Slave Lake slot size.

[wavemaker]

Slot size for walley this year. 45-50 cm. Of the 8 walleye I caught this year, 2 too small, one keeper and 5 too large. Very small slot window. 45-50 cm is a small fish.

[Smoky buck]

I like the use of slots with a small window. Allows some harvest well protecting breeders and up and comers

Much better then tags or C&R only in my opinion

[SNAPFisher]

Yeah, what good is a slot unless you can keep a fish every time you go out...
..... wait a tick!

[AlbertanGP]

If 10% of all the fish you catch are in the slot and you can't manage to catch your limit, the slot isn't the problem.

Be happy. It wasn't that long ago when I had a place in Joussard and we'd have nights in front of Red Sky at this time of year where we caught over a hundred fish and not one was legal to keep. Sounds much easier to keep a fish now than when I bailed five years ago...if that's your thing.

[OL_JR]

I am a firm believer in diversity of regulations applied to different lakes. I don't like 1 over regs however I think tags are a great option on some lakes, c and r is necessary sometimes, and I like slots and think it will work well on Slave. It get's a pile of pressure but it's still big enough, and productive enough that it will be real interesting to see what happens with the walleye. Would be nice to see more real big girls swimming around. Just my opinion.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by Smoky buck

I like the use of slots with a small window. Allows some harvest well protecting breeders and up and comers

Much better then tags or C&R only in my opinion

I agree.

[Bushleague]

If the slot results in more fish being caught and released in deep water are they still accomplishing any thing?

I've gone whole weeks without catching a walleye under 50 cm on that lake. I think the slot is long overdue, but for LSL its way too narrow IMO. Theres plenty of walleye up here, adding another 5cm to it would make more sense.

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

If the slot results in more fish being caught and released in deep water are they still accomplishing any thing?

I've gone whole weeks without catching a walleye under 50 cm on that lake. I think the slot is long overdue, but for LSL its way too narrow IMO. Theres plenty of walleye up here, adding another 5cm to it would make more sense.

I’ve been up here for a couple weeks. We are catching lots of fish over 50cm. Some days none in the slot size. A few under sized.
I am just wondering what the future will bring as there are already a majority of fish are over 50. These fish are going to keep growing and eating more and more. What’s going to happen to the survival rate of the young fish with all these big apex predators feeding on them?
We have seen what happened to all the lakes that were C&R
Also concerned about fish mortality from C&R. We see lots of people over handling fish so everyone on the boat can get a picture. We try to release at the side of the boat and not even hold them unless it is in the slot size and we want to keep one I am going barbless again for easy release
I have found that by myself I get 2 meals from one keeper.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by stubblejumper01

I’ve been up here for a couple weeks. We are catching lots of fish over 50cm. Some days none in the slot size. A few under sized.
I am just wondering what the future will bring as there are already a majority of fish are over 50. These fish are going to keep growing and eating more and more. What’s going to happen to the survival rate of the young fish with all these big apex predators feeding on them?
We have seen what happened to all the lakes that were C&R
Also concerned about fish mortality from C&R. We see lots of people over handling fish so everyone on the boat can get a picture. We try to release at the side of the boat and not even hold them unless it is in the slot size and we want to keep one I am going barbless again for easy release
I have found that by myself I get 2 meals from one keeper.

Myself, and a lot of other locals, if we wanted a fish for supper much of the summer we would head out to the drop off, keep the first fish we caught as its pretty rare to catch one that is under the legal size, and then move shallower if we want to keep fishing.

This narrow slot is for sure going to result in more fish getting caught and released out of 25 + feet of water, which IMO was already a problem with many of the less considerate people I know.

Yesterday, just messing around in the canoe I caught about a half dozen walleye in shallow... only one was under 50 cm, 3 were well over 60. My neighbor was out too, caught at least as many fish as I did, and did not catch a single fish under 50cm. If the slot went to 55 or even 60cm it would still be protecting a large population of big spawners, and it wouldnt make just getting a fish for dinner involve sifting through a dozen or more fish... especially once they move deeper.

To be clear, I'm not complaining because I cant catch a keeper... I can still eat about as many fish as I care to. Neither am I complaining because I want to keep the bigger fish... I rarely kept a walleye over 60cm anyway. I dont like these new rules because I think they are going to cause a spike in C&R mortality, and given that the Walleye population is already very good I dont think this narrow slot is accomplishing much beyond that.

[SNAPFisher]

Go to tags. You get your options on slots....

Otherwise if enough of you that fish it often feel strongly enough on a wider slot, put this in as a suggestion with F&W. They are open to fine tuning.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Go to tags. You get your options on slots....

Otherwise if enough of you that fish it often feel strongly enough on a wider slot, put this in as a suggestion with F&W. They are open to fine tuning.

Its been mentioned to them, and as far as I've ever seen the latter statement is not true. Just because Slave isnt stuck on the same crappy regs as the rest of the province, to me doesnt mean that we should all just be grateful regardless of whether the rules make any sense or are actually accomplishing anything.

If nearly the same amount of fish are being kept, and there was already a large number of fish making it past the 60cm mark, exactly what is the narrow slot accomplishing besides more C&R mortality?

If you can explain that to me, then sure, I'll be thankful for the privilege of eating a few fish without participating in F&W's cash grab. Yet.

[Penner]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Its been mentioned to them, and as far as I've ever seen the latter statement is not true. Just because Slave isnt stuck on the same crappy regs as the rest of the province, to me doesnt mean that we should all just be grateful regardless of whether the rules make any sense or are actually accomplishing anything.

If nearly the same amount of fish are being kept, and there was already a large number of fish making it past the 60cm mark, exactly what is the narrow slot accomplishing besides more C&R mortality?

If you can explain that to me, then sure, I'll be thankful for the privilege of eating a few fish without participating in F&W's cash grab. Yet.

Cash grab? If you referring to the tags as being a cash windfall you are very misinformed.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Penner

Cash grab? If you referring to the tags as being a cash windfall you are very misinformed.

No kidding. Every time I hear that my eyes are rolling. Hard to believe how many haven't thought this through and still, still, after all this time comes up as an actual argument...which it is actually is no argument.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Its been mentioned to them, and as far as I've ever seen the latter statement is not true. Just because Slave isnt stuck on the same crappy regs as the rest of the province, to me doesnt mean that we should all just be grateful regardless of whether the rules make any sense or are actually accomplishing anything.

If nearly the same amount of fish are being kept, and there was already a large number of fish making it past the 60cm mark, exactly what is the narrow slot accomplishing besides more C&R mortality?

If you can explain that to me, then sure, I'll be thankful for the privilege of eating a few fish without participating in F&W's cash grab. Yet.

Lobby for change you think might work best. Wider slot or no slot. The slot size is a pilot anyways and they will finish that assessment and move onto different regs - hopefully ones that align with anglers and what the lake can handle.

[stubblejumper01]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Go to tags. You get your options on slots....

Otherwise if enough of you that fish it often feel strongly enough on a wider slot, put this in as a suggestion with F&W. They are open to fine tuning.

I think if it goes to tags a lot less people will be camping here. I know that if I can only keep 3 fish all year I would probably only camp here once a year. I am currently set up for the summer here but would definitely look at doing all my camping and fishing in Saskatchewan

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by stubblejumper01

I think if it goes to tags a lot less people will be camping here. I know that if I can only keep 3 fish all year I would probably only camp here once a year. I am currently set up for the summer here but would definitely look at doing all my camping and fishing in Saskatchewan

It was more a joke when I posted tags. Just thought it was funny how tags provide a more varied slot (i.e. wider range). But, that doesn't seem to apply here if the lake can sustain more pressure. I guess when people where screaming for slots on here it was all but the good lakes like L Slave.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

It was more a joke when I posted tags. Just thought it was funny how tags provide a more varied slot (i.e. wider range). But, that doesn't seem to apply here if the lake can sustain more pressure. I guess when people where screaming for slots on here it was all but the good lakes like L Slave.

I think you misunderstand me, I think slot sizes are long overdue. Especially with the Pike I've felt that the trophy fish needed to be protected... for a lake this size, with this much forage, Slave should be putting out some absolute monsters every year rather than just the odd 15lb+ fish.

I just think that both putting the pike on C&R, and having such a narrow slot on the Walleye was unnecessary, and in the case of the Walleye I really cant see that its actually going to accomplish anything positive. In the case of the pike I have to wonder why they saw fit to go from one of the most relaxed limits in northern Alberta, straight to C&R... to me that is a head scratcher, especially given the massive amounts of hammer handle pike dominating countless miles of shoreline habitat that nobody even fishes.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I think you misunderstand me, I think slot sizes are long overdue. Especially with the Pike I've felt that the trophy fish needed to be protected... for a lake this size, with this much forage, Slave should be putting out some absolute monsters every year rather than just the odd 15lb+ fish.

I just think that both putting the pike on C&R, and having such a narrow slot on the Walleye was unnecessary, and in the case of the Walleye I really cant see that its actually going to accomplish anything positive. In the case of the pike I have to wonder why they saw fit to go from one of the most relaxed limits in northern Alberta, straight to C&R... to me that is a head scratcher, especially given the massive amounts of hammer handle pike dominating countless miles of shoreline habitat that nobody even fishes.

Not sure how I could have figured out the pike angle since everything on here as been about the walleye slot size and not pike, until this. Cannot dispute your thoughts on pike changes. And it is a head scratcher for sure.

FYI, tags are not a cash grab.
I know there are links on here somewhere showing the income from tags. Costs to administrate are what it largely covered. It amounts to next to nothing.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Not sure how I could have figured out the pike angle since everything on here as been about the walleye slot size and not pike, until this. Cannot dispute your thoughts on pike changes. And it is a head scratcher for sure.

FYI, tags are not a cash grab.
I know there are links on here somewhere showing the income from tags. Costs to administrate are what it largely covered. It amounts to next to nothing.

Sure, I'll buy that, its not something I really deal with or know much about. That said, it makes one wonder why they've been doing their damndest at turning central Alberta lakes into Walleye fisheries?

I'll admit that I am both poorly informed and wrong on that particular matter, but generally when the government is doing something that makes very little sense I'm inclined to suspect that somebody thinks theres money to be made.

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Sure, I'll buy that, its not something I really deal with or know much about. That said, it makes one wonder why they've been doing their damndest at turning central Alberta lakes into Walleye fisheries?

I'll admit that I am both poorly informed and wrong on that particular matter, but generally when the government is doing something that makes very little sense I'm inclined to suspect that somebody thinks theres money to be made.

Yes, that I can get! Govnt and money do not do well together.

If I remember correctly LSL was 2 walleye previously. If the population is that good then what about a slot of 45-55 cm (like Calling) except maybe 2 in this case. I catch a lot in that range and Calling though most go back. LSL is much a bigger fishery.