Balsam Lake Pike Ice Tournament?

These are all interesting thoughts and ideas from all who have made comments. I fish Balsam regularly and although i may not be the best angler i rarely catch pike even fishing for bass and walleye. I have actually fished for them and only ever caught a few, I enjoy eating pike so i would keep them and encouraging others to do so will help. I believe even though the pike are invasive and the numbers ramp up they also level off and seem to find a place in the lake. Unfortunately this will come at a cost for the musky but i do still think there is still a healthy population. I was on a more northern lake early fall that had a pike tournament to rid the invasive pike and this lake happens to also be a musky lake. The tournament was set up to encourage all anglers to keep their legal limit for consumption, 300 pike were taken out. We fished the lake a week after the tournament and caught well in excess of 150 pike between 4 of us,mostly 1 to 4lbs with 7.5lb being the largest. The fish were savage and although not skinny but definitely not fat, i even believe there is a lot of canabolism going on. It is hard to make a dent but maybe fun trying. I am no expert just some thoughts.

@ Flukes I had a call with the relevant rep of the MNR on this. Essentially, they didn't think anyone catches more than 6 pike a day on Balsam, and it takes some work on their part to compile a scientific case for raising the limit.

They said they had pretty much exhausted all means of stopping the invasion. Some sort of net and electric field or something around the locks.

Thanks Esoxwanderer. So that answer doesn't really make any logical sense. If they say that essentially no one catches more than 6 pike a day, why put any limit at all? No one will reach it anyway and if someone does, what does that hurt other than the pike population. I'm sure people who target pike often catch more than 6 per day. It's strange that people complain about perch limits in Simcoe (a species that is probably much more fecund than pike and numbers are far, far greater than pike numbers in any lake) due to overfishing and clearly MNR believes overfishing can have a dent on species such as perch so why not allow "overfishing" of pike in lakes where they are not suppose to be in? The reason for limits is to prevent overfishing and to say that "overfishing" pike in Balsam won't work but then put a limit on pike catches just sounds completely strange and out to lunch to me. Let everyone know there are no limits on Balsam and see what happens...it would be the only lake with year-round pike fishing and no limits...hard to believe that wouldn't put a dent on the species there. Forget all the expensive electro-fencing, etc., etc. Those things cost a lot to maintain and operate and still there are many issues using them (e.g., Cootes Paradise and carp issues).

I have fished Balsam for a long time, my friends and their fathers have been fishing Balsam for decades. Before the pike came the muskie and walleye fishing was great. After the pike came the muskie and walleye fishing was still great right up to today. I do not target muskie unless someone wants me to take them out to catch a monster. There is a healthy population of muskie, walleye and pike in Balsam. In a small lake the pike could be a problem, interfering with the muskie and walleye population. Balsam lake is large enough to support these three species as time has shown. Muskie are about 12 inches by the first autumn, pike are smaller about 6 inches. Walleye smaller than that, about 4 inches. If any species has need to worry about surviving it is the walleye. These three fish have found a way to coexist in Balsam since the pike invaded years ago. The real threat in the lake would be the monster crappie swimming around in schools like giant piranha. Eating every fish species under 4 inches during the first 6 months after those fish spawn. Now I am just exaggerating a bit to make a point. The crappie in Balsam are some of the biggest you will find in Ontario. But they are not going to ruin the muskie, walleye and pike fishing on Balsam by gorging on the fry or fingerling every year. So as the pike will not ruin the muskie or walleye fishing. All that being said, a pike tournament is a great idea. Have as many as you can, pike are great fighters and good to eat. We catch pike on Balsam any time of the day or night, so pick your favourite time of the day and go fish Balsam. Most people want the pike out of Balsam so catch them all if you can. Good luck and stay safe.

6 pike on balsam is very easy if you target them. Mitchell is even easier, and and Cameron is full of them now also.

I found it very discouraging to catch 20+ in a few hours and only be allowed to keep the 6. Knowing that every pike you toss back is just adding to the problem.

Having an exemption for pike, from Rice to Canal, would help a little. I am sure there are quite a few people who would take advantage of a no limit and would put a dent in the population. I know I would be making the drive.

When i lived closer, i would fish mitchell/balsam at least 3 times a week, always limit, fillet it, and give it away so i could go again.


The only silver lining is the tigers.

The 2 fish conservation limit had not occurred to me and so I did not bring it up at the time. But yeah, I agree there is no point in having a limit as there is nothing to conserve. The MNR has literally been trying (eg: making some sort of effort) to get rid of Kawartha pike, so why are they then putting in place safeguards to conserve them?

I do think they haven't fully turned their attention to the issue (or have simply thrown in the towel at this point and don't want to invest more time in it).

I'm hoping Muskies Canada will take more of a lead on this as they've been really successful with some regulatory initiatives elsewhere.

(@Flukes and @nlpainballer I agree with your sentiments completely - preaching to the choir my friends)

While I won't claim to have your knowledge of Balsam or probably any of the Kawartha waters, if I remember correctly Muskies Canada (sorry to keep name dropping) had some log data on Balsam that showed deteriorating catch rates (maybe someone can confirm).

As a personal observation (and not saying this is the case in your circumstance), some anglers who focus on the Kawarthas and don't fish as much elsewhere speculate about the (ongoing) impact of pike and wishfully think it may not end up being that bad.

While there may be a handful of unique Ontario waters where pike and musky can co-exist well, most of the time its scorched earth when you have an established population of northern pike - your musky are then a fish of 10,000 casts. I won't get into a scientific debate here except to reiterate @crappeeeman's point that pike spawn earlier, in the same locations (in most waters and likely in the Kawarthas), in greater numbers, and the pike fry eat basically all the musky fry (depending on the size of the pike population, amount of available spawning habitat, etc).

Thats my two cents as I genuinely believe the invasion of pike is a big problem though I guess that sentiment is clear from my posts.

I have lived on a lake in the past that seen this exact scenario play out, but now i live on Pigeon and would love to support the cause on this mission of slowing down the Pike invasion and take a dent out of the Crappie as well.

I would be happy to keep My limit of Pike and consume and share as much as possible within my legal limits, my young lads like the fight they put up through the ice.

I am not familiar with access and a good spot to start on Balsam, but if someone cares to point me in the right direction as to where i should be targeting these pests, i will get right to it. Rods and sled are ready!

The more we can slow them down the more time it gives other species to build up numbers year to year.

PS, i have yet to see or hear of any Pike on Pigeon, although i have caught a couple tigers on Pigeon

I have read many studies from the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, Georgian Bay, Lake of the Woods, and out to Minnesota. Also the Kawarthas relating to the coexistence of pike and muskie. Every study is different, because every water body is different. Some places these two predators spawn close together separated by only a few weeks on a calendar. Other water bodies pike and muskie spawn in different areas and do not cross into the others spawning areas at all. In this structure both species can thrive. In my opinion Balsam meets the criteria for these two monsters to flourish. I am only speaking from the knowledge I have of this lake from personal experience. And the knowledge passed on to me by the senior fisherman that mentored me. I am grateful for their determination. They know who they are, I call them the three wise men. So in that context, here is some particulars on catching invasive pike on Balsam. Start in the south bay, head north on the east side all the way to gull river. Use the channel markers as guides and fish where the water drops off the edge of the weed lines and humps. The pike are literally sitting with their body in the weeds and there nose peaking out waiting to hit what moves by in that first few inches of clear water. If you want to know where the muskie are on Balsam fish the opposite weed line. To find the muskie weed line all you have to do is look to the west. I think the muskie and pike think the channel markers are the boundary to their two domains. Good luck and stay safe.

dmorrs35, good for you to undertake such a project. Heres my thoughts.
Hold this event during the licence free weekend
Get tackle share involved in supplying some tackle for the newbies.
Hold an on going charity fish fry of the pike so people will realize how tasty they are.
Hold fileting demos for the people who do not understand how to filet a pike properly.

For years I through back every Pike I caught, in fact I always said the best pike was the one that fought, got seen and released itself, until one day I was shown how to remove the bones and cook it. From that day forward when I see its a pike I yell get the net! Only the little snot rockets get to swim again.
Good luck with your event planning, don't do it alone!
Photo was from Balsam Lake

mydogbits, those are some really good ideas you have there. I like eating pike as long as someone else cleans and cooks them. I have a special dislike for them.

OUCH!!!!!

OUCH!!!!!

Yes, agreed. Some very good ideas on how to get more people turned onto fishing, keeping and eating pike. They are indeed very good to eat...my wife loves pike over all the other freshwater fish (more than even perch...she finds perch much drier and the pike more moist). Just a bit harder to clean but manageable and gets easier with practice.
Ouch is right. So what bait did the pike use to get you to take the hook?
Thanks crappeeman for the tips for pike on Balsam. Now, what to do with all those invasive crappie.

OUCH!!!!!

Yes, agreed. Some very good ideas on how to get more people turned onto fishing, keeping and eating pike. They are indeed very good to eat...my wife loves pike over all the other freshwater fish (more than even perch...she finds perch much drier and the pike more moist). Just a bit harder to clean but manageable and gets easier with practice.
Ouch is right. So what bait did the pike use to get you to take the hook?
Thanks crappeeman for the tips for pike on Balsam. Now, what to do with all those invasive crappie.

Catch them-Clean them- Eat them-My favourite fish to eat, and a very close second is walleye.

OUCH!!!!!

Yes, agreed. Some very good ideas on how to get more people turned onto fishing, keeping and eating pike. They are indeed very good to eat...my wife loves pike over all the other freshwater fish (more than even perch...she finds perch much drier and the pike more moist). Just a bit harder to clean but manageable and gets easier with practice.
Ouch is right. So what bait did the pike use to get you to take the hook?
Thanks crappeeman for the tips for pike on Balsam. Now, what to do with all those invasive crappie.

Catch them-Clean them- Eat them-My favourite fish to eat, and a very close second is walleye.

I am with you CM....I love Pike over walleye as long as they are caught near deep water. In the shallows they can taste muddy. As far as cleaning them thats a snap.....learn how to easily take out the Y-bones. It takes a sharp knife and a lil practice....don't give up.

Arnie

[QUOTE=longfish,Jan 25, 2022 - 11:11 pm]
Thanks crappeeman for the tips for pike on Balsam. Now, what to do with all those invasive crappie. [/QUOTE]
Catch them-Clean them- Eat them-My favourite fish to eat, and a very close second is walleye. [/QUOTE]
I am with you CM....I love Pike over walleye as long as they are caught near deep water. In the shallows they can taste muddy. As far as cleaning them thats a snap.....learn how to easily take out the Y-bones. It takes a sharp knife and a lil practice....don't give up.

Arnie [/QUOTE]
Sorry Arnie, I should have said crappie were my favourite then walleye, my mistake. But I do eat pike as well, you are right they taste great out of the cold water......Jamie.