Help with first time fishing in ontario

[adudesuperman]

So I am a 16 year old kid going camping with the family and a friend. I have fished a bit before and know a little. I'm planning on fishing off of a canoe and i was wondering a few things.

1) I don't have a livewell in my canoe and i was wondering if i could still keep fish in anyway even if i had to go to shore for every catch

2) the laws for ontario say i don't need a liscence to fish because i'm under 18, so do i need anything other than just some id saying i am under 18

3) without a liscence can i even bring anyfish back to the bbq to eat or is there some other regulations i need to follow

4) any tips for someone new to fishing in ontario (i assume its pretty similar to manitoba because i'm just going to be in the kenora area which is very close)

Thanks for taking a look at my post and any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Knuguy]

Welcome to the board, kid! Nice to see some young'uns interested in fishing.

Q1---Don't understand. You could try putting them on a stringer, but it's a real drag in a canoe. On a hot day they will spoil quickly. Think about catch and release.

Q2--I'm on the 'plus' side, you might say, for the age limit. I just carry ID to show my age. That's all you need.

Q3--I think you can keep fish like 'regular folks' per reg. limits. Folks over 65 an, anyway, but you best check the regs.

Q4--Here in S. Ont the fish get pretty snobbish. But up there near Kenora I'd expect they'd be regular 'country fish'(non-pretentious, just like in Man. :razz: . BTW, I envy your fishing location! Maybe you can catch a giant size muskie!

 

[FishingNoob]

So I am a 16 year old kid going camping with the family and a friend. I have fished a bit before and know a little. I'm planning on fishing off of a canoe and i was wondering a few things.

1) I don't have a livewell in my canoe and i was wondering if i could still keep fish in anyway even if i had to go to shore for every catch

2) the laws for ontario say i don't need a liscence to fish because i'm under 18, so do i need anything other than just some id saying i am under 18

3) without a liscence can i even bring anyfish back to the bbq to eat or is there some other regulations i need to follow

4) any tips for someone new to fishing in ontario (i assume its pretty similar to manitoba because i'm just going to be in the kenora area which is very close)

Thanks for taking a look at my post and any help would be greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the site! What fish are you targeting and with what setup?

The numbers beside my answers will correspond with the numbers to your questions.

1) A stringer or fish basket would work in that case. A stringer is a a string, wire, or chain often with snaps on which fish are strung by a fisherman to keep them while they continue to fish. Once you put a fish on the stringer, attached the string, to your boat then put the fish back in the water. A cooler filled with ice would also work, but would be much heavier. When you want to kill your fish, hit them behind the eyes, with a stick, hard, so they die with one blow. Catch and release, is always a good option too.

2) No, so long as you have GOVERNMENT issues ID proving you are under 18, you are fine. I suggest the use a boating license (if you have one), you don't need one for a canoe, but if you lose it, it is easily replaced and they give you a few spares... Otherwise, I would take photocopies so you don't need to bring the original, the photocopies should be accepted in my experience. People over 18 must have an Ontario license though.

3) Yes you can bring fish back to the camp site to eat, SO long that you abide by the conservation limits, in the regulations, that means you can keep the same number of fish, as the number beside the letter C.

4) I've never been to that area, so unfortunately I can't help you out... Maybe a quick google search or a post on a forum specifically for that region?

 

[staffman]

They sell fish baskets that would likely be better than a stringer, but if you intend to release the fish than releasing them immediately is the best option.

 

[iJay]

In a Canoe setting, I have always used a cooler or storage bing with water to keep my catch alive while I continue to fish. There are a couple upsides to this, lower center of gravity the added wieght isn't wenough to slow me down enough, however makes the canoe a bit more stable.

The stringer as others have said is effective but I have found with fish hanging off the side of my canoe/boat it has hindered my catch. Not sure if other fish see this and stay away or if it was coincidence.

Good luck!

 

[rich_ace_G]

cooler with ample ice to give your fish some preservation. Make sure to kill the fish with one blow or bleed them fast. (preserves the flavor). best provide some proof that you are under 18. burden of proof is on you. sorry for mixing my answers. you may not need a license (yet) but you still follow the regulations and limits as if you're licensed. it doesn't matter where you are. if you're in a lake that holds fish...there will be fish. the tricky part is how to catch them. don't forget your can of worms.

 

[FishingNoob]

don't forget your can of worms.

This is the most important!

 

[Knuguy]

The quickest way to kill pickerel is to snap its head backwards.

 

[fisher12]

To preserve the fish, you could just keep them in ice and since you're under 18, you should carry some government issued I.D. stating your D.O.B.

 

[adudesuperman]

Thank you guys so much for all of the replies. I am really exited to get out on the water.
The last question i had is with limits, because i don't have a licence for fishing because I'm under 18, what licence would i follow the limits for?
I will probably be going for walleye because they aren't big fighters and i might change during the week because there are some nice stores over there.

 

[FishingNoob]

Thank you guys so much for all of the replies. I am really exited to get out on the water.
The last question i had is with limits, because i don't have a licence for fishing because I'm under 18, what licence would i follow the limits for?
I will probably be going for walleye because they aren't big fighters and i might change during the week because there are some nice stores over there.

Conservation license.

 

[Alfiegee]

Conservation license.

What Noob said I believe.

Alfie.

 

[Dave Bailey]

Here's a link to the official regulations: http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/d1eb8afd#/d1eb8afd/5

I would suggest looking over them and printing out pages 7 through 13, general regulations, and pages 22 to 27, pertaining to Zone 5, which is where Kenora is located.