Fisheries:
Here’s a nice little project for the fall: Instructions on how to assemble a bass nesting area..
2010 MNR issued Lake Fact Sheet for Go Home Lake (will open as a .pdf)
What’s a cisco? See Jack’s blog entry of Apr 15, 2010
The Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council is attempting a walleye restoration project for Go Home Bay. Their goal is to re-establish a natural, self-sustaining walleye population that spawn at Go Home Bay Chutes of Eastern Georgian Bay.
Schlager Inc. (They are a construction/barging company that operate out of Seguin Township,) was on the lake the week of October 12th through 17th and assembled the bed:
The EGBSC is now reporting the completion of the construction portion of the walleye spawning bed enhancement project at Go Home Chutes.
The next phase of the project will be to commence walleye introductory plantings in 2010 with the intention of forming the nucleus of a spawning population.
The absence of a remnant walleye spawning population necessitates rehabilitative plantings to create the nucleus of a spawning population. It is their intention to commence introductory walleye plantings in 2010 for a 3-4 year period.
Funding assistance for this project came from the Upper Great Lakes Management Unit (MNR) via the Canada-Ontario Agreement Respecting the Great Lakes (COA).
The work to date is described in the Project Completion Report.
This report and other documentation relating to the project are available on the The Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council website at www.helpourfisheries.com.
(Note from Jack: When they say “walleye”, that’s “pickerel” to you and me)
Here’s something a little different caught on the lake:
Sept 23, 2009:
A Toronto man has been fined a total of $3,750 for bass fishing-related offences.
Robert D. Alexander pleaded guilty to possessing a quantity of fish that was over the limit, fishing without a licence and illegally transporting fish.
Court heard that in July 2009, Alexander was stopped by Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers on Trent River Road, in Trent River, Northumberland County. An inspection of his fishing gear revealed a large quantity of skinless fish. Further investigation showed that Alexander possessed 56 skinless fillets (the equivalent of 28 fish) that had been harvested without a fishing licence. It was determined that the fillets were all bass. The possession limit for bass in the area is six.
Justice Allison Forestall heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Cobourg, on September 21, 2009.
Anglers are reminded that each individual is responsible for being aware of their limit and fishing within it.
Sep 08, 2009:
Angler fined for lying about licence:
Fishing without a licence and lying about it has cost a Paris man $1,700 in fines.
James Hammond was fined $200 for fishing without a licence, $1,000 for making a false statement and $500 for displaying a void (altered) licence.
The court heard that on June 6, 2009 a conservation officer checked three men fishing from a boat on Jack’s Lake near Apsley. When asked to produce fishing licences, only one man had his licence. The other men stated they had fishing licences but were not carrying them. When warned of the seriousness of making false statements, one of the men admitted he did not have a licence and was issued a ticket. Hammond insisted he had a licence and was given time to provide a copy of it to the officer.
The officer subsequently received a copy which showed it had been purchased on June 2, four days prior to being checked. Investigation revealed the licence had actually been purchased on June 12 and altered.
Justice of the Peace Peter Hiscox heard the case in the Ontario Court of Justice, Peterborough, on August 13, 2009.
Be careful with the minnow ban. It’s getting so that most of the Georgian Bay pike that I see in photos are infected with VHS:
and, it really shouldn’t matter but..
September 23, 2008: BAIT FISHERMAN FINED $1,000:
Two Meaford area commercial bait fishermen were given a $1,000 fine and a suspended sentence for moving bait fish that may have been infected with the fish disease viral hemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS).
The Eastern Georgian Bay Stewardship Council (http://www.helpourfisheries.com/) has been encouraging us all to build bass nests on our shorelines and to help with that effort they were willing to supply us with the pea gravel required and directions for assembling a suitable nest.
Michelle Wolfson and Julius Gryguc had agreed to accept delivery of the stone and we were going to arrange to make it available to all who are interested.
Unfortunately we did not receive the required number of volunteers to participate that would have been necessary to make the program worth proceeding with so we have decided to cancel the effort for this season. We will have a look at it again in 2010 and see whether it is doable.
Participation in the program required that the nests be monitored to some extent so that we could tell if they were being used and whether the spawn and rearing was successful but there is no reason that any cottager cannot proceed on their own..
Instructions on how to assemble a bass nesting area..
No live minnows may be brought north to Go Home Lake.
In 2007 the following information was issued by the MNR:
Viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS) is a viral disease that has recently been discovered in fish in the lower Great Lakes.
There is a serious risk that moving live bait fish infected with VHS from southern Ontario into the waters of central and northern Ontario will spread the virus. There is a significant concern that this will damage fish populations.
Ontario has put in place interim restrictions on the transfer of live bait fish to control the spread of VHS.
The province has been divided into an infected zone, a buffer zone and a virus-free zone.
Infected zone, (Fisheries Management Zones 19, 20 and south of 401/402 in 16, 17 and 18):
Live bait fish cannot be commercially harvested in the infected zone.
Buffer zone (FMZ 13 and north of 401/402 in 16, 17, 18, portion of 12 contiguous with 18):
Live bait fish cannot be moved from the infected zone to the buffer zone or the virus-free zone.
Virus-free zone (FMZ 1 – 11, 12 north of 18, and 14, 15):
Live bait fish cannot be moved from the buffer zone to the virus-free zone.
ref.: .:http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/LetsFish/2ColumnSubPage/STEL02_166029.html
Go Home Lake is near the southern edge of the “Virus-free zone” in FMZ 15. No live minnows may be imported from the south. None…and dead minnows are probably a bad idea too.
The border between “virus-free” FMZ 15 and “buffer zone“FMZ 16 occurs at Port Severn. Coldwater is in the buffer zone. No minnows from Coldwater should be brought to Go Home Lake.
Bala is in the “virus-free” zone and is also in the same watershed as Go Home Lake. Minnows from Bala may be used in Go Home Lake.
VHS can also be introduced into our lake in contaminated bilge water, contaminated water in live wells and from aquatic vegetation attached to your boat. If you have had your boat in “infected” waters, please be careful with our lake. Bleach and chlorinated water will kill or remove the virus.
The photo below (on the left) is of a pike caught in Georgian Bay in July of 2007. It appears to have a VHS infection but that is not confirmed. A fish with this type of markings is not a good candidate for catch and release.
The other fish photo is from the MNR webpage and shows a panfish with a VHS infection.
to read the Fisheries Archive page from 2008..click here..
to read the Fisheries Archive page from 2007..click here..
Jack Hope, Lot 162,
to contact Jack via email, click here.
