Done with river fishing

[frozenfire]

I headed out yesterday night with a couple friends looking to drift some pools for fresh salmon.
It was a Thursday night. We did NOT expect the crowds. It's still early in the season.
We hit up the usual spots at Bowmanville and Wilmot.
Drifted a couple times at B-ville, and checked out wilmot spots only to see 20 cars parked at CNR bridge at midnight. Didn't even wet a line there.
You should see how these people "fish". Ridiculous.

Rivers are littered with salmon carcasses with bellies slit open already.
Saw plenty of illegal activity too 8)
Did I call the MNR CO's? No... why? Cause they were out in full force already!
Saw 2-3 CO's quietly watching anglers in the bush.
They walked by us, and we asked if they wanted to check licenses. They didn't say anything and just waved their arms implying no and that we were alright to continue fishing. Saw that we were dressed in chest waders, wading jackets, and float fishing with pins so they knew we were fishing properly I suppose.
They were stalking the anglers further down who were more than likely snagging and keeping salmon illegally.

Throwing 50lb braid with huge egg sinker and 8 treble hooks on your line will get you booked

Anyways...sorry for the rant.
Just sick of what I saw. It's only going to get worse.

Pier fishing for me now.

 

[openfire]

Wow.

I don't know what it is about the salmon run that brings out the worse in some people, but it's the same story every year. During the fall run, once people arrive at the river banks, it's like some evolutionary genetic marker gets switched off and some people spontaneously devolve into cavemen... "OOGA BOOGA ME GET FISH OOGA BOOGA"

 

[frozenfire]

I forgot to mention about seeing this big hen in the shallows. It had at least 4 hooks attached to it. Not in the mouth, but all over the body.
There was also a fresh 5lb coho hen just caught earlier in the day with belly slit open and skein removed. It was just left on the bank to rot.

I understand that the salmon are mostly a put and take fishery, where natural reproduction is minimal, but come on.... they don't seem to even get a chance at reproducing 8)

I can only imagine what these fish go through during their migration. They not only have to deal with dams and other natural rapids and falls, but also the hooligans chasing them with nets and giant treble hooks.

 

[shimano25]

That is why I always avoid fishing at rivers for salmon or trout. I don't want to experience these things. Besides I don't really like fishing for salmon or trout. I don't know why, just the way I am since I was young.

 

[Joel52]

You're right, it's nuts! The only river fishing I do now is with a fly rod, preferably away from the crowd.

 

[diggyj]

Thats pretty sad to hear. Hope the CO's were able to nab some people for illegal activities.

Me being someone who would one day love to try it because I never have, will avoid for now and for a long time.

Plus the river anglers I have encountered when I ask a few simple questions to gain some knowledge, have always been rude. I am sure that is only a handful, but they do seem to be abundant.....

Dirk

 

[jc53]

Yes the circus is in full swing.
That is why I specially stick to the piers. Only until Oct - Nov I go into the rivers after all the craziness.
At that time I will see one a person or two.

Good thing the CO were out and hopefully some big fines.
Time for a no kill zone.

 

Ofcourse the irony being most of the loogans get their "knowledge" from sites like this. There's a reason most hardcore river anglers guard their spots as viciously as a junkyard dog, most of the good holes have been co-opted by meat hunting obtuse loogans. Their kind of fishing is only enabled by wannabe internet fishing stars, the ones that aren't seasoned enough to realize the kind of damage their doing with their "Look at me" posts.

I appreciate the premise of this site, but such info should be kept in private forums. I belong to a few really good sites that are invite-only, that's the only way to post such info, and that's the only way you'll attract anything more than the bottom dregs of the angling pop.

I understand that the salmon are mostly a put and take fishery, where natural reproduction is minimal, but come on.... they don't seem to even get a chance at reproducing

Pacific salmon have never been stocked into the Wilmot, it's an entirely wild self sustaining pop, which makes them all the more sensitive to angling pressure. Nothing further West of Oshawa gets a yearly stocking of Pacifics.

I've got a 20 page research & management document, but it's pretty obvious very few on this site would bother to read it. Sorry, read it past the names of rivers.

 

[openfire]

Ofcourse the irony being most of the loogans get their "knowledge" from sites like this. There's a reason most hardcore river anglers guard their spots as viciously as a junkyard dog, most of the good holes have been co-opted by meat hunting obtuse loogans. Their kind of fishing is only enabled by wannabe internet fishing stars, the ones that aren't seasoned enough to realize the kind of damage their doing with their "Look at me" posts.

I take it from the above statement that you assign blame to sites like these as the cause of people breaking the law?

Your argument is flawed by virtue of the fact that these same type of "loogans" to whom you refer, were doing the same thing long before the internet came to be.

The fact that your good holes have been co-opted by meat hunting obtuse loogans is a reflection of society, and not a direct result of modern information dissemination constructs such as the internet and specifically, fishing websites.

I appreciate the premise of this site, but such info should be kept in private forums. I belong to a few really good sites that are invite-only, that's the only way to post such info, and that's the only way you'll attract anything more than the bottom dregs of the angling pop.

Yet this site attracted you?

I've got a 20 page research & management document, but it's pretty obvious very few on this site would bother to read it. Sorry, read it past the names of rivers.

Does your document indicate that the majority of returning salmon in Wilmot are offspring of naturally reproduced Wilmot Creek salmon? If so, I would love to see your research and management document, and I mean that in all sincerity. Please post it... That revelation flies in the face of most common perceptions of the Ontario salmon fishery... ie "put and take".

In return, if of interest to you, I would be more than willing to post some scans of my own Steelhead research documents (although not directly related to the topic at hand, but of interest nonetheless) that I personally procured from one of the top MNR biologists (perhaps the most respected salmonid expert in the province).

Cheers

 

[Rapala Boy]

I can almost guarantee you that not all the salmon at wilmot were born at wilmot.

 

[openfire]

I can almost guarantee you that not all the salmon at wilmot were born at wilmot.

I can guarantee you that according to the data that I've seen, the majority of chinook at Wilmot were as of 2004 hatchery fish. Less than 50% of these fish were wild at that time, which contradicts Dilligafs assertion of an "entirely wild" Chinook population at Wilmot.

View attachment 7243
Image courtesy of Department of Zoology, University of Toronto

Pacific salmon have never been stocked into the Wilmot, it's an entirely wild self sustaining pop, which makes them all the more sensitive to angling pressure.

You are correct that Wilmot is not stocked, but that does not make it an "entirely wild" population. See the graph above. I would like to see the supporting document that indicates that the Chinook population at Wilmot is "entirely wild".

 

[Yanni]

I don't think the way Dilligaf0220 worded his reply that he thinks sites like these cause people to break the law, he's just stating that it's ironic that sites like this are probably viewed by many people who do break the law(while most sites are more about conservation, C&R and the likes). His problem is more of when people mention spots that they'll eventually get crowded with those types of people. The fact is they're all over and it's only a matter of time that they'll find another/your spot anyways(unless it's private). Not defending anyone, just looking at it from each person's angle, and of course things like these will bring out frustration and the worst in us(and I'm just commenting on the comment about 'people who view sites like these break the law', because of course some bad apples are going to do their research as well).

I've seen some pretty nasty things going on in a Nottawasaga trib myself, just makes you wonder how far will people go. I know some people down right just don't give a damn and others did things differently back home.. but regardless where you come from it has nothing to do with the rules here. But of course it's also many local people who own riverfront property who do these things as well, seen plenty of people bombard no trespassing signs and you can see river blockades that they make with logs and rocks to narrow the path the fish can swim up... 2 words: night + net. And the great part is for the most part all of those people will never get caught.

Been out a few times so far this month(would've been more if it wasn't for work) and I've seen lots of new faces already so I'm curious to how it'll turn out but for the most part it was bad 3-4 years ago and it calmed down the year after due to dozens upon dozens of tickets and a few arrests. I really don't know if I can see things improving much.. just need to keep finding spots, call it in, and be careful who you fish with and tell your spots to.

 

[desi]

I was at Wilmot this morning (3 am). Absolute jam packed!

Too many people who think they can just come in, litter, fish illegally, cut the fish to take roe and leave... it's disgusting.

 

[Rapala Boy]

I was at Wilmot this morning (3 am). Absolute jam packed!

Too many people who think they can just come in, litter, fish illegally, cut the fish to take roe and leave... it's disgusting.

I think I know where to try out next week, either wilmot or bronte if it rains good. Sorry to hear it`s a mess there, but there`s another parking lot a bit up north from the first cnr if you you wanna avoid crowds.

 

[superduperfly]

[/quote]
I think I know where to try out next week, either wilmot or bronte if it rains good. Sorry to hear it`s a mess there, but there`s another parking lot a bit up north from the first cnr if you you wanna avoid crowds.[/quote]

Be careful when drifting, you might hook some lady swimming right above the tracks or her husband while he is bottom bouncing.

Please someone tell me they saw that today....It just gets worst and worst there. Really sad. I don't blame the OP for feeling that way. I honestly felt that way today.

 

[Rapala Boy]

I missed the part about 3am, must be a city during the day, don't worry man they'll be gone by the time it gets cold. When I meant the parking above the CNR I meant the parking near the 3rd concession. There's also the conservation area a bit higher then the wilmot club.

Oh ya the wilmot club, you can join the club and have a whole section to yourself.

Up there there are also some nice resident trout that can be caught along with the migratories, but I haven't been there so I can't tell you much.

Man I miss wilmot creek.