Quote:
Originally Posted by Zip-in-Z
With all the fishin pressure this month, in 5-6 years there may only be a few walleye left in Sylvan. Here's another pic of Mr. Pike for the photo album, taken at Marina Bay just over 37".
EDIT: For those getting excited all Pike in Sylvan are C&R, check your reg's.
D.
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With a 1 any size limit I believe that is the point. I had a chat with an area biologist 5 years or so ago and the conversation turned to Sylvan for a bit. At that time the concern was the existing stocked year classes were doing ok but the recruitment was perpetually low so the plan was to cull the walleye that were encroaching on the food base to let others grow. According to that conversation I was completely expecting a cull the following season but it has taken a while and I don't know all the moving parts to it. Considering all the dink walleye we caught yesterday maybe there was a temporary change of heart regarding recruitment but my feelings are this has been in the works for a bit.
Another part of that conversation was how much damage the lakeshore development does on waterbodies like Sylvan. Those weeds that are an eye sore to lakefront property owners are so crucial to a lakes well being yet people clear them out in hopes to make it a little bit "nicer" in their world. I'll tell you right now if I were king for a day lakeshore development would no longer exist on all Alberta lakes.
Getting back to the retention of walleye on Sylvan, I welcome it. It's never going to be a realistic trophy water for walleye and the next best thing they are good for is eating. Ya a few guys are getting some decent fish but in the long run it's not realistic. Pike have historically thrived in that lake and given a bit of room with the limited forage base they can do it again. I know that there are still a few big girls in there to help.