Fishing in Quebec

[Bass Addict]

. Look no further than the locals who take their limit return to their cottages throw them in the freezer and head right back out to take "their limit again". Saw it on a few occasions.

Ding,ding,ding..........Well Said !!!!

[steve2112]

To me this is an example of a regulation where the province is asserting its authority on law abiding fisherman. They do not have a clue how to stop the 1 or 2 percent who do all the damage.

I don't know when this province will realize more regulations is not always the solution!!!!! My belief is that over regulation makes people cynical and less accepting of new policy that may in fact really be needed. Furthermore, does anyone feel more confident in the government's ability to manage the fishery after they introduce such a measure?

Anyways I catch lake trout without minnows all the time?

[bl8ant]

To me this is an example of a regulation where the province is asserting its authority on law abiding fisherman. They do not have a clue how to stop the 1 or 2 percent who do all the damage.

Only people breaking the laws could be subjected to this "authority" you speak of. Law abiding fisherman have nothing to worry about, that's kinda how the whole law thing works.

My belief is that over regulation makes people cynical and less accepting of new policy that may in fact really be needed. Furthermore, does anyone feel more confident in the government's ability to manage the fishery after they introduce such a measure?

Yes, I believe in Quebec's ability to manage their fisheries and more specifically I believe that recent measures taken by the government stand to improve fish stocks. I believe the measure taken to close trout lakes to winter angling reduces the number of fish being harvested. I believe that the implementation of a zero fish limit stands only to improve the fishery on the handful of decimated lake trout lakes the rule was designed for.

Anyways I catch lake trout without minnows all the time?

Was this a question or a statement? If you are saying you do catch lake trout without using bait of any sort—much like I do—the argument might be made that we aren't losing much by giving it up but possibly gaining in areas that matter to all fisherman.

[qcconnection]

cprince

I could not disagree more...I now have a cottage that I can't ice fish and use minnows ( dead) the rest of the time..

Steve

Can`t ice fish at your cottage? Is it on a lake full of lakers?

[steve2112]

bl8nt - no...we are all affected by the regulation as we cannot use dead minnows...

The government asserts it authority by its ability to impose regulation, it has nothing to do with the consequence of not following the rules.

The vast vast majority of people will follow the new rule! However, the new rule will not change the behavior of a small minority who do a disproportionate amount of damage!

Sadly, this also creates a false sense of program success because it will be largely driven by people who will comply...no matter what.

Steve

[cprince]

bl8nt - no...we are all affected by the regulation as we cannot use dead minnows...

Just curious; What is it that your catch with dead minnows that you can't catch with something else? What is it that you want to catch that's worth the risk of introduction of invasive species or diseased fish into our lakes and rivers or at very least makes astronomically more difficult to enforce other more important laws and regs to allow certain minnows?

Again, you must admit it's a whole lot easier to say No minnows than to allow certain ones then chew up court resources and officer's time trying to figure out if they are the right ones or not.

Right?

Because that is what this whole thread is about.

[bl8ant]

bl8nt - no...we are all affected by the regulation as we cannot use dead minnows...

The government asserts it authority by its ability to impose regulation, it has nothing to do with the consequence of not following the rules.

The vast vast majority of people will follow the new rule! However, the new rule will not change the behavior of a small minority who do a disproportionate amount of damage!

Sadly, this also creates a false sense of program success because it will be largely driven by people who will comply...no matter what.

Steve

So the assertion of this authority is in the imposition of the regs themselves...I see what you are saying. I don't agree with what you are saying but you made your point well and clearly, gotcha.

[RJ]

Lots of passion in this one. I guess all I'd ask anyone is how does a DEAD baitfish harm anything? Dead baitfish isn't invasive to anything that I can see. Maybe I'm missing something, especially when it's suddenly ok at a different time of year?

There are lots of ways to catch fish without using bait but I get the old school mentality and that's fine!

RJ

[Lenny]

Yeah I'm not sure I'm getting the dead bait thing either, other than that the mortality rate would be higher than using artificial in some instances, although the same can be said for live worms. It's funny how Quebec regulations are in a way strict and progressive yet still archaic in other instances. I mean, who needs to keep a limit of 10 brook trout a day? per person

Overall, I think most of the comments are fairly self serving. There is no doubt that the no ice fishing season and no live minnows works. Just look at Algonquin Park, which likely has the best trout fishing south of north bay in Ontario. If I had a cottage on a lake where ice fishing was closed in Quebec after years of ice fishing for pike, perch, whitefish ect.. I'd be ticked off but understand why. Most of my whitefish adventures ended with more lakers caught (and released) than whitefish and it was growing in popularity.

I think we'll see many changes over the years similar to this. I hope more come at the expense of plastics. I'm sick and tired of seeing senkos being littered on the bottom of lakes and rivers wherever bass are prevalent. Myself, I'll still be buying a quebec license and adventuring up logging roads and fording alder choked creeks for brook trout and doing a canoe trip or to down the Coulonge, and will respect their regulations.

[Out4trout]

Lots of passion in this one. I guess all I'd ask anyone is how does a DEAD baitfish harm anything? Dead baitfish isn't invasive to anything that I can see. Maybe I'm missing something, especially when it's suddenly ok at a different time of year?
RJ

Dead bait can still transmit disease, eg VHS... unless the dead bait is properly preserved / sterilized with salt etc

[Supernova224]

Dead bait can still transmit disease, eg VHS... unless the dead bait is properly preserved / sterilized with salt etc

Like RJ said, if that's the issue then why is it ok for part of the year?

[cprince]

Dead bait can still transmit disease, eg VHS... unless the dead bait is properly preserved / sterilized with salt etc

Like RJ said, if that's the issue then why is it ok for part of the year?

Simple answer: With these important rules, there is no introduction of minnows, dead or alive, into Quebec lakes that have a native species of lakers.

Since lakes with native lake trout are closed to ice fishing (the only time of year you can use minnows) and the time of year trout fishing is open on these same lakes no minnows dead or alive are permitted.

[banjo]

I must be missing something. There is a law that says "no live or dead minnows" for half the year, and the other half when fishing is not allowed you are allowed "dead minnows".
Wouldn't "no live or dead minnows" year round be easier?
Sounds like the laws are made up by PETA or Greenpeace instead of fisheries biologists.

[smitty55]

Dead bait can still transmit disease, eg VHS... unless the dead bait is properly preserved / sterilized with salt etc

Like RJ said, if that's the issue then why is it ok for part of the year?

Simple answer: With these important rules, there is no introduction of minnows, dead or alive, into Quebec lakes that have a native species of lakers.

Since lakes with native lake trout are closed to ice fishing (the only time of year you can use minnows) and the time of year trout fishing is open on these same lakes no minnows dead or alive are permitted.

I think that's a couple of times you've mentioned Lake Trout Craig. So what you're saying is these new regs are strictly to protect Laker lakes and to make for easy enforcement they apply it to the whole province even if say you were up in La Verendrye for Pike and Pickerel. Is that right?

Cheers

[cprince]

I think that's a couple of times you've mentioned Lake Trout Craig. So what you're saying is these new regs are strictly to protect Laker lakes and to make for easy enforcement they apply it to the whole province even if say you were up in La Verendrye for Pike and Pickerel. Is that right?

Cheers

.

I think there might be a lot of misinformation that we may all be spreading to an extent.

QC Regs On Baitfish In English