MikeG
Member
Registered: 01/20/02
Posts: 13087
Loc: NW CT
Thank you Tim for the response.
I can kinda of understand the rational of high water temps and higher mortality rates.
I consider myself an avid summer angler on Higland and East Twin. I am also 100% catch and relase when it comes to brown trout. All of last summerbetween myself and the guys I fish with we probably seen less than 5 browns we released to be questionable if they would make it or not ,I think only two actually died and where un revivable.Now this is 2 out of more than a thousand or so trout(read the reports here from last season) I understand not all anglers are C+R. I know only one person who likes to keep every trout he cathces within the regs, and this is a BIG problem because this guy is good and gets some big trout every week,even some double digit trout ,and he keeps them all,he also puts in serious time fishing 4-5 days a week.
Sooooo...............
Maybe you could reduce creels limits or make these lakes catch and release only for Brown trout year round . Stock a few more rainbows for the meat hunters to keep. These lakes have plenty of other great species to fish for besides trout,so this would not be a problem.
The biggest problem I see is the trout get fished out really hard in the fall, they are easy targets all schooled up at the tribs on these lakes. I know Highland has people lined up every night in the fall at the fish ladder on Sucker Brook Cove because of all the trout and how easy they are to catch.These trout do not stand a chance against all the un educated anglers lining the banks in these areas. Maybe it is time for some regs restricting how close you can fish to a tributary or fish ladder during the spawn Sept -Jan ? This would greatly help the fishery and actually give more Browns a shot at spawning.
another question that needs an answer is : On East Twin and Highland chemical weed eradication has taken place over the last several years. It is also about the time we started seeing fewer big trout on these lakes, could this in anyway be part of the problem of less big trout ? I know from expierance since the chemicals where put into these lakes they have become harder to fish because they now lack sufficent cover for all species of fish to relate to.
and the more I think about the proposed changes the more split I become on if I am for or against them. I do not keep brown trout so the regs will really not affect me in one way or the other,never liked lead core and can do with out a down rigger if need be.
I am adimant however that the trout season should be limited during the spawn when the browns are schooled up shallow near the feeder streams and creeks! (sort of like the regs on the Housatonic in the summer "No fishing withing 100 yards brooks or streams feeding into the Housatonic during the summer months )
I am also curious as to why these three lakes where selceted for closure during the summer when many others also could fit the critera(West Hill,Candlewood,Lakeville,Squantz I am sure theres a few more).
Please keep us posted as to when the hearings on these proposed changes are to take place.
I know I am not a bioligist but I have plenty of years on the water expierance at Highland and East Twin .I hope my 2 cents on subject is worth something .......
I agree, I have fished these lakes since I was a kid and lucky enough to have a dock to keep my boat at on highland so I have spent much more time on the lake then east twin but in all that time I have never experienced a day of fishing like the ones I have in the past few years on east twin. This was probably due to the strict regs on east twin that highland never before saw. Since the strick regs at east twin have been removed, last year specifically I have noticed a drastic decline in the number of big fish. Even though I love to fish and we only have a handful of good months of weather to enjoy it on our boats I am willing to take the hit to bring back the numbers at east twin lake and bring those numbers and quality fish to highland lake. But I do agree with the others when they say it would be more of an impact to put regulations on fishing the ladders in the fall than to kill our summers. I know when I do to east twin I can catch 75 trout a day with one buddy in my boat and I will only see one or two die from being caught. But if the state feels that the summer months must go to accomplish their goals than why not think about barbless hooks during those summer months and change the creel limits on top of it, this would save the few fatalities that their are.
IT'S NOT THE SIZE OF THE FISH ON THE LINE BUT THE SIZE OF THE FIGHT IN THE FISH!!!!!!!
Capt. Alewife
Member
Registered: 07/31/02
Posts: 4477
Loc: "fiddle ridge"
First of all where are they getting these "mortality" figures?? 4500 trout by one group of anglers??? where would they get that information?? Gee, I wonder.... I find it a bit strange that this closure is exclusive to Highland and East Twin Lake. ??? why not Lakeville,Candlewood?,Squantz,West Hill? Why not make Twin/highland Catch and release for browns and stock more rainbows to compensate?What about barbless hooks??? LIKE A TMA!! BUT A LAKE GEE THERES A CONCEPT!!!! It's funny what sharing information can do. Sometimes you put your foot in your mouth. Time for me to zip my lips on my fishing exploits. one of the most damaging things to our lakes fisheries have been the internet. more people fishing for less fish. Its not hard to figure out. many places have been exploited. any many lakes and rivers have NEW anglers flocking there waters.. Why??
its funny that since the Chemical applications to the lakes in question took a dive in Large Trout populations!! imagine that!!! Take away habitat, take away forage and so on.
Twin already closes in march(and longer Depending on ice ) So now you have a trophy lake you can't fish for 1/4 of the year. WHY EVEN HAVE IT!! what about those who live on these lakes??
I put alot of time in on Highland/twin/west hill last few summers and I can honestly say I can only remember a 2 trout that actually died at highland. and I dont remember any at twin . maybe a few wer slow to go. out of a 1000 or so trout 2 rainbows were killed . and thats all.
how come you aren't concerned with West Hill?? There are trout blood baths there EVERYNIGHT of the summer.. Why is this ok?? and not the other lakes???
Quote:
Yes ,people can still "cheat" if they want to try and get away with something but at least it would make some of the more effective summer techniques very obvious. There will be public hearings scheduled on all of this and we encourage everyone to participate and express your support or reasons why you would be opposed. In all honesty, I know this is a very big sacrifice on many of you die-hard trout anglers, but I honestly believe it will improve fishing for hold-over brown trout, in these locations, for everyone.
SO WHAT IS CHEATING?? going fishing??? Trying to actaully catch a few fish?? using a worm and hook?? Whats next??? No fishing with hooks?? Can i go out fishing without someone TELLING ME WHAT I"M TARGETTING?? Whats next No bait fishing?? ,Ban of split shots?? where do you draw the line??
What about the states anglers who have time and money invested in perferred angling pursuits?? What about the guy who doesn't do much bass Fishing? you just took away 1/4 of his season?
I'll just "find" better places to fish
It just seems whenever a few people have to much success someone has to stop it. There are still big trout in twin lakes.
I'm all for trying to recover some trophy fisheries . I just think punishing anglers is wrong . and there has to be way to let CT anglers get there Moneys worth.
What am i buying a license for?? This is getting out of hand. I have way to much to say about this.
If such a hearing takes place, I would like to attend as would a few of my friends.
Mike ><>
fishing is like life.. you learn as you go.and I can't stop learning
There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot.- Steven Wright
" they've hit that before, they'll hit it again!! leave it out there TILL they hit it!~"
seeforellen
Member
Registered: 07/09/03
Posts: 6743
tim i agree on the decline of fish in twin,its not what it was 5 years ago.i have to say i see a lot of fish killed by the part timers who rent boats from ohares and go out with a full pail of shiners to anchor or drift and start the blood bath.99% of every trout ive picked up dead there has a snelled size 4-6 eagle claw hanging out of its mouth,never mind every 10-15th one i catch thats still alive with a hook in it.i guess that on average theres well over a thousand fish that are taken on my boat a year and my honest opinion on mortality during the summer is 2% using artificial lures ,and this is on the high side.i know live bait fisherman are around 30% or better,its all i used to do so its not a guess.mortality is worse with shiners than meal worms or garden worms too.closing the season will help to an extent but i belive artificial lures would be a much better rule.as for highland wich is a different circumstance the breeding fish need protection if the fishing pressure is that bad,as you know the larger fish wich are the spawners are always the first to be kept.
guys, I'm going to semi-stay out of this because it's a pandora's box...but do you hnestly think that because you saw a fish swim away that it didn't die.
MOST post-angling mortality occurs after the fish has swum away, not at the side of the boat.
That is ALL I will say on this issue, not only because it is controversial but because I no longer fish for trout so am not opinionated on the season and its regulations.
I am merely making this statement because of what I know of fish biology and management.
Team Daiwaimano Team too many broken rods to count Team bluefish lawn ornament Team "oh shiit we are out of gas"
A lot of what I am hearing, with some exceptions, is what is best for "me" not what is best for the fish and the lake. Don't any of you remember what E Twin fishing was like when the limit for browns was one 22" or more and the season was 3rd sat in april thru the end of May. That wasn't so bad.
Dusty - So putting bass in a live well for 1/2 a day or more then weighing them in is ok? You are right, it is a pandoras box. Where does the line get drawn? The state establishes trophy trout fisheries that they stock heavily and strictly manage, then think about further regulating them because too many people are catching the trout they put in them. The TM lakes are perhaps the most stockpiled lakes in regards to trout, hence the reason people fish them hard. There have been reports that Twin has had a decline in the alewife population which may also be effecting the size of the fish being caught.
As of right now we are only looking into the potential of instituting a summer closed season (July 1-Sept. 15)on East Twin, Highland and Crystal. Nothing is close to being finalized. We are proposing this regulation change for 2007 at the earliest.
John NWCT - All due respect, but when I see potential in one sentence and then it is followed in another with a date of proposal for 2007 at the earliest......see how it reads as a bit more than potential. That whole part of the post contradicts itself. Why should we wait until after the regulation is established to voice our opinions. Apparently you are for it, and others like myself are against it.
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