Pigeon Lake netting??

[hillbillyreefer]

Originally Posted by SNAPFisher

Well, I wonder if they will come back to shore with nothing to sell. I hope so. Not for their livlihoods but more to prove that I'm not such a sucky fisherman

Pigeon Lake owns me

Problem solved. Go "fishing" every afteernoon next week, come home with a cooler full of fish, wife will think you are a great provider!

[BEL]

Snap, you are not as sucky as me, let me assure you of that. I am interested in where the deep water is in Pigeon, as this is where the whites live when not close to shore. I'm not there to buy them. BEL

[JJMorrocco]

I am guessing the guys are having a tonne of fun this week pulling and setting nets in this weather. No one is ever happy after the nets freeze in and you end up destryoing them so you can't do your next pull. Never mind the fish would be a solid brick in about 10 seconds once out of the water. The prices might just be a bit higher this year!

[stgwynn74]

YEsterday the nets went in , -27 with wind , pp boat launch is ice heaved two 4ft peices of ice blocking it , went south um bout 2-3 miles to ??? then next attempted entrance , game warden was out on the ice , then splosh he dropped a tire in , walked out to check on him a ice crack 10-12 inches wide wouldnt hold a man up ( i went in up to my knee), other warden were on the way to winch him out , we went back to pp and squeezed onto the lake beside the boat launch , 20ft deep net X 100yds in +28 ft of water , today was 66 white fish , 1 ling cod , one sucker, no walleyes or pike ! todays lake temp -30 gentle breeze !

[BEL]

Would you consider 66 to be a good haul? Would you go again this week? BEL

[stgwynn74]

66 is avg was some good sized white fish , yes nets get pulled every day till friday !

[JJMorrocco]

Sounds like another tough year for the netters. Hope the nets load up early so you don't freeze in.

Interesting about the wardens getting stuck. Strange year for ice.

Keep us posted on the numbers.

[stgwynn74]

SO the numbers so far , are 66 whites 1 ling cod 1 sucker tuesday , 64 whites no other species on wendsday , today 62 whites and 1 ling cod , the whitefish are probabley the bigest ive seen them this year ! the net has stayed in the same spot , 30 ft of water ,

[SNAPFisher]

Originally Posted by stgwynn74

SO the numbers so far , are 66 whites 1 ling cod 1 sucker tuesday , 64 whites no other species on wendsday , today 62 whites and 1 ling cod , the whitefish are probabley the bigest ive seen them this year ! the net has stayed in the same spot , 30 ft of water ,

Kind of cool! What would you say is the biggest white you have seen this year?

[BEL]

Went to Pigeon to see the netting first hand. One fella, who has quite a bit of netting experience, said the fish are bigger than last year and are averaging 4.6lbs. Nice fish. He was averaging about 100 a net or fairly close to it. BEL

[stgwynn74]

These were definatley big whitefish , 2675 grams ??? biologist spit that out never converted it ?!?!? our four pulls were 66,64,62,and friday 76 one sucker , three burbot one 14 inch walleye , out from the pp. we didnt freeze anynets in althou i heard one guy had a mess , froze two or more nets in , wardens were there till late at night while he ripped them out , not sure on many of the details . fishin again in feb , glad ice will be better !and hoping for better weather

[208prov]

We fished Primrose lake just after christmas on sask side(my dad holds a license there) We caught alot of walleye and the size was up alot from last year also, But the whitefish size was down from last year, Pulled a net with 64 walleye in it and there were 6 over 10 lbs, When we fish Cold lake in March for whites (next setting day in 2013 for cold lake) we have averaged up to 150 whites per net and as high as 300 in a net. Cold lake whites are 2.3 lb average but are the best whites around. Sells for $1.00 per pound for whites. If people are looking in future we fish primrose every christmas and set 40-65 nets on primrose. and set 30 nets on cold lake 2013 end of march.

[Kim473]

Where and do you all sell most of your fish to?

[dragon]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Where and do you all sell most of your fish to?

This is off the website of champion pet foods in Morinville. There orijen brand of foods has won the "pet food of the year" award in north america for the last few years. I'm not saying anyone specifically sells the fish to these guys but somebody does!

http://orijen.ca/products/six_fish_dog/ingredients

A RICH VARIETY OF FRESH FISH (6)
The natural diet is diverse, so ORIJEN 6 FISH features a minimum of 6 fresh fish, including salmon, herring and flounder from Canada's cool Pacific ocean, and northern walleye, pike and whitefish* from our cold northern lakes and — ALL DELIVERED FRESH EACH DAY! * Lake Whitefish is a species of fish indigenous to Canada's cold northern lakes, and is not a generic white meat fish.

NO DRY DOG FOOD ON EARTH MATCHES THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF ORIJEN'S FRESH FISH INGREDIENTS.

[hillbillyreefer]

What difference does it make is some of these commercial fishermen do sell the fish for pet food? It is a commercial fishery, by definition for profit. The license holders can sell to anyone with the cash.

I have no commercial interest in the fishery.

[Swolf]

Can someone please explain how they use nets in the winter when the lake is iced over?

Thanks in advance.

[Donkey Oatey]

Originally Posted by Swolf

Can someone please explain how they use nets in the winter when the lake is iced over?

Thanks in advance.

Cut two holes in ice about the length of net apart. Tie a board to one end of a rope. Jig board under ice till it pops up in other hole. Tie net to rope. Pull under ice.

[dragon]

Originally Posted by hillbillyreefer

What difference does it make is some of these commercial fishermen do sell the fish for pet food? It is a commercial fishery, by definition for profit. The license holders can sell to anyone with the cash.

I have no commercial interest in the fishery.

I buy the dog food so I'm not complaining... simply stating where it may go

[hillbillyreefer]

Originally Posted by dragon

I buy the dog food so I'm not complaining... simply stating where it may go

I came across a bit harsh, sorry about that.

[208prov]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Where and do you all sell most of your fish to?

We sell our fish only to private sales. Approx 12 000 lbs of fish combined to customers, Approx 7/8000 lbs are filleted walleye

[Kim473]

Originally Posted by RyanJohnson

We sell our fish only to private sales. Approx 12 000 lbs of fish combined to customers, Approx 7/8000 lbs are filleted walleye

Private sales?? You mean to people like me or to some resturants and stores?

[208prov]

Originally Posted by Kim473

Private sales?? You mean to people like me or to some resturants and stores?

no stores just personal people who call

[buckmaster]

Originally Posted by RyanJohnson

We sell our fish only to private sales. Approx 12 000 lbs of fish combined to customers, Approx 7/8000 lbs are filleted walleye

My guess is your not netting in alberta with that much filleted walleye?

[Dale S]

In AB fish that are not sold on the ice are packed up and truck to Winnipeg where the fresh water fish marketing head office is.From there they are shipped out for retail sale.The pet food companys buy the small whitefish from them.Theres no market for smalls in retail , they only want the medium and large whitefish.Thats why there nets are 5.5" square to let the small ones swim threw.The .60 cents a pound you get for smalls hardly pays for the cleaning & shipping.Some of the harvest thats caught in the fall, are shipped to northern AB (not sure where) and the roe is sold.The hutterites buy alot of the fish right off the ice.5000lbs at a time.

[stgwynn74]

We sell fish to private peaple, no resturaunts stores ect , 10 bucks/ fish on buck , 6 bucks out of pigeon lake , was in SRD office last week and she asked if i wanted a number of a guy who wanted 100 lbs of fish , they wont tell you the fishermens name but may pass a fisherman your number . ive never heard of anyone i know dealing with the big fish buying companies , i do know that the territories give anyone with sled dogs a licence to net fish for dog food !

[stgwynn74]

Originally Posted by Donkey Oatey

Cut two holes in ice about the length of net apart. Tie a board to one end of a rope. Jig board under ice till it pops up in other hole. Tie net to rope. Pull under ice.

The old bar tale is cut two hole 100 yds apart dive in and swim over pulling the net , always accepting volenteers !!!! usually we drill a 14" hole put jigger in aim it and pull rope , it motors out 100 yrds ( electric type) find it with rf transmitter, drill hole in front of it , pull out grab net pull throu! the old jigger style are great as you can hear them clicking under ice !

[Dale S]

Originally Posted by Swolf

Can someone please explain how they use nets in the winter when the lake is iced over?

Thanks in advance.

They have a 4"by12" 5' long board. On that board they have a small trolling motor,a small 12 volt battery and a radio transmiter. Tie a rope to it turn it on and point it in the way you what to go and let it go under the ice.One guy walks with it as it travels with a FM radio tracking the signal. When it gets to the end of rope the radio signal shows you where to drill the hole to get at the jigger.They drill 18" holes for this.

[Dale S]

Originally Posted by stgwynn74

We sell fish to private peaple, no resturaunts stores ect , 10 bucks/ fish on buck , 6 bucks out of pigeon lake , was in SRD office last week and she asked if i wanted a number of a guy who wanted 100 lbs of fish , they wont tell you the fishermens name but may pass a fisherman your number . ive never heard of anyone i know dealing with the big fish buying companies , i do know that the territories give anyone with sled dogs a licence to net fish for dog food !

Is that price for a cleaned fish.

[stgwynn74]

Originally Posted by Dago

Is that price for a cleaned fish.

no , them are right off the ice prices , i heard some got 15/fish off buck ? some years you cant get off the ice peaple are lined up on the shore wanting fish , never see anyone waiting at Pigeon??