An article from OFAH caught my eye the other day. One line read:
Enjoy fishing while you still understand the rules.
There are planned change in the ’07 fishing regulations and many people including OFAH members (of which I am one) are questioning the effectiveness of the proposed changes.
It would seem that the MNR recognizes the need to simplify the rules and exceptions of their current guidelines.
There are 2900 exceptions in today’s rulebook.
After some public input, it seems as if their solution is to make the total number of Fishing Management Areas (Zones) lower. Meaning if there were 50 Zones before the changes were implemented, there would now be 35 (this is not the actual number) in the new guidelines. In essence this makes sense to me. Less Fishing Area Designations should simplify their regulation books.
Many feel that this will have the opposite effect.
It will be harder to generalize the correct amount of fish (and slot sizes) anglers should take from the lakes in each Fishing Zone because each lake has its own set of unique properties and species dependent need for exceptions. These Fishing Zones will be so large that these new zones will have to have more exceptions to accomodate all the lakes they now encompass. Imagine a large zone surrounded lakes in Muskoka and North Bay. The fishing pressures of these lakes vary greatly, but if they all fell into a large Fishing Zone they would all be subject to the criteria the MNR sets for the zone.
There are other issues that fisherman are not enjoying.
The idea of changes or introductions to slot sizes on their favorite lakes.
I am undecided on this point. On a northern lake, that we have been fishing over the last couple of years, we suffered through some slot size restrictions that kept the pan sized fish in the water and the larger, lesser-tasting fish in our pans. We hated it.
Until this year.
We noticed a huge difference in the fish size that we were catching this year. There were more larger fish caught than any of our previous trips. I am wondering if this could be because of the slot sizes we had just endured for two years. This suggests to me that slot sizes may be worth the pain.
Maybe.
I am interested to see how this will all pan out. I will keep you all posted.
Bill Anderson
Muskoka Outdoors
I hope the new rules dont’ harm any fun you’re having up there.