Gouin reservoir update

[Alces]

starting this year, 31 spawning area will be closed to fishing until may 31 included to protect the spawning fish.
Fishing season will open on may 20th in the reservoir and close on sept 18, This early closure is put in place to ensure survival to any released fish. In this time of the year walleye are usually caught in deeper waters and when brought back to surface have their bubble expanded and do not survive when released in the water.

In 2007, a slot size will be introduce at the Gouin reservoir to ensure quality fishes in the near future, studies have made it clear that there is a need for such a slot size. Walleye in this area do not mature before they reach 40 cm (15 3/4") (female) . Once they reach this size they start to spawn and will do so for at least 8 to 9 years if protected till they reach 55cm (21 5/8")

Also in 2007, it will be illegal to use fish bait (live or in pieces) to fish on the Gouin reservoir. Leeches will still be allowed but a study is beeing done on the effectiveness of this bait.

All those new regulation will ensure a healthy reproduction rate and a bigger fish beeing caught in the near future

Experimental stripping of spawning walleye will be conducted this year in cooperation with the native Attikamek to ensure a higher rate of reproduction.

(Sorry about the typing mistakes)

[Atlanta Dave]

Alces
How are you doing? Hope you are having an OK winter. Has been ok in Atlanta a few cold spells and one ice storm.Havent heard from Bill in a long time.
Wish we had had beter success on our trip last year but do appriciate you visiting with us. Dwight had a lot of work done on his trailer when he got back took a beating going to Gouin. Mostly on the trip up on the bad road.
We are going to Lake Erie for smallies this April. Much shorter drive for our group.
Keep in touch and I hope you have a good season.

Atlanta Dave

[lawrence]

Any word on the water level up there this year?
We are going up the second week of June and plan on jigging near the rivers and narrow spots. I have never fished there before, so I suppose the camp manager will have to show us some spots.

Know any good tips at that time that might help us locate them faster? I think the Nemio River is close by and there should be some spots around there.

[Whit]

those seem like pretty draconian measures. is the fishery in that much trouble? there have been lots of guys on here in the last year pumping up the gouin. sounds like there are some real problems out there.

[Alces]

The fish situation is ok but there is a lack of trophy fish, some area are on the verge of overfishing and we want to stop the hemoragy before it is too late, the fish population is in great number but it is getting smaller, at the latitude the Gouin reservoir is situated a 40cm (15 3/4") fish is 7 to 8 years old.
The spawning area are beeing protected till june 1st and these measures, effective in 2007 will ensure a grest quality of fish in the years to come.
Drastics measures are calle by that name when the fisheries is in trouble, fisheries management is what we are doing to preserve the quality.
The best spawning female will lay around 300,000 eggs, in nature 1 to 3 % are fertilized, what we are working on is a 50 to 60% of the eggs beeing fertilized. In the study we ran in 2002 the oldest walleye was 32 years of age.

The annual death rate at the Gouin is estimated at an average of 50% which is acceptable in such a northern latitude considering the fishing pressure.
Those measure are not to penalize the anglers, we want to ensure a long and prosperous fishing pleasure in the future.

[Whit]

good. sounds like you are getting ahead of the curve. good luck.

[retire55]

Alces:

Thanks for the information. Could you also share with us what the slot size will be in 2007? There's some interesting information on the use of slot limits on the Wisconsin DNR web site - see http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/walleye/planregd.htm

[Seanik remote]

Hello Alces
Great report on the Gouin and the future steps taken to preserve that tremendous fishery. I applaud you and all the officers who protect the Gouin Reservoir.
Our group from Pennsylvania will be back again at La Pointe aux Dores July 23-29,last year you stopped by the cabin and we had a nice visit. A cold front had come through and the fishing slowed down at our regular spots and you put us on to a mid lake reef with the half sunken marker that produced.
Roger the camp owner at La Point aux dores hands out a copied map with marked fishing spots. I would like to obtain a good topo map of the area around La Pointe aux Dores, can you tell me how?
e-mail address gjskolnik@hotmail.com

Seanik

[Alces]

as I stated above :
In 2007, a slot size will be introduce at the Gouin reservoir to ensure quality fishes in the near future, studies have made it clear that there is a need for such a slot size. Walleye in this area do not mature before they reach 40 cm (15 3/4") (female) . Once they reach this size they start to spawn and will do so for at least 8 to 9 years if protected till they reach 55cm (21 5/8")

There is a large amount of below the limit fish and few above the limit at this time. We estimate that around 11% to 14% of the fishes anglers will catch will have to be put back in the water till the situation of big fishes stabilized.

Contrary to Wisconsin walleye, we are up north and the walleye grow a lot slower than down south, a 12 inches walleye is around 7 to 8 years of age and will spawn at age 8 to 9 depending on the weather.

[alanexpup]

Hi. for us that dont know , where exatly is this place? not by coordinates. maybe from kenora or fort francis or ear falls, where ? thanks. alan

[Alces]

from Kenora ontario:
Total Est. Time: 30 hours, 38 minutes Total Est. Distance: 1408.51 miles

If you use Mapquest Canada ask for direction from Kenora ont to Parent Qc and you will have all the info

The Gouin reservoir is 1500 sq miles and one of the oldes reservoir in quebec

[Bor]

Gouin is about 400 miles North of Montreal in Quebec.

Huge body of water.

[Bean]

Alces, It sounds like you're saying the slot size will be 15 3/4" to 21 5/8" or somewhat close to those sizes. Is that correct?
I talked to a few Gouin outfitters(Martin & Luc Rousseau) at the Eastern sports and outdoor show in Harrisburg, PA and they were unaware of these recent proposals.
Looking forward to visiting the Gouin reservoir in mid June. Hopefully the black flies take it easy on us.

[Alces]

As a said before those proposals will be in effect in 2007, there is a meeting with all the outfitters on feb 17 in Montreal and they will have all the information there.
There was already two meeting with them and those two did not attend any of them, I am sure they will attend the one scheduled for the 17.
The slot size will be 15 3/4" to 21 5/8" inches, 40 to 55 cm measured at the fork. A poster and some informations will be made available this year and the next one to make sure those new regulation will be known to everyone, both in french and english.
Those measures will be implemented in order to avoid lowering the limit and to ensure the continued recreational fisheries for years to come

[Atlanta Dave]

ttt