It was a beautiful day to get to Sylvan Lake to fly fish. Everybody knows that we enjoy getting out on the lake for catch and release fly fishing. Not everybody is a catch and release fisherman and that is ok but what is currently happening on the lake is wrong!
What we saw on the lake yesterday was quite discouraging. The poaching on the lake is out of control. There were so many boats out on the water, many of them could hardly even be considered a safe watercraft to be out on such a large windy lake. Many were overloaded with fisherman. They were mostly loading up their coolers with walleye and whitefish. The pressure on the fish is extreme and so many fish are leaving the lake. I suspect that the walleye population will be destroyed in a few months.
The area in Marina Bay needs to be closed because of the spawning walleye. There are literally dozens of fishermen there everyday trying to kill fish. This area has a very vulnerable population of post spawn fish. I have fished out front of this area once and I will not be doing that ever again, it is wrong.
Unfortunately our three Fish and Wildlife officers for Central Alberta cannot possibly keep up with enforcement on Sylvan Lake let alone the enormous area they have to cover. Two of our Fish and Wildlife Officers along with the RCMP were out at Sunbreakers Boat Launch yesterday. There were a ridiculous number of poaching violations.
I sat and watched several boats heading to the boat launch quickly veer off when they saw the Fish and Wildlife Officers and and RCMP at the boat launch.
SRD needs to quickly rethink what is happening on Sylvan Lake. Succumbing to public pressure to allow walleye to be retained has brought 100s of fisherman on a daily basis. The fisherman also retain whitefish. Way too many fish are leaving the lake. There is no sense of balance at all.
It took almost 25 years to bring Sylvan Lake back to a wonderful place to fish. It will take a few short months to destroy it.
SRD needs to immediately rethink what is happening at Sylvan Lake. It is so disappointing to see this.
I saw frustrated Fish and Wildlife Officers yesterday. The RCMP were at the boat launch supporting our local Fish and Wildlife Officers. SRD needs to be proactive and protect this fishery immediately. I suspect that this will be a problem at Pine Lake and Gull Lake. I am not sure slot limits will work at Gull Lake.
I certainly hope that this problem is addressed quickly. We have to severely change what can be retained on Sylvan Lake and enforce it as well as close off the Marina Bay area to fishing. It is the right thing to do.
4 comments:
Absolutely share your comments. All Fishermen in this province need to step forward and report these types of activities too support our local CO's and RCMP Officers to help protect out Great Fisheries here in Alberta.
Murray Gommerud
Thanks for the article Bob. I’ve been to sylvan 3 times this year and I have seen the same things you have mentioned. Marina bay is overcrowded with fisherman who are taking advantage of spawning walleye and taking their limits every day. I have also seen many small inflatable boats on the North-West side of the lake loaded with fisherman making multiple trips to and from the launch most likely poaching. Very sad, something needs to be done quickly!
I'm still in shock as to how they re-opened Sylvan Lake after all those years of being closed . The worst part which I overheard and called in is, people are going catching one and then coming back again and again , multiply times in a day .
The second thing that is really setting me off , if the way this fish are being handled, smashed off rocks, kicked back into the water, picked up by the hook in there mouth, absolutely disgusting . If something doesn't change soon this lake will be devastated, I have had called in 5 times in the last 3 days , mainly cause when you try and have a civil conversation , its gets out of control quickly
It's really sad to see how poorly managed the walleye fishery is in Alberta. The SRD refused/didn't look beyond borders and look at regulations and management practices in other jurisdictions/provinces. Alberta's refusal to implement a proper stocking program, slot limits and proper size restrictions has added up to one big mess that is tragically comical.
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