Catch Limits

[OldTimer]

Here's a topic that might generate some interesting discussion.... limits.

I attach a file containing our local Zone 16 limits and that of our neighbouring province Manitoba.


  fishing limit comparison ont-man.pdf (Size: 386.71 KB / Downloads: 25)

So close - yet so far.......... interesting differences.... different species list too...... while some things are quite similar.

hmmm........ comments?

OT

[MuskieBait]

Interesting for sure.

Most of the limits are fairly close.

25 Whitefish in Manitoba?!?! I know there are lots of whitefish there...but really?

I feel the same about our perch and panfish limits...excessive as well...

I like the Manitoba Black Crappie limit...6...be wise and careful about the 6 you intend to keep...

Channel Catfish limit is great in Manitoba! Ontario's Channel Catfish limit is excessive again...I don't want to be eating a dozen channel cats...no thanks...

In my mind, no seasonal limit for any single species limit to exceed 3 (except for panfish...maybe 15 for panfish). We're recreational fishing...not going out to stock the freezer!

You can't possibly eat all that fish anyways and stay within or below the consumption advisory published in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish...

[Giuga10]

I'm surprised at the Largemouth Bass limit. Are they a protected species down there.

Giuga10

[OldTimer]

(02-04-2013 04:38 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  Interesting for sure.

Most of the limits are fairly close.

25 Whitefish in Manitoba?!?! I know there are lots of whitefish there...but really?

I feel the same about our perch and panfish limits...excessive as well...

I like the Manitoba Black Crappie limit...6...be wise and careful about the 6 you intend to keep...

Channel Catfish limit is great in Manitoba! Ontario's Channel Catfish limit is excessive again...I don't want to be eating a dozen channel cats...no thanks...

In my mind, no seasonal limit for any single species limit to exceed 3 (except for panfish...maybe 15 for panfish). We're recreational fishing...not going out to stock the freezer!

You can't possibly eat all that fish anyways and stay within or below the consumption advisory published in the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish...

In this time - I think their Brook Trout and Muskie limits are very wise.

Rock Bass limit however has me scratching my head.

Largemouth at zero is most likely due to the fact they have few if any most places.

I have a hard time with "no limit" on any species and would like to see a max daily catch count across all, with a reasonable larger possession limit. Reason being....... it's a sport, not a slaughter. A meal or three for the family should be sufficient, beyond that is perhaps greed and more.

OT

[zippyFX]

nice comparison... You could also have one similar for Ontario between (16, 18, 12, 20) for example... I know many people in zone 18 are fuming about no walleye greater than 19.7 inches.

Muskiebait, some people do catch fish for food.... Maybe just a nice dinner every now and again (I don't)...

[MuskieBait]

(02-04-2013 04:38 PM)MuskieBait Wrote:  In my mind, no seasonal limit for any single species limit to exceed 3 (except for panfish...maybe 15 for panfish). We're recreational fishing...not going out to stock the freezer!

Bak...This is what you get for replying to a forum post while at work...incoherent argument.

What I meant to say was...

In my mind, no seasonal limit should exceed 3 per day for any species (except for panfish to set the limit at 15). Conservation limit should not exceed 2...if not even limited to 1 only.

And OT, I agree. There should NEVER be no limits on any species. White Bass, White Perch, Sucker species and Mooneye are not listed in Ontario...I assume there is no limit then? There should be limits on all of them.

Bowfin and Gar also has no limit...although not many people eat them...there should be a very reduced limit because they are such awesome fish!

It is not often not just a matter of managing a fishery, but to limit people's greed as you say, OT.

Look what happened to Lake Simcoe and their smelt population...years of unregulated netting during the smelt spawn wiped them out...and now there are barely any smelt run anymore...

[OldTimer]

Full limit versus conservation limit is a whole new topic......... for another thread some day in the future. I disagree with the concept totally.

Anyway:

But........ unwarranted low limits for some species is not necessary - you still gotta allow "Dad" to bring home a supper. - The difference is just a few fish.

Combined fish count limits would go a long way towards solving other problems discussed on this forum about wanton overfishing here and there.

OT

[MuskieBait]

Before anyone thinks I'm a greenie, I do keep fish for the table too. I just kept my PB 26.5" lake trout for the table...and I see nothing wrong doing that.

A fish that size...about 6lb...maybe 4lb dressed...will provide my sister and I about 2-3 good meals. Check under the Guide to Eating Ontario Sport Fish. You don't want to consumer too big of a lake trout or too many meals per month anyways.

Combining species in the fish count limit...I kind of don't agree with that actually. At any given time in the winter, I may catch and keep a Lake Trout, a Whitefish, a Northern Pike, a Walleye, a Burbot, a few perch and a few sunfish. I may still have a Steelhead or Brown Trout leftover (but kept in good eating condition) in the freezer from the fall. I may still have a shaker King Salmon in the freezer somewhere from trolling Lake Ontario in the summer.

What if the combined limit is set a 5, but I would like to have multiple species? I usually fish different lakes throughout the winter...or various locations on a big lake like Simcoe throughout the season. If I keep one here and one there, from different lakes and different locations, it is unlikely I'll fish out any particular lake (and that's a rational why I choose to fish different spots for different species throughout the season/year). But if I like to harvest different species, I should be able to do so. And I would like the flexibility to do so (not that I necessarily would...but hypothetically speaking, it would be nice. I have had kept 4-5 species of different fish in my freezer at some point...laker, whitefish, perch, walleye and pike are the usual suspects).

And how do you combine fish count limits if you consider panfish vs. other larger sport fish? How do you set the combined limit accounting for keeping five 10lb brown trout vs. five 12" brown trout? The former would be ridiculous amount of fish to consume...the latter would be more reasonable. But it is much harder to control for a combined count (unless it is similar to the combined 5 trout of any species limit that some zones have at the moment...and extend that to combined 5 fish "big game" possession limit for trout, pike, walleye, bass, salmon...etc, then set another combined "small game" possession limit for sunfish, crappie, perch, bullhead, mooneye...etc). But seriously, how do you monitor possession limits anyways? Have your home freezer ever been searched by MNR? Do they come door to door checking for sportfishing license and possession of sportfish? I've never heard of it unless in extreme cases of poaching or overfishing.

Full limit vs. conservation limit...I see nothing wrong in that concept. If I keep less (or any for that matter), I should only need to pay for the "basic" management and enforcement "fees/cost" to the MNR (that's what a license fee is meant to do anyways). Whereas a full limit or seasonal license should cost more factoring in the additional allowable harvest and subsequent restocking fees (if the system works perfectly...which we know it doesn't...). It's a pay per access kind of fee...and I'm perfectly happy with it.

[OldTimer]

I did not say the "combined limit" would be low - just that there should be one. Set it high at whatever....... just less than 50... don't cha think?

I too keep fish - as I and you should. My lady & I , pay lots to do so. considering all. We look forward to a good meal a few times a year.

I pay full pop to SUPPORT the program - NOT to take advantage of it.

There should not be a discount. Most "sportsmen" as you & I will limit their catch - as we "care". Usually its ZIP taken.

I think - split the difference on the price - have ONE fee - we then would be equals - as we should. Then each can decide their path - greed, or conservation........ up to certain prescribed legal limits.

But hey...... opinions may vary............ smile.

Pass the lemons and tartar sauce............. grin + a smile....

OT

[Eli]

You know what I really want to see in Southern and Eastern Ontario...a slot limit on pike. Maybe a keep limit of 2 fish with none over 30". I've been fishing here for most of my life and my biggest Ontario pike - out of the thousands I've caugh - was 40" even. This is an Eastern Ontario "trophy" pike. It's pathetic. And even moreso when you consider that the average pike around here is 22".

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(02-04-2013 05:16 PM)zippyFX Wrote:  I know many people in zone 18 are fuming about no walleye greater than 19.7 inches.

No foresight + no hindsight = fuming.