St Johns fishing rules

[boogaloo]

There used to be signage at St. Johns stating you keep the first 2 Trout you catch. I don't see a sign there now. Does this mean you go by the MNRF rules for the area?? Does this also mean that catch and release is legal?? Reason I ask is while I was there today I saw a man catch and release 5 Trout and I asked him about the conservation rules. He got a bit defensive and told me he had been there all morning and caught 40 fish (his words) He said he was throwing them back for the kids to catch. I have to wonder how long it will be before those "40" fish will bite again?? The kids may have to wait a while.

[Darryl L]

I would be more concerned about the people that go there and keep the 40 fish they catch when nobody else is around.  

[Ross]

I was wondering about that, never trout fished and figured it would be a good chance to tick the species off my list but I was unsure about the regulations and ethics of releasing stocked trout as I don't intend on eating them. 

[Lund-SS]

Did they stock it this year?

[steelshady]

They will bite again, you are allowed to C&R.  When the weather gets warmer that pond will kill the trout do to lack of oxygen and warm water.

 

That said, trout in that specific pond should be catch and keep only since they are a stock fish with poor survival rate when released. 

[boogaloo]

14 hours ago, Lund-SS said:

Did they stock it this year?

Must have. The ones I saw caught were about 12 inches long.

 

[Jmaz4]

Went down there yesterday with the family. It's a great spot for my daughter. We caught 4 sunfish and a bass on bobber and worm.... there was an older couple near us caught 4 trout in about 20 mins and left with their catch... not sure of rules either. 

[AwolRJ]

How is this place open and the launches closed?  Make no sense!

 

[Duncan]

41 minutes ago, AwolRJ said:

How is this place open and the launches closed?  Make no sense!

 

41 minutes ago, AwolRJ said:

 I agree it’s just stupid that you can’t be in a boat on the lake with no one around . But you can go to Costco and spend all day there no problem.

I have never heard of this St John’s conservation before now , I am interested in checking it out this year . Does anyone know what the depth is ?

 

[steelshady]

Lots of trout in there this year but they are tiny, 8" to 12".  The place was packed this weekend, I go there three times a week with my kids since we live 10 min away, we catch bass and panfish during the summer months.

 

Oh BTW, Port D piers are both open! Went for a walk yesterday morning on the East pier, what an awesome job they did!  Might go back there this evening with a rod!

[smerchly]

54 minutes ago, steelshady said:

The place was packed this weekend,

Reading the Sun this morning , showing a "national guardsman" kicking a few kids out of a park who were roller skating , and keeping a good distance from each other (unless family)  . 

What a contrast eh ?   So far , so good with taking our kids fishing ......

As for keeping /eating those trout from the pond ....Probably not good eating .....I would toss them back (handle carefully)  and give other kids a better chance to catch them too .  

[steelshady]

They are amazing to eat!  Cook them like a smelt, been cooking them for my kids every time we come home from the pond.

[smerchly]

21 minutes ago, steelshady said:

They are amazing to eat!  Cook them like a smelt, been cooking them for my kids every time we come home from the pond.

Well that's good to hear , I thought the warmer water (mud bottom) would make them taste like ....mud .  

[smerchly]

13 hours ago, steelshady said:

BTW, Port D piers are both open! Went for a walk yesterday morning on the East pier, what an awesome job they did!  Might go back there this evening with a rod!

A story in the local paper said they are talking about turning the main part of Lock St. into a pedestrian walk way at specific times . There's only one way in and out of Port . Sometimes traffic is diverted from the QEW (accidents) and all traffic comes through Main St. & down Lock St .to get back to Ontario St. or Lakeshore Rd. When the new condos are filled  it will be gridlock there ....  

 If we can use the piers , we will probably need to use parking meters if we can find one open ....I'll stick to the east side if I want to fish there , and it may be the same thing to find a parking spot as the marina uses most of the space now. 

  

[Morwood80]

On 5/3/2021 at 10:06 AM, smerchly said:

Well that's good to hear , I thought the warmer water (mud bottom) would make them taste like ....mud .  

I toss mine back. Buddy I was with kept his and said they taste like dirt. All in the pallet and how you cook em I guess

[smerchly]

Soak them in vinegar for a week , roll in hot spicy fish crisp , deep fry in lard .....tastes like chicken !   

 

This is a very informative web site about the pond and other areas . The picture on the home page was obviously a fall shot and the shallow water would be warm and not good for sustaining trout .   

https://npca.ca/parks-recreation/conservation-areas/st.-johns

[steelshady]

On 5/3/2021 at 9:55 PM, smerchly said:

A story in the local paper said they are talking about turning the main part of Lock St. into a pedestrian walk way at specific times . There's only one way in and out of Port . Sometimes traffic is diverted from the QEW (accidents) and all traffic comes through Main St. & down Lock St .to get back to Ontario St. or Lakeshore Rd. When the new condos are filled  it will be gridlock there ....  

 If we can use the piers , we will probably need to use parking meters if we can find one open ....I'll stick to the east side if I want to fish there , and it may be the same thing to find a parking spot as the marina uses most of the space now. 

  

Piers are open, tons of people walking on them.  With the low water, you will need a longer net!  

[smerchly]

57 minutes ago, steelshady said:

Piers are open, tons of people walking on them.  With the low water, you will need a longer net!  

Yesterday I read about the "climate change crisis" and  "they" ,the "experts" said expect a wet spring , warmer summer and lake levels above normal .  Maybe they need to go fishing at Port ..... ??  

[Flyfisher]

On 5/3/2021 at 9:38 AM, smerchly said:

Reading the Sun this morning , showing a "national guardsman" kicking a few kids out of a park who were roller skating , and keeping a good distance from each other (unless family)  . 

What a contrast eh ?   So far , so good with taking our kids fishing ......

As for keeping /eating those trout from the pond ....Probably not good eating .....I would toss them back (handle carefully)  and give other kids a better chance to catch them too .  

They are stocked in there for people to catch and keep. They are safe to eat. Not as tasty as wild trout because they are raised in a hatchery and fed fish pellets. It’s a great place to take the kids and bring a few fish home for a meal. 

[dave524]

On 5/4/2021 at 12:36 PM, smerchly said:

Soak them in vinegar for a week , roll in hot spicy fish crisp , deep fry in lard .....tastes like chicken !   

 

This is a very informative web site about the pond and other areas . The picture on the home page was obviously a fall shot and the shallow water would be warm and not good for sustaining trout .   

https://npca.ca/parks-recreation/conservation-areas/st.-johns

 I grew up a short bike ride from the pond, fished it from the day it opened in 1960 I believe. Looking at how it has degraded to a warm water mudhole it is hard to believe that it actually had Specs in it for the first few years and they survived as occasionally a larger one from the previous year would be caught, now it can't even keep Rainbows over the summer. Back then all the put and take ponds like the one at the St. Williams Nursery and Normandale had Specs until the put and take programs switched over to Bows about 64/65.

[smerchly]

There are ponds not too far from there that are spring fed ...maybe specs or bows would survive better . 

It may be best to put some catfish or carp in St.John's pond , the kids would have a blast catching them , 

[Snags]

2 hours ago, smerchly said:

There are ponds not too far from there that are spring fed ...maybe specs or bows would survive better . 

It may be best to put some catfish or carp in St.John's pond , the kids would have a blast catching them , 

 

Just a matter of time before someone does it themselves.  I don't know how well cats would do, well bullheads would be fine ... but the carp would love it.

[dave524]

3 hours ago, smerchly said:

There are ponds not too far from there that are spring fed ...maybe specs or bows would survive better . 

It may be best to put some catfish or carp in St.John's pond , the kids would have a blast catching them , 

 

The pond is/was fed by a small spring fed pond and creek just  about a hundred yards upstream but over the last 60 years  the main dammed/dug pond has gone through the normal stages of eutrophication. The spring fed feeder pond was always lush with cold water aquatic bugs and watercress in my days. 

[smerchly]

1 hour ago, dave524 said:

 

The pond is/was fed by a small spring fed pond and creek just  about a hundred yards upstream but over the last 60 years  the main dammed/dug pond has gone through the normal stages of eutrophication. The spring fed feeder pond was always lush with cold water aquatic bugs and watercress in my days. 

Lots of spring water in the Effingham area , including the creek itself . There's a spring fed pond off Centre St (Cairns farm) where we stocked with creek chubs . The water was cold and clear . They thrived well except when some farm chemical run off got into the water and many chubs had zig zag spines . I wouldn't be surprised if they are still in there . 

[dave524]

50 minutes ago, smerchly said:

Lots of spring water in the Effingham area , including the creek itself . There's a spring fed pond off Centre St (Cairns farm) where we stocked with creek chubs . The water was cold and clear . They thrived well except when some farm chemical run off got into the water and many chubs had zig zag spines . I wouldn't be surprised if they are still in there . 

 

Know the headwaters intimately, both St. John's and Effingham, caught hundreds of Specs there in the 60's, personal best was a 14 incher. There is a spring fed pond on the Bible Camp property that still has Specs in it they tell me, poached a few there 50 years ago, very private property back then even 🤐