Killing Cormorants to save fish?   That is an indication of very desperate measures. That will result in an easy public outcry to destroy the Wildrose Party on environmental issues even from the inside. What's next? Killing Pelicans. They harvest their fish in large numbers as well. What about loons.....

Restoration of Commercial fishing? Commercial fishing for what? To feed suckers to your pigs so they can grow faster because of a higher protein content?

Stocking new species.   I have gone through the "stocking bible" from the early 1900's at Alberta Fisheries, or whatever they call it today, and have noted that every kind of Bass imaginable (not all) has  been tried to be released within Alberta with absolute failure.

I could go on.

The problem is that Alberta is a very dry province with very little water compared to the provinces on either side of us.

Another problem is the higher Alberta  population, and our native brethren. And I could go on.....

Fisheries Management was in a crisis 50 years ago. There were predictions 50 years ago of our fisheries being in the state they are in today.

And Wildrose wants to go back to those days.

Not good.

Thanks Walleyes.   

I should be more positive thinking like you.  One gets nowhere and solves anything lamenting about problems.

I agree, kill every single cormorant there is.  They are non native species.  I also was told by a biologist that the big problem with cormorants is that they target large perch.  So they quickly decimate perch populations and than of course pike/walleye are next to go. 


I do not agree with commerical fishing.  We just don't have the populations of fish to justify it.  And many commericial fisherman abused the rules. In the lakeland area where I am, those commercial fisherman abused the lakes a lot.  Everyone knows where to buy walleye...

I do not agree with stocking lakes with anything.  Lakes have a balance point they always try to maintain.  We need to stop ****ing with it. 

I really dislike hearing people moan about only having pike, walleye and perch... Really???  I have fished all over Canada and Alberta truly has the best fishery I have every experienced.  Everyone wants the variety of species Ontario has.  That's a joke.  Ontario is not like what you see on fishing shows on TV.  You simply do not catch 1/10 of the number of fish you catch here.  By that I mean, in Ontario if you go for walleye you are lucky to bring 1 or 2 to the boat.  Yes, there's 100 species to fish for, but I wouldn't trade the sheer number of fish I catch for a bigger variety of fish.

Alberta has trophy pike, walleye, whitefish etc..  Let's just let Alberta lakes be Alberta lakes.  They are amazing just the way they are.


I really would like to see Native netting end.  Its abused so badly and as long as they can net there is no point trying to figure out any fishery management plan. 

The only thing we should ever do to manage lakes is shut them down when native populations are too low and have a slot size where larger fish are always released.  That's it (and of course end the netting).

I would actually like to see all lakes shut down for retention for every species for 4 or 5 years.  Go fishing all you want, but it all gets put back everything down to the burbot. Let the lakes heal naturally instead of trying to force them to be what we want them to be.

I really cant stand guys who feel like the NEED to bring home something for the pan every time.  I keep the odd fish, maybe a couple pike a year, but I fish more than most and I never feel like I go fishing because I want to bring back fish for dinner.  I go fishing to just enjoy going fishing.

I'm not saying everyone needs to fish for the same purpose I do, but I'm saying let the lakes heal for 4 or 5 years.  I've seen lakes shut down and 5 years later it's amazing what happens when there is no retention. 

With all due respect sir you are way off the mark.

I spent the first 27 years of my life in southern Ontario and was surrounded by the great lakes not to mention that little never mentioned lake called St. Clair.

I don't even know where to begin but you (for lack of words) don't know what the hell you are talking about.
1 or 2 walleye? Really? You must be a very poor fisherman or you don't know where to go or know how to fish.

Sheer number of fish? What the heck have you been smoking?

Ahh...I'm not even going to continue because I sense that you don't know what you are talking about and I'm not going to waste my time telling you about the dismal fishing Alberta has compared to Ontario.

That being said I'm Albertan all the way but you gotta give Ontario it's fishing dues not only for the many different species but also for size,quantity and in the case of northern lakes quality also.

Have a good day.

I grew up in ontario as well.  I should point out that I am referring to the more populated area's of ontario, not the north lakes like Lake of the Woods etc.

You might say it was my skill in catching fish, but I disagree.  I'm not sure how old you are, but my grandfather used to tell me stories about how good the fishing was in ontario.  But when I grew up there, it really wasn't great at all.  Yes there was days it was good, but as a whole it wasn't.  When I was a teenager I recall all the guys I talked to about fishing had about the same luck as us.

We typically fished for walleye and bass.  We fished occasionally for pike, catfish, perch, salmon, rainbow/brown trout etc. 

Compared to Alberta where I catch 30-80 walleye or 40-80 pike a day.

I think you guy's need to read the part about commercial fishing. There are lakes that should be netted just to get them back in balance. Also both burbot and suckers eat a lot of fish eggs so to increase the numbers of certain fish you should decrease there numbers for a while. Studies have shown that fish that have been released may have mortality of up to 60%,  the higher numbers when the water is warmer. Barbless hooks do not make much of a difference on mortality because people tend to  play the fish more, thus tiring the fish out more. Small scale fish hatcheries work for native fish in BC, why would they not work here?
There are lots of things that could be done to improve are fishing in Alberta. I like the idea of all burrow pits being turn into fish ponds. I like that idea so much that I suggested it to the fishery minister back in the 80's

30-80 walleye a day...and how many can you keep? How many were over 5 pounds?

40-80 pike a day..So do you like catching hammer handles all day long? What's your biggest pike? lol

Son I think I'm old enough to be your grand dad...so don't bullshit me cause I see right through it ok?

Oh there's quite a few lakes this can be done in Alberta. Even in some of the so called collapsed lakes, lots of big walleye and pike to be had for those that are in the know. Not your lakes close to the city or in the west but lots of lakes like this in the eastern part of the province even in many of the larger reservoirs in the south. Many of the lakes in our province are not in near the shape they would like people to believe they are in. Like I said before it's the easy brain dead method of conservation, shut it down and fine, simple brain dead philosophy.

One thing cabin I don't agree with you on is the ability we should have to take home a meal. Not every time, maybe not every lake but in all reality with a little effort and input it could be a reality in a lot more lakes and yes, I do expect a meal when I go out, why not, put and take fishery works in many places why not here.

 No doubt Sonny, Ontario has far more opportunities compared to Alberta when it comes to fishing. One just has to look at Google maps to see why, unreal the amount of water in that country. But I wouldn't be scared to put Alberta up against it when it comes to quality of fish. Ive never been there fishing but my son has and his brother inlaw owns and runs a lodge in north/east Ont and he has fished the province quite extensively. He comes out here fishing with us every winter and spring and even he says as far as size and quality goes Alberta has anything Ont has.

But good conversations anyways boys, good to have one on here now and again.

           Like a lot of points in the plan but a little leery of the commercial fishing.  Some of the lakes I fish are just starting to show a good whitefish population again and with only purely anecdotal evidence it's still pretty apparent that the lack of nets in the lakes has contributed to that.  Maybe some lakes can sustain it but there's gonna be some squeaky wheels lobbying for a reinstatement and that just can't happen.  The risk is to big, lots of these fisheries need every baitfish they ca n muster to support a walleye and pike population.

Oh there's quite a few lakes this can be done in Alberta. Even in some of the so called collapsed lakes, lots of big walleye and pike to be had for those that are in the know. Not your lakes close to the city or in the west but lots of lakes like this in the eastern part of the province even in many of the larger reservoirs in the south. Many of the lakes in our province are not in near the shape they would like people to believe they are in. Like I said before it's the easy brain dead method of conservation, shut it down and fine, simple brain dead philosophy.

One thing cabin I don't agree with you on is the ability we should have to take home a meal. Not every time, maybe not every lake but in all reality with a little effort and input it could be a reality in a lot more lakes and yes, I do expect a meal when I go out, why not, put and take fishery works in many places why not here.

I agree in that we SHOULD be able to take home a meal.  BUt the problem happens when our government tries to come up with regulaitons that allow people to take a meal home and not **** up the lakes.  They just can't seem to do it (the government), so just shut down the take home a meal idea because everything else they come up with isn't working. 

I agree put and take works, but imo it's jut putting a band aid on a system that isn't working. 

Hands Down, Ontario has the best fishing in Canada.

Why?  Read above. ^^^^^^^.

Also, Ontario also has a much larger and better fisheries management department.

And, a lot of practical fisheries research from the educational institutions is also applied directly to the water bodies.

Alberta could use both.

Have you fished in Ontario for any length of time?