Ganny River salmon getting no respect!

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 (Image of dead salmon wasting away along shores of the Ganaraska river)

The fall salmon run has been a good one this year in Port Hope. Fish have been travelling through the town’s fish ladder by the hundreds, and hoards of fishermen, some with no common sense or respect, are right there to intercept them.

Our friend Chessy is a resident of Port Hope and an active participant in monitoring trout and salmon activity along the river. This year he’s noticing a rather disturbing trend… 

Anglers just tossing their catch along the shore after stripping the fish clean of their eggs.

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Not only are river anglers casting huge salmon aside like garbage, there are pop bottles, coffee cups and other sorts of litter strewn all along the river banks.

“People are catching salmon, gutting them and taking eggs and leaving the carcass behind” Said Chessy  “My son kicked in 43 dead Chinooks back into the river that were gutted or dead from guys who don’t take the time to revive the fish”

“My son and i even pulled 2 fish from the local bargain shop parking lot that were gutted and placed in a pot hole so they would not be seen”

Now I ask you, is this the sort of behaviour anyone should be proud of??

Chessy goes on…

 “The local parks department finally hauled several hundred pounds of fish guts to the dump from our local FREE fish cleaning station. Some of the fish were whole (12) that were stripped of eggs and left in the cleaning station for the town to clean up and get rid of…”

“It is so bad that our local police are now coming to calls and taking info to pass on or charge those when caught. We actually had people netting at 2 pm in the afternoon on a long week end with dozens of others fishing and watching them do it .

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(This photo depicts someone, with blatant disregard for the law, netting salmon on the Ganny in broad daylight. Photo taken Wednesday at 2 :00 PM)

As Chessy puts it…”this just goes to show the mentality of some people ..”

Pretty sad if you ask me and not the sort of activity to shed any of us in a very good light.

 

Outdoorsguy

Summer starts with bass and muskie nearing full swing

JeffMUSKIECorybass 

Fishing in Zone 18 is poised for take-off this weekend!!

The coveted muskie fishing season in Eastern Ontario got under way a couple of weeks back, and the popular bass season kicks-off this weekend.

Bass and muskie are traditionally the final two species to open each summer; however, account for probably half of the anglers in this part of Canada.

If you’ve ever hooked into a ‘lunge’ it is an experience you won’t soon forget! Back in the day, I was about as avid a muskie hunter as one could possibly be. I remember that first summer of chasing lunge..back in about 1993. I hooked into a muskie by accident and I was hooked instantly. That fish, on the other hand, did not remain hooked as many lunge tend not to do. I needed to upgrade my equipment from medium-action bass/walleye spinning gear to full-fledged heavy muskie tackle. (& trust me, it isn’t cheap!)

That first summer I started off slowly; acquiring a bit of tackle at a time and it took almost the entire summer before I had any muskie casting or trolling gear, and an actual fish in the boot. I must have missed a dozen before I nabbed my first one – a nice 42″, 17.5 pound specimen.

 It was my first bonafide lunge and the only one in my life I’ve ever kept. (Not that I would ever consider or suggest it today, but lemme tell you, it was friggin tasty. Served it to boys at moose camp that year)

My love summer affair with the ‘fish of 10,000 casts’ went on for the next 10 years, or so, unabated. My buddies and I fished many of the beautiful muskie lakes in the Laurentians(Lac Tremblant for example) and  including the Ottawa River on occasion. (The 39.5 pound behemoth in photo above was taken in the Ottawa near Hawkesbury, back in about 1998)

Regardless whether you are bitten by the summer muskie bug like I was, or just love to chase old bucket mouth. The start of summer and this weekend’s opening to bass season brings back many fond memories.

What summer memories do you have pursuing your favourite game fish?

Outdoorsguy

Here’s a link to the MNR Regs for Zone 18, if anyone is interested:

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/lr/@mnr/@letsfish/documents/document/mnr_e001337.pdf

 

Bass season around the corner

Corybass

For avid Bass enthusiasts, that forth Saturday in June can’t come fast enough! 

Hey, and if you don’t think there’s anything special about Micropterus – be they salmoides or dolomieu – just ask one of the local bass fishing organizations. 

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Ottawa is slowly becoming a largemouth & smallmouth fishing Mecca, thanks to groups like Renegade Bass, Bass Anglers of Ottawa and Petawawa Bassmasters. 

Speaking of bass fishing, where is your favourite bass water? Without giving away all your tricks, I invite all the bass nuts out there to tell us where you like to catch old bucket mouth!

As a converted bass guy myself (the 7-pound behemoth I landed two years ago helped) I am slowly being ‘lured’ away from trout and muskie, and towards the elusive bass.

Drop me a line with your bass plans or send me a  tip, I’m not picky.

Outdoorsguy

Outdoors Guy trout and blackfly trip

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(Yours truly with a decent-sized brook trout)

Spending 5 days in God’s country portaging canoes, eating steak, playing cards and horse-shoes, battling trout, battling flies and relocating turtles.

Man, you gotta love it!

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(Our faithful Spruce Grouse ‘Lori’ Partridge, nestled in her usual spot during a horse-shoe game)

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(My new toy for the trip courtesy of Thornley Fallis and Ford Canada…review to follow)

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(Outdoors Guy Sr. and the boys taking a break)

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(A gorgeous 22″ brook trout taken by Bruce Rogers – topping his previous personal best of 21.5″)

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(Another shot of Bruce’s behemoth which would probably go a solid 4-pounds)

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(Another nice-looking trout!)

 

Final fish count: Outdoors Guy 8, Outdoors Guy Sr. 4, Steve Enright 4, Bruce Rogers 6

 

Besides the 22″ giant, we caught 6 trout in the 18″- 19″ range and the remainder measuring between 14″ – 16″. Not a pile of fish, but a good average size for brookies.

 

I just got back and already can’t wait to go again!!

 

Outdoorsguy

 

Trout or turkey its up to you

Although things are much earlier this year than with previous springs, as soon as the warm weather hits sportsmen (& women) generally fall into two categories.

1) Trout

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2) Or turkey

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Which one is it for you?

Send me your spring plans and I may feature you in next Thursday’s Outdoors Column. There’s no money involved, though, in case you’re wondering…

Outdoorsguy

(For those who are angry I didn’t mention walleye, bass, shed antler hunting, QC bear hunting, bullheads or spring muskrats..I do apologize)

Bay of Quinte ice fishing adventure

Our friend ‘Maple’ went fishing recently to North America‘s walleye Mecca and has kindly sent-in the details of his “Battle on the Bay”

One day I must take Quinte walleye off my bucket list!

 

Bay of Quinte ice-fishing – By Maple

 

After finishing the Bay of QuinteBattle on the Bay” fishing event at 3:00 on Saturday, I moved a little closer to shore, to about where the winners were caught and fished until dark. Nothing nibbled, but the thick fog that moved in made for some interesting photos. Not really satisfying though.
 
Sunday morning found me on Belleville Bay over 16′ of water. The fishing was much better there and I caught 3 perch before 10:00. A better showing than the three guys beside me who had just driven 200 kms to fish and caught nothing. By noon I’d had enough.

This was not what I’d hoped for. My fourth day of fishing the BOQ this ice season and not a single fish to show for it. I feared my wife thought I was behaving irrationally.

So I packed up and headed back to the Park Lane Motel where I was staying. In talking to the nice lady behind the desk, she suggested she call a friend of hers to inquire about fish. She did, and it happened to be Jeff Chisholm, a guide with the Quinte Ice Fishing Team, who kindly offered to take me out for the PM. He had clients who were looking exclusively for a big fish. How could I say no!!! I didn’t.

Isn’t is strange how you can give a dejected man hope and his spirits are immediately lifted? In my motel room I re-arranged my stuff and watched the clock tick towards the appointed time. Hopeful.

Once we met at the shore, Jeff motored me out on the quad until I was less than a speck in the distance. Way farther than I’d care to walk on my own that’s for sure. No landmarks, just a dot on his GPS. I got my holes drilled and started fishing while he went back for the two others.

By 3:30ish we were all busy jigging and I struck a good fish, and it stuck. I might be rusty but my hooks are sharp. By the massive headshakes and singing drag I knew it was a good one. Thanks to my 14″ diameter hole and Jeff’s grab, the long awaited prize soon lay on the ice. She was 7 lbs 12 ozs of shining fins and belly. Pickerel, dore, walleye, call it what you want it was huge! After a quick pic she went back down the hole. Man that felt good!!! Real Good!!!

Dan, Bruce and Jeff caught a bunch of nice fish (6?). Some eaters and some over eight pounds, way too big. The big girls go back, for the future. Rather that running over to them to admire their every fish, I spent the evening prime-time jigging 30 yards away, and smiling. I could hear their laughing and see their wiggling fish just fine from where I was sitting anyhow. How grown men can giggle.

Well after dark, I continued fishing as Jeff ferried the other guys in to shore, and lo and behold I hooked another beaut! This one a 3 to 4 pound treasure that I envisioned as a mound of golden fish and fries, so I bonked her on the head.

Man that felt good!!!! Real good!!

So, thanks to a helping hand from a great guy, my life has changed, in my wife’s eyes as well, I hope.

You made my year Jeff.
 
Maple 

Maplewalleye

Canada Day weekend launches National Fishing Week

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With the most important fishing week of the year kicking-off this Saturday, anglers are being reminded of what this great sport is all about.

National Fishing Week is all about educating and informing the public on the merits of sport-fishing in Canada. During NFW, veteran anglers are encouraged to lend their support – offering those new to the sport a chance to cast a line and discover the fulfillment of fishing in this great country of ours.

In celebration of National Fishing Week, all walks of life across Canada -young or old – are encouraged to plan a fishing day at the nearest stream, pond, river or lake. 

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Also keep in mind that no fishing license is required in Ontario between July 2 – 10, so regardless of what you have planned this weekend, try to include some time on the water. I know I will.

For more information on National Fishing Week, log onto:

http://www.nationalfishingweek.com/eng/where_fish_live

Outdoorsguy

Bass opener finally here got any plans

 smallmouth1

largemouth

Bass enthusiasts will be out in hoards this weekend for the coveted bass opener.

And if you don’t think there’s anything special about Micropterus – be they salmoides or dolomieu – just ask one of the local bass fishing organizations. 

Ottawa is slowly becoming a largemouth & smallmouth bass fishing Mecca, thanks to groups like Renegade Bass, Bass Anglers of Ottawa and Petawawa Bassmasters. 

Renegade

(Smiling Classic Champs showing off their new boat, well, a picture of it anyway)

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(My buddy Ed Hand doing his thing)

Hey, if Bob Izumi and his son are willing to drive all the way from Oakville to fish bass up here, there must be something to it.

Izumi

(Bob and his son with a hefty catch)

Speaking of fishing, where is your favourite bass water? Without giving away all your tricks, I invite all the bass nuts out there to tell us where you like to catch old bucket mouth!

As a converted bass guy myself (the 7-pound behemoth I landed last fall helped) I am slowly being ‘lured’ away from trout and muskie, and towards the elusive bass.

Drop me a line with your bass plans or send me  tip, I’m not picky!

Outdoorsguy

Outdoors Guy early season trout adventure

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(One of the giant cold water trout we caught last weekend, with surface temp ranging from 53 – 55 degrees F)

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(My brother-in-law Steve with a great looking male brookie pulled from ‘Lac Perdu’)

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(Another colourful brook trout)

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(Bruce with his personal best…this one was 22″)

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(Our friend ‘Shirley Partridge’ having a dirt nap beside the tent)

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(Tent set-up at night)

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(Awesome sunset at our campsite..so long for another year!)

Cormorant coming soon to a waterway near you

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If you have never heard of the double-crested cormorant, you had better start Googling! 

For those of us in Eastern Ontario, you will not need to travel far to find one of these birds during the summertime. For residents of southern and south-western Ontario, the cormorant has virtual taken over the landscape! They are like a roving swarm of locusts which have descended on the Great Lakes and any other lake or river in their path.

And boy can they devour fish like their going out of style!

According to the OFAH: 

“Cormorant numbers are 250-times historic population records. Each cormorant eats a minimum of one-pound of fish per day; in other words, it takes about three yellow perch to feed the cormorants’ voracious daily appetite.” 

And what are the effects of these mangy birds on a provincial scale? 

“In Ontario, the net effect is over 42 million pounds of fish consumed by cormorants each year. Worse than what cormorants take is what they leave behind – that is, only the skeletons of mature shoreline trees. Cormorant droppings are so toxic they have destroyed thousands of miles of precious shoreline habitat.” 

So, after receiving the below photographs from no less than 12 people over the past two weeks, I figured it was about time I post them here at the Outdoors Guy.

The images are as plain as the nose on your face and speak a thousand words as to the devastation these homely black birds are causing:

Please be warned the images you are about to see are graphic in nature (and just imagine how the fish feel) These pics originate from the US, however, the effect on Canadian fish remains the same:

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These fish-eating machines make short work of anything in their path. Even a good-sized walleye is no match for the cormorant’s powerful bite:
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The damage caused by double-crested cormorant predation is equivalent to black death for our fish populations and something needs to be done.

Sure, the zebra mussels filtered out the zooplankton and cleared up our waters, but these marauding birds are quickly cleaning-out every baitfish and finned-creature they can fit in their greedy grasp.

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What can be done, you ask?

Well, you could sign the petition to support Bill 156 for starters. This is a private members Bill to remove cormorant protection and hopefully get the wheels in motion to control these pesky fish-eaters once and for all. 

Click on the OFAH link below to sign the petition:

http://www.ofah.org/cormorants/bill156.cfm

Outdoorsguy