Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: apollo on February 16, 2009, 09:20:59 PM
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Hi everyone! Iam planning on going to Cultus Lake during mid March and I would love to do some fishing I will have access to a row boat) does anyone have any suggestions? Thank You.
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Fish the mouth of lindel creek on the far end of the lake, always fish around there. Drag a worm....
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Thanks for the info Bigfisher!
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ive picked up some nice cutties in the early spring right out in front of main beach on a worm and gang troll. 1.5-2.0lbs.
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Beside cutthroat trout and the odd bull trout, Cultus Lake also has a solid population of northern pikeminnow and largescale sucker. Talk to Daryl or Ferdi at Reaction Fly and Tackle, who target these alternative species on light fly rods. You'd be surprised how much fun it can be if catch and release is the objective of the trip. Good luck.
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I'll give it a shot soon. It's just a few minutes up the road from me.... and it's liquid right now!
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are they an introduced species or are they native to cultus lake?
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Largescale sucker do not predate on juvenile salmonid.
are they an introduced species or are they native to cultus lake?
Both species are native.
Couple of things to remember:
Page nine of http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/fish/regulations/docs/2008/fish-synopsis_2008-09_general.pdf
Waste the fish you catch. If your fish is not suitable for eating or if possession is illegal because of quotas, size limits or closed seasons, return the fish quickly and gently to the water.
With the exception of authorized cullings, anglers must follow the rules outlined in the freshwater regulation synopsis.
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the cutties we got were basically puking up fry. they were "stuffed to the gills" so to speak.
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All fish are predators and eat fry. I'm sick of the "my fish is more important than your fish" brigade. All fish are important and help towards providing us with the sport we so love.
However, I totally agree with removing fish that have been stocked illegally and have upset the natural balance of nature in specific fisheries.
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I think pike minnow should be killed; thats me anyways and I think the large scale sucker should be released after
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Pikeminnows? I thought that was a late summer fishery. Personally I would love to go after them with a fly but water clarity on the Fraser has always made that impractical - I guess that is less of an issue on Cultus Lake.
Note clear why they should be killed if they are indigenous.
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Pikeminnows? I thought that was a late summer fishery. Personally I would love to go after them with a fly but water clarity on the Fraser has always made that impractical - I guess that is less of an issue on Cultus Lake.
Note clear why they should be killed if they are indigenous.
fishing for northern pikeminnow isn't limited to the Fraser River, which typically produces well from May to September. The smaller tributaries will have them year-round, as well as some of the bigger lakes. The sloughs on the north side of the Fraser River should have them right now. If you head to Stave River in May and June, you should have no problem finding them just below the dam. There will also be cutthroat trout and whitefish mixed among minnow species, which can be a lot of fun for families.
Lakes in Region 3 and 8 also have huge pikeminnows, which are often by-catches when targeting rainbow trout in May and June.
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2008/080528-04.jpg)
Cultus Lake has northern pikeminnow year-round. During the colder months, fish are not as active and tend to school in deeper water, so fishing from a boat is more productive. In the summer, they can be readily caught from the beaches and piers. The Cultus Lake sockeye salmon recovery program involves several initiatives. The objective of seining of northern pikeminnow that has been done between late winter and early spring is to control the population of a particular size class and lower the rate of predation. Beside seining, the Fraser Valley Salmon Society hosts the annual Greg Clark memorial fishing derby in June. Pikeminnows caught during the derby are taken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for further sampling.
Here is a video of the derby from two years ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdxDld_PVqc
Article: http://www.fishingwithrod.com/fishy_news/070619_1.html
Information on the recovery program: http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/mehsd/projects/cultus_sockeye_e.htm
Northern pikeminnow, cutthroat trout, bull trout, dolly varden are predators that have been a natural selective force on salmonid populations since the last glaciation. It is a force that filters out the weak strains and strengthen the gene pool/population of salmonids overtime. It is simply another example of the predator-prey relationship. Cultus Lake sockeye salmon's endagered status is the result of overfishing by all sectors since early 1900s. Like all fishery management, we've chosen to lower the populations of all species that interact with Cultus Lake sockeye to create a textbook ecological balance. The unfortunate end result is the mislabelling and lumping of native species that have no commercial importance as pests by the general public, who is not as familiar with the biological background.
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Thanks for the wealth of information Rodney :)
I have read all of your articles on this species and I love going after them. The techniques you demonstrated have worked really well and I have had some fun going after them with flatfish lures too. So far I have only managed the small critters in late season but it's good to know about places like the Stave ( This year I would really like to match the one you have in your photograph )
I did not know they could be abundant as early as May. I tried for them in the Fraser around that time last year and did not get so much as a touch on the line, only started getting them in June with the peak in August.
In my opinion there is no better fish that this for kids. When the pikeminnows get going they just get glued to that float. Its been more appealing taking my nephew out for these than any other species because the action is non-stop and that really is the only way to keep them engaged. (Salmon fishing is completely lost on them and trout fishing is only good if they happen to be on the bite that day. Pike minnows are very consistent in the summer - personally I will be very happy to see them back again)
Its just too bad they are not the best eating :(
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I did not know they could be abundant as early as May. I tried for them in the Fraser around that time last year and did not get so much as a touch on the line, only started getting them in June with the peak in August.
The ones in May and June are usually small in the Fraser, the ones that went after bait anyway. Lure fishing during those two months is a bit tough because of freshet, the water is usually brown. If the water has just a bit of clarity (6 in, 1 ft), I spin sometimes, but not for pikeminnow, but bull trout, which are really big and strong during those two months. There are lots of them, feeding on salmon smolts that are coming down the river and eulachon that are heading up to spawn. I was just telling Britguy today that May and June are the only months when you can "sight" fish for them because you can actually spot big splashes on the surface when they hunt down small fishes.
Its just too bad they are not the best eating :(
Eating quality is a bit subjective and varies from culture to culture. A couple of my friends actually prefer eating pikeminnow than salmon by making fish cakes out of them. The meat is fine, but the small bones are a nuisance so fish cakes is a good alternative. I don't eat pikeminnow (or any resident fish such as cutthroat trout) for sanitary reasons.
This is what's on the surface during the outgoing tide in Steveston.
(http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc90/fishingwithrod/2009/090218-4.jpg)
Anyway, sorry apollo, getting a bit off topic. ;) Here are some more photos from January 2007 that may interest you.
http://www.fishingwithrod.com/member/gallery/2007-jan-cultus
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Like i said before you go after the Sqaw fish and I will go after the trout ,sounds great,and how do they taste? No wait, i dont want to know!
I am actually inclined to go after anything as long as it's there, legal and fun. Personally I could care less whether it's a trout/bass/salmon or squawfish - whats the deal with particular species anyway?
As for eating them - I give most fresh water species a miss unless the water is really clean. My wife pretty well refuses to have anything to do with cooking fish I get out of rivers or lakes.
Thanks again Rodney for the info about bull trout in May/June - I will just have to keep an eye on the water clarity.
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Thanks for the info Rod. I really don't care what I catch or if I catch anything as long as i have some fun out there. As for killing the pike minnow I have a very hard time killing fish I am not going to eat (leave that to the pro's). Anyway I think fishing of any kind is fun.
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Fresh Hatch Steel out of the cold waters of our great west coast rivers,you dont know what your missing bro,my whole family is as excited as Xmass when i bring one home for the table!
Good for you! I think I do know what I am missing and I do envy you truly. I would love to catch a steelhead as much as anyone else - all I am suggesting is that doesn't have to be the ONLY thing one goes after. We do have fantastic rivers and streams here its just that time is a limiting factor for me. Never caught a steelhead but, from what I have read on this site, most people come back empty handed - I'm sure it's worth it but it takes effort and commitment and time which I don't have in abundance.
The so called "undesireable" species are available right in my backyard and I can get to them easily with minimal expense or time. I consider myself to be a "bad" fisherman limited to a few hours most weekends so I make do with catching these fish. In the middle of summer I can just take a 15 minute drive down to the Fraser and be reasonably sure of hookups a great sunset and a thoroughly pleasant time.
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Well my friend steel is what it is all about for me ,i now understand your situation,and should take into account not everyone lives 5 mins away from the flow,this does not make you a bad fisherman just a practical one,i apolgise for getting a little carried away over the pike minnows,its just, ive never heard of people targeting them before,to me they've always been a nuisance when ive been trying to catch salmon,trout or steel! Take care.
Trust me I am a bad fisherman :) ...but I enjoy trying. Five minutes away from the flow ? That sounds too good to be true, must be amazing to get on the river so easily.
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That is the beauty of the cultural diversity we find in Canada. Different cutlures appreciate different things, and this also goes with fish species and meat texture preferrences. For example, Asians like smooth, soft, oily texture meat or fish like Rock/Ling cods, snapper, soles/flounders. Some learn to appreciate salmon but they do not like drier, stronger or flaky texture meat, nor fish meat with a strong flavour like salmon does. But they may like salmon as sashimi/sushi but not bbq. In chicken, for example, most Asians like the dark meat, even the gut but not the white meat (for the same reason in texture preference). They are used to bony fish such as carp, perch, cat fish or even the infamous snake head (which is a very pricey fish considered with medicinal value in its meat). So there will be no surprise if they like Pikeminnow. There are of course exceptions in every case, and that is why we see Asians going after salmon.
When I was in university in the states, a fellow student from continental USA told me they don't eat any chicken wings and was abhored to see us eating that. Go figure. I should have found out exactly where he was from and went there to pick up all these throw-aways from chicken farms and make a killing in profit in the Asian markets. ;D
In this age and open society, it is best we keep an open mind and learn to appreciate or at least show respect for cultural preferences. :) With shows like Fear Factor, what else is off limit as far as eating goes. :D
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The Pike Minnow is one of the very few fish that have a self defense mechanism built into them, that would make fishermen aware of this fatal defense linedance in their trouser droppings, when seeing a Pikey being consumed. The wrong bone if left in can constrict your lower bowel. :-X Basically killing off people who eat them, which is why so few people eat them.
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That is the beauty of the cultural diversity we find in Canada. Different cutlures appreciate different things, and this also goes with fish species and meat texture preferrences. For example, Asians like smooth, soft, oily texture meat or fish like Rock/Ling cods, snapper, soles/flounders. Some learn to appreciate salmon but they do not like drier, stronger or flaky texture meat, nor fish meat with a strong flavour like salmon does. But they may like salmon as sashimi/sushi but not bbq. In chicken, for example, most Asians like the dark meat, even the gut but not the white meat (for the same reason in texture preference). They are used to bony fish such as carp, perch, cat fish or even the infamous snake head (which is a very pricey fish considered with medicinal value in its meat). So there will be no surprise if they like Pikeminnow. There are of course exceptions in every case, and that is why we see Asians going after salmon.
When I was in university in the states, a fellow student from continental USA told me they don't eat any chicken wings and was abhored to see us eating that. Go figure. I should have found out exactly where he was from and went there to pick up all these throw-aways from chicken farms and make a killing in profit in the Asian markets. ;D
In this age and open society, it is best we keep an open mind and learn to appreciate or at least show respect for cultural preferences. :) With shows like Fear Factor, what else is off limit as far as eating goes. :D
I definitely agree with this view but I think tast is also a matter of what we are willing to accept.
I for one never really appreciated stonger tasting fish like Mackerel or Sardines - not that I disliked them but just didn't have it very often. Ever since I married my Japanese wife they have become my favorites just because she cooks those a lot and I have developed a taste for them. I have actually come to prefer these kinds of fish to many other species. Also not sure which Asian culture you are talking about Steelhawk - I have found pretty much anything goes in Japan. (Maybe China or Korea is different with regard to specific likes or dislikes with regard to fish products)
Pre-concieved ideas about what is good and what is not means that we miss out on a lot of really great seafood. (Mind you, I take the point about the pike minnows. I am not too keen on fish out of potentially polluted waters or the very bony ones that stick in one's craw. Short of that anything is fair game to me).
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The Pike Minnow is one of the very few fish that have a self defense mechanism built into them, that would make fishermen aware of this fatal defense linedance in their trouser droppings, when seeing a Pikey being consumed. The wrong bone if left in can constrict your lower bowel. :-X Basically killing off people who eat them, which is why so few people eat them.
'Killing people'? Some serious concern. Really? So how many people died on record for eating this yaki fish? ;D We should hold DFO accountable for not warning people about the danger of eating this thing. ;D
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It's BCs ugly boney skeleton in the closet.. no kaki no eat Yaki or Pikeminnow
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Hey Apollo,
Have enjoyed many a sunny afternoon up at Cultus this time of the year, nice and quiet for sure. We've done well just trolling a grizzly king or Carey fly behind some 6 lb mono on a spinning rod. We've just headed to the far shore away from it all, then just enjoyed.
Have fun friend.
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Thanks Fraserking.
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Theres a fathers day pike minnow derby put on by the salmon foundation every year some of the fishermen kill over 100 each in one day.This must be legal if their doing it right?
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Theres a fathers day pike minnow derby put on by the salmon foundation every year some of the fishermen kill over 100 each in one day.This must be legal if their doing it right?
The annual Greg Clark Memorial (pikeminnow) Fishing Derby is organized by the Fraser Valley Salmon Society. The event has a partnership with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Cultus Lake sockeye recovery program), which collects northern pikeminnow caught for study purpose. It's a monitored cull, one of the several initiatives planned out by the recovery project, which can be found in the link provided earlier in the thread.
http://www-sci.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/mehsd/projects/cultus_sockeye_e.htm
(http://www.fishingwithrod.com/albums/2007cultus/070616_33.jpg)