Travers Wing Dam Fishing

[iliketrout]

Sure would be nice to see SRD do something about the absolutely disgusting lack of respect shown at the Travers spillway by many of the fishermen/fisherwomen who fish from the rock wing dams at the spillway. Spent a good amount of time there on the weekend and noted an abundance of the following:

1) LOTS of undersized fish being illegally harvested - some fish were so small you could tell they were undersized even looking from the boat. Even though I was in a boat 50 yards away, in many cases it was obvious that the fish were undersized. We caught a bunch of fish and measured all the close ones and I know what a legal walleye looks like in that lake and I know that some walleye that were kept were well below 50cm and probably below 40cm.
2) A couple guys clearly fishing with 2 rods at the same time
3) Many people fishing inside the buoys within 25 yards of the inlet
4) Horrible fish handling practices- allowing the fish to flop around on the rocks, stepping on fish to subdue them to remove the hook, taking up 3-4 minutes to unhook, measure, and maybe release (for those that did release). Even on some of those releases, the fish was simply tossed into the water with absolutely no attempt to revive them. I know what I mentioned isn't "illegal" but the mortality rates would have to be much much higher than average for the fish subjected to this treatment.

The most frustrating part is that at the spillway there is no cell phone reception, and I think the poachers know and exploit this fact. I can't call RAP when the offence occurs due to the reception and I can't get out of the boat and run to the parking lot and record plate numbers because I can't prove what vehicle a certain person is driving. The spillway is probably the furtherst point in the lake from a boat launch and is a poacher's dream for all of these reasons. What else can I do but file a general complaint with no specifics after I'm off the lake and the offender likely gone. Maybe SRD will have the manpower to follow-up...although lacking key details, I'm thinking that they won't be able to send anyone.

It's such a shame to see OUR resource treated this way. I'm going to catch heat for this comment, but I'd 100% support seeing the wing dams closed for fishing. If SRD doesn't have the resources to properly enforce regulations at a high profile, high traffic area with a high probability of busting poachers every time, what else can be done to protect the fishery from such blatant abuse and poaching?

To the guys that go to the Travers spillway and are also sick of seeing this happen, please call RAP, send an email, do something. Maybe if enough of us complain, we'll be able to convince SRD to head down there a little more often and bust some of these offenders.

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

I Did the same thing we watched guys keeping fish , dfont know if Nathan saw it but I was watching the group of people that were there with there 9 foot rods , stomping on the fishs head and put it in grocery bag , or better yet the guy had his wife put it in the grocery bag , well I got there pictures and forwarded it to my friends at F&W .

I mentioned to him about the people fishing within the buoys , and fish and wildlife officers get out there when they can . Things are spread so very very thin. I think its time us folks start writeing out MLA's and MP's there has to be federal money to help fund Fish and Wildlife , after all they are all federal waters are they not ?

Its sick it doesnt matter where one goes people keeping fish. I bet tommorow when I go fish Pigeon same thing will happen .

[Mariko's Rod]

If you give them as detailed a description as you did in that post they will definatly deem that as a "hot spot" and increase patrols there. people are creatures of habit and will tend to do the same things at the same spots so any info you can give them like clothing, ethnicity, vehicle color/make. etc. will help them key in next time they check the area

[Buck Krazy]

Sorry Mariko, f&w know all about this spot. Unfortunately I dont think they really see it as priority. Its been getting poached like this for atleast 15-20 years. Sucks, we all know who is doing it, just politically incorrect to say who it is lol!

[mustard73]

I know that ignorance of the law is no excuse but maybe signs could be posted? I see there are nice big signs warning not to boat inside the buoys but maybe a sign with the legal lengths and general regulations would help. I have seen similar signs at some other lakes...

[Mariko's Rod]

Originally Posted by Buck Krazy

Sorry Mariko, f&w know all about this spot. Unfortunately I dont think they really see it as priority. Its been getting poached like this for atleast 15-20 years. Sucks, we all know who is doing it, just politically incorrect to say who it is lol!

They know of the area for sure but they could only know its hot right know if we let them know what we saw and when. they will increase patrols at a certian time at a certian area based on complaints. when they do turn the heat up on the area and deliver some paper work the pack will move elswhere and so on and so on. they need our help and take detailed complaints very seriously

[gramps73]

iliketrout
I see your point and have seen it first hand, as far as closing the dam wing arms i do not agree at all, the problems still and will always lie on the enforcement.

[Kingfisher]

I saw F&W last year in the same spot. They were taking pictures of people inside the no fishing zone. They had a green garbage bag full of fish. My son and I left as the poachers were leaving. F&W were waiting just out of site at the building on the way out. We stopped and told them what vehicle they were in. (Dark green Nissan Pathfinder). They were going to stop and ticket them on the way out.

As you said this spot is always a bad location for poaching. I agree with you they probably should shut it down all together.

[iliketrout]

Originally Posted by gramps73

iliketrout
I see your point and have seen it first hand, as far as closing the dam wing arms i do not agree at all, the problems still and will always lie on the enforcement.

I think most of us would agree that the lack of enforcement is the problem, the main reason being lack of resources. But as that situation is unlikely to change any time soon, how would you propose to address this issue with the resources available today?

[Mariko's Rod]

Originally Posted by iliketrout

I think most of us would agree that the lack of enforcement is the problem, the main reason being lack of resources. But as that situation is unlikely to change any time soon, how would you propose to address this issue with the resources available today?

guys like us reporting what we see and when allows enforcement to focus their efforts on hot spots.

[gramps73]

Thats a million dollar question that i don't have an answer for. I think it starts with anglers reporting it but whats the fine for pouching?

[npauls]

Reporting them won't do any good once you get off the water anyways unless you are heading off of the water and up the hill right away to get service.

It is a tough spot to enforce for sure. They could probably station an officer there full time and rake in the fines.

[Mariko's Rod]

Originally Posted by npauls

Reporting them won't do any good once you get off the water anyways unless you are heading off of the water and up the hill right away to get service.

It is a tough spot to enforce for sure. They could probably station an officer there full time and rake in the fines.

that attitude is part of the problem. Reporting what you saw even though it is after the fact will give them information they need so they can key in on certian individuals. If they poached between 9-12 on a saturday chances are they will be there the very next saturday 9-12 doing the same thing.

give them the info and let them decide what to do with it. not calling is just plain lazyness.

[iliketrout]

Markio and Gramps are absolutely right, it all starts with a call to RAP. When these offenders start getting busted, it will be a lot less and a lot more

For the record, I reported the activity I witnessed.

[ReconWilly]

If someone is above doing there part to aid enforcement, they are in FACT just as guilty as any poacher in regards to disrespecting our resources, they may not be poaching,however ignorance towards offenders aids the offenders and hinders any progress that COULD be made to protect OUR resources.

If you're not part of the solution(Including being neutral as that helps no one), then you are by definition a part of the problem.


Do your part or keep your lack of enforcement criticisms to yourself.

[dennisb]

FYI...there is pretty good reception at Wolf Coulee

[gramps73]

Trout
I agree that RAP works but think of how much better things would be if they had the staff to make it work to it's full potential...

[iliketrout]

Originally Posted by gramps73

Trout
I agree that RAP works but think of how much better things would be if they had the staff to make it work to it's full potential...

Agreed...the cutbacks that they have sufferred are, for lack of a better word, crippling. It's a shame that our natural resources are seen as disposable when it comes to deciding whose budget gets cut, and by how much.

[iliketrout]

Originally Posted by dennisb

FYI...there is pretty good reception at Wolf Coulee

Good to know, Dennis, thank you.

[npauls]

I have called RAP probably 10 times in the last 2 years and have never had them respond to a call.

If they responded once or twice it would make it seem more worth while but when there is never a response it makes it kind of seem like a waste of time.

[The Fisherman Guy]

It's awesome that you are taking the time to make a point about this abuse of our fishery. Thank you for going out of your way to make a point about this issue to SRD and RAP.

What else can be done? How can we utilize the concerned fisherman of this community to contact SRD and bring this issue to their attention?

iliketrout, would you be able to post the link you used to contact SRD about this issue?

[DiehardFishingMan]

I just want to clarify one thing.

Most people were targeting whitefish. With so many boats around (include yours) I don't think people dare to poach walleyes.

[npauls]

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

I just want to clarify one thing.

Most people were targeting whitefish. With so many boats around (include yours) I don't think people dare to poach walleyes.

I know very well what a walleye and whitefish look like and some of them were definitely undersized walleyes being kept.

[DiehardFishingMan]

Originally Posted by npauls

I know very well what a walleye and whitefish look like and some of them were definitely undersized walleyes being kept.

from 50 yard away?

[npauls]

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

from 50 yard away?

I wasn't in the same boat as iliketrout. I was close enough that I could have hit the shore fishermen with a 1/16th ounce jig head.

[DiehardFishingMan]

Originally Posted by npauls

I know very well what a walleye and whitefish look like and some of them were definitely undersized walleyes being kept.

I was fishing there numeric times and have been checked by SRD three times. There is not a single time that SRD found any illegal fish.

As what I said in the earlier post, seriously speaking, with so many of your guys watching or shooting photo from the boat, do you think people stupid enough poaching fishing?

[npauls]

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

I was fishing there numeric times and have been checked by SRD three times. There is not a single time that SRD found any illegal fish.

As what I said in the earlier post, seriously speaking, with so many of your guys watching or shooting photo from the boat, do you think people stupid enough poaching fishing?

Yup sure do. There is people that just don't care what others think.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

I just want to clarify one thing.

Most people were targeting whitefish. With so many boats around (include yours) I don't think people dare to poach walleyes.

Can i ask why the need to dispute what iliketrout and the fisherman guy are telling you is a EYE WITNESS account of what they saw?

Both these guys are top notch guys with good angling skills and I cant understand why your so set on suggesting a different scenario happened.

[DiehardFishingMan]

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

Can i ask why the need to dispute what iliketrout and the fisherman guy are telling you is a EYE WITNESS account of what they saw?

Both these guys are top notch guys with good angling skills and I cant understand why your so set on suggesting a different scenario happened.

Personally, I doubt people can clearly see what kind of fish are from 50 yard (or Half block) away. But if you and iliketrout think you can see clearly, I don’t object that. But I still have my doubt.

Also I am little bit angry, because just by reading the post, I, who fishing on the spill way, was categorized either a poacher or the people who don’t care the poaching activity.

Like you guys we also care the fish resource in Alberta. Last year I report three suspicious fishing activities to SRD. This is just my feeling

[iliketrout]

Originally Posted by The Fisherman Guy

iliketrout, would you be able to post the link you used to contact SRD about this issue?

I emailed Terry Clayton, the regional biologist for Travers. He was kind enough to forward on my email to the regional office. I also sent him the link to this thread and he read it. terry.clayton@gov.ab.ca

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

I just want to clarify one thing.

Most people were targeting whitefish. With so many boats around (include yours) I don't think people dare to poach walleyes.

So if we weren't around, are you suggesting that people would be poaching?

And I don't think most people were targetting whitefish. Some were, I agree, but tossing a green crank, large spoons, and pickerel rigs baited with minnows is hardly a whitefish technique.

Regardless of the species of fish being targetted, it still doesn't address my point #4 in the first post of this thread. The fish handling techniques were absolutely brutal. People should not be stepping on fish they intend to release and also should not leave a fish out of the water for over 3 minutes and then throw them back into the water with no attempt made to revive them.

Originally Posted by DiehardFishingMan

from 50 yard away?

I think many people on here can tell a walleye from a pike from a whitefish from 50 yards away.