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Maybe someday we could see this in Ontario. If we ever had the money to do any sort of research

http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015/04/ ... ss-season/

One research study I would like to see is what % of people are now mostly C&R. I bet the majority is already this route. Who here still keeps more than 50% of their catches. Now I am totally for anyone keeping the fish they catch but for me I am 99% C&R. Anyway I would be curious to see the replies.

It would be nice but personally I agree with you that it wouldn't be enforced enough to make it viable. Too many yahoos catching a PB and keeping it. Plus disturbing the fish while their spawning, I don't really agree with.

I'm kind of on the fence. Studies have shown that in areas with bluegill taking bass off the nest is detrimental even if they are released. I think it's fine the way it is. On the other side of the coin, I'd much rather see people keep bass than walleye, native lake trout or big pike in zone 12/18. I can't speak for every lake, but overall bass populations are pretty healthy in both zones.

I've always said I would love to see this done, but on a rotational basis. A few lakes 1 year, different lakes the next, keep switching it up. I'm sure it could work, and would be a ton of fun.

I don't think there is a real need for a year round bass season. We have many other options for fishing. Something is always in season tbh

If you only want to fish one type of fish then I don't think there is a problem with having a closed part of the year.
Hell most years you can catch bass (in season) through the ice.

Giving fish a break for a season is something that I grew up with (rotational opens and closures) yes it is more work and takes more enforcement but getting people to actually check the regulations each year is a good thing. Right now I find it kind of amazing how many people don't check the regs each year.

Also a lot of the lakes where Bass fishing during spawning is allowed also have a much healthier population and more favourable conditions. Bass are actually close to the end of their range in much of Canada and thus much more likely to need a break.

MichaelGA wrote:I don't think there is a real need for a year round bass season.

I think you're wrong, though it's true we do have other species, LOTS of anglers are willing to go across the border and spend their money on hotels and licenses to fish the species.
If they could find a healthy/happy balance, apply this to certain lakes in regions that could mean some serious income for those communities.
A brief example, in a couple weeks, I and my cousin along with at least 5-6 more boats ( basically 10-14 guys/gals) are headed to NY, even with our crap dollar..

Between hotels, food and gas... $$

Champlain is a huge lake, yet with the amount of tournaments it hosts and a catch and release season, all you hear about is how great the fishing is.
I'll be experiencing it first hand soon enough,.

MichaelGA wrote:Also a lot of the lakes where Bass fishing during spawning is allowed also have a much healthier population and more favorable conditions.

Lake Champlain among MANY more, get the same weather as we do and still flourish.. ^ That's a miss conception and "the proof is in the pudding" as they say..
They get a HECK of a lot more pressure when you look at the amount of tournaments that are held on them...

I have no plans on starting an argument but why is it we put limits on ourselves, deprive ourselves of this massive income and yet our VERY close neighbors to the south are doing it differently, enjoying the $$ and they basically have the same weather as us.. Lake Oneida is another lake that's very close to the border.

bradford2 wrote:I've always said I would love to see this done, but on a rotational basis. A few lakes 1 year, different lakes the next, keep switching it up. I'm sure it could work, and would be a ton of fun.

^ That's a great idea!!

Shawn.D

What studies do we need done? They've been done and presented. The problem with studies is ANY good scientist can start with a question and a desired answer and pretty much make it fit.

Yes the US has these CnR release seasons, are they right to do so? History shows in many cases south of the border that they have decimated their own fisheries due to overfishing and harvest. Why do you think for near a century now they've been coming up here to vacation? It wasn't for the maple syrup and poutine. It's because our fishing opportunities are WAY better than theirs in most cases.

I personally will always side on the notion of caution when it comes to regulations when asked. We won't know for a generation what impact the CnR release seasons have had South. We'll see.

RJ

I think the bass in Z18 could handle a C&R season, it is a pretty health population and may actually help the walleye pop recover. For me though I dont really care, I can wait until June for bass, I am a multi species guy. I am obsessed with crappie/bluegill/perch right now, then in a couple weeks it will be walleye and pike, after that bass, then walleye again then ice season. Repeat. The anticipation of each season is part of the fun of it for me.

RJ I concur with you!
I think it is crazy the Americans showing all these bass getting caught during spawn on WFN currently. It clearly can't be good.
I just read a scale the other day that indicated fish size version their age. It was remarkable to see how old some of these fish get and that they actually made it there in the first place.

But that just me after a great afternoon of watching pike spawn.

Kinda agree with RJ as well.. A lot easier to pull these hogs off a bed then go find one in the summer.. I think none of us think it would help bass numbers then only the opposite can be true .. New York being open all year can come with some influence from southern states ... I'm gettin pretty itchy for June myself , the wait adds drama and suspense

I don't see the benefit of early season bass...As most know, they will literally remove anything from their beds to protect their eggs/fry..how can you call that a rewarding catch?? When they aren't there to protect (while they are being fought and landed) you get all kings of critters that will raid their nests...that's where the damage gets done. It's not the anglers mishandling fish that is the risk...

Personally I feel there are other things that MNR can do to improve fishing opportunities, that would be much easier to enforce.

For example, harmonizing regulations and limits on waterways that share borders. For example, on Lake Ontario in New York State, they are permitted to use 3 rods per angler from the shore or boat. Why are we still limited to 2 rods for boat anglers on Lake Ontario? (I admit, I personally would love a solo-triple-header of Kings...so that is a biased example lol)

Is there a difference in regulations with Ontario and Quebec? That would be another example of shared waterways separated by a border...

Carp specific regulations is another one I could see that would create additional fishing opportunities, potentially alleviating pressure on sport fish. E.g allowing the use of 2 rods when targeting Carp. The problem with that is, you would get guys rigging up stuff for other types of fish, under the guise of Carping...

That's why it's important to be engaged in MNR public information sessions, to provide that voice so hopefully they can start listening to what we want to see changed.

My $.02
Tony

I hear ya Tony and agree with the 2 dead lines for carp .. As long as people let em go lol

I agree that any study can literally show anything. For me, personally, seeing is believing.

I've been fishing Vermont (that has as many bass fisherman, per capita, as we do) for 20 years and they have had a C&R season that opens around April 15th. I try to do a yearly pilgrimage to the Green Mountain State in May (now that I don't live in Montreal anymore with quicker access) and have not seen any decline in the bass fishery whatsoever - whether it be big lakes like Champlain, medium lakes like Memphremagog or ponds like Seymore and Salem.

I could be wrong, but the time period over which my "sampled observation" is based is quite long.

However, as much as I'd like to see an earlier open, as RJ mentions, caution is always the best policy.

Never kept a bass, never will! Why keep a PB when you can snap a pic!

T-Bone wrote:I don't see the benefit of early season bass...As most know, they will literally remove anything from their beds to protect their eggs/fry..how can you call that a rewarding catch?? When they aren't there to protect (while they are being fought and landed) you get all kings of critters that will raid their nests...that's where the damage gets done. It's not the anglers mishandling fish that is the risk...

Personally I feel there are other things that MNR can do to improve fishing opportunities, that would be much easier to enforce.

For example, harmonizing regulations and limits on waterways that share borders. For example, on Lake Ontario in New York State, they are permitted to use 3 rods per angler from the shore or boat. Why are we still limited to 2 rods for boat anglers on Lake Ontario? (I admit, I personally would love a solo-triple-header of Kings...so that is a biased example lol)

That's kind of funny right there. Lake Ontario in New York State has an early CnR bass season
I know tho, you don't fish bass so it's not on your radar