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There’s still multiple places to access the lake if needed… place is a drama fest you’ll never catch me out there

I wouldn’t agree with you to say the co’s aren’t the greatest that’s just not fair to say, I think many of them are doing a great job but there’s only a few of them and we have a whole lot of land to cover so they obviously can’t be everywhere all at once but that being said Many many people received tickets for snagging salmon in the fall… they are allways watching 👀.

Its starting to be on pace for a very low water season if we do not get any good rain. Even after a fast melt with the snow. We had a very low water season, I think 2010 or 2011? Where fish came in and you could literally see every single fish. The spots where its usually deepest were crossable with rubber boots. Did this stop people from tossing hooks across the schools? No. Was a snagfest and sad. Its shitty when it happens but when that water is trickle low its best to just let them be. No sport to it at that point. Gotta have those high chocolate milk water early to flush out the rivers, then the slow drop and the fishings good. Heres to hoping.

People went on Saturday night and said it was too early, will take a look early this week. Also Zach, hilarious joke! Only issue with it is according to Oxford "run: (of a migratory fish) go upriver from the sea in order to spawn". Now the real question is if smelt walk?

Показати, де раки зимують/ To show someone where the crayfish are spending the winter = to teach someone a lesson. (I will show you where the crayfish are spending the winter!) When someone tells you “Я тобі покажу, де раки зимують!” it is often a final warning.

And you can make wine out of the petals. My uncle did that once 40+ yrs. ago. I did try it, never tried it again, LOL!!

Been there, I ended up climbing the tree hanging over the river with a hatchet and vengeance on my mind.

Hey, folks! Other than a comment I just made, I haven't really posted on here. I'm more of a lurker. I'm new to the area, ish. I've been here three years. It's a far cry from where I used to live (the PNW) in terms of how great the fishing is and how great the area is. Y'all keep your secret lakes tight, which I respect, but even the popular lakes produce with effort. It's awesome. I'm writing because there are some questions I just can't seem to find answers to, and I've read the rules and regs cover to cover multiple times trying to figure it out. If any of you all have insights, I'd be grateful. 1) I have been using minnows (ice) and lures (warmer months) for the most part, but that's mostly because I can't figure out what's allowed for bait otherwise. I didn't see any express prohibitions of some of the stuff we'd throw on the hook back where I used to live, but I didn't see any allowances for them, either. Is it legal to use hot dogs, corn, bread, or atypical bait? I know about the rules for cut bait and chumming, those make total sense. But I can't find anything about throwing a chicken gizzard on a hook, for example. It's also baffling what one can do with, for instance, attractants.I go into Wal-Mart and they have Walleye attractant right there on the shelf, and I know it's probably (literally) fish oil, but I couldn't figure out if it was even legal. The regs say anything plant-based, as I recall, but I couldn't suss what the ingredients were on the side of the bottle. My wife, being my wife, said "They couldn't sell it if it wasn't legal. Right?" She should know better. We're both originally from the United States, where they sell PLENTY of stuff to you you're not actually supposed to have. 2) I read that lead sinkers aren't allowed in national parks. Does that extend to places like Hazelwood Lake? Would that mean that ice fishing there with a jig is illegal? 3) When I went out ice fishing, I bent over backwards out of paranoia to put a stick up through the holes I used. A lot of other ice fishers I saw didn't do this, they just left the hole and split. What is the reasonable social expectation there? Always put a stick? And what is the legal expectation? Enforcement or lack of enforcement aside, is it against the law NOT to mark a hole? 4) This is the big one that might get people riled, and I swear that's not my intention. It's a subjective question, I know, and I don't want to step on the feet of catch and release folks, at all. I am grateful for people protecting the supply. I'm a catch and eat guy. I don't catch too many, maybe fifteen or so a season so far (if I start catching more, I'll won't harvest as much). That said, I have read up on how older and larger fish help keep the supply strong, and realize that there are fish out there that you always want to put back if you're being conscientious. Like, last summer I caught a 36.5 inch pike (I was as surprised by the truth of that as you are probably are assured of the lie of it), and I set it free to protect the supply. HOWEVER, what I don't know is where that line starts, especially with each particular species. When I go online there are so many answers to that question, and they all seem to disagree. I know that perch, you could take a bunch, it won't harm anything. I know that with walleye, it's especially important not to keep larger fish. The question I have, having grown up used to a sixteen-inch trout being a "big" fish for the local lakes, is what makes the line between "This fish is big, but harvesting it won't harm replenishment much." and "This fish needs to go back for your kid's sake." My gut and a lot of what I've read online says about 24 inches for Pike, 22 inches for Walleye, and I have no clue for other fish. Does anyone know anything about the science there? What's your general policy? Thanks, all.

Size limit regulations are one of the most common rules that MNRF uses to manage fish populations. The typical (but not exclusive) reason for a maximum size limit or a "one over" limit is to protect the larger fish that make up the spawning population...biologists often use the slang term BOFFFF: "Big Old Fat Fecund Female Fish" (the word 'fecund' refers to the fact that bigger, older fish produce more and bigger eggs). The size limits that are put in place are a reasonable guideline for a size cutoff for what to keep and what to release, but remember that they're generalities that are applied across the province. The spawning size on one lake might not be the same as on another. It's also important to look at the Guide to Eating Ontario Fish when you're considering what size of fish to harvest. Larger fish do accumulate more toxins than smaller fish, but again, different lakes and watersheds have different levels of mercury etc. The Guide shows you what sizes of fish are safest to eat for different species in numerous lakes. https://www.ontario.ca/page/guide-eating-ontario-fish

In Canada, the term "National Parks" refers specifically to federally regulated parks...Pukaskwa is the only one in Northern Ontario. The Lake Superior NMCA is managed by Parks Canada but is NOT a National Park, and doesn't have the same rules (at least, not yet). Provincial Parks, Conservation Areas, Municipal Parks, etc., are not covered by the Parks Canada rules. Actually, the regulation states that you can't use a lead sinker or jig that weighs less than 50g...the reason for this rule is to keep waterfowl from eating lead as gizzard stones. Parks Canada has an entirely separate set of fishing regulations from the Ontario Fishery Regulations. They can be viewed here: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Regulations/C.R.C.,_c._1120/index.html

When you're trying to understand the bait restrictions, it's helpful to understand "why" MNRF restricts different kinds of bait in the first place. The main reasons are: - To prevent the introduction of species of fish into lakes where they don't already exist. This applies both to invasive species as well as expanding the range of species that are native to Ontario but not "all" of Ontario. We've lost a lot of brook trout lakes through inadvertent introductions from people dumping their bait buckets at the end of a trip - To prevent people from using juvenile sport fish as bait - To improve the post-release survival of fish and/or make it harder for anglers to catch them in the first place - To provide niche fishing opportunities, e.g. artificial fly fishing only streams. The province-wide prohibitions on bait mostly focus on live fish and live leeches. New rules this year allow the movement of preserved (dead) fish and leeches, but they have to be preserved in a manner to prevent decomposition, other than refrigeration or freezing (e.g. salting). Generally, if it's not something that's alive, and it's not a dead fish, you're pretty much allowed to use anything for bait, anywhere. But there are some exceptions: - if you're chumming, you have to use a plant-based bait. So, for example, no maggots - if you're fishing multiple lines for carp in southern Ontario (not allowed around here) you have to use plant based bait - individual lakes make have regulatory exceptions that may say "no organic bait" or "artificial lures only", in which case hot dogs, chicken gizzards or corn would be prohibited

Good question. But as much as I value releasing trophy fish to maintain excellent fisheries, if I have good reason to think I've got the world record fish, I'm keeping it. Being in the record book would be really cool. And yes, you're taking an amazing fish out of a fishery, but it's been passing on its genetics for a long time already. Taking one super-giant fish out of a fishery doesn't ruin it. And I would have no hard feelings towards anyone who thought they had a world record fish doing the same.

It is true that a lot of people don’t like keeping larger fish. Most sport species have size restrictions and seasons to protect them during the spawn. I’m assuming the intent of the size restrictions is to protect the larger spawning fish. Therefore as long as you keep legal fish, in theory, the species is being managed in a way to ensure sustainable harvest. My personal opinion is that 16 inch walleyes taste better and have less contaminates so I tend not to keep larger fish. As far as marking holes in the ice, I wouldn’t bother unless the hole is large enough for someone to drown in. Without doing some research I’m not sure about the bait and attractants questions.

You can/anyone here can allways message me with anything you would like to know!

Seasons cancelled don’t bother going out

...mid-August is my steelhead season...

Should be hearing of reports soon.

100% the power of a chunk of ice floating down is nothing to mess with.

Friday’s report was that the approximate 18” of ice and access at the landing were in good shape. That was our experience too. Ice was tight to the shoreline and around the islands we fished. What wasn’t safe were the turds tearing down the ice road, pulling donuts in trucks, and fishtailing out from MacKay Bay toward Sand Point. Too bad they felt they had to close the gates to everyone. If the two week forecast in Upsala holds up it’ll still be making ice out there.

Not sure if you watch Rob Farrow ATV on you tube or not but one of his more recent video shows a ride from kamcurrent road over to escape lake road using the onion lake dam/wasp Trail.

Except that the LARGE ice chunks are floating down river from where it is still frozen. Be careful out there.

Hammered my personal best on oliver after work tonight