Perch Possession Limits! Please read

I've eaten Perch 4 years old from the freezer and they were just like you caught them yesterday if you freeze in water.
I can't see any problem with a possession limit of 100. I've sat down for a family meal and fought over the last piece of 25 Perch we cooked. Even if any was left over it never lasted watching the tube snacking on a half dozen. All depends on the size. After all this talking I think I'll have Perch and eggs for breakfast.;)
Winter can be long with no Perch in the freezer.:(
I'm lucky to have any with 13 grandkids and 6 kids
Grampa you got any fish!
But I don't believe in wasting. Keep what you think you'll eat.
I go with you on this Dave. 100 is nothing to some.
 
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not to be a dick. but would Big dave still want the numbers increased if he didnt have a charter business? Keep it the way it is 50 is more than enough!
 
hi big dave....i am a Caldwell First Nation and am co-chair to our hunting and fishing committee...i've had extensive meeting with the MNR in Chatham on multiple subjects and maybe and hopefully could assist or even work together seeing our territory runs from Detroit River to LongPoint...with regards to perch limits for licenced anglers vs. commercial fishermen its always been somewhat a touchy subject...i personally been on a fishing tug during the smelting and the waste that's thrown back is mind blowing disturbing...harvesting of any species must be kept in check for the future and sometimes the numbers of catches that are reported aren't even close to what they say they are...fines are imposed...over fishing,catch/possession limits,to many lines,no licences etc...i might agree with you as to raising the limit but seeing you are a business man i for one really don't see the point...50 perch per person vs 100 per person meaning if they want an additonal 50 they have to pay you again to go back out....more money in your pocket!! the day of native and non native fighting over who does what must end now and we must start building bridges together and work in harmony or we won't have a fishery. As I'm sure as every single one of us heard stories from our grandparents and parents(elders) of the many great catches they had and abundance and size and variance of catches Lake Erie has given us...i'm now finding i'm telling my own son and others on the hay days when i was a kid as per to say for todays fishing....not as great...raping our waters and a higher percentage of catches going to foreign countries for a quick buck must be cut back tremendously.
sorry i might have rambled a bit but we as the people of this land(me and you) must work together,put differences aside and work for the future,we all share something in common,we love fishing,provides income for our family,lowers our stress,teaches our children,food on the table etc.
with all being said...its almost dove and early goose season....woo hoo i can't wait...cheers
 
As a guy that has fished Lake Erie for more than 5 decades I can assure you there is now more fish than there ever has been. I don't think anyone can disagree that the pickerel and perch numbers are nothing short of phenomenal. As a kid we were able to catch all the Blue pickerel you wanted off the pier in Port Stanley but over-fishing by the commercial guys and water pollution pretty well wiped them out by the late 1970's. Most believe they are now extinct as a species and that's a shame because they were actually better tasting then Yellow pickerel. I for one never want to see that happen again to our fishery.

Getting back to BD's question, I can sympathize with his side of the argument but I also see the other side. There are at least 10 times as many sport fishermen fishing Erie as I can remember 50 years ago therefore there's a huge increase in fishing pressure. Not only that they are all fishing with the benefits of modern technology which also has dramatically increased catches for everyone, well almost everyone. I do know a few that couldn't catch a fish unless you put it on the hook for them! :( I think the daily limit of 50 perch or 6 walleye per day is sufficient for anyone's needs and to keep the fishery sustainable for the future. However, I would like to see the possession limit increased to 100 perch and 12 pickerel but only for the freezer at home. I have found the current limit to be quite satisfactory for my individual needs and that of family and friends when I have a fish fry. Due to contaminants I really don't think it's safe to consume anymore than that anyway. That's my 2 cents and once again BD you have certainly produced an interesting discussion for all to take part in. :)
 
Hi Dennis.

An increase in the possession limit would benefit me but not in a large way. I am fairly busy and if I could figure out a way to make the weather co-operate better I would be very busy.

I do get some inquiries from Americans but not enough to lose sleep over. To touch again a person who plans a walleye or perch trip and is fortunate enough to get their limit can not fish the same species a second day in a row. Seems a shame as someone might drive a little farther to do so and it works in lake Simcoe. Lets say a family of 4 comes to lake Erie to fish, on day one they catch 150 perch. If they do not consume any they are legally entitled to 50 more the second day or 20 walleye day one and only allowed 4 on day 2. Hardly worth planning a second day.

Sure would increase interest and tourism for everyone involved.

BD
 
there's noth wrong with catch and release maybe that needs to be emphiszed more than filling a freezer.
 
brock said:
there's noth wrong with catch and release maybe that needs to be emphiszed more than filling a freezer.
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Your right, there is nothing wrong with catch and release but I never heard anyone in this post emphasizing the importance of filling their freezers. Many on here, including myself, practice catch and release regularly...in fact mine consists of 90% of the fish I catch. I release every single bass I catch because for one I don't like eating them but I sure like catching them... I also release every single musky I catch for the same reasons. I release all trout and salmon except for a few I keep for the smoker because I love them smoked. And oh yeah, I also release every sheep and silver bass but not the gobies...I introduce all of them to the crushing jaws of my pliers. Not just for the reason I simply detest them but also because it's the law. I do keep every legally caught perch and pickerel except those too small because not only do I like eating them but I don't get out as much as I would like so I need them all and yes also my possession limit for the freezer. Do you have a problem with any of that? o_O
 
I personally don't thing there should be any possession limits for any fish in any body of water in Ontario, as long as you abide by the daily limit.
 
Devin said:
I personally don't thing there should be any possession limits for any fish in any body of water in Ontario, as long as you abide by the daily limit.
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I don't agree with that Devin.

Hewscraft what great point, maybe a CO can tell with DNA testing.

Fishfarmer, man 6 kids and 13 grand kids, I don't have that many close friends, you must not have been that tired after a shift at the plant! Bless you my son.

A great thread, a mature adult conversation will all making intelligent arguments on both sides.

Dave I wish you luck, I hope you have a lot of time on your hands trying to change legislation, it will be a long up hill battle. But without regular Joe's like yourself trying to change things rather than just complaining on and on and not doing anything about it, including not voting, this would be a lesser country. Whether I agree with you or not I applaud your participation in this democratic system we have. Complain about Canada all one cares to, what makes it great is we can voice our opinions and have the opportunity to change things if we wish. Not al citizens of the world have that luxury. Like China, whom has become the trade darling of the world.
 
I have eaten lots of perch frozen for up to a year and although I believe you can,t beat fresh, the old stuff is still darn good. I am in agreement that the ministry should review possession limits for at least parts of Lake Erie. I have friends who visit every year to fish perch, it would be reasonable to allow those people and others like them to take 100 fish legally. The amount is allowed on simcoe likely a a result of a lobby by the town and businesses who benefit. I don,t know that the popular ports on erie could accommodate many more people without some significant improvements to ramps etc. I really believe that for a change to occur, the business community will have to drive the ship. One only has to visit the west end on the Ohio side to see the amount of tourism a fishery supported by adequate resources can generate
 
Maybe a way to change the possession limits would be to add another class of license. You could have your conservation, sportsman and then another class, I don't know what you would call it, maybe a possession permit, but it would generate more revenue for the government and also the tourism industry as Big Dave suggests. You know how the government likes more money, and maybe, just maybe it may curtail a little of the poaching going on. Just my 2 cents
 
If the possession limit of Simcoe perch (IMO they taste a bit better than Erie) is 100 and it's 50 for Erie, does that mean you're allowed to have the possession limit from each FMZ in your freezer and still stay legal even though the total is much higher than the limit of any one zone? Let's say I had a week off and managed a limit in 5 different management zones. Would it be okay to have 3-400 perch in my possession?
 
Big Dave said:
I get it Walleye. I had a guy from Michigan call today, he and a group of friends wanted to come up and fish eyes and perch. 5 of them, when I told them the possession limit they declined. I lost out, a walleye charter, local business, restaurants, licenses, bait, gas, tackle. It is endless
Thanks for not a shot, I provide a service. I will never ne McDonalds where they used to advertise a billion served.....:D
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I have gone various places and the possession limit was never a question for me. Some of these Americans don't want to fish , they want to kill fish.
For them I would not change the reg.
I do release most fish and do not begrudge those who keep a lot and eat. I also agree fish in water in a freezer bag keep for a long time.
I also wondered what would happen if I got checked at home because I buy my perch in Port Dover and freeze some.
 
I have been involved around Lake Erie in the Marina business for many years, and have seen the fish stocks, both perch and pickerel come and go. It was not that long ago that the perch limit for the sport fisherman was 100 and reduced in order to protect the species. Having said that, most of the guys that enjoy perch had and still do have many more than 50 in their possession. I personally have spoken to many guys that go as often as they can and take home close to limits every time. These people must have pounds of filets in there freezer. I don't like to get into trying to manage our fish stocks, but you can be assured if we keep this up and stocks dwindle the MNR will be forced to further reduce the quotas. I think 50 perch is enough for anyone at one time, and if and when you eat them and want more go get them. I also feel that if the limits were put back up then we as sport fishermen would just double the amount of fish we are taking, and we would see less and less perch in our lake. With less fish we would see fewer fishermen and less tourism in and around the lake. I remember in the 90's when there were next to no boats in Port Bruce harbor because there were no fish, and look at it today.
 
Whether the limit for anglers is 50 or 100 the numbers that we take is miniscual as compared to die offs from algae blooms and other environmental effects that can wipe out millions of fish in a few short days. Those fish that all rotted on the beach last year would have been of better use in freezer bags than fertilizing the beach.Fish stocks grow and shrink from a number of factors not even related to fishing.As for the mnr and their lack of funds don't be surprised when they turn the conservation licence into a catch and release only licence (what it probably should have been anyway) and start asking our seniors to pay for the right to wet a line.They really are in need of money to maintain a presence in the management of our resourse. That said i think 100 perch possesion is resonable for those who would or could use that many after all if i wanted to and had the cash i could go down to the fish house and buy as many as i want no limits apply???
 
The more I think of how Ohio runs it the more I like it. 30 fish per day with no possession limit. It encourages people to fish numerous times and increases tourism:)

BD
 
I totally agree with Dave about Ohio, I hate to admit it but the Americans are better at managing the Lake Erie fish stocks then we are. I use to fish Ohio all the time and could never figure out why we have possession limits and they don't. They have way more fishing pressure (angler) then we do and yet the fishery is always better on their side as far as numbers go (the exception being Hastings).
 
Devin said:
I totally agree with Dave about Ohio, I hate to admit it but the Americans are better at managing the Lake Erie fish stocks then we are. I use to fish Ohio all the time and could never figure out why we have possession limits and they don't. They have way more fishing pressure (angler) then we do and yet the fishery is always better on their side as far as numbers go (the exception being Hastings).
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that is erroneous because the water is much different over there, there is much more structure on the bottom, attracts more fish and easier to targer. Locating and catching fish is simply more difficult on our big, sandy bottom bowl. And besides, admitting that there is more angling pressure, pointing to higher limits and saying that is the reason why there is more fish is the definition of illogical.
 
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