Scugog walleye closure

I hear you, but I can't fully agree with you.

Years ago it was exciting for a young child to be taken fishing. There were fishing, shooting and archery clubs in our schools. The rules of the game were respected. We took the time to teach our young. Most listened and respected the outdoors.

Today, if they don't have a huge fish in minutes, many simply stop fishing. I have met many people who don't even buy licenses to fish or hunt. My favorite, NOT, responses are no one owns these fish so I am going to keep everything I catch. Huh?

It all starts at home with a solid upbringing and teaching them all properly.

In fact while out with a young son, a fish and game boat came charging towards us. They slid into us and grabbed our boat. Not a smile, a good morning, nothing. They wanted to see my fishing license. No problem. They said they were watching me with their binoculars. They asked me for the measuring tape that is used for fish that must be a certain length. I did not have one. Words %^&^%$. Then you just catch the fish without measuring they asked??? Show me your fish.... I couldn't as it was a strictly catch and release day. Words %^&45. I was seeing this huffing and puffing from them sensing they just wanted to write me a ticket.

"How do you know that it is 12 inches and legal?" I showed them 2 lines in felt pen on the lid of my tackle box......13 inches. In fishing, my one foot is 13 inches. Why do I want to keep fish who grow very slowly?? 13 inches is my one foot. More words and attitude.

They darted off and I was left with a child who was stunned at how pushy and unfriendly these officers were to us. Talk about destroying a child's day out for fear of it happening again. Trying to get him out again was a huge issue.

Hopes for the new generation?? Why would they care any more? In my opinion few really get taught properly. All it takes is one adult to keep one more over the limit and now you have given that child a poor education. Monkey see, monkey do. You have other threats to contend with...... e l e c t r o n i c s . The kids are hooked.

Educating our young and the rest of us is a life long project. Once the fish are gone, "Do you remember when.........."

You disagree that the newer generation of anglers cares more about catch and release and sustaining the fisheries?
Not sure how your story relates to that. Sounds like a bad experience yes, but nothing to do with how the older generation of anglers has ruined so many great fisheries by keeping whatever they want.

I hear you, but I can't fully agree with you.

Years ago it was exciting for a young child to be taken fishing. There were fishing, shooting and archery clubs in our schools. The rules of the game were respected. We took the time to teach our young. Most listened and respected the outdoors.

Today, if they don't have a huge fish in minutes, many simply stop fishing. I have met many people who don't even buy licenses to fish or hunt. My favorite, NOT, responses are no one owns these fish so I am going to keep everything I catch. Huh?

It all starts at home with a solid upbringing and teaching them all properly.

In fact while out with a young son, a fish and game boat came charging towards us. They slid into us and grabbed our boat. Not a smile, a good morning, nothing. They wanted to see my fishing license. No problem. They said they were watching me with their binoculars. They asked me for the measuring tape that is used for fish that must be a certain length. I did not have one. Words %^&^%$. Then you just catch the fish without measuring they asked??? Show me your fish.... I couldn't as it was a strictly catch and release day. Words %^&45. I was seeing this huffing and puffing from them sensing they just wanted to write me a ticket.

"How do you know that it is 12 inches and legal?" I showed them 2 lines in felt pen on the lid of my tackle box......13 inches. In fishing, my one foot is 13 inches. Why do I want to keep fish who grow very slowly?? 13 inches is my one foot. More words and attitude.

They darted off and I was left with a child who was stunned at how pushy and unfriendly these officers were to us. Talk about destroying a child's day out for fear of it happening again. Trying to get him out again was a huge issue.

Hopes for the new generation?? Why would they care any more? In my opinion few really get taught properly. All it takes is one adult to keep one more over the limit and now you have given that child a poor education. Monkey see, monkey do. You have other threats to contend with...... e l e c t r o n i c s . The kids are hooked.

Educating our young and the rest of us is a life long project. Once the fish are gone, "Do you remember when.........."

You disagree that the newer generation of anglers cares more about catch and release and sustaining the fisheries?
Not sure how your story relates to that. Sounds like a bad experience yes, but nothing to do with how the older generation of anglers has ruined so many great fisheries by keeping whatever they want.

I guess you did not like what I wrote...........


Per VanSlyke: "You (tuna) disagree that the newer generation of anglers cares more about catch and release and sustaining the fisheries?"

tuna: I don't believe I ever wrote the above. I am not qualified to say it either way. I don't have access to any such studies / reports. Do you? I have been on dozens of fishing trips where kids are taken out with a parent to enjoy time on the water. These are 50 - 90' boats so they are loaded with kids. What I continue to see are kids tossing undersized fish into their fish sacks, with the full support of their supervising parents. En route to the fishing grounds there are always group meetings stressing proper catch and release, how to use the measuring boards to insure the proper, legal sized fish are kept. Crew members are always willing to help out during their time on the water. On the boat ride home fish are filleted and the crew measures each questionable fish. Short fish are tossed overboard. Many short fish that they never should have kept. This is a snapshot of our current generation. Does the newer generation care / do more?????? I would hope so.

I do know that this is an area that needs all outdoors folks to be properly informed and educated. This is a never ending process. Too many people feel that these are "their fish" at any cost. Every chance to teach, encourage a youngster / an oldie (with respect) is a benefit to all of us and our precious fisheries. It starts at home.


VanSlyke: Not sure how your story relates to that. Sounds like a bad experience yes, but nothing to do with how the older generation of anglers has ruined so many great fisheries by keeping whatever they want.

tuna: He had a lousy response to the aggressiveness of the fish and game. They scared him. My story with my son has turned him into the direction of promoting catch and release and doing ones share of promoting the proper support of the needs of our fisheries. He promotes a positive support for now and the future.
Did I say "how the older generation of anglers has ruined so many great fisheries by keeping whatever they want." Please explain when / where I said this, please.

seems like the ministry wants to let the population recover on its own which would mean it would close for 10yrs min since walleye don't mature til 3.5-5 yrs for spawn. would be great time to allow young students to start hatchery program and record findings of what is occurring on lake to walleye, the ministry stocks over 100thousand walleye in Hamilton harbour im sure they can use our money we pay for licenses to stock some in scugog . its like a bank account nothing put in now nothing to take out later

The MNR already stocked it for you once, look what happened! They put it in and they took it all out!

People will still keep them, look at the causeway for example, signs everywhere saying no fishing (in spring i think) yet i drove by a few years
ago and the causeway was full of people trying to fill their buckets.

Well if you see that call the MNR they were checking that area a lot this year and were asking people to call if they saw anyone fishing there.

The MNR been on and around that lake all summer they even came into the camp to see what we where fishing off the dock nice to see them out there but a bit to late