use the energy to establish some opportunities here? The bass clubs back home had come up with tremendous efforts , including stocking programs , revitalizing marshes and wetlands , building bird houses , planting trees , taking kids out fishing ( that's another thing I noticed but does every kid learn to ride seadoos nowadays? ) anyways the sport thrives back home. And I'm sure great things would happen in Alberta if it were embraced.

Rocky is one of the best guys on here,I Dont think he would lie.I Caught my limit of Three walleye the other day that were all around the Five pound mark and alot more legal size fish got thrown back.Alberta has great walleye fishing.

Sounds like your alittle home sick for Ontario.Sure there are somethings there that Alberta does'nt have,but now your Living in the Wild West with the Rest of us Conservatives.Even though we dont have Bass,Yaa still got to take advantage of what we got!!! Good Luck Fishing:)

[WayneChristie]

For Those of us who grew up fishing walleye in the great lakes 6-7lb fish is hurting
we are used to 12-17lb fish

Only time we got the little ones was threw the ice

Why is it so many people from Ontario come out here and complain about how much better everything was back home? The border is open in both directions, feel free to head back to your fishing heaven. More fish left for us.

[Geezle]

Thanks for the replys! I appreciate the incites !

Couple of questions ,

one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number ) and I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.

Secondly , I know of the great bass fishing in bc , I've had some great outings on Windermere and tie lake , just got back from osoyoos had a blast. Thing is though why do we have to drive to other places and spend money in other provinces when we can use the energy to establish some opportunities here? The bass clubs back home had come up with tremendous efforts , including stocking programs , revitalizing marshes and wetlands , building bird houses , planting trees , taking kids out fishing ( that's another thing I noticed but does every kid learn to ride seadoos nowadays? ) anyways the sport thrives back home. And I'm sure great things would happen in Alberta if it were embraced.

Yup, it would be great.


But it's TOO COLD!

[whitetail Junkie]

Why is it so many people from Ontario come out here and complain about how much better everything was back home? The border is open in both directions, feel free to head back to your fishing heaven. More fish left for us.

Our Fishing Aint like Ontario,but our Hunting is 100% Better,more Birds,more Big Game animals.

[DarkAisling]

one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number ) and I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.

Maybe not, but you clearly need to get out a little more. PCR is not the only lake where an abundance of walleye can be caught. I can think of three other lakes where those kinds of numbers are possible, with much bigger fish than the ones at PCR. Am I going to give you the names of these lakes? NFL.

And, if you'll reread his original post, he indicated that he caught OVER 100: not 100. There was no "round number."

I think you just need to accept that this is not Ontario. It will never be Ontario. Most of us westerners hate Ontario, and have no desire to emulate Ontario. If you miss it that badly, go back. Otherwise, get with the program: the western program!

[whitetail Junkie]

I think you just need to accept that this is not Ontario. It will never be Ontario. Most of us westerners hate Ontario, and have no desire to emulate Ontario. If you miss it that badly, go back. Otherwise, get with the program: the western program!

Long Live The South!!!! I mean the West :sHa_shakeshout:

[Chris K]

Well here is my 2 cents. Alberta does have some hidden gems, and yes you can catch some very good fish here. (things were on a whole though better in general 10 years ago for quality of fish) Once some of them get to be general public knowledge though, look out because they wil get raped and pillaged in a hurry. With that being said I do feel however than our walleye fisheries as a whole are going down hill in quality. Forage bases in a lot of our lakes are not in good shape, and the quality of fish are reflected in this. Skinny fish with big heads, that basically look like torpedos. This happens with the other predatory species in these lakes as well. Managing strictly on catch rates though, wow do things ever look amazing...everybody is catching piles of fish now. With the management strategies in the province and the walleye closures, we now have bigger more serious problems. What are we going to do with the population explosion? Now a lot of lakes have too many fish and they have been spawning so successfully that it's hard to go anywhere and not catch fish.

I don't know if anyone here has ever been to Kenora or Winnipeg or Thunder bay, but their winters are just as cold as ours and I just don't buy the line that it's too cold here for smallies. All the Lake of the Woods bass there are along the central railway line in Canada, and were brought there in the early 1900's in big milk cans from the great lakes. They are not native either, but being much closer to the source, they took hold with far less effort than it would take here. I would love to see them up here, but it won't happen with our governments stance, and besides, there is not much left for them to eat in most of our lakes here anyways.

The quality of almost all the fishing is better to the east of us and that's why I go there each summer. I enjoy the diversity or species and the different fisheries. Until I go back again, I will have to make due with what we have here. It is a real shame what Slave Lake has become. It is our biggest lake and has so much water to hold fish, yet the diversity of year classes is gone, and we basically catch smaller sized fish with a 5 pounder now being a big walleye for Slave. Anybody and their dog can go out and catch piles of fish and it's great to catch a lot, but after a while it starts to get old. Remember when it used to be a bit of a challenge to catch fish there?

I fish all over Western Canada, and into the States and I really feel our fisheries have declined greatly here in Alberta in the past 5 to 10 years compared to other places I have been. Yes we have a lot of pressure on the lakes we have, but I feel it can be much more evenly distributed and it would only benefit everyone. I think the management strategies are related to the funding for fisheries. There is not enough money to go around for biologists and enforcement, and they do not have a pulse on every single lake in the way I feel they should due to budget restraints. If more funding was really readily available and there was an infusion of manpower I think that our fisheries would improve. It would be a very slow improvement, but I would like to see better management of year classes so we have a balance of quality and quantity. It is a real feat to catch a true bonafide 10 pound walleye in Northern Alberta, and not a lot of people can claim having done that in the last 5 years. It's a feat in Southern Alberta too (you have a real shot at a 13 in a few places), but it's a lot easier to do down there...but I am not telling where I would go and do it or it might get a little tougher to do!

Chris K

[hard_azz]

Why is it so many people from Ontario come out here and complain about how much better everything was back home? The border is open in both directions, feel free to head back to your fishing heaven. More fish left for us.

Oh man do i agree... i work in the patch and i have dealt with my fair share of outta province workers and i dont know how many of them i have heard complaining about more then just the fishing in alberta and i always have the same response "if ya dont like wat we got then u know wat to do about it"

Im a born and raised alberta boy and have bin fishin the waters of this great province since i could walk and i love the fish we have here and i think we need to make sure we can take good care of the ones we have before we make them fight for food with strange species.

Unlike ontario we dont need to abuse our wilderness to help our economy... we have oil that keeps our economy running just fine. Fishing isnt a job out here its a weekend pass time. So please to all of you from outta the province dont try to change wat we have, we like it here and if u dont then thats ur problem.

[whitetail Junkie]

Unlike ontario we dont need to abuse our wilderness to help our economy... we have oil that keeps our economy running just fine. Fishing isnt a job out here its a weekend pass time. So please to all of you from outta the province dont try to change wat we have, we like it here and if u dont then thats ur problem.

I agree with you except for the abuseing of wilderness.I'm sorry but I know of alot of destroyed\abused wilderness in alberta as a Result from the oil Patch Rapeing the Land.

[hard_azz]

I agree with you except for the abuseing of wilderness.I'm sorry but I know of alot of destroyed\abused wilderness in alberta as a Result from the oil Patch Rapeing the Land.

ya i can understand ur point and i am part of the environmental end of things... i dont agree with how the environment is treated in some cases... but there is a lot of effort put into keeping/restoring our wildlife areas.

[Private Ear]

Oh man do i agree... i work in the patch and i have dealt with my fair share of outta province workers and i dont know how many of them i have heard complaining about more then just the fishing in alberta and i always have the same response "if ya dont like wat we got then u know wat to do about it"

Im a born and raised alberta boy and have bin fishin the waters of this great province since i could walk and i love the fish we have here and i think we need to make sure we can take good care of the ones we have before we make them fight for food with strange species.

Unlike ontario we dont need to abuse our wilderness to help our economy... we have oil that keeps our economy running just fine. Fishing isnt a job out here its a weekend pass time. So please to all of you from outta the province dont try to change wat we have, we like it here and if u dont then thats ur problem.

Us born and bred Albertans are tough to come by these days!:)

It seems to me that logging has put more interim pressure on the wild areas of Alberta that oil and gas. I say interim because both industries are required to reclaim the areas that they have exploited.

[Rockymtnx]

Couple of questions ,
one poster makes mention of 100 6-7 lbs walleye over the weekend.( funny it's a round number )
If you re-read my post I said “I was at a lake and caught over 100 6-7 pound walleye.” No mention of catching exactly 100. This number also doesn’t include the many under 6 pound or many over 7 pound walleye that I caught.


I'm not surprised you didn't mention the lake which concludes to me you either fished pine coulée and caught something more like 1-1.5lbers. Just because I'm from Ontario could mean I was born at night but not last night.
Actually it’s no secret what lake I was at. Most of the guys here already know I was at Winefred Lake. So no I was nowhere near Pine Coulee. If you are looking for good lakes to catch lots of Walleye it’s no secret the following are great lakes:
Winefred (Big Walleye)
Calling (Big Walleye)
Pigeon (Lots of 3 pounders)
Newell (A wide variety of sizes)

Once again you seem to be one of these people who are focused on the fishing within 150 kms of their home. If there’s no fish in that comfort zone then the whole province is crap.
People need to get out there and explore the province. It’s a big area and there are tons of great fishing opportunities if you look.

[hard_azz]

Us born and bred Albertans are tough to come by these days!:)

It seems to me that logging has put more interim pressure on the wild areas of Alberta that oil and gas. I say interim because both industries are required to reclaim the areas that they have exploited.

yes we r hard to come by anymore... i have to agree with the logging industry does put a little more pressure on the wild areas... but it really doesnt compare to the air polution of other provinces lol

[ESOXangler]

Unlike ontario we dont need to abuse our wilderness to help our economy... we have oil that keeps our economy running just fine. Fishing isnt a job out here its a weekend pass time. So please to all of you from outta the province dont try to change wat we have, we like it here and if u dont then thats ur problem.

How does that make any sense? I get it your a great albertan, so am i but that makes no sense. In ontario they have clear cutting and some mining. Here we have clear cutting, mining, oil and gas. And its everywhere.

And all the guy did was call bull****, some one should be able to do that. And he called it on a MOD, Holy ****!!! Sure Rockymntx is a hellva guy for taking on a thankless job but i dont think he needs minions defending him. Im sure he laughed at the accusation. You're not a true fishermen/woman if your not atleast a little bit of a bull****ter. and sometimes somebody might call you on it and you shouldnt get offended cause they didn't take your word for gospel.

[Cowtown guy]

Calling BS is one thing. Blatantly telling someone that he thinks he is a liar is another. Maybe he didn't word it that way specifically but if you reread his post that's what it was.

You know I rarely venture into this forum. This is exactly why. Everyone here except for about a dozen or so are treated as liars and get jumped on and criticized.

No real brotherhood/sisterhood in these waters it seems. I would love to have some great chats with folks about their adventures and exploits but I hate getting ripped on.

Don't keep a fish here...That place is sacred why did you say anything about it...Dam hardware chuckers in the way of flychuckers...

I'm over it. And that's a shame because I love fishing and talking about fishing.

[Pudelpointer]

Oh man do i agree... i work in the patch and i have dealt with my fair share of outta province workers and i dont know how many of them i have heard complaining about more then just the fishing in alberta and i always have the same response "if ya dont like wat we got then u know wat to do about it"
......

I couldn't agree more, and I'm not from here!

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

The stream trout fishing is in general as good, save a few exceptions like the Elk, and the lake fishing is as good except for the fact that we have so few of them. I fished and hunted for over 25 years in BC, and you could not pay me to move back to the southern part of the province (I might be willing to move north though). Where BC has an advantage is anadramous species (salmon, steelhead) but that is not really a like comparison.

Yup, BC has trout and bass, and few pike in the north, but the bass are mostly invasive and illegally introduced, and their government's policy is the same as ours: no new introductions of non-native species, no exceptions.

The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.

Would I love to catch bass on the fly? Sure. But if that is what I want I will drive 500 km east, west or south and do so. I will not be so presumptuous as to suggest I shouldn't have to leave the comfort of my neighborhood.

FWIW, some POS douche bag decided that he just had to have small mouth fishing nearby, so he introduced them to the Beaver Valley near Horsefly, BC. The Beaver Valley just happens to flow into the Quesnel River that flows into the Fraser. So now this species has access to the entire Fraser River watershed. But I am sure there will not be any negative effects... :snapoutofit:

Bass do not belong here.

[DarkAisling]

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

I came out here in '97 from Chilliwack. I call you a liar! :fighting0074:

:lol:

Is one better than the other? It really is an apples and oranges type of situation. Our provinces are huge, with extremely varied terrain, climates, and drainages. It just isn't reasonable to assume that a portion of one provinces' fishery would be successful in another province. It really is best just to accept the situation and grow in accordance.

[Anomaly]

it confuses me why we albertans dispise the east so much.

We send all our wealth down there, and get a few pennys back, and they are all so polite when they visit!

*pulls tongue out of cheek*


I came to alberta from a place where i could catch 30lb jewfish within 10 minutes of home. or get on a boat and fish for massive deepsea varieties....

and i tell ya what....Since i picked up a rod here a few months ago, its all i can think of.
If your fishing experience is a 20 minute drive to a tiny little pond with a dock, well you might have it a little rough towards the end of the season.
If your happy to go for a bit of a drive, you can have some wonderful days/weekends camping and fishing in alberta.

The fishing doesnt have to be the best in the world to be enjoyable.

[Pudelpointer]

Absolutely agree DA (except for you calling me a liar :budo:).

The different provinces are just that - different.

I happen to be a fanatical flyfisher, even going so far as to fish for ling cod and salt water salmon on the fly, and am quite content with some of the excellent waters and species that southern AB has to offer. Having a 3 foot pike hammer your fly so hard that you hear the fibres in you rod creak and ping as he makes that first long run will get your adrenalin pumping!

I am also a bow hunter, and having 2 months instead of 9 days is freakin' heaven to me. Also, the opportunity to see big mature mule deer bucks can not be over stated. I saw more big muley bucks in my first year here then in 25 years in BC.

[Rockymtnx]

Ahhh thanks for backing me up guys, but most of you know I am a pretty straight shooter. No BS here. Like I said, when I get home and get a chance, I will post pictures of my Winefred adventure.
As for anyone calling me a liar or even calling BS I would gladly take these folks out on a true Alberta fishing adventure if they picked up the tab for the weekend! ;) On the same note who would want to spend a weekend with them……


The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.
Bass do not belong here.

Yes this is exactly my thoughts too. Actually it isn’t just a though, it’s a FACT!

[mszomola]

First of all ,

I'm not here trying to preach whats better and whats not. Secondly , im not calling anyone a liar but again NO lake was mentioned to back up the point of catching 100 6-7lb walleye. Obviously thats a great fishery ! I'm not on here trying to offend a mod , this isnt g20 and im not breaking your windows , this is a forum. All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.

But aside from that , the water temp thing is a ways off. We fish smallies in November when its snowing and 6ft'ers on erie , temp is just a variable these fish are cold blooded.. oxygen , forage okay then lets talk.

And dont get me wrong , my idea isnt about stocking the crap out of the lakes here with smallmouth , give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

[DarkAisling]

All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.

I'm quite sure no one feels that they need to prove anything to you.

And dont get me wrong , my idea isnt about stocking the crap out of the lakes here with smallmouth , give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

They did try it. It didn't work. End of story.

[bluewingedolive]

Have to get in on this out of province bashing. You are right... We don't have any good fishing in this entire province. No good fly fishing! Not like out East! The Walleye fishing sucks! So... problem solved. Everyone go fishing in some other province! Bass... ya I could do with out a few of the rubber rainbow trout ponds but can't have your cake and catch massive brown trout at the same time.

[whitetail Junkie]

, give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

x2 alberta needs Bass Lake's.

I personally have Fished Bass in BC and in Ontario and Quebec,where I caught,Large mouth,small mouth and Black bass all in the same Day.Man them fish can scrap!!! Anglers in alberta who have never caught bass,dont know what they are Missing!

In Alberta we seem to be living in TroutVille and Finkle's the Mayor.(But dont get me wrong,I still like my Trout Fishing aswell:sHa_shakeshout:)

[greylynx]

I couldn't agree more, and I'm not from here!

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

The stream trout fishing is in general as good, save a few exceptions like the Elk, and the lake fishing is as good except for the fact that we have so few of them. I fished and hunted for over 25 years in BC, and you could not pay me to move back to the southern part of the province (I might be willing to move north though). Where BC has an advantage is anadramous species (salmon, steelhead) but that is not really a like comparison.

Yup, BC has trout and bass, and few pike in the north, but the bass are mostly invasive and illegally introduced, and their government's policy is the same as ours: no new introductions of non-native species, no exceptions.

The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.

Would I love to catch bass on the fly? Sure. But if that is what I want I will drive 500 km east, west or south and do so. I will not be so presumptuous as to suggest I shouldn't have to leave the comfort of my neighborhood.

FWIW, some POS douche bag decided that he just had to have small mouth fishing nearby, so he introduced them to the Beaver Valley near Horsefly, BC. The Beaver Valley just happens to flow into the Quesnel River that flows into the Fraser. So now this species has access to the entire Fraser River watershed. But I am sure there will not be any negative effects... :snapoutofit:

Bass do not belong here.

In addition to the bass being introduced into the Fraser drainage, I understand there are pike out of the Findlay Forks portion of the W.A.C. Benett Dam that have made it into the upper portions of the Fraser drainage.
Now that is friggen scary. All we need is the "sabre tooth salmon hammerhead" in on a salmon spawing run.

[mszomola]

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....


I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

[mszomola]

btw , i would love to again see proof of how eco systems were destroyed due to bass .... lets bring in some case examples ( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ...


yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....

[Rockymtnx]

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ...
I didn't see any reason to name the lake in my orginal post. Heck most of the guys on here already knew which lake I was at without even mentioning it. We even had a fellow (happens to be a ex-pro walleye fisherman with a little bit knowledge about Alberta walleye) say "I know the lake that Dan was on and if they only caught 100 it was a slow 3 days." You won't even take his word for it? I have even posted the name in a previous post.
Oh trust me I know what a scale looks like.

infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ...
100% the truth I don't get where you think this is a lie. You seem to have a hard time grasping that there are lakes in Alberta with this kind of quality fishing. Guess what your probably going to read about my weekend fishing adventure in some sort of outdoor magazine in the near future.

but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....
You really need to get out there and do some my fishing bud. If you think 100 fish is a feat you obviously have never heard of Pigeon Lake. As a few people know my best day on Pigeon was 383 fish. 380 Walleye and 3 Pike. The size wasn't there that day but I still managed to get three over 7lbs and one over 9lbs. As far as the 6-7 pounders go why is it so hard to believe that you cant catch them?

( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ..yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....
Again why do you find it so hard to believe that lakes like this exist in Alberta? Heck I even told you the name of the lake.

If you do happen to survive awhile on the AO forum, you will find out there are some very well respected hunters and anglers that hang out here.
I already can tell from some of your comments you really have no idea who some of the folks you have been talking too are.
Sometimes its better to sit back and listen/read than to spout off to the people who know what they are talking about. It really makes you look like a dummy.

[Geezle]

First of all ,

I'm not here trying to preach whats better and whats not. Secondly , im not calling anyone a liar but again NO lake was mentioned to back up the point of catching 100 6-7lb walleye. Obviously thats a great fishery ! I'm not on here trying to offend a mod , this isnt g20 and im not breaking your windows , this is a forum. All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.


So because he doesn't mention what lake it is he's automatically a liar? Maybe you didn't use the word 'liar' but it was more than implied.

There are lots of people who won't openly post where they fish. Are they all liars too?

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....


I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

I don't even know what to say about this one. I know Rockymtnx is a big boy and can look after himself.

All I'll say is that negative posts such as this one are the type that turn people (like Cowtown Guy) off of the fishing forum.

Thanks for coming out...:rolleye2:

[DarkAisling]

i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ...

And I'll file you under either A) Dude who's mama didn't love him enough, or B) Dude with small package.

I'm conviced that the guys who are always after prictures for "proof" (or the ones who are always shouting that something is photoshopped) have some serious deficiancies they're trying to overcome. The very notion that what transpired has never happened to them is just to much for their fragile egos to handle. As a result of this, they refuse to believe to could happen to someone else.

[Pudelpointer]

btw , i would love to again see proof of how eco systems were destroyed due to bass .... lets bring in some case examples ( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ...


yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....

Dude, you seem upset that not everyone agrees with your brilliant plan. Suck it up. Some think your idea is a good one, some don't, and some of us gave you reasons as to why it is not. Some of us work in wildlife, fisheries and the environmental fields, but you come off sounding like our knowledge is BS and hearsay.

As for ecosystem damage from smallmouths, two words: Columbia River. Now, granted, this river system has experienced a "perfect storm" of pollution, dams, and alien species (an d a whole litany of other abuses) but non-native fish species have been more than detrimental to native stocks.

As for other examples, it gets a bit tougher because most smallmouth introductions from coast to coast happened in the early part of the century as they were introduced to damn near every body of water that came in contact with a railway track. Unfortunately there were no "baseline studies" done beforehand to compare the ecological changes that were a result of these introductions. Most of the "natural populations" of smallmouth bass in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (and even Ontario) are not natural, they are introductions that occurred almost 100 years ago.

[Chris84]

So because he doesn't mention what lake it is he's automatically a liar? Maybe you didn't use the word 'liar' but it was more than implied.

There are lots of people who won't openly post where they fish. Are they all liars too?



I don't even know what to say about this one. I know Rockymtnx is a big boy and can look after himself.

All I'll say is that negative posts such as this one are the type that turn people (like Cowtown Guy) off of the fishing forum.

Thanks for coming out...:rolleye2:

x2

I don't normally get involved in these rants, but even if you think Rockymtnx is lying, why do you feel the need to announce it? He's well respected and I doubt others on here feel that he is lying.

As far as bass are concerned, I think the focus should be on improving and maintaining our current species before trying to re-introduce bass into Alberta. It would be awesome to have bass in Alberta, but given that the past attempts to introduce them here failed and the lack of fishable lakes in Alberta (compared to other provinces) it would be best to enjoy what we have IMO.

Chris

[blackpheasant]

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....


I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

Keep your silly little bass I rank them right up there with Crappies....:)

[floppychicken]

I'm quite sure no one feels that they need to prove anything to you.



They did try it. It didn't work. End of story.


Wrong..... not the end of story. It was screwed up, just like much of the Stocking was years ago... Take a tour of the Fish Hatchery and you'll be more informed.

No such thing as TOO COLD for BASS either... Largemouth...Maybe, but Smallmouth? What're you guys smokin? We used to cut through 3' of ice to catch our fish and yeah, ... full of Smallies, Walters, Catfish, Pike, you name it.

We have Rainbows and Browns here in Alberta, along with 'other' non-native species! Does that mean they DON'T belong? Send all the RAINBOWS back to india and the Browns back to Europe then! Sheesh....:rolleye2:

Oh, and BTW just over 20% of Alberta's population doesn't originate from CANADA... So then, how many English speaking persons do you suppose are from the EAST?... or West?

[Christofficer]

I'm not sure bout smallmouth bass, but the glenmore reservoir in calgary was stocked with largemouth bass years ago, which unsuprisingly failed. They did the same with kokanee salmon. So it's obviously been attempted before but failed hard. I think it would be kinda cool having a bass pond somewere around calgary but I can easily make due with monster browns and bows.

[Pudelpointer]

Send all the RAINBOWS back to india and the Browns back to Europe then! Sheesh....:rolleye2:


Whuuuuuuu!?

Dude. Seriously. India? Where did you here such a ridiculous story?

Rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) are a salmonid species native to western North America. There is at least one naturally occurring population east of the continental divide, in the Athabasca drainage of ALBERTA.

[Rockymtnx]

As far as bass are concerned, I think the focus should be on improving and maintaining our current species before trying to re-introduce bass into Alberta.
This statement pretty much sums it up!



Dude. Seriously. India? Where did you here such a ridiculous story?
Rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) are a salmonid species native to western North America. There is at least one naturally occurring population east of the continental divide, in the Athabasca drainage of ALBERTA.
Thank you for posting the truthful fact instead some silly fiction.

[Anomaly]

what exactly DO shoes taste like?

[blackpheasant]

what exactly DO shoes taste like?

Depends on the brand and where there made I think ..but generally kinda like Calamari you know a little rubbery..

[209x50]

I believe the biggest problem with bass is the water doesn't get warm enough for successful spawning until too late in the year.

[matt04]

Wow!! This thread has entertained:fighting0074: me and educated:test: me all at the same time! Keep it rollin

[Tom Pullings]

Being an ontarian as well I would love to catch bass again. However, I have even more fun catching new species of fish here that I had never heard of before coming to Alberta. Burbot, goldeyes and mooneyes are particularly interesting to me. I don't see the need for bass stocking here. All fish are fun to catch IMO.

[Pudelpointer]

Being an ontarian as well I would love to catch bass again. However, I have even more fun catching new species of fish here that I had never heard of before coming to Alberta. Burbot, goldeyes and mooneyes are particularly interesting to me. I don't see the need for bass stocking here. All fish are fun to catch IMO.

These are the kind of Ontarians we need here! :shake2:

[lemmotlow]

Albertas oil runs this whole country,do not forget it. They come here from all over just for that reason.