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Old 11-03-2017, 05:28 PM
Sloughsharkjigger Sloughsharkjigger is offline
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: West Country
Posts: 452
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SNAPFisher View Post
Yes. Good points. And factors for sure. I would add one more.

I know there are some on here that don’t believe in the current limits and think a one fish limit, even slot, would work. But the more I think about it I think they are looking at it at the wrong time to think such a change is possible. Certainly by region, it might be the case in some regions but not province-wide. Water levels are cyclical and we are unquestionably in a time of lower water levels. That die was cast over the past couple of decades.

From my own experience, take the NB1 region. Here are lakes I used to fish and no longer do:
  • FloatingStone
  • Lower Mann
  • Upper Mann
  • Vincent
  • Chickenhill
  • Frenchman
  • Cache
  • Bonnie
  • Muriel
  • Lottie

Why? Because of water levels. Either they are not even fishable any longer or are pretty much not worth the effort. Water quality is for sure diminished but destroyed would describe it better.

I just picked 10 off the top of my head and I ‘m sure there are others that could be added. Also, maybe some people still fish some of these lakes but I can assure you that they have changed drastically. Especially over the past 10 years. Some of them completely dead and devoid of fish – glorified sloughs.

So of you take that old stat of 312 anglers per lake. I think it was calculated as:

250,000 anglers, 800 lakes = 312.5 anglers per lake

Now subtract the 10 I mentioned and assume the same number of anglers

250,000 anglers, 790 lakes = 316.5 anglers per lake.

I wonder what the province-wide number of fishable lakes is now? It is certainly less than 800. It really is the bigger factor/impact than anglers . If there are less lakes to fish, more pressure on the bigger and deeper lakes will occur. Raising limits on these particular lakes, at a time of low water levels and less fishable lakes, is a poor decision in my books.

Ahh... Bonnie Lake... learned how to swim in that lake. Late 70's early 80's was a awesome perch lake and had more bite offs from Northerns than I care to remember... what am I thinking it was probably cheap line.

Good point on decreased water levels in what was habitat. Seems like there is a trend originating in the south and east of Alberta and slowly moving north. Grandparents farm had a lake that was about 50acres in size that was home to hundreds of uplands every fall.... all gone now.
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