Why North Wabasca???

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Being surrounded by reserves this lake is a prime candidate for First Nation netting. It’s not rocket surgery....
It’s not a North/south thing.

I think everyone that knows that area realizes there are reserves there Moose. My point was if unabated net fishing can’t be restricted to the non regulated groups on the majority of lakes then access shouldn’t be restricted to the regulated rod/reel groups for lakes that fall in the green area near reserves and have public access points.....

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by calvin

You folks need to remember that this isn't a recreational and licensed fisherpersons lake.

Oh is that right? Care to expand on that?

It's a healthy lake and the only reason they are closing it is to save it from the fishing pressure that would develop from closing basically every other lake. I seriously hate our fisherieries biologists but they are saving themselves from...themselves which can be appreciated i guess.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by OL_JR

Oh is that right? Care to expand on that?

It's a healthy lake and the only reason they are closing it is to save it from the fishing pressure that would develop from closing basically every other lake. I seriously hate our fisherieries biologists but they are saving themselves from...themselves which can be appreciated i guess.

What’s a biologist to do when a lake like that starts to crumble? About the only thing they can do is suggest to the govt to close it to retention to anglers because the govt isn’t going to close it to the natives nets. It’s not the bio’s fault. They can only do what they can....(which is to recommend stop retention). Netting may be the culprit but it won’t change.

[Drewski Canuck]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

What’s a biologist to do when a lake like that starts to crumble? About the only thing they can do is suggest to the govt to close it to retention to anglers because the govt isn’t going to close it to the natives nets. It’s not the bio’s fault. They can only do what they can....(which is to recommend stop retention). Netting may be the culprit but it won’t change.

NOW I AM WORRIED.

There already are areas of Conservation Closures on North and South Wab. Those are areas deemed spawning areas and are closed to all harvest including NON REGULATED Netting.

So there already is a precedent on what can be done. ALL IT NEEDS IS TO BE E X P A N D E D!!!!!!!

The Bios and the Government can do that and have already DONE THAT on a smaller scale.

What does it say when Whitefish are 0 retention. That is only the consequence of net fishing.

You will not show me 100 sport caught whitefish from that lake for the whole year of regulated angler effort. Trouble is, those nets did not just catch whitefish.

Drewski

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

NOW I AM WORRIED.

There already are areas of Conservation Closures on North and South Wab. Those are areas deemed spawning areas and are closed to all harvest including NON REGULATED Netting.

So there already is a precedent on what can be done. ALL IT NEEDS IS TO BE E X P A N D E D!!!!!!!

The Bios and the Government can do that and have already DONE THAT on a smaller scale.

What does it say when Whitefish are 0 retention. That is only the consequence of net fishing.

You will not show me 100 sport caught whitefish from that lake for the whole year of regulated angler effort. Trouble is, those nets did not just catch whitefish.

Drewski

Yet the govt/bios defense is that by only setting a specific mesh size and placed in certain areas of the lake, will result in a yield of almost all whitefish. But we know that’s not as true as they would like you to believe.

[Drewski Canuck]

Originally Posted by 7magtime

I think everyone that knows that area realizes there are reserves there Moose. My point was if unabated net fishing can’t be restricted to the non regulated groups on the majority of lakes then access shouldn’t be restricted to the regulated rod/reel groups for lakes that fall in the green area near reserves and have public access points.....

Yes, this could be a negotiating point to change Non Reg behavior.

If Non Regs do not want to follow some restrictions, then it is going to be a Provincial Limit for the lake, because it won't matter what the regulated sport fishermen do to the population anyway.

This may be a more palatable approach for a "Reconcilliation" government that does not want to do a complete Conservation Closure on Everybody on the lake.

Then when the Non Regs complain about the increased sport fishing limit, you ask them to come up with a solution that addresses the overnetting problem in exchange of restrictions on limits for the regulated fisherman.


Drewski

[calvin]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Being surrounded by reserves this lake is a prime candidate for First Nation netting. It’s not rocket surgery....
It’s not a North/south thing.

No, it's not rocket surgery. Wab, Rock Island, Island. All lakes with big nets full of fish coming out of them. Now all 3 closed. Hmmmm!! Who do you think is telling the bios they want the lakes closed for licensed and recreational fishing? Hmmm!!!

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by calvin

No, it's not rocket surgery. Wab, Rock Island, Island. All lakes with big nets full of fish coming out of them. Now all 3 closed. Hmmmm!! Who do you think is telling the bios they want the lakes closed for licensed and recreational fishing? Hmmm!!!

Welcome back, I’m guessing “you people” Calvin?

[thorne]

Originally Posted by 7magtime

Welcome back, I’m guessing “you people” Calvin?

OUCH!!! BTW, thats Point, Set, and Match!!!

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by wildwoods

Ok I will admit I don't have a lot of history with this lake. I have fished it only twice in the last 3 years. The Age classes seemed healthy to me as there was a wide variety of sizes caught between both pike and walleye. Anyone know why they shut this lake down to retention? Mind blowing! I will C&R like the next guy, but man was it nice to throw a couple in the creel for the frying pan. Our fisheries suck

Same reason that Utikima got changed last year I suspect, along with a good many more of some of the strongest fisheries in Northern Alberta. Only good reason I can come up with is that the reserve dogs were looking a bit skinny. Many of these lakes are in better shape that most of the fisheries further south, which have been strictly regulated for the last decade. A good many others are glorified sloughs that will never yield high quality fisheries no matter how long they are C&R.

The fisheries bioligists say its because recruitment has been poor the last few seasons, there are no small fish. Absolutely anyone I know who fishes these lakes regularly will tell you differently, there's plenty of small fish in there, so I'm calling bs. Put it this way, 5 years ago these lakes were supporting commercial fisheries, now they are C&R, despite the fact that the fishing is improving since the commercial nets were pulled. You figure it out.

I'm hearing mutterings that moose hunting is about to start heading in this direction, if the rumours are correct they are actually starting with some of the healthier zones, much like the fishing regs. 3 years ago I wouldn't have payed any attention, but the last few years the wild mutterings started to develop a nasty habit of becoming real, I call that within 5 years, non natives eating walleye or moose will not be far off from becoming a thing of the past.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

"There was so many spawning size pike and wallies that if they would have protected those fish instead of eliminate them we would be golden. It's the last lake I thought would ever get shut down. Sad."

Wellllll....

The obvious question for a lake with rampant netting, is just who are you protecting these large fish for, and from what?

Once the fish makes the net size, it is eliminated, thus removing the genetics for large fish from North Wabasca.

So getting back to my point of a Conservation closure for all user groups until we have recovery, and agreement to follow some basic rules by the Non Regulated groups, ...

Stocking fish is just raising fish to be once again netted out once they get big enough to restore the population naturally.

Drewski

See, this is becoming a real bone of contention, something I wrestle with now. All my life I've always hated poaching, I viewed is as stealing opportunity from all the law abiding sportsmen. At this point, with the fishing shut down, and the moose hunt on its way out, and next to no chance these opportunities ever returning.... well, at this point one is only stealing from the group who created the situation in the first place. People who tauntingly tell me "Every moose we shoot is one less for the white man" when I question the sustainability of their harvest.

Not saying I'm going to start poaching, but my core reason for hating poachers is becoming heavily eroded these days. Its a shame we've gotten here.

I fished Wabasca lake many times last year, in the areas I fished the lake seemed very healthy.

[dfrobert]

Fellas each and everyone of us should be calling our area Biologists and our soon to be elected provincial government members. And telling them to grow a set, and do what’s right for the resource for once!

[Kim473]

Remember that the first nations people are so concerned about the environment, lakes, rivers and animals. Only when it comes to pipelines . IMO it's only because they want a cut of the profit. BC is the same. If you offered them a $ per barrel going thru the pipelines, there would be no more complaining.

Give them a lake to fish and they will destroy it with nets. I remember years back, went to floating stone and counted 4 nets on that small lake. I didn't catch 1 on a hook and line.

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Remember that the first nations people are so concerned about the environment, lakes, rivers and animals. Only when it comes to pipelines . IMO it's only because they want a cut of the profit. BC is the same. If you offered them a $ per barrel going thru the pipelines, there would be no more complaining.

Give them a lake to fish and they will destroy it with nets. I remember years back, went to floating stone and counted 4 nets on that small lake. I didn't catch 1 on a hook and line.

The nets are still going strong at Floatingstone.....

[OL_JR]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

What’s a biologist to do when a lake like that starts to crumble? About the only thing they can do is suggest to the govt to close it to retention to anglers because the govt isn’t going to close it to the natives nets. It’s not the bio’s fault. They can only do what they can....(which is to recommend stop retention). Netting may be the culprit but it won’t change.

Is it crumbling though? Our family always seem to find lots of different age classes as long as I put the boat in the right place (and we haven't even explored much further than a 10 minute boat ride). Nice healthy fish. They don't always jump on the hook but that's what fishing should be imho. The biologists in this province seem to be searching for some kind of eutopia where you can drop a bare hook down and snag a skinny walleye. I don't like the netting at all and I'd never defend it but I don't see a crumbling lake.

As mentioned though imho it's maybe for the best as there just aren't a lot of places left to keep a fish without a tag. I don't fish calling at all but it's going to get really, really busy if it isn't already.