Walleye Slots Sizes

[RHYBAK]

O.K.
So I'm starting this thread because I do not want to nor did I have any intension of Hijacking the Vaccine Thread.
I made a small comment about the hopes of the Quebec MNR at least allowing one fish possession over the slot size.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking at the big 10 pound fish.
Every time we go out , we get a nice, thick bodied walleye that is about 1" over the slot size that has a healthy looking filet on both side of it.
Mouth starts to water a bit but Alas, it must be returned.

Just curious what all your thoughts are.

BUT, be careful with your tree hugger remarks.
I'm sure that before this slot size became law, some of you have been known to keep most of your walleye no matter what size they were.

You know who I'm talking about Jay 

[T-Bone]

Throw them all back. Food can be easily had to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs at any grocery store in North Bay or the IGA in Temiscaming.

Is that a tree hugger remark? Or maybe a walleye hugger remark...

[RHYBAK]

Throw them all back. Food can be easily had to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs at any grocery store in North Bay or the IGA in Temiscaming.

Is that a tree hugger remark? Or maybe a walleye hugger remark...

Nope
Just a comment from somebody that doesn't like to mix pickeral and beer


Don't forget
The age old Walleye / Pickeral argument has been settled.


Walleye in the water
Pickeral in the pan

[Jay Thomas]

O.K. So I'm starting this thread because I do not want to nor did I have any intension of Hijacking the Vaccine Thread. I made a small comment about the hopes of the Quebec MNR at least allowing one fish possession over the slot size. Don't get me wrong. I'm not looking at the big 10 pound fish. Every time we go out , we get a nice, thick bodied walleye that is about 1" over the slot size that has a healthy looking filet on both side of it. Mouth starts to water a bit but Alas, it must be returned. Just curious what all your thoughts are. BUT, be careful with your tree hugger remarks. I'm sure that before this slot size became law, some of you have been known to keep most of your walleye no matter what size they were. You know who I'm talking about Jay 

I feel absolutely no guilt admitting that during my 17 weeks on Lake Kipawa, I harvested walleye in accordance with the sport fishing regulations at the time. And as it happened, my largest ever walleye harvested was about 7 1/2 pounds. As well, over those 17 weeks, I might have harvested 7 or 8 walleye over 5 pounds. However, Fall Walleye Index Netting eventually proved that that kind of fishing pressure depleted the Kipawa walleye breeding stock to dangerously low levels. Fortunately, the current harvest length limits were instituted and these lower harvest length limits will ensure that lots of big walleye will once again someday populate Lake Kipawa.

To satisfy those fishermen who would like to harvest bigger walleye, I'd prefer changed regulations that would allow the harvest of one walleye over 27 inches (7 pounds). Such a change would still ensure protection of the prime breeding walleye.

Jay

[puckster_guy]

Throw them all back. Food can be easily had to satisfy your hunger and nutritional needs at any grocery store in North Bay or the IGA in Temiscaming.

Is that a tree hugger remark? Or maybe a walleye hugger remark...

I agree with T-bone. I would much rather BBQ a nice rib steak then keep and clean a walleye any day!!! Hence 99% of walleye caught are back in the lake to try my skill in catching it again and again. Trust me, I have no problem catching them. Some days more then others. So I'll be off to the grocers for more steak. I have as much invested in catching fish as mr Rhybak. In many thousands of hard earned bread in boats motors tackle and a camp in paradise. So catching fish to eat really isn't saving me any money.
Now having said all that I do like a fish dinner here and there and I do like conservation methods no matter how applied. That's why we come here as most all southern lakes are fished out. Otherwise no sane person would spend so much time and money getting here as many of you do. This is a 5 hour drive from home as a case in point. I've spoken to people who have fished here some 40 yrs ago and they told me when they first got here average size was about 3 pounds or so. Now my average is about a pound or so, with good numbers on many days. Which tells me the few larger fish we have left are still reproducing but good eaters are getting rarer. So catch and keep as many as you like, it doesn't matter to me. That is a big reason many come here and there is nothing wrong with that at all. My son will be inheriting my camp in about 20 years and I want him to have the same opportunities as we have now with out resorting to going further back into the bush to find great fishing. BTW he doesn't fish lol.
So in short, enjoy it while we have it. Nothing lasts forever. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. 

[Gary S]

  We typically only get to fish for Canadian Walleye one week a year or less so while we are there we like to eat fresh walleye whatever size allowed. 40+ years ago when I first started these trips we always took our limits home, now we don't take any, the real enjoyment is catching, cleaning, and eating same day.

[BigChief]

We have been coming to Kipawa since 2001. And I can honestly say that the fishing has gotten much better in the years since they instituted the slot limit. Our numbers and average size has gone up each year since it started. We usually take all week to get our limit to bring home with maybe one meal during the week. With that being said I would still like to keep one over the slot for the week. I don't think it will hurt the fishery.

[limacharley]

You may think I'm nuts with this idea but I'd like to see the outer length limit decreased. The slot is currently 14.5" to 20.86".
I'd rather see the fisheries people decrease it to 19", essentially 14.5" to 19"....why??

Those fish are better to eat, are predominately the immature fish that might not lay as many eggs and are the most populated fish in the lake.
But....

With that said, I'd like them to re-open ice fishing with a maximum limit of 3 of the same size.
Make it fun all year round.

[Lizard King]

Ahhh....after this new site morphed from the old forum, I never bothered getting an account here.  Was just a casual observer.
Finally got an account several months back and this topic made me actually log-in and comment. 🤷🏼‍♂️

I’m all for keeping one fish over slot limit....but how would it be regulated?
Like a turkey or deer tag except called an “over slot” tag that you could also purchase or comes with your license?
How about individual camp owner who spends 10-12 weekends out of the season at their camp....just one “over slot” fish the entire season?  Or one for every weekend they’re up?
How to verify you caught then consumed or froze to take home your over slot fish?
Fill out a tag? 
Could fall down the slippery slope of folks who don’t care simply consuming an over slot fish then keeping/consuming a 2nd, a 3rd one, etc...then maybe filling out their tag on their 4th over slot fish.
Just a lot of variables involved.

[limacharley]

Welcome to the forum.

You make a valid point. A once a year tourist that takes one over the slot walleye out is no big deal but what about
the camp owners who are there every weekend? ....and takes one home every weekend.

What happens to the fishery if the 100++ camp owners take a big fish home every weekend?

Pretty soon the fishery is dead.

[wayne]

Well here's my 2 cents on the subject, The fishery has increased dramatically over the last 10 years. In my opinion this is due to lack of pressure and also releasing the big females. There is no reason to keep big females.  When I came here in 1988, there were 7 lodges in operation from Corbeau to Red Pine and we were all busy. Every lodge had 20- 40guests per week. Now there is 2 of us left. It used to make me sick when I would see 6- 9lbs walleye in the fish house gut pails. Not just one dozens! This was the norm back then. In the 90's people were keeping 12 inch fish cause that's all they could catch. Now we are seeing nicer fish and perfect eating size. The system is working. With the this seasons early ice out  and the  early spawn this year we will see numbers increase in the next few years.

[Hodgey1]

This is my selfish thoughts.

So that my grandchildren and their grandchildren can enjoy what I have experienced at Kipawa, I hope the slot continues. If at some point the population is such that it makes sense, I could see making adjustments to the slot, but as long as continued monitoring occurs to never allow the population to suffer.

One of my favorite parts of being at Kipawa is to eat the fresh walleye that we’ve caught. We have at least one dinner and one lunch in a week.  I would opt for a walleye dinner over a steak any day of the week. I can eat Steak anytime and anywhere I go. Walk into 99% of the restaurant and see what’s on the menu, Yup, it’s  beef. If there is fish, it’s 99% of the time salt water fish, even where I live so close to Lake Erie, it’s Cod or Haddock . Walleye is a treat and the fact that I can go to such a beautiful place and catch them and then enjoy walleye for dinner is truly a blessing, that I hope future generations can do as well.

[RickOnt]

I am not on Kipawa but on Lake Temiscaming.

We do not have a slot here, but nothing over 15 " before June 15.

Its working OK.

But I like Limacharley's   idea of keeping the slot smaller.

[RickOnt]

Thats 15.75 before June 15, to be exact.

[Kyle Skelding]

I feel like the slot size has helped the lake over the last few years. It would be nice to get some bigger fillets, but the smaller fish have better meat and I'm all for having more big fish in the lake. If you want to harvest big walleye there are waters that can support that (Erie, Quinte, ect.) Slot limits aren't always followed and if you give an option to keep bigger fish it's possible it gets abused. I like the slot size for kipawa right now. You just have to trust that whatever limits they put on the lake is what's best for the fishery.