Three NICE brookies this week :)

[gprime27]

6 feet of water. a splitshot and a small hook with a very very tiny piece of meal worm on it

[JJRND]

Sweet! I'd like to catch a few perch when I'm back home for reading week and have myself a fish fry. Thanks for the info.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by JJRND

Gprime is right. They had this same discussion a while back about a walleye caught in Park Lake. The lake specific regulations make no mention to the limit of walleye you can keep, so it then falls under the pp1 general regulations. So if you managed to catch 3 walleye over 50cm in Park Lake you could take all 3 home. The guy who caught the eye called a CO and that is what he said. So it looks like Gprime is going to have an excellent meal of perch chowder here soon. Let us know how you do with the perch next time you head out!

Park lake is NOT a stocked trout water

[JJRND]

Neither is Nicholas Sheran according to the regulations.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by JJRND

Neither is Nicholas Sheran according to the regulations.

it states all stocked waters are not listed on that page.
i have a call into the F@W office.....they were not able to give me a answer after a 10 minute discussion but will get back to me.....lol

[JJRND]

Lol! I just emailed a FW office. I wonder how long it will take for them to reply. Sorry about the stocked water issue. I was just stating a point about general water. But I'd like to know about the stocked waters as well. Cause if you caught a trout in let's say bears pond, you can't keep the grayling, but can you keep the trout. Not sure how a trout would get in there, but just as an example. Is this what you were trying to get across? Just so I am on the same page as you.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by JJRND

Lol! I just emailed a FW office. I wonder how long it will take for them to reply. Sorry about the stocked water issue. I was just stating a point about general water. But I'd like to know about the stocked waters as well. Cause if you caught a trout in let's say bears pond, you can't keep the grayling, but can you keep the trout. Not sure how a trout would get in there, but just as an example. Is this what you were trying to get across? Just so I am on the same page as you.

just got a call......According to Officer Craig it is ILLEGAL to keep perch in Nic-Sheran. He works out of the Lethbridge office..

[chubbdarter]

it will be interesting if your e-mail goes to a different officer and you get a different answer....lol

[JJRND]

"The following list of lakes, reservoirs and ponds identifies sites that are frequently stocked with rainbow trout, and some with brook trout, brown trout or cutthroat trout. Water bodies appearing below are open all year with a trout limit of five. THE HARVEST OF SPECIES OTHER THAN TROUT FROM STOCKED TROUT WATERS IS NOT PERMITTED. Stocked waters where the harvest of other species is allowed or where bait restrictions apply are listed under "Lakes and Streams Listings" for each Watershed Unit.
Several additional sites stocked with rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat trout or arctic grayling are not identified in this section, but appear with special regulations under "Lake and Stream Listing" for each Watershed Unit."

"Nicholas Sheran Park Pond – Open all year – Trout limit 5; Pike limit 3 (no size limit)."

So according to what officer Craig said it's illegal, and this seems to back up what he says. Even if the stocked body of water is listed under "Lakes and Streams Listings", you can't keep anything unless it is mentioned in those listings. That's what I gather.
But it is not illegal to keep fish that aren't listed in bodies of water that are not stocked with trout? Just as long as you follow the provincial catch limit?

That kind of bites...cause if someone threw some pike in a trout pond illegally, and a person later caught a pike, he'd have to just put it back in and let the pike take control? I'm sure eventually they'd change the regs so that pike were able to be kept legally, but I'm just saying.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by JJRND

"The following list of lakes, reservoirs and ponds identifies sites that are frequently stocked with rainbow trout, and some with brook trout, brown trout or cutthroat trout. Water bodies appearing below are open all year with a trout limit of five. THE HARVEST OF SPECIES OTHER THAN TROUT FROM STOCKED TROUT WATERS IS NOT PERMITTED. Stocked waters where the harvest of other species is allowed or where bait restrictions apply are listed under "Lakes and Streams Listings" for each Watershed Unit.
Several additional sites stocked with rainbow, brook, brown, cutthroat trout or arctic grayling are not identified in this section, but appear with special regulations under "Lake and Stream Listing" for each Watershed Unit."

"Nicholas Sheran Park Pond – Open all year – Trout limit 5; Pike limit 3 (no size limit)."

So according to what officer Craig said it's illegal, and this seems to back up what he says. Even if the stocked body of water is listed under "Lakes and Streams Listings", you can't keep anything unless it is mentioned in those listings. That's what I gather.
But it is not illegal to keep fish that aren't listed in bodies of water that are not stocked with trout? Just as long as you follow the provincial catch limit?

That kind of bites...cause if someone threw some pike in a trout pond illegally, and a person later caught a pike, he'd have to just put it back in and let the pike take control? I'm sure eventually they'd change the regs so that pike were able to be kept legally, but I'm just saying.

lol..but it is okay to keep pike...because in the specific regulation for the lake it makes a excemption for pike in Nic-Sheran but not perch.

he said the general synopsis is the last option for clarification....first pge 8 rules...then go to pg 51 lake specific regulations for exceptions....finally if you dont have a answer go to general for the region and that is your regulation.

even though its not listed as a stocked lake on pg 8...it is in blue type on pge 51 which indicates a stocked body of water

lol my head hurts

[JJRND]

Originally Posted by chubbdarter

lol..but it is okay to keep pike...because in the specific regulation for the lake it makes a excemption for pike in Nic-Sheran but not perch.

he said the general synopsis is the last option for clarification....first pge 8 rules...then go to pg 51 lake specific regulations for exceptions....finally if you dont have a answer go to general for the region and that is your regulation.

even though its not listed as a stocked lake on pg 8...it is in blue type on pge 51 which indicates a stocked body of water

lol my head hurts

Haha. Well at least the confusion is over until next time. Thanks for clarifying everything though. It's nice to know and understand all the regulations.

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by JJRND

Haha. Well at least the confusion is over until next time. Thanks for clarifying everything though. It's nice to know and understand all the regulations.

good thing the kfc is just down the road to solve supper problems....and i have coupons...woot woot!!

[gprime27]

mmm, well then.. I have nothing to say. I'm only going of by what I've been reading and have been told. Those regulations suck. I have to say that they should make it ALOT clearer..

[gprime27]

I kinda feel like a criminal now

[chubbdarter]

well its no excuse for me but ive been at this a long time and ive learned alot about suckers and perch in the last few days.
i do know if what im told doesnt seem crystal clear to what i read in the regs....im making the call....even though some government employees talk down to a person.....todays people were very kind and helpfull.

and theyare very busy today with some sort of magrath special hunt

also its alot easier for me to understand something when a person who understands it walks me thru it in simple terms.....kinda like my kid teaching me computer stuff.....when it finally clicks in your kinda embarrassed.

[gprime27]

I'm not really embarassed, jus tglad I found out before I went and took 15 out of there saturday haha

[chubbdarter]

change the subject....hahahahha

how deep you fishing for the TROUT?

[JJRND]

I wouldn't feel too bad gprime. You at least know now.

[gprime27]

3 feet of water! that's all I'm saying

[chubbdarter]

Originally Posted by gprime27

3 feet of water! that's all I'm saying

hahahahhahhhahaahahah

all i know is its the best lake i know with KFC next door.

[chubbdarter]

are the brook trout retired brood stock?

[gprime27]

there are some HOGS in there. I haven't been fortunate to get into one of the big ones.. seen them lots.. Going after one this weekend. The ones I'm getting are about normal size.. they where stocked as ok size fish. just big enough so the pike don't eat them up. I watched them go in

[Dust1n]

use big smelts/herring on tip ups! deep water i key

[npauls]

Hey Darter,

I am pretty sure that the brookies are just bigger sized stockers that they release so the pike aren't eating them. As for the browns I think they could be broods but may be wrong.

The pike in there pretty much each the perch and crayfish so they are kind of tough to get to bite. Keying in on deep water isn't going to help in that tiny pond. There is only a little deep spot there and I have looked around and most of the time the pike are in the middle depths ready to race into shallow water to hammer some perch.


nate

[fishingrocks]

Good thing i have been throwing the perch back!!!!
Still fun to catch though!!!!!

[Guitarplayingfish]

All trout in Nic are brood trout.. guaranteed. Deepest spot in the lake is 25-26ft (I won't say where), which is very reasonable for such a small pond. Perch haven't been in there for very long... couple years max. I've fished nic my entire life, and I never saw a perch until 2-4 years ago.. Now that they are there, I see them constantly, and usually they take anything (even if its half the size of them!) With some knowledge nic can be fun, and at the right time of year you can almost be guarenteed browns and brooks.. including 5lb brooks (max), and 5lb+ browns, which isn't too uncommon in my experience. I had a 8lb+ brown on the fly once, and i fought it for over 10 minutes. It was going absolutely INSANE, one of the craziest fights I have ever had. I brought her in and when I went to take the hook out she took 1 last run from my feet and snapped my line Im guessing that fish died or was caught since than, considering that was 3 years ago. As for pike, fly-fishing seems to be key. Try it come melt and you will be pleasantly surprised. I couldn't keep them off the line when I used a certain pattern.

Hopefully some of you can hook into some fat trout or pike. If you do, take some pictures and post them

[Guitarplayingfish]

Also, an interesting piece of information... There are A VERY LIMITED population of rainbow trout in the pond as well. I have caught them, and seen them caught as well... When compared to other species though, it is quite rare.

[npauls]

Hey Guitar,

When I first moved to lethbridge back in like 2002 I ice fished that place and used to hammer the perch. They have been in there forever just no where near the amount they are in there now.

I wasn't sure about the brookies being retired broods since some of them are pretty small in size.

I thought the browns were though since most of them that I have seen are big pigs.

Last but not least thanks for the auger. I got it hooked up to my drill tonight and will be testing it out at PCR tomorrow night to see how the blades run. From there I will make adjustments and see if shimming them works or not. If not I may have to search out some new blades and see if they work better.


nate

[chubbdarter]

you guys are very lucky to have a qaulity fishery in the city...

[npauls]

It is a good place to head to when you only have a few hours to kill. I try not to fish it to often so I don't get bored of it. This way it always gives me an option when I don't have alot of time or the money to head somewhere further.


Nate