I didnt know about that Blaine- I wouldnt post it on this site.... The ammount of lurkers grows daily- im on another site where members are deleted after 30 days of no posting/inactivity.
Another step to be taken is too make registration neccessary to view the site.
Its sad that we have to whtie out or take pics from angles to not reveal a spot we are fishing. I personally blame it on the site being too popular, a site where we dont only get diehard anglers but we get anglers from every range inbetween.
Thats a different topic but I agree on the CTriver, I was aware there was a hatching area and never once thought of being an A-hole cleaning up on pike.
#548290 - 03/08/0703:29 PM
Re: DEP Statement on Targetting Pike
Blaine
Member
Registered: 01/29/02
Posts: 15340
Loc: South Carolina
Quote:
Originally posted by NickyP: I agree on the CTriver, I was aware there was a hatching area and never once thought of being an A-hole cleaning up on pike.
Don't go putting words in my mouth... The topic is about protecting the pike surrounding their spawning period. Go back and search the last two years of reports in March, that spot is no secret and you can't tell me it doesn't get hit hard.
#548291 - 03/08/0704:02 PM
Re: DEP Statement on Targetting Pike
KAJ
Member
Registered: 04/15/03
Posts: 1009
Loc: VT
Marker 53 gets HAMMERED almost 24/7 during Pre-spawn to Spawn. I have caught a few fish there, that while taking the hooks out of the fish, she spews hundreds of yellow eggs everywhere. These fish will not spawn now correct,or will they? If they don't, and that happens to me fishing once a week, to think of the sheer numbers of lost/affected spawning fish there is scary.
#548293 - 03/08/0708:37 PM
Re: DEP Statement on Targetting Pike
Paul D.
Lifetime Member
Registered: 04/15/02
Posts: 13042
Loc: South Central, CT
Sited from Dep Literature "In CT, pike are fast growing and short lived, usually reaching 26" by age 3 with a MAXIMUM lifespan of about 8 years."
I need to disagree with some of you about fishing the spawn on the CT. Pike are short lived, the spawning on the lower ct provides enough fingerlings to stock all the other lake in CT to full density and excess fingerlings are released back into the CT River. There are plenty of pike there thus the lower size limit. Very few are actually harvested and I shouldn't post this, but by the time the masses hit 53 for pike, a majortity of the fish that are going sucessfully spawn are already in the marsh and the gates have been closed (walk up and see for youself) heed the no fishing signs as most of us would have no quams about making the call :rolleyes: . Most of the fish the 53 crew is catching are fish that will not sucessfully spawn anyhow. They are excess breeding stock that "missed the bus" before the gates were closed. I am relitivly new to pike fishing, but notice there are a lot of people fishing and only a few of them sucessfully catching on a regular basis. If the area around 53 were to be closed, why not close the other natural spawning areas on the river???? Hope I don't alienate any of you I have know for a long time, but we all need to speak our minds.
It's that time a year again where pike fishing will be coming to a close on Bantam.
Here is some background, directly from Bill Gerrish, Senior Fisheries Biologist DEP, Inland Fisheries Biologist:
Quote:
In Bantam Lake, Northern Pike are preparing to spawn at this time of the year. In a normal year the fish start their migration to flooded terrestrial areas just after ice out. On any given day, when the proper temperature are reached you can expect to find pike spawning in these areas. Both the males and females will actively take an ice fisherman's bait during this time of the year. With the stresses of capture it is very likely the fish will void its' spawning product and fail to contribute to the population after being caught. This is DEP's main concern and is the substance behind the logic for a species specific closure.
Why is the lake opened to all fishing except northern pike? Since Bantam doesn't directly receive trout stockings there is no need to close the entire lake. By keeping it open it allows anglers to continue to enjoy fishing. Legally, you can fish at Bantam Lake after the closure of Northern Pike season. You may not target pike and if you catch one you must return it to the waters immediately. What constitutes targeting a northern pike? If you are using 12" bait and you have a steel leader on your tip-up you are fishing for northern pike and you'll be talking to one of our C.O.'s. If you are using large bait with heavy mono you may be fishing for pike or you may be fishing for bass. Do you want to risk the wrath of other fisherman over this? Do you want to have a conversation with one of our C.O.'s?
This is your resource and we manage it for you. Let's not push the envelope on this one. If you are being reasonable there is nothing to worry about. It is my hope that ctfisherman anglers are trying to do the right thing and simply want to avoid any hostile confrontations while they are having a good time. Enjoy what we can do for you and protect the resources so others can enjoy it as well as you do. Keep fishing and I wish you all 'Tight Lines'.
Sure cheif nothin' like kickin' a sleeping dog 
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