Catching fish before thier season

Post by **Wallyboss** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:04 am

Carmine wrote:Hey everyone just wanted to hear your thoughts on catching fish before the season opens but releasing them so strictly catch and release but before the season is open. thoughts???

Just do a quick search on OOS on F-H and I think you will find out what we think about it.

Post by **troutnmuskiehunter** » Thu May 07, 2009 6:59 am

I'm gonna leave my fishing gear at home this year and just take bird photos on the various lakes I know....

Post by **Mike P** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:04 am

If you blurr out the background BA won't be able to find the home of that yellow canary!!!

Post by **troutnmuskiehunter** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:06 am

mmaangler wrote:If you blurr out the background BA won't be able to find the home of that yellow canary!!!

Good idea

Post by **Jimmy_1** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:07 am

Well walleye opener is this Saturday in Zone 18. I can imagine that with the fish being in shallower water from just completing their spawn that most people will hook into the odd OOS fish..

I believe pike is open to. I don't have my reg book with me right now (and I don't target pike).

So people may potential be targetting 2 additional species in Zone 18 come Sat. All that is left is Musky and Bass....

Easier to avoid musky, not so easy to avoid bass.

We were trolling for a certain species last week, we hooked into a 6lb ish largie in 20fow!!!! on a bait clearly not made for that species!

Point is put it back right away, no pics....

Post by **MTF** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:10 am

i you can help it....DON'T DO IT, I have been fishing all spring and only caught a few OOS bass which were put back right away, what I'm saying is if you are careful and know anything about the fish you are targeting you should not be catching many OOS fish

Post by **troutnmuskiehunter** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:13 am

marcthefisherman wrote:i you can help it....DON'T DO IT, I have been fishing all spring and only caught a few OOS bass which were put back right away, what I'm saying is if you are careful and know anything about the fish you are targeting you should not be catching many OOS fish

Exactly....and if you are in an area where you're continously catching OOS fish, MOVE to another location on the lake!!!

Post by **Jimmy_1** » Thu May 07, 2009 7:32 am

Just to ad,

Don't most of us hit the water using polarized glasses? Don't know about you but if I can see the bass spawning I am outta there!

Post by **mattdbz29** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:11 am

okay what if you troll around the lake and everywhere you go you catch bass.... mind you this is in a put an take splake lake. THERE IS NO WAY a warden would do anything to you... what a joke.

Post by **Maple** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:19 am

On the other hand Mattbx32,

If you SAY you are fishing for crappie with a lead-headed jig and minnow, in walleye habitat OOS, you may be fined. And rightly so. Because you aren't targeting crappie.

Maple

Post by **Todd B.** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:29 am

Well some of those "Put & Take" splake lakes (like a number of other trout lakes) did not originally have bass. Rather the bass were introduced intentionally by anglers wanting to fish for bass during the summer months, as well as unintentionally through the release of live bait.

Post by **Jimmy_1** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:41 am

This is why I take my kids to Thistle Springs.

The lakes are pressured enough. If we want to eat some trout I'll go there.

1) Its cheaper than driving to a backwoods lake
2) The kids are guaranteed fish
3) Its a few less fish taken out of the wild, thus allowing them to breed.

Don't get me wrong, I'll fish stocked lakes....but not exclusively nor take excessive #'s.

Not knocking anyone who does...this is just my personal take.

Post by **Oziles** » Thu May 07, 2009 8:52 am

Unfortunately it is a common misconception that if one does catch and release you can fish for anything. Not a day goes by that I don't have a customer looking for minnows, leaches or something similar to fish the Ottawa. I tell them that catfish, crappie and perch are the only thing going right now and if the C.O. sees anything more than a worm, sinker and bobber on a line, he is going to be asking a lot of questions. It is one of the reasons I minimize rental until opening, I don't want to risk any of my boats...plus the potential damage to the fish population...

Better to play it safe...

Yves

Post by **Todd B.** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:03 am

Jamsers,

With the exception of a few Lake trout lakes, and some of the water in/around Algonquin Park, there is little naturally reproducing trout left in eastern Ontario. While the Ontario (trout) stocking program is considered to be a "Put, Grow, Take" program, the current fishing pressure makes it more or less a "Put & Take" program.

Post by **Panfisher** » Thu May 07, 2009 9:12 am

The regs are there to protect the fish and their environment. You have to look at the big picture.

If the Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass are being hauled off their nests by catch and release fishing their numbers will suffer. Other species, less desired species, such as Rock Bass, will start to take their place. Stuff like that throws off the balance of the ecosystems.

Also, these guys need some time to recover from the stress of spawning, needing a good feed and some rest.

In the case of bass, it has been six months since the season ended. With walleye and pike, it depends on whether you ice fish or not, it could be as little as a month, since their season ended. If it is a matter of a another week, is it really going to kill you to wait?

A little patience will ensure we can be fishing for years to come.

Fish-Hawk.Net

Catching fish before thier season

Re: Catching fish before thier season

OOS fishing

Catching Fish Before Thier Season