Wilkes Dam

[Kit]

What a awesome day! Minus dropping my iPhone in the Grand but she still works!

Biggest catch of the day while out for Pickerel (witch I caught but could not take not regulation size) a 12 pound Large Mouth Bass! He had a piece of him missing from a fight or god knows what. But a beautiful fish.
The Pickerel was pretty nice. Due to my poor hook set his bottom lip got ripped apart, I felt pretty bad. But a really nice fish. He was about 12 to 14 inches when i needed 19.7 to take him! Bah was pretty angry about it.
But all in all a darn good day!

 

[NADO]

Nice catch, i'd put that bass in th 3-4 range though I bet it still fought hard.

BTW where is wilkes dam?

 

[Kit]

We weighted it with a Rapala scale it just came shy of 12 pounds lol. And surprisingly no it reeled in quite nicely lol.

And the dam is located in Brantford.

 

[getin]

We weighted it with a Rapala scale it just came shy of 12 pounds lol. And surprisingly no it reeled in quite nicely lol.

And the dam is located in Brantford.

To me the fish is not even close to 12 lb. You can see in the link below the photos of several bass in the range 10-14 lb and obviously they are way larger than this fish.
http://www.outdooralabama.com/fishing/freshwater/where/lakes/escambia/pix/


Nice fish though, all that matters is that you enjoyed your day
Thanks for sharing

 

[Kit]

Holy crap. I guess that scale is messed up lol. Thanks for that link and clearing it up.

 

[ret0dd]

rapala scales are tricky. if you got that one buttone scale that can switch to two - three different measurements like instead of 12pounds it was showing 12kilos?

 

[Kit]

yeah thats the one i got must have been on kilos. I just pulled it out of my bag and turned it on lol

 

[Mykester]

smallmouth bass, and is fishing that close to the dam allowed?

 

[blair]

We weighted it with a Rapala scale it just came shy of 12 pounds lol. And surprisingly no it reeled in quite nicely lol.

And the dam is located in Brantford.

Firstly, Nice catch(es)!

Not being critical at all ... but the bass is more in the 3-4lb range. (Scale is way off! LOL).
Be aware that technically: BASS is OUT of SEASON

if you ran into an over zealous CO there could be trouble do to the fact of taking the time to take a picture & Weigh.
Regulations state if a NON-SEASON SPECIES is hooked - immediate release is required.

(Again not being a stickler, just being informative)

Secondly, be alert as to the area you are fishing in. I have know idea of WilKes Dam, but do know that most weirs & dams in southern Ontario have 25-60 Metre NO FISHING ZONES.
Not all ... but most.

Stay informed, enjoy.... have fun!

 

[float^drifter]

smallmouth bass, and is fishing that close to the dam allowed?

from what i know and read 30 meters below dam u are. anything closer then that well u'll be in trouble if cought by co

 

[salmotrutta]

Any day where you catch a nice smallmouth and walleye is a great day! Two of the most sought after game fish in Ontario!

As for the weight - I'd say about a kilogram or just over 2lbs. They're like torpedos at that size, so much fun.

 

[Kit]

Firstly, Nice catch(es)!

Not being critical at all ... but the bass is more in the 3-4lb range. (Scale is way off! LOL).
Be aware that technically: BASS is OUT of SEASON

if you ran into an over zealous CO there could be trouble do to the fact of taking the time to take a picture & Weigh.
Regulations state if a NON-SEASON SPECIES is hooked - immediate release is required.

(Again not being a stickler, just being informative)

Secondly, be alert as to the area you are fishing in. I have know idea of WilKes Dam, but do know that most weirs & dams in southern Ontario have 25-60 Metre NO FISHING ZONES.
Not all ... but most.

Stay informed, enjoy.... have fun!

There's no signs or anything saying no fishing or anything like that and there was about a dozen people there, and yeah I know about the out of season/regulations I caught a dozen bass and released them right away. I am in the process of becoming a CO, just could not pass up on the pic of it


http://www.grandrive...ing-regulations

That's what the GRCA has for regulations as does the MNR but for the area I was fishing in is..
This is a Catch & Release Zone Only…
Begins 100m below the Hwy 2 bridge to the pedestrian bridge at the BrantConservationPark.
This catch & release zone only allows artificial lures with barb less hooks.
No fishing allowed from March 1 to the last Friday in April.


Then after you pass Mohawk lake its all free game with limits.


But at the same time today I seen everyone with barbed hooks and using worms. So I don't think the MNR enforces or checks that area at all.

 

[Mykester]

There's no signs or anything saying no fishing or anything like that

Well i guess I can snag fish too because I've never seen a no snagging sign.

 

[briguy]

There's no signs or anything saying no fishing or anything like that and there was about a dozen people there, and yeah I know about the out of season/regulations I caught a dozen bass and released them right away. I am in the process of becoming a CO, just could not pass up on the pic of it

Yes there are signs, go into the conservation area and the signs are there, there were signs placed at the dam but they get removed by people thinking if there is no sign they are ok. if you are trying to become a CO you might want to start off by following the laws and not using the BS excuses that poachers use


That's what the GRCA has for regulations as does the MNR but for the area I was fishing in is..[/font]
[/size]This is a Catch & Release Zone Only…
Begins 100m below the Hwy 2 bridge to the pedestrian bridge at the BrantConservationPark.
This catch & release zone only allows artificial lures with barb less hooks.
No fishing allowed from March 1 to the last Friday in April.
Then after you pass Mohawk lake its all free game with limits
But at the same time today I seen everyone with barbed hooks and using worms. So I don't think the MNR enforces or checks that area at all.
[/i]
The foot bridge is above the conservation area so the people using worms are OK to do so

and its NOT a good idea to tell everyone where your fishing, post the picture and if they know where it is good if not let them find it for themselves

 

[Kit]

so then i thought, theres really no-one to stop these kind of people.

the grand river has so many fish in it you can fish all year for something, and we all know we catch fish that are not in saeson.
i dont think any ranger would mind seeing a person take a picture of any fish. even out of season, as long as it went back in alive...

There's no signs or anything saying no fishing or anything like that and there was about a dozen people there, and yeah I know about the out of season/regulations I caught a dozen bass and released them right away. I am in the process of becoming a CO, just could not pass up on the pic of it

Yes there are signs, go into the conservation area and the signs are there, there were signs placed at the dam but they get removed by people thinking if there is no sign they are ok. if you are trying to become a CO you might want to start off by following the laws and not using the BS excuses that poachers use


That's what the GRCA has for regulations as does the MNR but for the area I was fishing in is..[/font]
[/size]This is a Catch & Release Zone Only…
Begins 100m below the Hwy 2 bridge to the pedestrian bridge at the BrantConservationPark.
This catch & release zone only allows artificial lures with barb less hooks.
No fishing allowed from March 1 to the last Friday in April.
Then after you pass Mohawk lake its all free game with limits
But at the same time today I seen everyone with barbed hooks and using worms. So I don't think the MNR enforces or checks that area at all.
[/i]
The foot bridge is above the conservation area so the people using worms are OK to do so

and its NOT a good idea to tell everyone where your fishing, post the picture and if they know where it is good if not let them find it for themselves

I don't appreciate you coming in here and and calling me a "Poacher" when clearly I'm not. Don't tell me if you where fishing for something that is in season and you caught something that was out of season but the size of it was so great that you would not take a picture? cause you would period. And another thing I was not in the conservation area. I was in a public area there for no signs where seen, and if the GRCA or the MNR was so hung up on no fishing there signs would be placed there clearly stating "NO FISHING". And it would be checked regularly by the GRCA or MNR and for the dozen people that were there I'm sure they would have known that you cannot fish that area.

So all in all if you don't have anything nice to say towards me or anyone on these great forums then don't say anything at all.

Eric.

 

[briguy]

I don't appreciate you coming in here and and calling me a "Poacher" when clearly I'm not.

here is a reply from the MNR (taken from another site)

"It is illegal to attempt to catch fish for which the season is closed, even
if you plan to release them. If you happen to catch a bass while you are
walleye fishing, you must immediately release it and not cause it
unnecessary harm. Also, if you find that you are catching bass, you should
change your lure/bait and/or move to a different location.

When you do not immediately release the fish (ie: take the time for photos),
it is considered to be retained. You can not retain any fish which are not
is season.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you,
nric web reader-mf

*******************************
Natural Resources Information Centre
300 Water Street
Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5
1-800-667-1940
Fax: 705-755-1677
[email protected]
********************************"


this taken from the fishing Regulations (page 8.)

It is illegal to fish within 22.9 m (75 ft.) downstream from the lower entrance to any fishway or canal, obstacle, or any device designed to assist fish around an obstacle.

not tryin to bust your balls just want to make sure you are aware so next time you dont get pinched

you might also want to read the size restrictions for walleye in that area, you are allowed 4 walleye but only 1 over 18.1" so that little eye you could of kept

 

[disspatcher]

Thank you 420. That fish was out of the water for maybe 20 seconds or less.





I don't appreciate you coming in here and and calling me a "Poacher" when clearly I'm not. Don't tell me if you where fishing for something that is in season and you caught something that was out of season but the size of it was so great that you would not take a picture? cause you would period. And another thing I was not in the conservation area. I was in a public area there for no signs where seen, and if the GRCA or the MNR was so hung up on no fishing there signs would be placed there clearly stating "NO FISHING". And it would be checked regularly by the GRCA or MNR and for the dozen people that were there I'm sure they would have known that you cannot fish that area.

So all in all if you don't have anything nice to say towards me or anyone on these great forums then don't say anything at all.

Eric.

Actually guys ;Briguy is 100% correct!!
It is in the regs that a fish must be immediately released..no pictures, no showing buddies, nothing. One reason they do this because the longer(even 1 minute) the fish is out of water, it is away from its nest...while you are taking pictures, the nest is getting wiped out from predators.
Its like speeding, if the Highway is posted an 80KM Zone, then 81 Km is speeding. And if there are no signs posted,then it is understood that you are in a 50KM zone. Just because there are no Signs doesnt mean its a free for all. With that being said, Ignorance of the law is No Excuse.

The Regs are in place for all of us to abide by, and for the MNR to enforce. Yes we all know the MNR need more staff in order to keep up, but funding is just not there. Thats what the TIPS lines are for.
If the phone call doesnt work, take a picture and a licence plate #. Then send in a report. If you dont like the laws or feel the MNR is doing a lousy job, then get out there and Vote for someone who is taking a stand in favor of the cause.

If you are planning on becoming a CO in the future you may want to brush up on your rules and regs, at the moment they are as accurate as your scale.

PS we also try and discourage posting of any OOS Fish.
Regards
Disspatcher

 

[Kit]

here is a reply from the MNR (taken from another site)

"It is illegal to attempt to catch fish for which the season is closed, even
if you plan to release them. If you happen to catch a bass while you are
walleye fishing, you must immediately release it and not cause it
unnecessary harm. Also, if you find that you are catching bass, you should
change your lure/bait and/or move to a different location.

When you do not immediately release the fish (ie: take the time for photos),
it is considered to be retained. You can not retain any fish which are not
is season.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us.

Thank you,
nric web reader-mf

*******************************
Natural Resources Information Centre
300 Water Street
Peterborough, ON K9J 8M5
1-800-667-1940
Fax: 705-755-1677
[email protected]
********************************"


this taken from the fishing Regulations (page 8.)

It is illegal to fish within 22.9 m (75 ft.) downstream from the lower entrance to any fishway or canal, obstacle, or any device designed to assist fish around an obstacle.

not tryin to bust your balls just want to make sure you are aware so next time you dont get pinched

you might also want to read the size restrictions for walleye in that area, you are allowed 4 walleye but only 1 over 18.1" so that little eye you could of kept

Thanks Briguy,

We where at least 100ft or just over 75ft from the dam casting down stream. And i got a Conservation license. I usually don't take fish just catch and release. But I love Pickerel. Anyways we are good??

 

[briguy]

Anyways we are good??

yup all good, if your looking for some other spots along the river to fish let me know, I used to fish it alot but since moving out of town I don't get out there too often

 

[threeparrots]

Its like speeding, if the Highway is posted an 80KM Zone, then 81 Km is speeding. And if there are no signs posted,then it is understood that you are in a 50KM zone. Just because there are no Signs doesnt mean its a free for all. With that being said, Ignorance of the law is No Excuse.

It's probably more like the 401. It's posted 100km/h but really you're not getting stopped unless you're doing over 120km/h. Just put this guy's "crime" into perspective. He's not getting pulled over.