2010 regs are on line, walleye tags info

[Kim]

I saw the 2010 regs online and I'm disappointed in the walleye tags. Pinehurst 43 to 50 cm. LOL. All the eyes you catch there are probably bigger than that, You might not fill your tags. But long lake has opened with tags yaaa.

[warren77]

Pretty soon, the entire province will require a tag..

[ULTRAlite]

Good eye - just had a quick once over.

Link for anyone wanting a peek

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/

[#1fisherman]

Draw systems, Tags, soon you will have to book a time slot to go fishing, shame on all of you who buy into this system as you will be the ones to destroy our heritage of fishing!

[donkey john]

Tags or 100% catch and release. Unless you can come up with a better idea.  Sending all them easterners back is not an option, at least now that King Ralph has demurred. 

Seriously, I don't like the tags either but if you want to harvest at the over exploited lakes what choice do you really have?  I mean what realistically can they do?

[SNAPFisher]

Draw systems, Tags, soon you will have to book a time slot to go fishing, shame on all of you who buy into this system as you will be the ones to destroy our heritage of fishing!

Shame on you for spewing off.  Your choice, don't need you telling me what my choice should be.  I'm sure your management plan for the fishery in this province far exceeds anyones expectations. 

Looking forwards to the upcoming year.  Should be an interesting one. 

[oldtrout]

Tags or 100% catch and release. Unless you can come up with a better idea.  Sending all them easterners back is not an option, at least now that King Ralph has demurred. 

Seriously, I don't like the tags either but if you want to harvest at the over exploited lakes what choice do you really have?  I mean what realistically can they do?

Send them back? Who would finish your work for ya?lol, I agree with the 100% C&R. That's what I do, not by choice, just have yet to see a lake out here I would let my kids swim in let alone eat a fish from.

[donkey john]

Send them back? Who would finish your work for ya?lol, I agree with the 100% C&R. That's what I do, not by choice, just have yet to see a lake out here I would let my kids swim in let alone eat a fish from.

Well I was born in Saskatchewan so I guess I'd be an Easterner by Alberta standards

As for eating fish from Alberta lakes....aside from Wabamun and a few other fisheries that have a warning on them you are good to go.  They are finding mercury in just about everything now, even ocean fish. Just because water isn't clear doesn't mean its not clean.  I wouldn't be mixing it for kool-ade though. 

My family has been eating fresh fish caught in local lakes since we moved out here in 1969 and judging from the size of us it hasn't stunted our growth.

You gotta get out to a few more lakes.  Trout maybe?

[Kim]

Send them back? Who would finish your work for ya?lol, I agree with the 100% C&R. That's what I do, not by choice, just have yet to see a lake out here I would let my kids swim in let alone eat a fish from.

  oldtrout,

  Have you been to some of the lakes in N.E Alberta? I know of a few S.E of St.Paul that in the summer you can see the bottom crystal clear in 10 fow. One in particular is lac bellevie it is feed by many underground streams. There is even an artisian spring that comes out of the ground about 5 miles south of it about 200 ft above the NSR, most of the area farmers take all there drinking water from. Some of the lakes in Whitney Provincial park are very good also. But most people in the St.Paul area will go to meadow lake Sask. Some great lakes there, much better than Alberta.

[oldtrout]

I agree, I have to get to some more lakes and I haven't given up. I'm sure there are some beauty's out there, like I said just haven't found them yet. I've been to N.E., I also work in Fort Mac and have witnessed first hand what is being pumped into the water system. We spend allot of time camping in the summer and will be sure to try a couple spots listed above, I don't think that there is anything wrong with eating them it's just a personal decision we made. I also prefer to practice C&R, I love the sport and would fish in a puddle if I thought there was fish in it. Thanks for the different locations to try, cheers

[SNAPFisher]

I agree, I have to get to some more lakes and I haven't given up. I'm sure there are some beauty's out there, like I said just haven't found them yet. I've been to N.E., I also work in Fort Mac and have witnessed first hand what is being pumped into the water system. We spend allot of time camping in the summer and will be sure to try a couple spots listed above, I don't think that there is anything wrong with eating them it's just a personal decision we made. I also prefer to practice C&R, I love the sport and would fish in a puddle if I thought there was fish in it. Thanks for the different locations to try, cheers

One word "Maligne".  Now that is an awe-inspiring lake.  Try everything this province can give you.  You just might be surprised 

Kim, thanks for all the great info.  Looks we stomp some of the same grounds.  I have a cabin at Upper Mann lake and choose the NB1 area just the multitude of great lakes there.  Maybe see you at Bellevue this year. 

[Kim]

Have you been there before? I'v heard from some locals that live right there that 8 lb eyes are a regular now, too bad only C&R, for the 15 years. Some really nice pike used to come out also. My dad used to live about 3 miles away and I used to camp at the lake often. I cant wait when that lake is open with tags, only 2 hours from my house and I know where alot of the drop offs are and shelfs.

[SNAPFisher]

Have you been there before? I'v heard from some locals that live right there that 8 lb eyes are a regular now, too bad only C&R, for the 15 years. Some really nice pike used to come out also. My dad used to live about 3 miles away and I used to camp at the lake often. I cant wait when that lake is open with tags, only 2 hours from my house and I know where alot of the drop offs are and shelfs.

Nope. It will be my first open water trip there this year.  Sounds like a gooder 

[Kim]

Draw systems, Tags, soon you will have to book a time slot to go fishing, shame on all of you who buy into this system as you will be the ones to destroy our heritage of fishing!

Sorry to disappoint you but Iv been fishing for over 30 years now and this last year for me to take a fish has been a first in about 17 and I think I'm going to taste a few now and enjoy some of my efforts. I think I have funded the fish and game department enough to enjoy a few meals for a few years. Lets see 6 meals for a family of 4 in 17 years, not bad I would say. That's not including hunting licences that I have purchased and not shot a single thing. I just enjoy the country and outdoors. Hmmmmmmmmmm those perch sure tasted good. The kids really liked them too, my son went for thirds one day. Of the perch I caught this year the best tasting were from Lake Isle, N Buck and Long were not as tasty. This new year I am gonna target walleye as I have not eaten any for 25 years and my wife and kids have never had any at all, a few perch also.

 And as for people that destroy fishing I'm with you, but who is actually destroying it though? The fisherman who keep a few here and there to eat or the people that put motor boats in the water and spill gas and all the others that that are destroying the wet lands with other pollutants and development, oil exploration, farmers that raise thousands of pigs or chickens a year with all there fertilizer, maybe the cottage owners that put a pier in the water that is made from chemically treated wood, how many people with seadoos nowdays fill up on the lake and spill gas and oil in the lake? I could probably name another 50 or more sources but my rant is done.

[shackless]

Kim, I was on Gull lake the other day and saw drippings from all the vehicles that have driven on the ice.
It's one thing to have a beater vehicle that you might use only for hunting and fishing, but when it leaks antifreeze, oil, trans. fluid as you are driving, what is the effect that this has on the fish as well...
Where do I sign up to be in your camp?  I am with you.

-Shackless

[Kim]

Yes that is another one, My truck does not leak any fluids as I park in the garage and there is absolutly no fluids on the floor in 6 years. One day I suppose It will start leaking then more repair bills, as I dont like leaks. Good point.

[#1fisherman]

My original comment was not against keeping an eater fish or two, it was directed not at fish management strategies either as some of you thought, rather it was directed at people foolishly go along with any plan the governement comes up with to grab dollars out of our wallets. For example the generation before mine and the one before that paid to build the campgrounds of this province. The infastructure exsited and only maintenance costs were required. For a while the gov used to use summer students and minimal security prisoners to do maintenance. Then a greedy backbencher who has friends that needed work created the idea of hiring private companies to maintain campgrounds and now they are almost as much as a cheap motel room. So here is what will happen if more and more people get tags. Some greedy backbencher or
minister will say " the only access to that lake is through my friedns campground perhaps he could make a fee charging everybody to fish for a day or launch their boats". Then the rivers will become a source of revenue as they have become in BC and what happens after that is only limited by their greed and imaginations. This will soon make the passion we all share namely FISHING become unaffordable for a lot of people. That is why I am against tags it is the start of something far more sinsister. If you don't believe me keep buying tags and remember my words 10 years from now. Managemnet is a tough topic especially since the past strategies seem to have failed, but I would gladly pay more for a licence if they hired more CO's and quit giving 80% of our licence fees to IBM.

[Kim]

I agree with you #1.  They have allready started that say 5 years ago or more when they started closing campgrounds and made others private, I know of at least 3 that have closed in a small area that I frequent. The land just sits there not sold or kept up. What a waste.