Thoughts on our Alberta Walleye Tags
 

I was reading the 2012/2013 season fishing regulations this weekend as well as the online draw summaries from previous years. Available here .

I couldn't help but notice lakes that have been placed from open general walleye. (i.e. 1 over 50cm during the regular season to any person with a fishing licence). To a draw basis only such as Amisk which was open for 121 tags last year in class B meaning each tag allowed three walleye.

In this years regulations it states two new lakes have been added to being tags only and two have been removed because they no longer have sufficient walleye species. I.e. the walleye are or near to extinct from the lake. One of these lakes is Amisk. Going through the previous years of draws I also came across Floatingstone.


Does it seam to anyone else like the reaction to save the lake is always a little to late? We are constantly letting lakes get fished out then closing them once there are no fish left? Its kind of sad when a species is removed from a lake forever, you'd think we'd learn from how many lakes were fished out in the 20's until now like the trout from Touchwood, the walleye from Lac La Biche ect.



End of rant. :confused:

Couldnt agree more. And lets make sure that we keep all the big spawners, just because the regs say we can........

One of the lakes that was draw last year and is not this year is Isle Lake. It suffered a bad winter kill last winter and that's why it's not draw this year. I can only comment on the lakes that I'm familiar with......Lac Lanonne and Lac Ste Anne both have lots of walleye in them and can both support a limited harvest. I filled my three 43 - 50 cm tags last spring in a half hour. I'm not sure about this year but last year there were no draws for +50 cm walleye in either lake so the big spawners aren't taken out. I'm sure that there will be people with their concerns about over harvesting but my knowledge of the two lakes that I mentioned is that they are fine.

About the only way they can manage some of the walleye fisheries in the province.

But why make us pay license fees and draw/ tag fees? Have the draw system but make it free. Also I think there should be a way of reporting if you used your tags or not. This would give the biologists a better understanding of actual numbers in the lake.

a survey like they do with big game after the season COULD work well but it hinges on people ACTUALLY participating. In a province where some 40% of adults can be bothered to get out and vote this is a pipe dream...mandatory survey would be the only way....plus there is no way to count all the released fish that end up dying anyway. Fisheries are a tough thing to manage so if i need to lose my chance at a fish fry "JUST IN CASE"....so be it.

Im ok with a few extra bucks to maintain the draw system, print regs/tags etc....i just want to know my money is doing some good...increased fish populations and bigger fish are a good enough reward whether i can take them home or not.

id love to see them cap class A tags...not just 50cm and up....I caught a 5lb walleye last summer in a lake i hadn't caught ANY walleye in for about 6 years....hope to see that trend continue...a fish like that isnt an "eater" in my own personal rule book.