how has no ice fishing affected you this year?

[600 miles north]

     I personally think it is a bummer for many of you locals who liked to ice fish during the winter months on Kipawa. I don't see how that has a negative effect on the fish populations in the lake as compared to some effects of the soft water season. There are a handful of people fishing during the winter months as compared to the summer months, and I have never seen the stringers of fish for those few people fishing winter months as I do in the summer months. But that gets into the age old debate about politics and commerce that is never ending.

     Just wondering how it is effecting you? A friend of ours hasn't been up like usual, mostly because of the lack of being able to pass time ice fishing.

     Brad

[Jow]

I'm not understanding this post,Brad? Did something happen to fishing in the winter ?

[Jow]

Did a search and found some info, wow that's too bad.

[600 miles north]

     Yeah JOW it is a real head scratcher to me... I don't have all the answers for sure, but to me it's just another example of how government can ruin some good things for good folks!

     Brad

[600 miles north]

     This is a reply in an earlier post courtesy of Jay Thomas about the ice fishing regulations this winter...


I received a return telephone call yesterday from Catharine (speaks English as well as French) at 1-866-266-0008 Ext 3901. Catharine confirmed that the lake trout management plan for all of Quebec (announced 31 Jan 2014) is in effect. Consequently, ice fishing for lake trout is not permitted nor is ice fishing for any species in a lake that has a lake trout population. Sorry Puckster, no walleye through the ice.

This issue is addressed in Quebec's 1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015 Sportfishing Regulations. For Zone 13 West, look under exceptions for reservoir kipawa (copied below)

Jay

Marin
Memewin
réservoir Kipawa - Audouin lake
réservoir Kipawa - Grindstone lake
réservoir Kipawa - Hunter lake
réservoir Kipawa - Kipawa lake
réservoir Kipawa - Mclachlin lake
Tee
-
Period    Species    Catch limit    Note

June 15, 2014 to November 30, 2014   bass 6 in all   

May 16, 2014 to November 30, 2014   pike    6 in all   

                                                               walleye and sauger    6 in all   

June 15, 2014 to October 31, 2014    sturgeon    1 in all   

April 25, 2014 to September 14, 2014    char    10 in all   

                                                                 lake trout and splake trout    2 in all    A length limit may apply for this species (See "Catch, possession and length limits" »»).

                                                                 trout    same as the zone

Here is a Google translation of the "pertinent portions" of a Press Communique that was released 31 Jan 2014 regarding management of lake trout in Quebec

Management plan for the lake trout in Quebec 2014-2020
Blanchet Minister announces first management plan for lake trout

Quebec, January 31, 2014 - Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks and Minister responsible for the Mauricie and Centre-du-Québec, Yves-François Blanchet, announces implementation of the management plan for lake trout in Quebec from 2014 to 2020.

For several years, biologists of the Department are concerned about the status of lake trout. In 2012, they also found that 63% of lake trout populations in southern Quebec were overexploited. Although lake trout is not endangered in Quebec, the situation remains worrying, despite the significant conservation efforts that have been invested for 30 years. The management plan allows action in order to recover optimal population and help in doing a better fishing.

"Introducing the first national management plan for lake trout, our government is another gesture responsible and committed in sustainable development of wildlife. We do this in order to maximize the recovery of the species in a spirit of resource conservation and maintaining sustainable fisheries and quality, "said Minister Blanchet.

New regulations from April 2014

The new regulations will come into force from next April. Its main purpose is to support the reproduction of the species, improve the quality of fishing in southern Quebec, to preserve the integrity of northern populations and maintain the impressive quality fishing found there .

Thus, the size of the lake trout catch will be regulated throughout the free public land in Quebec, effective April 1, 2014, as follows:


For zones 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27 and 28, 45 cm and more with a limit of 2

Other highlights regulations include:

     Maintaining the annual quota management in structured wildlife territories (zecs, outfitters and wildlife reserves);
     The closure of the winter fishing lake trout throughout Quebec;
     The closure of the winter fishing for all species of lake trout lakes in areas 1-15, 18, 26, 27 and 28;
     Applying length limits of lake trout and hybrid (splake and lacmou);
     The requirement to carry the entire or whole and gutted;
     The re-mandatory release of all trout on water bodies that are subject to restoration measures;
     The creation of sub-areas A (west) and B (is) in the fishing zone 19 south.

Some regulatory measures may have exceptions.

To promote population recovery and support fishing on certain bodies of water, the department will increase the stocking efforts over the next decade. Thus, more than 50 lakes located in different regions of Quebec will share nearly three million trout by 2025.

Recall that the 70,000 lake trout anglers Quebec annually spend about 625 000 fishing days for an estimated 380,000 trout total annual harvest (400 tonnes). The annual economic impact of this activity is estimated at $ 90 million.

"The shift we make today in the management of lake trout will maintain a sustainable fishery and quality so that future generations may also enjoy this great activity," concluded Mr. Blanchet.

It should be noted that exceptions may apply. The MDDEFP invites anglers to visit its website for the various regulatory measures: www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/faune/reglementation/peche/.

A final report on the management plan for lake trout in Quebec 2014-2016 is available at the following address: www.mddefp.gouv.qc.ca/faune/peche/plan manage-touladi.htm.


SOURCE:
Catherine Salvail
Press
Office of the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife
and Parks
Tel. : 418 521-3911

However, I could not find anything in the current Quebec Sportfishing Regulations that addressed this issue.

Consequently, I telephoned the Quebec authorities for clarification. Hopefully, someone will telephone me back. I also sent them an email. When I obtain a response, I'll post again.

Jay

[Jow]

I've only ever fished kipawa twice in the winter. I would have never thought that shutting down winter fishing would really have an effect on numbers.

[crunchie]

How about this scenario;  The govt gets to lay off a bunch of conservation officers during the winter months because there would be no need to have as many officers because of the lack of ice fisherman.  How many ice fisherman really go out specifically for lake trout?  The fishing pressure is during the ice out season imho.

[getthenet]

Good point Crunchie ! It may be more than a scenario,there is probably some fact behind that.

[RHYBAK]

Is the winter fishing pressure actually low or are you just assuming.

I have a cottage in Ontario that is just loaded with all or the rich and wealthy. They do not fish. During open water season, I can count the fishermen on one hand on any given day.
During the winter, everybody and their brother  drive in from everywhere to trespass onto the lake to reap the wealth of the lake.
I can sit in my cottage and count 50 fisherman just in my sight.
Head out on the snowmobiles and I'll see hundreds of fishermen scattered around the lake just killing the Lake Trout.
Ice fishing takes a great toll on the lake.
Sometimes I wish it just never freezes.

Are you sure the same does not happen on Kipawa.
Winter allows access to a lot of people that don't have boats or summer equipment.

[Dog]

lots of good points in this thread... my opinion to the reasoning behind almost all decisions is to follow the money trail. (who's making or who's saving money) by preventing fishing on lakes that have lake trout in them and you'll have your answer.

[T-Loft]

Rhybak,  I have seen the numbers of ice fisherman on Muskoka lakes, and the vast numbers of ice huts on Lake Nippising, and other Ontario lakes. It is easy to see what could concern people (and governments) in regards to the winter fishing pressure. I'm sure there are lakes like these in Quebec, perhaps closer to the Montreal and Quebec City areas.  I have been to Kipawa fishing in the winter for about 12 years now. It is nothing like that on this lake. I would usually visit 4-5 times a year in the winter and many times, would see no one else but myself and my fishing partner on the lake. At least not in the 20 to 30 miles covered while riding to and from our spots. Other times, we have taken long snowmobile rides, 70 - 100 miles around the lake and adjoining lakes, and could count the number of fishermen on one hand. That would be on a weekend when it was "busy". At other times, you would see nobody. To my knowledge, there are no outfitters open and running in the winter.  I have talked with the MNR snowmobile patrols at the end of their 8 hour day, and have been told they only found 3 or 4 fishermen to check in on all day. There is no real hardwater fishing pressure on Kipawa and I feel sorry for the locals who do occasionally like to spend a winters day in search of a pickerel dinner.

[limacharley]

I can confirm T-Loft's observations and opinion. I have a cottage on Hunter's Lake and snowmobile almost every weekend in and around Kipawa. I've counted 3 ice shacks. Never anyone in them fishing. I spoke with a large group last year who had lines through the ice but were mostly interested in drinking. They stated that they were targeting Ling and they were in a shallow muddy bay so I believe them.

I'm not a scientist but can speculate that the reason the season was closed was to alleviate accidental kills of LT when targeting Pickerel.
Since the water is very cold, the LT are found near shore and near shallow water where a fisherman would set up to target pickerel.

This new law has not affected me one bit as I prefer to snowmobile than to fish. I prefer to fish in the summer while having a cold pop anyway. All lakes with LT in Quebec are closed so I don't think it has anything to do with anything specific to Kipawa. It was just easier to enact the law across the board than to apply to specific lakes. That's just to hard to police.

[pike mike]

Hmmmm? Sounds a lot like $ conservation (less wildlife management) rather than wildlife conservation.