I fish a small lake in canada. Over the last 4 year the size and # of northerns have gone down. Why?

Question

The lake only has northerns and some small bait fish. We have been fishing it for 11 years. the last 3-4 the size and amount of fish we seem to catch has gone down. We always caught some that were 8-10 pounds now we have a hard time geting fish that are larger than 4-5 Ihope some one has some advice.

Answer 1

There are a lot of possibilities, and in general I would say your experience is typical of anglers in many lakes in the country (especially if we look over, say, the last 30 years instead of 11). In fact, northern pike have largely disappeared from many lakes where they were traditionally abundant. Some things to consider:
-Is the pike fishery sustainable? Has the intensity changed recently (# of anglers, gear they use, or hours spent angling)?
-Have any diseases been introduced to the lake? There is currently an outbreak of Viral Hemorrhagic Septicemia Virus (VHSV) in the Great Lakes, and this is causing large die-offs of various sport fish. Could this be affecting your lake?
-Have any invasive species been introduced to the lake? It doesn't necessarily have to be in the last few years. Often, invaders can enter a lake and cause no discernible effect for years, and then their population suddenly explodes.

Out of curiosity, which lake are we talking about? You can contact your local government agency (e.g. Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario, or even the Federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, though they are less likely to be involved) to see if anyone is working on your specific problem. If they aren't, they would probably love to hear from you. (As a general rule, scientists love talking to interested members of the public).

Good luck.

Answer 2

I would think if the fish look healthy then there are other people fishing in this lake too. Probably more over the last 3-4 years. This put a heavier demand on the fish and keeps them fished out before they reach the size you are accustomed to catching in the previous years. There are still some "Hog Legs" to be caught, but, there just not as many now.
Where I live it is amazing the fish our "Game and Fish Commission" stock annually. I talking Thousands of fish. One River where they stock Rainbow Trout is a big favorite these days. Ten years ago we could catch 5-8 pound trout easy. Today you do well to catch a one pound. The demand of the people fishing as population increases here outweighs the ability of the game and fish commission to restock and the fish are being caught faster than they can grow. BUT, there is always a "Big Charlie Tuna" lurking in a remote spot away from all the people.

Answer 3

Over Fishing? No viable food source for the Pike? If you are only catching one type of fish, they could be killing their environment by eating all the small fish too quickly and not sustaining themselves. If you are seriously concerned with the fish in this lake talk to the DNR (Department of Natural Resources) I'm not sure if Canadiens have a DNR but if they do, contact them. They should have a fish hatchery that supplies fish to lakes. Maybe a hatchery near you has been underfunded, and shut down? Call the DNR they will talk with you about the situation.

Answer 4

We have that problem down here in the states and all we hear is "acid rain"! I think they're full of sh....t! I think over fishing and commercial fishing are the culprits along with corporate polution!
That includes the hunting also! The state tells everyone about these huge deer populations but none of us can seem to locate them????????? I've been hunting the same area for 40 years and I can remember "herds" of deer! Now, you're lucky if you see two or three all hunting season! The state doesn't keep track of the poachers and all the local natives shooting deer all year long!
The governments have one thing in common---Bullsh...t the public so they buy licenses and they get huge pockets full of money! The key here is all about "MONEY"!!!!

Answer 5

Pike are crazy to understand. But I think I know what the problem is. This is currently happening in my lake I fish also. Pike eat all the Baitfish, and the only thing they have left to eat are the younger pike and the pike eggs. Ive seen this myself. Start stocking this lake with yellow perch and shiners. Remember even if you stock a solid bucket of perch, they can reproduce and make more perch to feed them! Try it, thats what i'm doing and the seem to be responding well!

Answer 6

Water happening the plug hollow - relies upon on how point the floor is,and how the tub,basin and so on has been set. I stay interior the northern hemisphere,and the water drains clockwise in 3 home equipment,and anticlockwise in 4.

Answer 7

(sigh)* i bet its global warming, global warming is getting sooo annoying!