Well 24/7 you wanted to know why I didn’t answer and it’s because I wanted to get more info than just a feeling which most people go on.
People are the worst at determining risk ask the Lehman Brothers.
Yesterday I got off the phone with Gord Pyzer I’m sure you have heard of him if not you should read some of his articles you can find them in lots of fishing magazines, I fact he has his Masters in fish biology. Hope that’s enough of an expert opinion for you.
We discussed this topic and he and I both agreed because of the science that the stress of catch and release in the fall and winter can determine their spawning success in the spring.
Here’s the interesting part, after smallmouth or any species up here spawn they start making eggs for the next year. Right away go check it out if you don’t believe me but find a study by Mark Ridgway who I consider to be the guru of smallmouth bass in this country. Very nice guy to talk to and very knowledgeable. He’s been doing bass research for many years and especially on smallmouth on Lake Opeongo. I have met him and talked to him may times.
Only 1/3 of the bass that can spawn each year DO. So any stress during the season can
hinder bass from spawning the next year. It doesn’t mean it will but it can. Now the closer to the spawn the more susceptible they are to stress and especially smallmouth. Because of their habit of winter holes and the numbers you find there, they are very easy to target. I’m not going to share all the science as I don’t want to open a Pandora’s Box.
There is also a biologist by the name of John Cassleman and he is doing research on catch and release with trout during the fall and the successive spawning that takes place and he is finding the more stress trout get closer to their spawning time the less fish will spawn. They will assimilate their eggs and not bother spawning. So recruitment numbers plummet. Not good for the fishery but great for the guys who want to take pictures and don’t think it’s hurting the fishery. That’s why common sense is not so common. Now this science can be related and will be soon to muskie and walleye so when I hear from more I will post more.
So why would ice fishing for smallmouth hurt a smallmouth fishery. It will lower recruitment numbers the next year and thus each successive year if it continues, so that’s why my question to you was “Have you done this year after year and have you seen a decrease in numbers of smallmouth on the lake†You didn’t answer this question you just went viral and asked other people, how don’t know the science and made this a political issue and not only that you went to other boards and made it an issue there also, so I must have really hurt your feelings with my comments. Well I apologize to you for you being too sensitive and taking things out of context. I really hope you can get over this.
I have been fishing for more years than you have lived and I have made some mistakes but I proceed with caution and do my research now rather than a FEELING.
Opinions are like you know what and some are useful and some are full of it.
So why does Quebec have an open season, MONEY and apparently it’s a trout lake you are fishing and the anglers want more trout so why not.
You also made a comment about the Berkley B1 and my participation in it and a reference about the season being opened early. Well I disagreed with the conveners about opening the season early and challenged them on this point. I wanted a no prefish situation. I can send you my email if you like but I think that will not suffice, you have your preconceived notions and so be it. But alas I am one voice in a sea of indifference so only time will tell and determine the truth of the matter.
The right way to handle this would have to research the issue and read something and then challenged me with the studies you found or the experts you talked to not to get the clique riled up to support you in a very un-educated fashion.
Now knowing how Fish-Hawk can be, I don’t want the others who agreed with 24/7 to get their collective buns in a knot. Just take the time in the future to second guess your FEELINGS and base them on scientific research and if something doesn’t make sense then it doesn’t make sense. My statement was based on my knowledge of smallmouth from over 40 years of fishing for them and over 30 year of reading and researching their habits and nature. Sure this planet has been spinning around for BILLIONS of years but smallies have not been around for that length of time. I would love to see a smallmouth dinosaur and even better catch one but they don’t exist and if we fish base our angling practices on feelings they won’t exist in the future because there are more and more anglers out there now with better equipment and hopefully more knowledge now so the pressure on the fishery is much greater. Just ask some old guy who used to fish with a bamboo pole and a worm and see if fishing is the same as it was 30 years ago. I know the answer you will get.
Anyway guys have a nice day and 24/7 don’t get bent out of shape next time when someone disagrees with you in the future, sometimes they are just trying to educate what could be considered a closed mind.
So here it is in a nut shell to sum up, my comment was based on science of the stress it puts on the fish at this time of year and not my feelings. If you stress a fish closer to their spawning time it can affect recruitment numbers that spring or fall, this my opinion and is based on science from research and an opinion held by biologist who I have mentioned earlier.
My two cents and have a nice day!!
...lakes can and do get fished out my friend...that is why we have limits and seasons.:
