Bait Fisher Rant

[Jayhad]

Typically, I don't get to hot about these clowns I just call them in. But I have been scoping a beaver pond for a while with all intentions of checking it out, on sunday I made it out. The water is gin clear, 4-6' deep and had several LARGE browns cruising in it. the browns were feeding on the surface but were ultra spooky.... I was getting ready to fish it when some huge wind came up and put the fish down, I decided to take off some where else and just hit this one another day, it's off the map and I couldn't really see anybody coming in there over the next few days. So I flew out of work early yesterday thinking the cloud cover would be perfect. When I get in there I see a fresh price tag from WSS for a spinning rod/reel combo, a panther martin package and a fresh tub of Big Zee minnows.... and one of the smaller bruins....... just one left, COME ON MAN

 

C. For other ES1 Lakes, Reservoirs and Ponds not included under (A) or ( and for fish species not mentioned at a listed lake.

Open all year – Trout limit 5; Mountain Whitefish limit 5 over 30 cm; (where present, Walleye limit 3 over 50 cm; Pike limit 3 [no size limit]; Perch limit 15; Lake Whitefish limit 10; Burbot limit 10); Bait, except bait fish, allowed.

 

I guess if it wasn't for the minnows whoever raped that spot would be with in the law.... if they didn't over limit, but where is the fore thought, when Billy Bait, gets his buddies Pete Pickeralrig and Willy Wormdunk to go down and get some dinna this weekend will he realize it was his actions that caused this spot to now suck?

 

Man the kype on the biggest brown I saw was massive, I just wanted to hassle him for a few minutes and now I never will.... bummer two days late

 

I sat there drowning my tears with beer just watching hoping the fish would rematerialize

[monger]

I believe Beaver ponds should be covered under stream regulations as they are on flowing water rather than a lake. Are these browns stocked fish or did they migrate from a river/stream? Too bad when little gems get raped.

[Jayhad]

I believe Beaver ponds should be covered under stream regulations as they are on flowing water rather than a lake. Are these browns stocked fish or did they migrate from a river/stream? Too bad when little gems get raped.

Monger, I guess you are right about the regulations.... I would assume the fish migrated during a high water, the river that flows by it holds browns and during high water this would be a back water.... probably. If they were stocked fish I wouldn't really care as much, I would have liked a shot. But what I don't get is why you would strip it clean, these browns were large, I think they would be muddy and old tasting... but they were large one would make a meal for 4-6. Whoever did this could have had several days of getting a pig for dinner.

[monger]

High water, adventure seeking fish get in some interesting places. I've seen similar things in the past where the locals feel they just couldn't possibly leave those big fish in a small pond. Few fish, lots of food...it's a good recipe for a serious fish.

Check the regs for closure timing on river (floodplain) and tributaries

[jjthom2]

High water, adventure seeking fish get in some interesting places. I've seen similar things in the past where the locals feel they just couldn't possibly leave those big fish in a small pond. Few fish, lots of food...it's a good recipe for a serious fish.

Check the regs for closure timing on river (floodplain) and tributaries

Sorry to hear about your spot Jay.

I met a guy with his wife and kids a few years back carrying his stringer of 5 browns out of the FT (legal limit for all in his party but come on?!). I told him that if he was hungry but couldn't afford food I'd be happy to give him a few bucks. A limit of 2 fish on a stream like the FT is ridiculous.

[Harps]

Beaver ponds aren't considered Lakes and ponds, they inherit the regs of the flowing water that flows in or out of them. If the river flooded the pond or if the pond is formed from a tributary to a river or creek... stream regs apply!

 

The same regulations apply to beaver ponds as apply to the streams in which the ponds are found.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fishingre...neral-regs.html

 

If you were in ES1:

Bait Fishing,

Fishing with bait in ES1 streams is NOT allowed except at portions of a few rivers under “ES1 Lake and Stream Listings.”

 

Likely, any bait use was poaching.

Call it in.

[ironfly]

freestone,

 

Judge not, my friend. First of all, there's more than enough true poachers around, so maybe we should be thankful whenever we encounter someone following the regs. Second, who know's how many times they get out in a year. Some families have one annual trip, and that's it. How many fish do you catch in a year? Let's assume you're one of the really good anglers who get's out all the time, and average 1000 fish/year. Most people reckon the mortality to be higher, but let's say 1% of your released fish die. So they kill 5 fish a year, and you kill 10. Does that change your perspective at all?

 

I kinda doubt calling him poor in front of his family was helpful.

[fish4trout]

I kinda doubt calling him poor in front of his family was helpful.

 

x2, surprised you didnt get smacked around for that. Unfortunately if its legal, there is not much you can do about it. Albertas fishing reg's are so far behind, just look at limits for walleye and pike. They encourage you to keep the spawners???

 

[rollyy]

Maybe if the government placed some decent sized fish into the put and take ponds, ( sevren res., dewits pond, sibbald flats area, ect) people might not be so tempted to go to these out of the way places for nice trout. Its hard to make a meal out of a little squiggly six inch fish!

[Jayhad]

Freestone,

I am with you on the comment, this dude is teaching his kids that the resource is theirs to plunder. I don't mind dudes killing fish but on small creeks and sensitive areas 5 fish can make an impact.

[jjthom2]

freestone,

 

Judge not, my friend. First of all, there's more than enough true poachers around, so maybe we should be thankful whenever we encounter someone following the regs. Second, who know's how many times they get out in a year. Some families have one annual trip, and that's it. How many fish do you catch in a year? Let's assume you're one of the really good anglers who get's out all the time, and average 1000 fish/year. Most people reckon the mortality to be higher, but let's say 1% of your released fish die. So they kill 5 fish a year, and you kill 10. Does that change your perspective at all?

 

I kinda doubt calling him poor in front of his family was helpful.

Agreed - not the classiest move on my part - but it is easy to get attached to the smaller streams, especially when certain trout you get to know and catch numerous times from the same place each year are suddenly gone for no good reason. I wish I was a 1000 fish/year angler.

[Guest Sundancefisher]

Maybe if the government placed some decent sized fish into the put and take ponds, ( sevren res., dewits pond, sibbald flats area, ect) people might not be so tempted to go to these out of the way places for nice trout. Its hard to make a meal out of a little squiggly six inch fish!

 

 

F&W does put brood stock in lakes...they publish it also... Thing is...they go mighty quickly in a small pond. They are extremely expensive to raise to 22 inches...mother nature does it much cheaper. This is a principle of a quality fishery that hopefully can draw people wanting a big one for the table away from natural self sustaining fisheries. However given the population growth and limited lakes and rivers...fishing pressure will always remain high.