How many AB ice fishermen release big perch?

[smitty9]

For far too long, anytime a lake produces decent perch fishing (for 8+" fish) it typically gets hammered. The CIA doesn't keep secrets as well as AB fisherman when it comes to perch honey holes.

No wonder; we all know that for decades, perch lakes have been on a steady rotation of pressure, depending how hot they are?

Here's an idea:

Release the big perch. Totally unheard of, but I like the ideas presented here in this video clip:

https://www.facebook.com/UncutAnglin...4028342970675/

If you don't have FB, here's the entire episode on Youtube, the clip I'm speaking of starts at 19:37:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDu8eHQ4zjw


This is an issue that often is below the radar; what are the appropriate limits for our panfish species like perch, should we have a slot size or maximum size (only fish under 25cm can be kept, for example) or should we just let anglers self manage and hope that some big fish are being released? I would say far too few.

If the meeting in Lac La Biche goes in the way of convincing the ESRD to keep a few walleye, then great, but the issue of their forage base needs to go hand in hand.

This province is decades behind in actually using specific measures to manage specific populations. Many jurisdictions use slot sizes; it was tried and failed here due to low angler compliance. Perhaps it's time to re-visit, with this province having so little fish bearing lakes and 4+million people.

Anyways, to circle back, how many of you would release a 12-13+ inch perch?

Smitty

[Egymcara]

I release all the big perch I catch, but then again I release any big fish period, no matter what species. Pretty easy formula to follow if you like fishing for sport. Pictures are the best bragging rights and it feels good to release large fish to reproduce.

[Deep]

C&R is the only way to fish today. Yes, keep the odd one if in fact they are good eating but as a rule put them back to continue growing.

[338Bluff]

Nope. Right into the frying pan. Perch are for eating trout are for releasing. I'm not out there 3 days a week trying to get my 'quota' though......

A lot of the most popular lakes historically winter kill every 7-10 years. Think about that.

[pinelakeperch]

Big perch caught in deeper water are often "goners" regardless of whether or not they're released. I release EVERY trophy fish I catch, assuming I deem that it will survive the release.

[RACKER]

I have always have kept the larger perch.I do not understand how the perch populations get depleted by sportfishing.With most lakes having a limit of 5 you would have to have every angler on the lake during the ice season take home their limit everytime they went out to put a dent in the population.I am not knowledged in fish biology so I would gladly like to hear from people that have scientific proof that fishing for perch has been proven to dessimate fish stocks.I have seen proof myself that shallower lakes winterkill fish and this makes sense that populations take a beating because of that.Another question I have is why a lake such as Wizard lake that has thousands of little perch and a very healthy pike population that there are no larger perch to be found regularly?

[RavYak]

No way I throw back a 12-13 incher unless I got my limit already. If I was catching real monsters ~ 15 inches then I would probably release most of them(would like a couple for the wall though) unless I knew the lake was going to be fished out anyways.

Originally Posted by RACKER

I have always have kept the larger perch.I do not understand how the perch populations get depleted by sportfishing.With most lakes having a limit of 5 you would have to have every angler on the lake during the ice season take home their limit everytime they went out to put a dent in the population.I am not knowledged in fish biology so I would gladly like to hear from people that have scientific proof that fishing for perch has been proven to dessimate fish stocks.I have seen proof myself that shallower lakes winterkill fish and this makes sense that populations take a beating because of that.Another question I have is why a lake such as Wizard lake that has thousands of little perch and a very healthy pike population that there are no larger perch to be found regularly?

Limit is 15 on many lakes and 10 on a lot of others. 5 is what it probably should be everywhere to help a lot of these lakes.

Fishing pressure most definitely ruins perch fisheries here in AB. It has happened on many lakes. Word started leaking out 3 years ago that Crimson had lots of nice perch. The next year it got posted on here, FB, newspapers etc and within months you couldn't catch a decent perch anymore... That is just one of the more recent and obvious lakes but there are many more that have been decimated due to fishing pressure. That is why no one with half a brain posts their perch fishing spots because anyone that has been in the game for a while has seen some of their lakes get wiped out already.

In regards to Wizard, it seems perch seem to thrive on certain lakes and struggle on others. I don't know if Wizard was ever good but the fishing pressure and pike population would keep their numbers down as almost every half decent perch caught at Wizard is going home for supper...

[Fishy]

Originally Posted by RACKER

I have always have kept the larger perch.I do not understand how the perch populations get depleted by sportfishing.With most lakes having a limit of 5 you would have to have every angler on the lake during the ice season take home their limit everytime they went out to put a dent in the population.I am not knowledged in fish biology so I would gladly like to hear from people that have scientific proof that fishing for perch has been proven to dessimate fish stocks.I have seen proof myself that shallower lakes winterkill fish and this makes sense that populations take a beating because of that.Another question I have is why a lake such as Wizard lake that has thousands of little perch and a very healthy pike population that there are no larger perch to be found regularly?

Perch populations (as most other fish populations) are depleted typically due to mismanagement. One of the biggest issues is the blind trust a sportsman puts into regulations and one who assumes it is anothers responsibility to manage the resource. Regulations allowing the harvest of any size of a species guarantees that the larger fish, which are more often than not mature breeding females and are typically in an older age class, are removed from the genetic pool of that fishery due to anglers keeping the biggest fish they are allowed to keep. Overtime, the largest fish with the best genetics, which would have allowed their predecessors to obtain a similar size, are all removed from the water and the mean size of fish within the population shrinks overtime, slowly overtime. If this occurs unchecked for a long period than the age class and genetic structure of said fishery becomes permanently altered or stunted. Now, unfortunately many people do not understand what a healthy fishery is as it is a subjective topic,let alone how to manage it, so they assume it is up to the government to make changes to the fishery and make possible the ability to catch the same trophy fish now as it was back in the day. If anglers knew that keeping every "good sized perch" was ultimately destroying their beloved fishery, they would most likely put back the big fish to spread their seed and enhance the fishery and keep the middle sized fish instead. The only way for this to occur is for the regulations in AB to be altered substantially. As for winter-kill, fisheries go through natural cycles, stocked or not, which depend on winter-kill for regrowth and regeneration, similar to a forest fires rejuvenating characteristics. No matter, the onus lies on the sportsman to educate themselves and put into practice the best of conservation practices regardless of the regulations; that is not to say disregard the regulations but when given the opportunity to keep a limit of 5 fish of any size of a species, use mindfulness, and choose wisely.

[Bigspiker]

A friend and myself have caught and eaten 45 12 inch plus perch so far this year
We have a secret lake with a secret spot and a secret hook tipped with mealworms .... Oooppps that was the last secret
We Don't keep anything under "11" our best was "15"
We have realeased over 300 perch from "8-14" the last few years
Yesterday we enjoyed keeping another 10 that were all footlongs caught 15 released 5 from 9-12 inch 2 hrs fishing
Funny thing is lake X is a short ride away where 30 -50 trucks every weekend are filling buckets with micro perch 4-7 inch fish
We have worked hard and long to figure out the puzzle and now enjoy jumbos every Sunday
Our self imposed limits and perch management system seems to be working for many years and promises to continue producing qaulity perching for years to come
I Caught my first 12 inch perch ice fishing 40 plus yrs ago and have eaten thousands since !

[newguy]

Originally Posted by Bigspiker

A friend and myself have caught and eaten 45 12 inch plus perch so far this year
We have a secret lake with a secret spot and a secret hook tipped with mealworms .... Oooppps that was the last secret
We Don't keep anything under "11" our best was "15"
We have realeased over 300 perch from "8-14" the last few years
Yesterday we enjoyed keeping another 10 that were all footlongs caught 15 released 5 from 9-12 inch 2 hrs fishing
Funny thing is lake X is a short ride away where 30 -50 trucks every weekend are filling buckets with micro perch 4-7 inch fish
We have worked hard and long to figure out the puzzle and now enjoy jumbos every Sunday
Our self imposed limits and perch management system seems to be working for many years and promises to continue producing qaulity perching for years to come
I Caught my first 12 inch perch ice fishing 40 plus yrs ago and have eaten thousands since !

I would love to see some pics of those monster perch

[58thecat]

If I am camping a shore lunch is appreciated but other than that it is catch, picture and release.

[G Kenworth]

Unless I'm fishing a stocked pond, I release all the big fish I catch.

[yoteblaster]

The big ones come home for supper unless I have my limit. All the small ones go back though. Hard time getting my youngest boy to throw anything back lol.

[FISHBATTEREDBEER]

Alberta is hurtin for big fish of any species compared to Sask Man Ont. We only have 800 lakes .My father inlaw was raised near Lac la Nonne and he said the farmers would net perch in the creek until their wagons were full,THEN THEY FED THEM TO THE PIGS!!!

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by FISHBATTEREDBEER

Alberta is hurtin for big fish of any species compared to Sask Man Ont. We only have 800 lakes .My father inlaw was raised near Lac la Nonne and he said the farmers would net perch in the creek until their wagons were full,THEN THEY FED THEM TO THE PIGS!!!

I believe that number is 600.

Depends on where you go for big fish and if you are expecting big fish on every other cast. Many places have them, you just have to hunt for them.

[last minute]

No releasing here staight into the pan. and if anyone wants to release perch go ahead it's your choice

[Poppa]

I will never understand people's grand desire to keep fish. I'm total CnR...fun is in the catching, not the keeping. Also "Let 'em go, let 'em grow". With perch, specifically, it's such a pain in the ass to fillet...they're so small....makes zero sense to me.

If someone was wanting a shore lunch and kept one or two 18" 'eyes....that's not awful I guess.

[pikergolf]

Originally Posted by Poppa

I will never understand people's grand desire to keep fish. I'm total CnR...fun is in the catching, not the keeping. Also "Let 'em go, let 'em grow". With perch, specifically, it's such a pain in the ass to fillet...they're so small....makes zero sense to me.

If someone was wanting a shore lunch and kept one or two 18" 'eyes....that's not awful I guess.

Alberta logic, get what you can while you can, it'll be gone some day better get my share.

[jkind]

Catch, Photo, Release!

[TylerThomson]

Lot of self righteous folk on here it seems. If you dint understand why people keep perch then you must not enjoy eating fish. As long as people aren't being wasteful and following the law then I see no problem with it. All the catch and release fishermen at hypocrites at best. You are catching fish and killing a portion of them even if by accident for no reason other than your own pleasure.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by TylerThomson

Lot of self righteous folk on here it seems. If you dint understand why people keep perch then you must not enjoy eating fish. As long as people aren't being wasteful and following the law then I see no problem with it. All the catch and release fishermen at hypocrites at best. You are catching fish and killing a portion of them even if by accident for no reason other than your own pleasure.

I see your point but lumping all us C&R fisherman together is insulting.
We as fisherman, are weaker without the other side. So there is no need for finger pointing by either side. Both have there good and bad points.

I have practiced catch an release since before it was the thing to do and I defend people(fisherman) that wish to eat them. I think it is in every ones best interest to defend the other side.

And I believe if it is at all possible, harvest should be allowed. And that is reflected in many of my posts.

[wags]

I release 99% of the fish I catch. I have kept the odd perch for my wife, but unless i'm already decided to keep a fish or two for her, they all go back, regardless of size.

Cheers

[Tigger72]

Originally Posted by smitty9

For far too long, anytime a lake produces decent perch fishing (for 8+" fish) it typically gets hammered. The CIA doesn't keep secrets as well as AB fisherman when it comes to perch honey holes.

No wonder; we all know that for decades, perch lakes have been on a steady rotation of pressure, depending how hot they are?

Here's an idea:

Release the big perch. Totally unheard of, but I like the ideas presented here in this video clip:

https://www.facebook.com/UncutAnglin...4028342970675/

If you don't have FB, here's the entire episode on Youtube, the clip I'm speaking of starts at 19:37:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDu8eHQ4zjw


This is an issue that often is below the radar; what are the appropriate limits for our panfish species like perch, should we have a slot size or maximum size (only fish under 25cm can be kept, for example) or should we just let anglers self manage and hope that some big fish are being released? I would say far too few.

If the meeting in Lac La Biche goes in the way of convincing the ESRD to keep a few walleye, then great, but the issue of their forage base needs to go hand in hand.

This province is decades behind in actually using specific measures to manage specific populations. Many jurisdictions use slot sizes; it was tried and failed here due to low angler compliance. Perhaps it's time to re-visit, with this province having so little fish bearing lakes and 4+million people.

Anyways, to circle back, how many of you would release a 12-13+ inch perch?

Smitty

Hmmm I think I'll pass on commenting on this one Smitty. I have said enough on the FBook page....lol.... but I agreed with you there ( if that was you) and I agree here!!

[TylerThomson]

Kinda like lumping all fisherman together that choose to keep some fish. Or lumping all Albertans together for having a gotta get mine screw the rest mindset.

(I'm not directing that at you huntsfurfish)

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