FISHERIES REPORT
Jennifer Gilland
It has been another great year of fishing on our lakes. It is great to see the ongoing traditions of families going out to catch lake trout, bass or any of the smaller species that keep the kids smiling! Our lake trout continue to be healthy, so enjoy your catch!
From January 19, 2008 until March 31, 2008 a winter creel survey was conducted in order to continue to monitor lake trout angler effort and harvest on Kawagama. In his report entitled Results of the Winter Creel Survey Conducted on Kawagama Lake in 2008, Stephen Scholten, MNR Area Fisheries Biologist, summarizes the findings in 2008 compared to previous studies. Poor ice conditions in January 2008 resulted in a late start and ice travel was avoided.
Since it was expected that fishing effort would be low (based on 2001 data) the survey design was adjusted considerably. Only ten weekends were studied which included twenty activity counts and only ten interviews were conducted.
All anglers were targeting lake trout and it was estimated that 68 were caught and of these 61 were harvested. He noted that there was a higher proportion of fish harvested to those caught, compared to other years. The explanation for this higher harvest rate could be 1) misleading due to limited information (study design), 2) anglers have developed skills in targeting lake trout that are outside the protected slot size of 40-55 cm (release these fish), or 3) it is possible that some of the lake trout harvested were actually inside the protected slot size length.
Recommendations from this survey:
"The lake trout population in Kawagama Lake is healthy" (Scholten, 2008). He recommends that the current regulation be liberalized in consideration of low fishing effort on Kawagama and the healthy lake trout population.
A submission has been made to alter the current fishing regulation, however, this review has been deferred until there can be a zone-wide review of the regional lake trout strategy.
It is possible that future regulations will alter either the open season dates for lake trout during the winter months, and/or allow for an alteration to the protected slot size length. It is interesting to note that prior to the introduction of the protected slot size limit (40-55 cm) in the mid 1990's, fishing effort and harvest on Kawagama was quite high.
Below:
Indicates that a significant amount of lake trout in Kawagama are within the protected slot size, and may be an explanation for reduced fishing efforts,asanglers are required to release all of those fish within the 40-55 cm slot size, which could represent a majority of their catch.
I would personally like to extend sincere appreciation to the ongoing support and efforts by Stephen Scholten and his team with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources.
The KLCA is truly fortunate to have such dedication and expertise watching out for our lakes' health. We look forward to working with the MNR in future studies and as KLCA members, continue to do our part in keeping our lakes clean and fish populations viable, through regulation compliance, and safer fishing practices (use lead free products, prevent the spread of invading species, etc.)
New Conservation Officer Enforcement Strategy:
Is it a bird…is it a plane…is it the MNR?
The Ministry of Natural Resources has a number of investigative tools and advancements since inception in 1892.
Some of these include GPS tracking, Canine Units and now Aerial Patrols, which allow officers to patrol remote areas and lakes more efficiently. As one officer stated to me this winter,"…although it is much more expensive (to have a helicopter, 3 conservation officers, a pilot and a search dog), we can cover more territory in one day then it would take us individually to cover in three weeks…in the winter."
According to an Enforcement bulletin (February 17, 2009) entitled: 65 Charges in Fishing Enforcement Blitz, the MNR laid 65 charges and issued 50 warnings during a weekend enforcement blitz on three lakes in south central Ontario in February 2009.
Some of these violations included: Fishing without a license, failing to produce a license, fishing with too many lines, and failing to register an ice hut.
Officers also laid charges under the Motorized Snow Vehicle and Off-Roads Vehicle Acts, and Liquor License Act (for open liquor on the ice).
Our winter experience with the MNR:
Imagine a nice sunny day in the middle of winter with a little wind and no snowmobile traffic on the lake…it is peaceful and beautiful.
Then you hear the well known sound of a helicopter.
You think…"Are they checking hydro lines? Are they looking for forest fires?"
Then you see them circle around you…lower and lower, in their bright yellow helicopter.
They land a short distance from where you are ice fishing.
You see a dog…you see a few people come out of the helicopter.
It is like a scene from a movie…the turbulence of the helicopter blades blowing snow all around, and these images of people and a dog coming toward you.
Then you see the uniforms and their guns…and it becomes real. I have to say it was a very intimidating experience.
The questions begin... asking for your licence, your understanding of your licence, how many fish have you caught, how long have you been out, do you have identification, do you have licences on your snowmobiles, and, did I mention, frisking my jacket for presumably alcohol? They also use dogs to search for fish.
I learned that some people go to the trouble of cutting out a section of ice to put their catch in, then park their snowmobiles over it, so an officer won't see it…guess what, they look for this trick and there is no doubt the dog will sniff out any fish scent in the area.
The reality is that conservation officers have a difficult job to do, and they are here because so many do break the law.
They deserve our respect and cooperation, and the reality is they have a lot of authority. The moral of the story is to make sure you know the fishing and hunting regulations in our area. We have an amazing lake with healthy fish populations.
The regulations are in place to keep our lakes healthy and viable.
All Ontarians can play a part in protecting our natural resources from waste, abuse and depletion.
If you are a witness to a resource violation within Ontario, please call the Ministry of Natural Resources TIPS line at:
1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667)
Before reporting please note the following:
- Nature of Violation (fishing, hunting, forestry, water, etc)
- Vehicle Information
- Location of violation (Address, County, Township, Lot, etc)
- Particulars of the violation, or other relevant information
Note:
a picture is worth a thousand words! (www.mnr.gov.ca)
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Fisheries Winter Update 2010
By now several of you will have ventured out onto the ice and tried your skill at ice fishing. Points to remember when fishing through the ice: Always ensure you have a fishing license with you, a measuring tape and know the current regulations for the body of water you are on.The MNR has confirmed that their Conservation Officers will be on patrol (remember from Reflections…they have dogs and helicopters now!). Your Outdoor Card is only valid if BOTH the expiry date on the front of the card AND the expiry date of the license (either a tag on the back or a paper copy of e-license) are currently valid.
2010 Fishing Regulations are available on-line at: http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/index.html
The following is a summary covering Kawagama, Bear, Livingstone Lakes*:• Only one line may be used when angling through the ice• Lake Trout-between 40-55 cm (15.7 - 21.7 inches) MUST be released
Kimball Lake continues to be closed during the winter months (Lake trout season is the 3rd Saturday in May until September 30.)
* Ensure you check the Regulations for any other important information
Keep safe and enjoy your catch!
Jennifer Gilland
Director of Fisheries
18-Jan-2010
