another early thaw. could it spell trouble for the walleyes.

[arvey 154]

looks like anglers could be out on the water before the closing of walleye season again. the same thing happened i beleive 2 seasons ago and this site was buzzing with opinions for and against fishing the river mouths. calls to shut the rivers mouths down before and after the spawn will arise again. this is nothing new ,20 plus years ago the same thing happened only it wasn't the prespawn wally's that took a hit. the way the weather was it might have been a late thaw and opening weekend the wally's were still in the rivers and took a pounding. there was stories of places like lac , dog river , the river at dog lake east bay frog portage bay on arrow lake was so plugged with anlers that you couldn't move and the fishing was super. i had run into neil weins a member of ontario federation of anglers hunters ,as usual we started talking fishing since it was the season. i asked him the same question as was mentioned on here 2 years ago. why not shut the walleye season down on rivers until june 1st some like shebs has? he said it's an idea but then what about the lakes that have no rivers and the walleyes spawn in back bays or on rocky shorelines all your going to do is move your crowds to these places and put undue pressure there.

arvey

[Guest Munshaw]

I'm not sure what the difference between 200 people fishing through the ice, and 25-30 boats fishing soft water. Remember, its much more than just water temperature that has to do with walleye spawn. Day length also plays a big part, and I think generally you won't see the "big spawn" happen until after April 15th anyway.

[arvey 154]

I'm not sure what the difference between 200 people fishing through the ice, and 25-30 boats fishing soft water. Remember, its much more than just water temperature that has to do with walleye spawn. Day length also plays a big part, and I think generally you won't see the "big spawn" happen until after April 15th anyway.

i won't disagree with you on this all i was trying to show is that this has happened before only at that time the fish were still spawning. in fact i had talked to the mnr about this fir an article i was doing and they had said at that time if we have more springs like that one they may look at changing the date of opener.

arvey

[Pro fisherman-Stud Muffin 420]

i,ve been fishing may long after a late thaw and every fish was spewing white stuff all over boat when we brought them in. funny as hell. anyways i think late thaw is worse than early. i was out on lac during last early thaw. didn't really see that much action from other boats.

[Chuck 19]

The way I see it....... Kill your chickens and What the Flock .......No Eggs ????

Sortta speaks for it"self

[Some Old Guy 968]

Males will hold and spew "the white stuff" long after the females have left the spawning areas.

Roger

[Chuck 19]

So Roger you've been spermed by males Hmmm Deal me out

[James01 223]

The way I see it....... Kill your chickens and What the Flock .......No Eggs ????

Sortta speaks for it"self

Kill your chickens? Not sure what you will - or will not - be doing out there (provided the ice is gone before mid April), but I will be trying to catch a few walleyes and pike. Chickens?

[Chuck 19]

It"s a mettafore Keep a walleye full of eggs same as killin your chickens while they are laying eggs DuH

Seriously though if your that hungry

[whoreleur 13]

If we really want to help out the walleye fishery then no one should be able to net. There will be people out netting. Thats what kills the fishery.

[James01 223]

And a fine metaphor it was. I got it... I was just having fun (I don't think I deserved the "Duh" and I am going to be mature and not respond in kind). I see you live in Nipigon, too bad you don't take advantage of - what I assume is - a very good Steelhead run in the Nipigon River and surrounding tributaries, and the Salmon run in the Fall. I am assuming this because that would be catching fish during a spawn as well, and they are full of eggs and just as susceptible to angling pressure as Walleye during the spawn (maybe more so, especially in the smaller tributaries). I live beside McVicars Creek, and within a week or two I will be able to look out my window and see a great many people pressuring the spawning Steelhead.

So what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Another metaphor - think about it. (Hint: All the female fish I caught ice fishing were full of eggs... do you ice fish? And any female fish you or I keep throughout the year is one less 'spawner' come the next Spring.)

Are spawning Walleye at risk? Yes, but no more so than any spawning population of fish. So, unless you have never fished for Spring Steelhead, Fall Salmon, June Bass, etc., etc., etc., I suggest you get off your horse (another metaphor).

I doubt anyone here is advocating going out and catching more than their limit, snagging fish, and acting in an otherwise unscrupulous and unethical way. If they are, then they deserve your condemnation - and they certainly have mine. Save your judgment for them. It seems a few people here have already made good points about late season ice fishing vs. a few boats in the water, and the affect of day light levels on the spawn. Taking a few pre-spawn Walleye (much like people do icefishing) is hardly going to decimate a population... and I would bet that most of the people braving early season weather to catch a few will be the same ones who would have been on late season ice catching those same fish.

[Chuck 19]

Hey James Well said and I don"t mean to ruffle feathers with you Point is there are ppl who will take total advantage of the situation

They are the ppl who in the future say (Where have all the walleyes gone) other than that 1 free dozen of minnows for you

Chuck 887 2615

[Barrski 24]

Brings up a good point how many walleye where taken in the last 10 days on Lac as only a handful of the brave were fishing

[James01 223]

Hey James Well said and I don"t mean to ruffle feathers with you Point is there are ppl who will take total advantage of the situation

They are the ppl who in the future say (Where have all the walleyes gone) other than that 1 free dozen of minnows for you

Chuck 887 2615

Thanks Chuck... And I do agree with you, some people will take advantage of the situation - the kind of people that we should be reporting and discouraging from enjoying the privilege that is our lakes and fishery. Perhaps what we should all realize is that an opportunity like the one presenting itself with the early thaw is one that we need to treat carefully. What that means, I am not exactly sure...

So, I have an open question for everyone: I will be out Walleye fishing as soon as possible, so what can I do to be as least disruptive as possible? (Take it as a given that I am still going to be fishing.)

And I appreciate the minnow offer, but I haven't traveled East of Thunder Bay to fish in years (I used to fish the Onamen (sp?) area at least once a year). If you were on the way to the Graham area, I would have taken you up on it. Cheers.

[nateandrychuk 15]

i'm not aginst it because the season is still open but there are fishing right in the prime areas then theres just fishing around them. the walleyes will be staging for there spawn and yes i agree with day leagnth and that play a part when they spawn but allso stress on a fish will hurt them as well. if you waste there energy to much and they don't have enough to catch food they will reasorbe the energy in there eggs to servive which in case will make them not spawn and if they do reasorbe there eggs they won't be able to spawn for 2 to 4 years. don't get me wrong i'll be looking for some eaters to put in the frying pan but just try and remember to get the big ones in fast if you get them and back in the lake as soon as possible to keeps our lakes as good as they are.

[nateandrychuk 15]

two years ago it was like this and i fished for bass and pike most the time because all the big pike are in the bays and smallys are all over the shore line but the kicker about fishing for just bass and pike was i was nailing walleyes as well and got plenty during the day to have a feed, but allso got to catch some trophy pike and bass at the sametime with out hurting the walleyes in there spawning area's

[Chuck 19]

Most of them on Lac we"re worried about shack removal not fishing ........ IRegs say March 31st shacks off

Buddie said ice to the head of the auger ... some say.... spider holes ...Hello it"s spring ...Play it as you see it

I love my Eskimo 6 ..... Pop in Pop out ....No shack needed ......Nice 2 saw ya

[James01 223]

I am curious Nate, were the Walleye you caught large? Often the big females are the first off the beds and into the lake feeding... and they can often be found in the areas of the lake that warm up the quickest (back waters, shorelines, shallow bays, etc.). It makes sense... warmer water = hatches and the emergence of various types of forage = fish.

[arvey 154]

i didn't start the thread to debate or to point fingers at what people should or shouldn't do and i hope nobody thinks that way.

it was to show what could happen if the regs. were changed on rivers and river mouths during pre and post spawn periods when mother nature throws you a curve ball. there will always be people to take advantage of situations. i don't begrudge

anybody to go out fishing in these situations wether it be icefishing or in the boat ,everybody would like some friers and why not.

arvey

[Chuck 19]

Thanks Chuck... And I do agree with you, some people will take advantage of the situation - the kind of people that we should be reporting and discouraging from enjoying the privilege that is our lakes and fishery. Perhaps what we should all realize is that an opportunity like the one presenting itself with the early thaw is one that we need to treat carefully. What that means, I am not exactly sure...

So, I have an open question for everyone: I will be out Walleye fishing as soon as possible, so what can I do to be as least disruptive as possible? (Take it as a given that I am still going to be fishing.)

And I appreciate the minnow offer, but I haven't traveled East of Thunder Bay to fish in years (I used to fish the Onamen (sp?) area at least once a year). If you were on the way to the Graham area, I would have taken you up on it. Cheers.

Go out have a great time... eat a nice bowl of nuggets...slosh back a few and have a great time...as for being disruptive

Sorry you on your own

Scruffy Rude Montairy Sparkling Harmon Wapakamaski Seseganaga and the spring at Chapple??? Hmmm Sorry don"t know where that is

I can even show you where the minnows live Slippery buggers

[Chuck 19]

Arvey I totally agree ...But If the season is open .....Slot size saves a few

Wait till they start fishin at the Black Sturgeon OMG ....

[nateandrychuk 15]

I am curious Nate, were the Walleye you caught large? Often the big females are the first off the beds and into the lake feeding... and they can often be found in the areas of the lake that warm up the quickest (back waters, shorelines, shallow bays, etc.). It makes sense... warmer water = hatches and the emergence of various types of forage = fish.

nope nothing to big, the biggest was maybe 22 to 25 inch's but they were all random. i don't think there was any females that were off the bed's way to early for that. think they were more just cursing fish looking for food.

[Guest Munshaw]

The flip side of the subject is that for the next two weeks (ish) the fish will be subject to literally ZERO ice fishing pressure where typically they would be heavily pressured. My feeling is that over all, the walleye are better off with an early ice-out on Lac specifically.

[sinker7 114]

^{Personally I would much rather see an early thaw. There is alot more angling pressure on walleyes during the first two weeks after the opener in May than the last two weeks of the season in April. For the most part the same anglers that would usually be on the ice in April will now be in boats.}

[Trevor Zimak 171]

I think less boats will be out with the lousy forecast coming