Eastern Ontario Walleye

[JimW]

I met up with my buddy Matt the other day for a late afternoon trip to try for some walleye and pike.

It was quite windy so we figured we would start trolling crankbaits to see if we could locate a few fish. Not too long into our fishing I get a hit, but no fish.... a few minutes later, on a turn another hit.... and FISH ON.... and a nice 5 pound walleye is soon in the boat.... a quick release and the fish was back swimming.

For the next few hours we boat numerous walleye all in the 4 to 6 pound range, a couple pike and a nice crappie that identified as a walleye.

All fish caught trolling mud flats in 20 to 30 feet of water using Walleye Nation Creations Lil Reapers and Shaky Shads. Gold Digger and Purple Tiger patterns caught most of our fish.

If you don't have any Walleye Nation Creations crankbaits in your tackle box definitely consider adding a few, check out Big Rideau Tackle for Walleye Nation Creations lures.

[Corvus Lacus]

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but in FMZ18 those fish in the photos are obviously outside of the slot-size (40 to 50 cm) for retention. I understand that you released them, but the reg's state they must be IMMEDIATELY released and photos can't be taken...certainly not "posing" with the fish.

The policy of not posting photos of out of season or restricted size fish is enforced by about every other legit on-line fishing forum that I'm aware of...hopefully we're not starting a trend here for the purpose of flogging some lures...besides surely you don't want the OMNR paying you a visit when you're so publicly identified.

See the link below to hear it from the Enforcement Branch of the Ministry:

https://oodmag.com/qa-can-take-picture- ... the%20fish.

[Fisherman89]

Those are some beautiful fish Jim! I'm planning to get out tomorrow, I didn't end up getting out opening weekend because it was too gusty for my canoe

I ended up going from shore along the Ottawa yesterday and caught several 13" walleye, plus a drum and a channel cat.

the reg's state they must be IMMEDIATELY released and photos can't be taken

I had to refresh myself with the regs, I thought it was fine to take a photo of a fish that is over the slot, as long as you're quick about it and release it right away afterwards, but it is right there in the regs.

immediate_release.JPG (39.74 KiB) Viewed 5111 times

Maybe it depends on the CO, but they don't seem to enforce that part. For instance, a few years back I caught an over the slot walleye ice fishing (took a photo with it and released it) and when I got back to shore there were COs checking licenses/catches. I showed them the photo of the over the slot walleye and they didn't say a thing about it being illegal.

[Corvus Lacus]

Cut and paste from the regulations:

"Delaying the release of a fish for pictures or weighing is unlawful, unless the fish can be legally kept towards your limit."

https://www.ontario.ca/page/fishing-lim ... nd-release

Pretty black and white, no grey area around this...

I live and mostly fish in FMZ18, my buddies and I would never even dream about taking photos of restricted size fish. It'd been banned from our local cottage FB group and every other fishing forum that I know of...

[Fisherman89]

That begs the question, are you allowed to purposely target over the slot fish, with the intention to catch and release?

[JimW]

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but in FMZ18 those fish in the photos are obviously outside of the slot-size (40 to 50 cm) for retention. I understand that you released them, but the reg's state they must be IMMEDIATELY released and photos can't be taken...certainly not "posing" with the fish.

The policy of not posting photos of out of season or restricted size fish is enforced by about every other legit on-line fishing forum that I'm aware of...hopefully we're not starting a trend here for the purpose of flogging some lures...besides surely you don't want the OMNR paying you a visit when you're so publicly identified.

See the link below to hear it from the Enforcement Branch of the Ministry:

https://oodmag.com/qa-can-take-picture- ... the%20fish.

Yes I see your point, and I agree with the out of season fish being posted and the law does state immediate release for fish of restricted size, so by the letter of the law I should not have posted the fish, which is why I removed the photos.

That being said for restricted size I would say the MNR has created a "grey area" that does not follow the regulations....

I am part of many on-line fishing forums that do allow fish pictures of not legal keeper size fish. In Zone 20 and Zone 12 a legal sized muskie is 54 inches and above..... yet hundreds and hundreds of undersized muskie pictures are posted online, on fishing club websites and in fishing magazines, and I have never heard of anything being done by the MNR for any of these infractions? So it would seem regardless of the regulations the MNR do not seem to have a problem with the undersized fish pictures.

I have no problem following the letter of the law on this message board and personally will be more careful in the future and will make sure to delete any illegal fish pictures members post moving forward.

Thanks for reminding us of this.

[JimW]

That begs the question, are you allowed to purposely target over the slot fish, with the intention to catch and release?

How do you target oversized fish???? When I am fishing Bay of Quinte walleye looking for 10 pounders, I use larger lures then I was using that day. If I used even smaller lures, than maybe I would be targeting under slot fish? We trolled around the lake in various locations, we did not catch more then 1 fish in the same spot, so it was not like we were sitting on one spot catching over sized fish.

[Corvus Lacus]

A photo like this might be considered as a "grey area"....yours were nothing of the sort..

[JimW]

Yes I agree my photos were definitely posed, but so are hundreds of muskie photos online, on tv and in magazines and the mnr does not seem to care. So the law says one thing and it does not seem to be enforced.

[Corvus Lacus]

I tried saying that to a cop one day..."but officer, everyone else was speeding".

Whether it's enforced by someone being charged or not, at the end of the day it's about ethical behavior and respect for the fishery.

Sorry Jim if I sound harsh about this issue, but it's a slippery slope. It's either legal or it's not.

[JimW]

I tried saying that to a cop one day..."but officer, everyone else was speeding".

Whether it's enforced by someone being charged or not, at the end of the day it's about ethical behavior and respect for the fishery.

Sorry Jim if I sound harsh about this issue, but it's a slippery slope. It's either legal or it's not.

No problem man…. Not harsh. I keep maybe 2 or 3 zone 18 walleye a year, the rest I release regardless of size, so I was not even thinking of the no photo rule…. Not unethical just a simple mistake. I will definitely remember next time.

[Mav]

Just want to send out HUGE PROPS to the support and humility on this thread here.

Again, another reason why I keep coming back to fish-hawk because of the great community of quality members we have here.

Mav