Bass Fishing in Alberta - Page 2

Cowtown guy · #31 08-05-2010, 11:29 AM

Calling BS is one thing. Blatantly telling someone that he thinks he is a liar is another. Maybe he didn't word it that way specifically but if you reread his post that's what it was.

You know I rarely venture into this forum. This is exactly why. Everyone here except for about a dozen or so are treated as liars and get jumped on and criticized.

No real brotherhood/sisterhood in these waters it seems. I would love to have some great chats with folks about their adventures and exploits but I hate getting ripped on.

Don't keep a fish here...That place is sacred why did you say anything about it...Dam hardware chuckers in the way of flychuckers...

I'm over it. And that's a shame because I love fishing and talking about fishing.

Pudelpointer · #32 08-05-2010, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hard_azz

Oh man do i agree... i work in the patch and i have dealt with my fair share of outta province workers and i dont know how many of them i have heard complaining about more then just the fishing in alberta and i always have the same response "if ya dont like wat we got then u know wat to do about it"
......

I couldn't agree more, and I'm not from here!

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

The stream trout fishing is in general as good, save a few exceptions like the Elk, and the lake fishing is as good except for the fact that we have so few of them. I fished and hunted for over 25 years in BC, and you could not pay me to move back to the southern part of the province (I might be willing to move north though). Where BC has an advantage is anadramous species (salmon, steelhead) but that is not really a like comparison.

Yup, BC has trout and bass, and few pike in the north, but the bass are mostly invasive and illegally introduced, and their government's policy is the same as ours: no new introductions of non-native species, no exceptions.

The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.

Would I love to catch bass on the fly? Sure. But if that is what I want I will drive 500 km east, west or south and do so. I will not be so presumptuous as to suggest I shouldn't have to leave the comfort of my neighborhood.

FWIW, some POS douche bag decided that he just had to have small mouth fishing nearby, so he introduced them to the Beaver Valley near Horsefly, BC. The Beaver Valley just happens to flow into the Quesnel River that flows into the Fraser. So now this species has access to the entire Fraser River watershed. But I am sure there will not be any negative effects...

Bass do not belong here.

DarkAisling · #33 08-05-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

I came out here in '97 from Chilliwack. I call you a liar!

Is one better than the other? It really is an apples and oranges type of situation. Our provinces are huge, with extremely varied terrain, climates, and drainages. It just isn't reasonable to assume that a portion of one provinces' fishery would be successful in another province. It really is best just to accept the situation and grow in accordance.

Anomaly · #34 08-05-2010, 12:13 PM

it confuses me why we albertans dispise the east so much.

We send all our wealth down there, and get a few pennys back, and they are all so polite when they visit!

*pulls tongue out of cheek*

I came to alberta from a place where i could catch 30lb jewfish within 10 minutes of home. or get on a boat and fish for massive deepsea varieties....

and i tell ya what....Since i picked up a rod here a few months ago, its all i can think of.
If your fishing experience is a 20 minute drive to a tiny little pond with a dock, well you might have it a little rough towards the end of the season.
If your happy to go for a bit of a drive, you can have some wonderful days/weekends camping and fishing in alberta.

The fishing doesnt have to be the best in the world to be enjoyable.

Pudelpointer · #35 08-05-2010, 12:14 PM

Absolutely agree DA (except for you calling me a liar

).

The different provinces are just that - different.

I happen to be a fanatical flyfisher, even going so far as to fish for ling cod and salt water salmon on the fly, and am quite content with some of the excellent waters and species that southern AB has to offer. Having a 3 foot pike hammer your fly so hard that you hear the fibres in you rod creak and ping as he makes that first long run will get your adrenalin pumping!

I am also a bow hunter, and having 2 months instead of 9 days is freakin' heaven to me. Also, the opportunity to see big mature mule deer bucks can not be over stated. I saw more big muley bucks in my first year here then in 25 years in BC.

Rockymtnx · #36 08-05-2010, 12:47 PM

Ahhh thanks for backing me up guys, but most of you know I am a pretty straight shooter. No BS here. Like I said, when I get home and get a chance, I will post pictures of my Winefred adventure.
As for anyone calling me a liar or even calling BS I would gladly take these folks out on a true Alberta fishing adventure if they picked up the tab for the weekend!

On the same note who would want to spend a weekend with them……

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.
Bass do not belong here.

Yes this is exactly my thoughts too. Actually it isn’t just a though, it’s a FACT!

mszomola · #37 08-05-2010, 12:53 PM

First of all ,

I'm not here trying to preach whats better and whats not. Secondly , im not calling anyone a liar but again NO lake was mentioned to back up the point of catching 100 6-7lb walleye. Obviously thats a great fishery ! I'm not on here trying to offend a mod , this isnt g20 and im not breaking your windows , this is a forum. All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.

But aside from that , the water temp thing is a ways off. We fish smallies in November when its snowing and 6ft'ers on erie , temp is just a variable these fish are cold blooded.. oxygen , forage okay then lets talk.

And dont get me wrong , my idea isnt about stocking the crap out of the lakes here with smallmouth , give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

DarkAisling · #38 08-05-2010, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.

I'm quite sure no one feels that they need to prove anything to you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

And dont get me wrong , my idea isnt about stocking the crap out of the lakes here with smallmouth , give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

They did try it. It didn't work. End of story.

bluewingedolive · #39 08-05-2010, 04:29 PM

Have to get in on this out of province bashing. You are right... We don't have any good fishing in this entire province. No good fly fishing! Not like out East! The Walleye fishing sucks! So... problem solved. Everyone go fishing in some other province! Bass... ya I could do with out a few of the rubber rainbow trout ponds but can't have your cake and catch massive brown trout at the same time.

whitetail Junkie · #40 08-05-2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

, give us 1 or 2 lakes where theres bass maybe , see how they sustain ... it would be amazing for the fishing here in many many ways....

x2 alberta needs Bass Lake's.

I personally have Fished Bass in BC and in Ontario and Quebec,where I caught,Large mouth,small mouth and Black bass all in the same Day.Man them fish can scrap!!! Anglers in alberta who have never caught bass,dont know what they are Missing!

In Alberta we seem to be living in TroutVille and Finkle's the Mayor.(But dont get me wrong,I still like my Trout Fishing aswell

)

greylynx · #41 08-05-2010, 08:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

I couldn't agree more, and I'm not from here!

As some of you know I am a fairly recent BC transplant, and even though many in that province will scream that I am a liar, AB is sooooooo much better, even when it comes to fishing IMO.

The stream trout fishing is in general as good, save a few exceptions like the Elk, and the lake fishing is as good except for the fact that we have so few of them. I fished and hunted for over 25 years in BC, and you could not pay me to move back to the southern part of the province (I might be willing to move north though). Where BC has an advantage is anadramous species (salmon, steelhead) but that is not really a like comparison.

Yup, BC has trout and bass, and few pike in the north, but the bass are mostly invasive and illegally introduced, and their government's policy is the same as ours: no new introductions of non-native species, no exceptions.

The days of seeding someone's favorite sport fish into every damn lake and stream to see where they may survive are over, and in my opinion that is the right decision. The attitude of the OP that he wants to catch bass, therefore we should introduce bass is the same short sighted, self centered attitude that has resulted in the destruction of countless ecosystems and the extinction of thousands of species, throughout the world. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it is true.

Would I love to catch bass on the fly? Sure. But if that is what I want I will drive 500 km east, west or south and do so. I will not be so presumptuous as to suggest I shouldn't have to leave the comfort of my neighborhood.

FWIW, some POS douche bag decided that he just had to have small mouth fishing nearby, so he introduced them to the Beaver Valley near Horsefly, BC. The Beaver Valley just happens to flow into the Quesnel River that flows into the Fraser. So now this species has access to the entire Fraser River watershed. But I am sure there will not be any negative effects...

Bass do not belong here.

In addition to the bass being introduced into the Fraser drainage, I understand there are pike out of the Findlay Forks portion of the W.A.C. Benett Dam that have made it into the upper portions of the Fraser drainage.
Now that is friggen scary. All we need is the "sabre tooth salmon hammerhead" in on a salmon spawing run.

mszomola · #42 08-05-2010, 11:24 PM

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....

I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

mszomola · #43 08-05-2010, 11:26 PM

btw , i would love to again see proof of how eco systems were destroyed due to bass .... lets bring in some case examples ( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ...

yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....

Rockymtnx · #44 08-06-2010, 12:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ...

I didn't see any reason to name the lake in my orginal post. Heck most of the guys on here already knew which lake I was at without even mentioning it. We even had a fellow (happens to be a ex-pro walleye fisherman with a little bit knowledge about Alberta walleye) say "I know the lake that Dan was on and if they only caught 100 it was a slow 3 days." You won't even take his word for it? I have even posted the name in a previous post.
Oh trust me I know what a scale looks like.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ...

100% the truth I don't get where you think this is a lie. You seem to have a hard time grasping that there are lakes in Alberta with this kind of quality fishing. Guess what your probably going to read about my weekend fishing adventure in some sort of outdoor magazine in the near future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....

You really need to get out there and do some my fishing bud. If you think 100 fish is a feat you obviously have never heard of Pigeon Lake. As a few people know my best day on Pigeon was 383 fish. 380 Walleye and 3 Pike. The size wasn't there that day but I still managed to get three over 7lbs and one over 9lbs. As far as the 6-7 pounders go why is it so hard to believe that you cant catch them?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ..yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....

Again why do you find it so hard to believe that lakes like this exist in Alberta? Heck I even told you the name of the lake.

If you do happen to survive awhile on the AO forum, you will find out there are some very well respected hunters and anglers that hang out here.
I already can tell from some of your comments you really have no idea who some of the folks you have been talking too are.
Sometimes its better to sit back and listen/read than to spout off to the people who know what they are talking about. It really makes you look like a dummy.

Geezle · #45 08-06-2010, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

First of all ,

I'm not here trying to preach whats better and whats not. Secondly , im not calling anyone a liar but again NO lake was mentioned to back up the point of catching 100 6-7lb walleye. Obviously thats a great fishery ! I'm not on here trying to offend a mod , this isnt g20 and im not breaking your windows , this is a forum. All im getting at is no lake was mentioned and anyone here can claim they have that sort of success, lets see proof.

So because he doesn't mention what lake it is he's automatically a liar? Maybe you didn't use the word 'liar' but it was more than implied.

There are lots of people who won't openly post where they fish. Are they all liars too?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....

I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

I don't even know what to say about this one. I know Rockymtnx is a big boy and can look after himself.

All I'll say is that negative posts such as this one are the type that turn people (like Cowtown Guy) off of the fishing forum.

Thanks for coming out...

DarkAisling · #46 08-06-2010, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ...

And I'll file you under either A) Dude who's mama didn't love him enough, or B) Dude with small package.

I'm conviced that the guys who are always after prictures for "proof" (or the ones who are always shouting that something is photoshopped) have some serious deficiancies they're trying to overcome. The very notion that what transpired has never happened to them is just to much for their fragile egos to handle. As a result of this, they refuse to believe to could happen to someone else.

Pudelpointer · #47 08-06-2010, 01:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

btw , i would love to again see proof of how eco systems were destroyed due to bass .... lets bring in some case examples ( im guessing this will go down just like the 100 fish tale of 6 lb walleye ) ...

yes you could say once again you have nothing you need to prove to me , but then your comment too has no weight so move along ....

Dude, you seem upset that not everyone agrees with your brilliant plan. Suck it up. Some think your idea is a good one, some don't, and some of us gave you reasons as to why it is not. Some of us work in wildlife, fisheries and the environmental fields, but you come off sounding like our knowledge is BS and hearsay.

As for ecosystem damage from smallmouths, two words: Columbia River. Now, granted, this river system has experienced a "perfect storm" of pollution, dams, and alien species (an d a whole litany of other abuses) but non-native fish species have been more than detrimental to native stocks.

As for other examples, it gets a bit tougher because most smallmouth introductions from coast to coast happened in the early part of the century as they were introduced to damn near every body of water that came in contact with a railway track. Unfortunately there were no "baseline studies" done beforehand to compare the ecological changes that were a result of these introductions. Most of the "natural populations" of smallmouth bass in Manitoba and Saskatchewan (and even Ontario) are not natural, they are introductions that occurred almost 100 years ago.

Chris84 · #48 08-06-2010, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geezle

So because he doesn't mention what lake it is he's automatically a liar? Maybe you didn't use the word 'liar' but it was more than implied.

There are lots of people who won't openly post where they fish. Are they all liars too?

I don't even know what to say about this one. I know Rockymtnx is a big boy and can look after himself.

All I'll say is that negative posts such as this one are the type that turn people (like Cowtown Guy) off of the fishing forum.

Thanks for coming out...

x2

I don't normally get involved in these rants, but even if you think Rockymtnx is lying, why do you feel the need to announce it? He's well respected and I doubt others on here feel that he is lying.

As far as bass are concerned, I think the focus should be on improving and maintaining our current species before trying to re-introduce bass into Alberta. It would be awesome to have bass in Alberta, but given that the past attempts to introduce them here failed and the lack of fishable lakes in Alberta (compared to other provinces) it would be best to enjoy what we have IMO.

Chris

blackpheasant · #49 08-06-2010, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mszomola

Dear lord !!

First of all thanks to those who responded with resonable posts and didnt hijack my thread turning it into a East Vs West , and who called who a liar ....

I actually found most of you pretty welcoming coming here and i was born here so what i didnt expect was some of the pretty harsh remarks ....

Anyways , im not a child , if we want to get that way then I'll clear somethings up ( im directly looking at those who got their pantys in a knot over the topic )

To the post of the 100 fish 6 - 7 lbs I wasnt even trying to go there with you , but you cant even mention a lake .... i'll file that in the "guys who dont know what a scale looks like" and every fish is a 5 lber ... your right you dont need to prove anything to me , infact you have nothing to prove .... just dont lie ... I wasnt on here bashing alberta fishing ...

I think its got alot going for it , and honestly i know i have caught more walleye here in 2 months then years back home ( maybe im a terrible walleye angler ) but 100 fish is a feat , and 6 -7lbers your out of your mind ... sorry bud put the pipe down....

I'm just saying that theres obviously a demand for some bass , were not talking about turning alberta into ohio . I'm just saying , and many would agree that theres some pretty familiar water here that has average to meehhh walleye and jack fishing . Those 3 species exsist in so many lakes around the world , theres absolutely no threat involved .... theres a bass pro who would surely be on board to participate in some stocking programs , they have always done great things for conservation.

The remark that its been tried and failed ... well , stocking 1 lake in the 80s that has such poor water qualities and much more north with no forage ? not exactly an effort ... but hey , its up to the people here and theres obviously some people who would like to see it ..... theres no need to get in a fit over the topic and bash those who are interested ...

Keep your silly little bass I rank them right up there with Crappies....

floppychicken · #50 08-06-2010, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkAisling

I'm quite sure no one feels that they need to prove anything to you.

They did try it. It didn't work. End of story.

Wrong..... not the end of story. It was screwed up, just like much of the Stocking was years ago... Take a tour of the Fish Hatchery and you'll be more informed.

No such thing as TOO COLD for BASS either... Largemouth...Maybe, but Smallmouth? What're you guys smokin? We used to cut through 3' of ice to catch our fish and yeah, ... full of Smallies, Walters, Catfish, Pike, you name it.

We have Rainbows and Browns here in Alberta, along with 'other' non-native species! Does that mean they DON'T belong? Send all the RAINBOWS back to india and the Browns back to Europe then! Sheesh....

Oh, and BTW just over 20% of Alberta's population doesn't originate from CANADA... So then, how many English speaking persons do you suppose are from the EAST?... or West?

Christofficer · #51 08-06-2010, 03:00 PM

I'm not sure bout smallmouth bass, but the glenmore reservoir in calgary was stocked with largemouth bass years ago, which unsuprisingly failed. They did the same with kokanee salmon. So it's obviously been attempted before but failed hard. I think it would be kinda cool having a bass pond somewere around calgary but I can easily make due with monster browns and bows.

Pudelpointer · #52 08-06-2010, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by floppychicken

Send all the RAINBOWS back to india and the Browns back to Europe then! Sheesh....

Whuuuuuuu!?

Dude. Seriously. India? Where did you here such a ridiculous story?

Rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) are a salmonid species native to western North America. There is at least one naturally occurring population east of the continental divide, in the Athabasca drainage of ALBERTA.

Rockymtnx · #53 08-06-2010, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris84

As far as bass are concerned, I think the focus should be on improving and maintaining our current species before trying to re-introduce bass into Alberta.

This statement pretty much sums it up!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pudelpointer

Dude. Seriously. India? Where did you here such a ridiculous story?
Rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) are a salmonid species native to western North America. There is at least one naturally occurring population east of the continental divide, in the Athabasca drainage of ALBERTA.

Thank you for posting the truthful fact instead some silly fiction.

Anomaly · #54 08-06-2010, 05:08 PM

what exactly DO shoes taste like?

blackpheasant · #55 08-06-2010, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anomaly

what exactly DO shoes taste like?

Depends on the brand and where there made I think ..but generally kinda like Calamari you know a little rubbery..

209x50 · #56 08-06-2010, 08:31 PM

I believe the biggest problem with bass is the water doesn't get warm enough for successful spawning until too late in the year.

matt04 · #57 08-06-2010, 09:58 PM

Wow!! This thread has entertained

me and educated

me all at the same time! Keep it rollin

Tom Pullings · #58 08-06-2010, 11:05 PM

Being an ontarian as well I would love to catch bass again. However, I have even more fun catching new species of fish here that I had never heard of before coming to Alberta. Burbot, goldeyes and mooneyes are particularly interesting to me. I don't see the need for bass stocking here. All fish are fun to catch IMO.

Pudelpointer · #59 08-07-2010, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tom Pullings

Being an ontarian as well I would love to catch bass again. However, I have even more fun catching new species of fish here that I had never heard of before coming to Alberta. Burbot, goldeyes and mooneyes are particularly interesting to me. I don't see the need for bass stocking here. All fish are fun to catch IMO.

These are the kind of Ontarians we need here!

#60 08-09-2010, 08:47 PM

Albertas oil runs this whole country,do not forget it. They come here from all over just for that reason.