Boss Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 i was at queenston sunday night. it was packed full of people, me and my buddy managed to find a spot on a rock. 4 guys, 2 on either side of us jumped on the same rock and started throwing there nets right in front of us. the one guy was so close, he was touching me everytime he threw or pulled his net. i had to yell at the guy to give me some space. he acts like he doesnt understand, but i know he fully well does. few hrs later some people left and we managed to get a spot on the dock. these guys beside us were drinking beers, i saw one guy throw a bottle in the water right beside me. i scooped it up with the dip net and gave it back to him. they were throwing a lot of garbage in the water. at that point i called the MNR tip line to report them. MNR didnt show up, but the police did. when the cops came, a bunch of those guys pulled their nets out of the water and started hiding the beer. i overheard a few guys stating that they didnt even have licenses. i talked to the officer, he was getting ready to leave. i asked him if he could check guys for fishing licenses....he said thats not his job, and left. those same guys who were littering in the water, they were bbqing the smelts as they caught. i saw one guy come to the dock with a platter of about 40 smelts on it. he offered it to his buddies, they turn it down....so he threw them in an empty pizza box on the ground and left them there. What a waste!!! why bother fishing for them if youre not going to eat them??? there was a nice old man going around picking up garbage. after these guys left. I hope the guys who were there doing these things are reading my post. i want them to know i called MNR that night, and followed up with an email yesterday. I suggest if anybody else sees anything like this they also report it to the MNR 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) there needs to be more MNR prescence at times like this when the smelts run, and it is jam packed with illegal poachers these people ruin it for the rest of us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niagarangler89 Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Welcome aboard Boss and great first post! That's disappointing (yet hardly surprising) the MNR never showed up Sunday night. Fortunately, I'm willing to bet you're actions did make a difference. Big or small, it doesn't matter. Even if you scared a couple of those guys into buying a license or made them think twice before chucking their beer bottles into the river, it's something! From the sounds of it, this is an ongoing issue with no easy solution. Efforts have been made to try to educate some of these 'anglers', but clearly education only goes so far. The best thing we can do is to continue to lead by example and keep pressuring the MNR via phonecalls, emails, and/or written letters. Thanks again for your efforts the other night, they weren't in vain! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Sadly there are only 2 CO's for the region. They can't be on duty 24/7, and one was at the fishing show doing the PR thing. The MNR used to call in the OPP to help control the chaos of the smelt run back in the 70's and 80's. I guess they don't co-operate as much any more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjhooker Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Maybe some of us should get together and see about becoming volunteer conservation officers. It works for fireman why not conservation. I myself would be willing to take a course and maybe work a couple of days a month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Court Rose Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Maybe some of us should get together and see about becoming volunteer conservation officers. It works for fireman why not conservation. I myself would be willing to take a course and maybe work a couple of days a month. They have thathttp://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/en/Business/Enforcement/2ColumnSubPage/STEL01_130172.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niagarangler89 Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 They have that http://www.mnr.gov.o...L01_130172.html It says the Deputy Conservation Officers are always working in tandem with the Conservation Officers, so if the CO doesn't show up, neither will a DCO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwolRJ Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 i was at queenston sunday night. it was packed full of people, me and my buddy managed to find a spot on a rock. 4 guys, 2 on either side of us jumped on the same rock and started throwing there nets right in front of us. the one guy was so close, he was touching me everytime he threw or pulled his net. i had to yell at the guy to give me some space. he acts like he doesnt understand, but i know he fully well does. few hrs later some people left and we managed to get a spot on the dock. these guys beside us were drinking beers, i saw one guy throw a bottle in the water right beside me. i scooped it up with the dip net and gave it back to him. they were throwing a lot of garbage in the water. at that point i called the MNR tip line to report them. MNR didnt show up, but the police did. when the cops came, a bunch of those guys pulled their nets out of the water and started hiding the beer. i overheard a few guys stating that they didnt even have licenses. i talked to the officer, he was getting ready to leave. i asked him if he could check guys for fishing licenses....he said thats not his job, and left. those same guys who were littering in the water, they were bbqing the smelts as they caught. i saw one guy come to the dock with a platter of about 40 smelts on it. he offered it to his buddies, they turn it down....so he threw them in an empty pizza box on the ground and left them there. What a waste!!! why bother fishing for them if youre not going to eat them??? there was a nice old man going around picking up garbage. after these guys left. I hope the guys who were there doing these things are reading my post. i want them to know i called MNR that night, and followed up with an email yesterday. I suggest if anybody else sees anything like this they also report it to the MNR 1-877-TIPS-MNR (847-7667) there needs to be more MNR prescence at times like this when the smelts run, and it is jam packed with illegal poachers these people ruin it for the rest of us Wow that sounds like the exact same as my last trip there a few years back.... You said it a lot better though lol. My wording got me banned from the forum for a year, Well Said! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cplummer Posted March 27, 2012 Report Share Posted March 27, 2012 Wow that sounds like the exact same as my last trip there a few years back.... You said it a lot better though lol. My wording got me banned from the forum for a year, Well Said! HAHAHA.. too funny Randy.. I remember that too..Since we are good friends i know you'll choose better words lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boss Posted March 28, 2012 Report Share Posted March 28, 2012 Wow that sounds like the exact same as my last trip there a few years back.... You said it a lot better though lol. My wording got me banned from the forum for a year, Well Said! i was careful to not use offensive language...i was biting my tongue (keyboard lol) as i typed. im sure most of you know what i mean without being overly specific Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
weedliner Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 I went down last year its amazing how rude people can be.If your catching lots of smelt you will need to hide them or you will be attack and have no room to fish.I allways leave a couple empty buckets laying around it seems to work.they sure like getting close to you to use your light.I hope my elbow dosn't knock someone in the water this year.good luck everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooner Posted March 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 The only real sad thing about the whole smelt fishing issue is that its kind of a catch 22....What I mean by this is people can call mnr/police, which is doing a good deed for protecting fishing in terms of reporting the issues of not having fishing licenses and littering and it may change eventually. On the other hand though, if everyone starts calling mnr/police, eventually they are going to get sick of responding to the same area and the same issues and the area will be off limits to fishing all together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC/DC Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 I was down there on Sunday night as well and it was a pretty disgusting sight. It is unfortunate that some people don't care about our environment. All we can do is our part and hope that others will as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AC/DC Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 @Chilli, I was across the river in Lewiston talking to some of the anglers there and they informed me that they have regulated smelt fishing over there. He said that they are now monitoring how much people take and enforcing the new regulations. They want to control the abuse of the resource. I thought it was interesting after reading your post, that they, perhaps, don't feel that smelts are that invasive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric888 Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 @Chilli, I was across the river in Lewiston talking to some of the anglers there and they informed me that they have regulated smelt fishing over there. He said that they are now monitoring how much people take and enforcing the new regulations. They want to control the abuse of the resource. I thought it was interesting after reading your post, that they, perhaps, don't feel that smelts are that invasive. i think we should be doing the same. non native smelts feed all our other non native fishing like bows and browns that we all love. just because the mnr say there invasive dosent mean any thing to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 The reason they started stocking Salmon species is to help control the smelt population. Even with all the bears lining the shoreline and all the salmon i the lake you still have a massive biomass. The alewives are another reason for the stocking. If your old enough you remember the massive die offs that polluted our beaches. I am very concerned about the litter and the chance of losing access. The smelt population however has proven has a proven track record. This is why its considered invasive. Invasive generally means it's hard to control the numbers and populations become excessive. I would love to see a link that describes the US backgrounder for this action. If you seriously think these people are a threat to the smelt population, give us some reasoning for that concern besides what you see being taken. I believe they can take that much because the population is so excessive. There is no reason for the OMNR not to be down there every night during the smelt run. They know offences are going to happen and they could write tickets all night long and help fill the OMNR coffers as well as seize much fishing equipment and possibly even vehicles for repeat offenders. I believe they won't step up to the plate because they are afraid of a political hot potato when someone accuses them of racial profiling. This is unacceptable and the people in NOTL/Queenston should be just as angry with MNR as they should the littering poachers with no licences. If they did regularly do there job at this location the word would get around and the circus would curtail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted March 29, 2012 Report Share Posted March 29, 2012 MNR is simply a pawn agency, and anytime they incur a governing party's wrath, their budget gets cut some more. 1)There isn't the manpower to aggressively enforce that location. 2) No one is going to risk losing their job by starting a political bloodbath in the news to embarass the government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sooner Posted March 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 I agree that it would be nice to see the MNR enforcing more...not just down there but in other popular spots all around Ontario...This would at least provide comfort that all the money we put into purchasing fishing licences is actually being used to protect what we love. This does not have to be race related, however, if it is to the point where one group has a problem with being picked on, then I believe the simple questions that should be asked are "were you fishing?" and "did you have your fishing license?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AwolRJ Posted March 30, 2012 Report Share Posted March 30, 2012 I believe they won't step up to the plate because they are afraid of a political hot potato when someone accuses them of racial profiling. I wonder why? Roflmao.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eric888 Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 has any one been to queenston in the last couple days are the smelts in full run. i was thinking about going down tonight and was wondering if it would be worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jesse Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 I would tell you but i have to drive down there from forterie.hopfully someone will know or you go for a test run & let us know,your pretty close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smerchly Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Before going to Queenston , eat some raw garlic , rub it on your clothes & chew some while you are setting up the net . You might get a spot all to yourself ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Andrews Posted March 31, 2012 Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 @Randy AwolRJ. I hear ya. Unfortunately I've never had the power to lay fines or I would have as fast as I could write them. There are some great NFN members who "look" like they would fit in that crowd but in reality they would be as disturbed and angry as you and I. If you would like to go get some smelts tonight give me a ring on my cell nineo5321806two Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jubaitca Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 I also would be interested to know if the smelts are running strong yet like previous years? I'd like to make the trip soon...hopefully I can fill a bucket quick and run from that mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DyverDown Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Headed down to Port Dalhousie tonight to see if any smelt were running I the old canal.... Nothing but a crayfish for 30 minutes of trying. Anyone know if the smelt still run up behind the legion or am I wasting my time ?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigugli Posted April 1, 2012 Report Share Posted April 1, 2012 Headed down to Port Dalhousie tonight to see if any smelt were running I the old canal.... Nothing but a crayfish for 30 minutes of trying. Anyone know if the smelt still run up behind the legion or am I wasting my time ?? It's all about timing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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