Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank_NK28
It sure changed the fishery on the lake I mentioned earlier. The average size went up from 2-4 pounds to 4-7 pounds in short order and for a small lake it coughed up it's fair share of 20-30 pound fish. My buddy had a cottage on a point where the lake trout spawned on a small hump off th side of the point. The ministry would set up traffic counters much like they do with car traffic and record movement on the spawning bed. They would go out late at night with a boat with a large spotlight mounted on the front and look at the fish as part of their survey. We were asked to join them a few times for a look and what a sight to see the number of 15-30lb fish on that hump!! Way more than was ever caught and spoken of. It was an eye opener and a very well managed fishery. If something like that were done on Cold Lake I think you'd have a fishery reminiscent of the good old days I hear many speak of when 20lb fish were very common place. Cold lake sure has the numbers and food the source to achieve that status for sure. I find it a very impressive drive to Laker fishery. Reminds me of Lake Nipigon with the exception that the average Laker in Nipigon is 21lbs and the average catch is 7 per day according to stats compiled the Ont MNR. On Nipigon they put in a barbless hook rule too....I have two sets of spoons, everything in duplicate. One apron is full of barbless single hooked spoons for when I fish Cold Lake....
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Unfortunately all of this takes enforcement and therefore money. And the government of Alberta isn’t going to allocate more money/resources into biologists, surveys, FIN netting, CO’s, stocking etc. Fisheries just isn’t a priority. Especially now rebounding from the economic impact of covid.
I wish fisheries were a priority, but unfortunately they aren’t in Alberta.