Lake Champlain United - Forums

Detritus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:33 pm Maine has a couple of weird fish and game rules. One for example, is, you are required to kill every Northern Pike you catch. They say they are an invasive species to the state.

From what I've read, you probably won't get into trouble for releasing one, but, they'd rather you killed them all. I myself have never caught a northern in Maine. If I did catch one, pike for dinner.

I also heard there is no hunting on Sunday's? Haven't looked that one up at all, don't know if it's true.

C-Hawk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:24 pm This was a result of an overabundance of Lakers. No limit on fish 26 and under. While it is a terrible waste of food, it may not be that bad for salmon. Sebago is the original wild salmon lake and it would be a shame to see the destruction of that fishery.
Are we headed in the same direction? At least Maine biologists admit there is a problem.

tamiron wrote: ↑Sun Feb 28, 2021 9:57 pm

C-Hawk wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:24 pm This was a result of an overabundance of Lakers. No limit on fish 26 and under. While it is a terrible waste of food, it may not be that bad for salmon. Sebago is the original wild salmon lake and it would be a shame to see the destruction of that fishery.
Are we headed in the same direction? At least Maine biologists admit there is a problem.

Has this limit been tried or suggested for Champlain?

Detritus wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 6:33 pm Maine has a couple of weird fish and game rules. One for example, is, you are required to kill every Northern Pike you catch. They say they are an invasive species to the state.

From what I've read, you probably won't get into trouble for releasing one, but, they'd rather you killed them all. I myself have never caught a northern in Maine. If I did catch one, pike for dinner.

I also heard there is no hunting on Sunday's? Haven't looked that one up at all, don't know if it's true.

dry net wrote: ↑Fri Feb 26, 2021 4:39 pm Maine has been trying to reduce the population of laketrout in that lake for years. I'm not sure how else they could do it? In NH some towns are having rock bass tournaments to rid their lakes of unwanted fish. The only difference is those towns are throwing the cull into the trash. While I agree the optics aren't the best the result is what fish and game wanted.

Adding to the dismay that many felt: Derby officials were ready and willing to cut up and process any excess lake trout that were turned in, and planned to donate the meat to food pantries so the fish would be utilized.

drachma wrote: ↑Fri Mar 05, 2021 8:44 am I moved to Southern Maine late Summer 2017 and do troll Sebago. Sadly the story is true and many in ME think Lake Trout need better control to allow the salmon more of a chance of growing larger. In a case like this it unfortunately gives many fishermen a bad name.

The lakers and salmon on Sebago are much smaller compared to the ones for many years I caught in Champlain. I do miss Champlain and try to get over to you guys when I can. Average size salmon in Sebago are what on Champlain we use to call "cookie cutter" size. Lakers are slim and smaller too. A 5# salmon in Sebago is huge. That's the same for a laker too. I'm not sure what the ME Dept of Wildlife can do about this but it'd be great to see the Sebago Salmon (same species that Champlain got it's salmon from) have a chance to grow into what VT loves.

BTW-Salmon trollers in ME still historically "go to" is trolling dead smelt like when I was a kid. I still prefer "Crazy Ivan". You rule Pat and Todd. Send some "testers" over this way for Sebago.

Michael