Stop commercial fishing on Lake McGregor

[Winch101]

Commercial fishing on lakes that are closed for walleyes is pure
Horse ****. Anybody that sport fishes knows that the Alberta Govt when
It comes to resource management is totally out to lunch ....useless.

These two poachers ( and they are poaching from the public )
We're pretty paranoid .....about being watched .....
I did call the fish cops ....they are not being monitored on a
Daily basis.....
Don't be talking about commercial fisherman like these are
Some sort upstanding citizens , particularly these scavengers....
Those walleyes make it to the truck ,they are not going on
The quota .

And these resources belong to Yuppies as well especially the tax paying ones
I,m at a total loss to understand this continual defence of this
Rape of our resource by questionable characters .....and I have
Seen deliverance so I understand in-breeding......unless
There are regular AO members who are commercial fisherman
You should disclose yourself now instead of this half hearted
Bantering about how good this theft is for us.

I mean this with some compassion as I know it is difficult to
Get a real job when you are challenged in so many ways ....

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by Winch101

Commercial fishing on lakes that are closed for walleyes is pure
Horse ****. Anybody that sport fishes knows that the Alberta Govt when
It comes to resource management is totally out to lunch ....useless.
They are there to net for whitefish not walleye. Walleye are an incidental catch(although they are "liked" by commercial guys-to many you shut down your fishery)
These two poachers ( and they are poaching from the public )
We're pretty paranoid .....about being watched .....
I did call the fish cops ....they are not being monitored on a
Daily basis.....
Don't be talking about commercial fisherman like these are
Some sort upstanding citizens , particularly these scavengers....
Those walleyes make it to the truck ,they are not going on
The quota .
I would like to see an effort put into monitoring them(also easier to achieve I would think) than to get rid of commercial fishing.
And these resources belong to Yuppies as well especially the tax paying ones
I,m at a total loss to understand this continual defence of this
Rape of our resource by questionable characters .....and I have
Seen deliverance so I understand in-breeding......unless
Where is your evidence? What have you done about it? Same as Travers?
There are regular AO members who are commercial fisherman
You should disclose yourself now instead of this half hearted
Bantering about how good this theft is for us.
I am not a commercial fisherman, but I am not out to take something away from them with no facts or evidence and science suggests this is not a bad thing. And I sure as heck will not support something like that as a sportsman!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I mean this with some compassion as I know it is difficult to
Get a real job when you are challenged in so many ways ....

I would however, support closer monitoring and enforcement!

My comments in blue

[bowness]

Yes there is, it's called hook and line...

[bowness]

You are giving too much credit to SRD. How can a managed pike fishery go from 3 to 1 then nothing in three years? Mismanagement...let commercial fishing continue as anglers get the shaft. Sounds like the BC salmon fishery in the 80's. After 2decades of recreational anglers showing the value of a sport caught fish as compared to a commercial the government finally changed its course.
Looks like Alberta needs to learn it on its own. I don't understand why anglers don't get more ****ed about this. Seems the new generation doesn't like eating ANY fish.

[bowness]

We contribute much more financially compared to commercial. Imagine who much money fishing/camping at kinbrook brings to the county of Brooks. And now they can't keep one fish?

[bowness]

I completely agree

[zipper]

]I was born in Ontario so I am quite familiar with fishing lake whitefish. They are commercially fished there as well. Ice fishing for whitefish around lake huron and Georgian Bay developed after they began to be caught by splake(brook trout/lake trout cross) fishermen on yes you guessed it roe or eggs.Bull trout & other true trout of which the bull trout is not(char) spawn in creeks & rivers. Lake trout spawn on shoals in lakes. After the native population crashed from over fishing in the great lake and the population were at risk , it was the egg eating whitefish that finaly pushed the population to extinction in that part of the great lakes basin. The Splake program , using various cross of lakers & brookies & lakers again to shorten the maturaty cycle to increase the breading effectiveness. Even with these efforts the exisstance of the heavily commercially fished whitefish holds the population as stable ,not expanding.

The whitefish has its place, the only thing that keeps it from eliminating all other species in the lake is were it likes to live. It generally lives in deeper water than pike or other species use and again they, whitefish, spawn in the lake unlike their cousin the rocky mountain whitefish that does assend rivers. Whitefish are sometimes found in rivers I know, but not during the critical spawning period of the species afore mentioned,thus no predation on the eggs.

The whitefish is not all that good a fighter and needs to be lined gently because of its small soft mouth,also making them deficult to hook. It is not to say they are not a sport fish at all. As far as your magazine is concerned, carp fishing has also been growing in Ontario and is popularized in some magazines. Growing up, they made great fertilizer and on a rod a 40 lb carp was a gas. Not many people eat them though.

The true value of the whitefish is and always will be as a commercial species.Well maybe as a food fishery for my native relatives as it has been for centuries.

Lets all take a moment and hug a tree or pet a burrowing owl or two. Unlike the owl, the whitefish is far from being endangered.[/QUOTE]


I have to disagree with you, the crash of trout populations in the Great Lakes was primarily caused by the invasion of the lamprey, not over fishing or whitefish eating eggs. The reason the trout were affected most is they were more susceptible to lamprey attacks because of their small scales. Course fish with larger scales were better protected and the survival rate was greater.

[anthony5]

I was born in Northwestern ont and the lake my uncle had his fishing and hunting camp was 21 mi wide and 51 mi long. His camp was in the NE corner of the lake which was commercial fished for whitefish for many years along with (walleye, lake trout,pike) as by catches. Commercial fishing was shut down in the late 70's because of the lack of fish and the sport fishing is only coming back now. This (Sturgeon Lake) is a canadian shield lake and netting screwed it up on some of the best fishing areas of the lake. As long as the commercial fishing continues the fishery will suffer, you can only net so many fish year after year before everything goes to hell in a hand basket

[Faststeel]

Originally Posted by nicemustang

I'm not against the petition, just is two sides to the story. The AB SRD is supposed to be managing the amount of fish that come out, so hopefully if they do that there doesn't have to be a ban on commerical fishing.

Have you seen what SRD has done with most of Alberta fisheries in the last 15 years, good or not so good? FS

[Drewski Canuck]

Its pretty easy to avoid all big catchment switch to pound trap nets set in the late fall befire first ice let it run as long as you want only whites are scooped from the trap pen abd all else must be let go.

DREWSKI

[Habfan]

Bump

[cube]

Originally Posted by Drewski Canuck

Its pretty easy to avoid all big catchment switch to pound trap nets set in the late fall befire first ice let it run as long as you want only whites are scooped from the trap pen abd all else must be let go.

DREWSKI

X2!!

I have seen where the netting of large white fish have helped stop the starvation of the walleye on Pigeon for now. By netting out the large White Fish there is more forage for the other game fish to eat, there is more forage for smaller White Fish to eat which in turn becomes forage for larger game fish. So netting is at times a useful tool. I am all for trap netting but given the costs I can't see commercial fishermen investing in the extra costs and labour when there is already next to no money in it.

[jacenbeers]

Originally Posted by cube

X2!!

I have seen where the netting of large white fish have helped stop the starvation of the walleye on Pigeon for now. By netting out the large White Fish there is more forage for the other game fish to eat, there is more forage for smaller White Fish to eat which in turn becomes forage for larger game fish. So netting is at times a useful tool. I am all for trap netting but given the costs I can't see commercial fishermen investing in the extra costs and labour when there is already next to no money in it.

Netting also kills a lot of the walleye as by catch.

[cube]

Originally Posted by jacenbeers

Netting also kills a lot of the walleye as by catch.

How so in a trap net?

[AppleJax]

Having some commercial whitefish for supper tonight can't wait!

[Fishnafterwork]

Originally Posted by muddywaters

Ladies and Gentlemen anglers,

I have started a petition to stop the commercial fishing of whitefish on Lake McGregor. I was shocked to see the numbers on commercial fishing in this province. The benefit of the few at the expence of the many would sum it up. If you are interested in supporting this petition, please sign it at:

www.ipetitions.com/petition/lake-mcgregor

I think that together we can change it and if it work here mayve we can take it to other lakes too. Your support is paramount.

Cheers,
mddywaters

Buck lake is producing record sized whitefish... Stop the netting and you start the stunting.... Fish finders are useless in buck lake as u read whitefish everywhere u go... It's only use is as a depth finder.... The commercial guys have a quote on each species ... If any quota is hit before their whitefish quota is filled the netting stops... Yes they do get incidental catches... The pike are flourishing and nailed hundreds last year... As far as walleye go.. The size limit was dropped from 50 to 43 cm about 6-8 years ago... Since then the walleye didn't get a proper chance to spawn before harvest... The regs have since changed back to 50cm... Give it a couple years and the walleye will rebound to numbers we used see... Needless to say I disagree with your petition

[WayneChristie]

Originally Posted by cube

How so in a trap net?

according to the biologist at the last Brooks fisheries meeting the trap nets dont work they were tried out but werent a viable option

[bobalong]

Originally Posted by cube

X2!!

I have seen where the netting of large white fish have helped stop the starvation of the walleye on Pigeon for now. By netting out the large White Fish there is more forage for the other game fish to eat, there is more forage for smaller White Fish to eat which in turn becomes forage for larger game fish. So netting is at times a useful tool. I am all for trap netting but given the costs I can't see commercial fishermen investing in the extra costs and labour when there is already next to no money in it.

Not really that much competition between the two as whitefish are mostly "bug" eaters while the walleye are more "fish eaters" but they do feed on "bugs" as well, so some competition of forage does occur.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by bobalong

Not really that much competition between the two as whitefish are mostly "bug" eaters while the walleye are more "fish eaters" but they do feed on "bugs" as well, so some competition of forage does occur.

Large whitefish will and do eat spottail shiners. I have caught more than a few while jigging for walleye. The food competition is there.

Flip a small perch size minnow(1-2") in a school of small 1-2lb whitefish and see what happens.

[cube]

Originally Posted by bobalong

Not really that much competition between the two as whitefish are mostly "bug" eaters while the walleye are more "fish eaters" but they do feed on "bugs" as well, so some competition of forage does occur.

What do you think small walleye eat?

Even large walleye eat "White Fish" food. So there is far more competition than most think.

Originally Posted by tight line

Got a bunch of Pike and a couple nice post spawn Walleye. 66 & 64cm, 5.3 & 5.1lbs. Kept the Walleye for the pan. Was a little surprised to see they had been eating small freshwater shrimp! A few stonefies and water beetles in there as well!

Should also note that the fish flies are out on the lakes! Lol

[cube]

Originally Posted by WayneChristie

according to the biologist at the last Brooks fisheries meeting the trap nets dont work they were tried out but werent a viable option

Would you have his name? I would love to see the report.

Not at all indicating what he said during the meeting, but the one recollection I had from reading the fisheries Round Table minutes or something was, that when it was looked at, it was discard based on profitability not weather it would work as a population control method.

This is just my recollection though.

On a personal note I would prefer if SRD taught guys how to catch Whites in the summer. That way you would have less pressure on the walleye and Whitefish population control in one fell swoop.

[Brian Bildson]

Commercial fishing will be non-existent in Alberta by year's end. The Minister of ESRD announced it at a Trout Club meeting in the last day or so, and the ESRD rep at our ACA meeting confirmed it today.

No rumour, it's happening. I don't know the details just that it's a done deal.

[Habfan]

Originally Posted by Brian Bildson

Commercial fishing will be non-existent in Alberta by year's end. The Minister of ESRD announced it at a Trout Club meeting in the last day or so, and the ESRD rep at our ACA meeting confirmed it today.

No rumour, it's happening. I don't know the details just that it's a done deal.

Perfect.!

[CBintheNorth]

Originally Posted by Brian Bildson

Commercial fishing will be non-existent in Alberta by year's end. The Minister of ESRD announced it at a Trout Club meeting in the last day or so, and the ESRD rep at our ACA meeting confirmed it today.

No rumour, it's happening. I don't know the details just that it's a done deal.

About time.
Thanks for the info Brian.

[moose maniac]

Sounds like Robin Campbell has done away with commercial fishing totally not sure of the details Brian bildson stated this on a different thread

[moose maniac]

Lol i need to learn to type faster