OT: Hunting/Fishing/Outdoors Thread

[Runner77]

Trust me, the best part about ice fishing? Is the food. I take that back. The best part of the ice fishing season? When there is a front page article, in the local newspaper, about the authorities having to coax a bunch of 60-70 year olds off of thin ice. LMAO Oh, and believe me, they were catching fish before removed...

Who wouldn’t love that. Enjoy!

 

[Runner77]

Multiple reasons. They have more contaminants, they don't taste as good, and releasing big females supposedly promotes keeping big fish genes in the population.

How far out do all of you have to go in order to catch non-contaminated big fish? Obviously mileage will vary depending where you live however just curious as to what that may represent and how badly you’d be willing to put up with the travel.

 

[angusyoung]

There are 2 types of ice fishermen/women. Ones that are grimacing because they hungry and cold, and those standing in front of a charcoal grill with 10 sausages, onions, bell peppers, and a smile. Buns and condiments too!

There ya go, my type of fishing! Make a day of it,what's the rush anyways?

 

[angusyoung]

How far out do all of you have to go in order to catch non-contaminated big fish? Obviously mileage will vary depending where you live however just curious as to what that may represent and how badly you’d be willing to put up with the travel.

Not very clear and precise sorry to say. All depending on whom, you listen to and trust. Heard people say they eat fish from the St.Lawrence by Champlain bridge, not sure I'd try it. People say that more than once a month is almost too much mercury,even if fresh fish from clean waters around Montreal and beyond. However my Inuit friends don't even consider any intangibles as do other associates from different regions.

 

[peate]

This is what they catch in St-Anicet, 50km west of Montreal on the St-Lawrence.

 

[Runner77]

This is what they catch in St-Anicet, 50km west of Montreal on the St-Lawrence.

You mean, that’s what they catch and release.

 

[Jigger77]

How far out do all of you have to go in order to catch non-contaminated big fish? Obviously mileage will vary depending where you live however just curious as to what that may represent and how badly you’d be willing to put up with the travel.

Well, that is a loaded question. There are rivers in Northern Ontario where walleye have a higher mercury content than where I am on the St Lawrence for example. Even saltwater fish contain mercury. There is no escaping contaminants in fish completely unfortunately. The larger the fish and higher in the food chain it is the more mercury it will have because of the cumulative effect of mercury in the food chain. Sardines, for example have very little to no mercury in comparison to Albacore Tuna or Swordfish which have a relatively high mercury content. It really depends on the fish species and where you are.

If I travel to fish, it's not to catch non-contaminated fish. It's more for the experience. Either because the body of water I travel to is renowned for a particular type of fish, either to target a species I've never caught before or isn't found in my area, or simply to get away from high fishing pressure areas, for the remoteness and serenity etc.

 

[overlords]

This is what they catch in St-Anicet, 50km west of Montreal on the St-Lawrence.

I grew up camping in st. anicet and when I was around 8 we were told to stop swimming in the lake as it was always getting contaminated with too much pig shit

 

[cphabs]

I have this memory of when I was 16-17 I was out on the lake alone with my 10 brimballes and my own minnows. I just had discovered weed so I was probably high. At the end of the afternoon it was getting darker and the clouds started to come down. The perch came back and I soon I was running back and forth unhooking fish, fetching minnows and cleaning the holes because it just had started to snow. Me and my lines were just wrapped in sunset-orangey snow mist. I remember I caught a 36" pike that evening. What a life.

Blue (winter) sky and the sunset. I agree, it is mesmerizing.

 

[cphabs]

Fishing trip booked from Sept 8-11. Super Stoked.

Where you going?

 

[cphabs]

Who wouldn’t love that. Enjoy!

Agreed!

 

[Runner77]

Well, that is a loaded question. There are rivers in Northern Ontario where walleye have a higher mercury content than where I am on the St Lawrence for example. Even saltwater fish contain mercury. There is no escaping contaminants in fish completely unfortunately. The larger the fish and higher in the food chain it is the more mercury it will have because of the cumulative effect of mercury in the food chain. Sardines, for example have very little to no mercury in comparison to Albacore Tuna or Swordfish which have a relatively high mercury content. It really depends on the fish species and where you are.

If I travel to fish, it's not to catch non-contaminated fish. It's more for the experience. Either because the body of water I travel to is renowned for a particular type of fish, either to target a species I've never caught before or isn't found in my area, or simply to get away from high fishing pressure areas, for the remoteness and serenity etc.

Too bad that this is what we’ve done to our bodies of water. Hopefully it’s not too late to clean it up.

 

[cphabs]

Too bad that this is what we’ve done to our bodies of water. Hopefully it’s not too late to clean it up.

Yes

 

[cphabs]

This is what they catch in St-Anicet, 50km west of Montreal on the St-Lawrence.

Fantastic brother!

 

[angusyoung]

Hey, it's Chuck Norris

40 years ago. lol.

 

[angusyoung]

This is what they catch in St-Anicet, 50km west of Montreal on the St-Lawrence.

And they are let go? anyone eat fish from those waters? or they just for fun?

 

[Clearedwaivers]

Fishing trip booked from Sept 8-11. Super Stoked.

Have a great trip!! What are you going after?

 

[FrankMTL]

Have a great trip!! What are you going after?

Not too far this time. Will be going to the Notre Dame de Pontmain area (not too far from Mont Laurier) for some Bass and Walleye.

 

[peate]

And they are let go? anyone eat fish from those waters? or they just for fun?

There's a guy in Ste-Barbe who sells smoked fish caught there. Don't know which fish though, I think sturgeon, but could be bass. Never tried it, I was spoiled with smoked salmon in BC.

 

[angusyoung]

There's a guy in Ste-Barbe who sells smoked fish caught there. Don't know which fish though, I think sturgeon, but could be bass. Never tried it, I was spoiled with smoked salmon in BC.

Not sure I'd be willing to try the fish from there, as who knows how safe it is really. Seems fish is a very debatable subject regardless of where it's caught.Salmon is phenomenal! I had to deal with smoked eel and pickled herring.

 

[Scotianhab]

Not sure I'd be willing to try the fish from there, as who knows how safe it is really. Seems fish is a very debatable subject regardless of where it's caught.Salmon is phenomenal! I had to deal with smoked eel and pickled herring.

Smoked eel done right is delicious. I set a hook overnight with a piece of hot dog last summer at my in laws and caught a 4lb eel. My father in law smoked it. Nice white meat.

 

[peate]

Not sure I'd be willing to try the fish from there, as who knows how safe it is really. Seems fish is a very debatable subject regardless of where it's caught.Salmon is phenomenal! I had to deal with smoked eel and pickled herring.

He couldn't sell it if it wasn't safe. Supposed to be great too. Now I'm curious, maybe I'll check him out.

 

[Mrb1p]

I caught my first fish ever a month ago, un p'tit crapet-soleil or what ever. I poked myself like twenty times trying to remove the freaking fish and I tangled my line about 10 times but I still liked it.

 

[angusyoung]

Smoked eel done right is delicious. I set a hook overnight with a piece of hot dog last summer at my in laws and caught a 4lb eel. My father in law smoked it. Nice white meat.

Any one know if the eel in '"unagi" is from what waters? in the MTL area, so popular nowadays in maki.

 

[sheed36]

My grandfather had a 25 footer like the one you described in your post and "she" was powered by a Lister Diesel that was a true workhorse but by no means any type of competition for Relic's jet boat on the beachcombers lol, she was more like the Persephone if you will. That old boat was great though when the wind swung around for the eastern and I saw that happen many times while attached to the salmon net. She handled the rough water very nicely and it never bothered me to be out there in that boat no matter how rough it got. Lots of family members of mine have fished 90-100 miles offshore in the newer 55 footers and although I never got that far out, I have been 30-40 miles offshore while commercial crab fishing and there are times it can get rough, hang on type of rough and stringing a line of crab pots in that type of weather is a challenge. This is a great thread created by @cphabs and I don't know if it was meant to cover commercial fishery and boats but there are many great people on this site from all walks of life. I certainly can't claim to be any type of expert on Montreal restaurants but I know a thing or two about some other things

I haven't been around for a while and I just saw this post while catching up. My father had 2 boats just like this when I was growing up which he used for commercial inshore cod fishing. Both were also 25 footers and the first boat had a 12 and 3/4 HP 3 cylinder Lister diesel in it.

That first boat was fairly old and worn out when he purchased it so he bought a new 25 footer soon after which was pretty similar. He pulled the Lister out of the old boat and installed it in the newer one for a few years until he started having problems with it and bought a new 30 HP Yanmar diesel to replace it with.

You're right in saying these types of boats could handle the rough weather. I spent quite a few days in that boat when it wasn't really suitable to be out there but she handled it like a champ.