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Fishing

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  1. The Fish

    1. Percidae Family

    2. Esocidae Family

    3. Centrarchidae Family

    4. Batrachians Family

    5. Lotidae Family

  2. The Baits

  3. The License

  4. The Fishing Stories

I  - The Fish

In the Ottawa river, where belongs the fishing Center "Centre de Pêche La Madeleine", we find different species of fish.  But during the winter season, certain species leave or are prohibited.  The most encountered species are:

Sorry, but the references about fish in this page are available in French only.

Percidae Family

  • The Yellow Perch.  Their weight may vary from ½ pound to 1¼ pound

  • (Perca flavescens) Family of Percidae

  • La Perchaude 

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Yellow Perch:

 

Perch of 1 pound captured by Mr. Pronovost on December 26th 2002

  • The Yellow Walleye.  Their weight may vary from 3 pounds to 15 pounds

  • (Stizostedion vitreum) Family of Percidae

  • Le Doré Jaune

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Walleye:

 

 

Yellow Walleye of 9 pounds 10 ounces captured by Richer Fortin on January 15th 2000

  • The Sauger.  Their weight may vary from 1 pound to 1½ pound

  • (Stizostedion canadense) Family of Percidae

  • Le Doré Noir

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Walleye:

 

 

Doré noir captured by Phil Lafleur on February 22nd 2009

Occasional but rare in the bay

Esocidae Family

  • The Northern Pike.  Their weight may vary from 3 pounds to 25 pounds

  • (Esox lucius) Family of Esocidae

  • Le Grand Brochet

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Pike:

 

 

Northern Pike of 15 pounds captured by Sebastien Cimone on February 7th 2001

  • The Chain Pickerel.  Their weight may vary from 3 pounds to 20 pounds

  • (Esox niger) Family of Esocidae

  • Le Brochet Maillé

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Pike:

 

 

Brochet du Nord de 15 livres capturé par Sébastien Cimone le 7 Février 2001

Occasional in the bay

  • The Muskellunge.  Their weight may vary from 5 pounds to 35 pounds

  • (Esox masquinongy) Family of Esocidae

  • Le Maskinongé

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing periods and the daily catch limits of our territory
consult the table to the section Muskellunge:

 

 

Mukellunge of 32 pounds 11 ounces captured by Gaetan Leger on December 29th 2002

An easy way to help making the difference between the three species, verify under the mouth of the fish.
The chain pickerel has 4 holes on each side.
The northern pike has 5 holes on each side.
The muskellunge has 6 to 9 holes on each side.

Centrarchidae Family

  • The Smallmouth Bass. Their weight may vary from 1 pound to 3 pounds

  • (Micropterus dolomieu) Family of Centrarchidae

  • L'Achigan à Petite Bouche

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

To know the fishing period and the daily quotas of our territory
consult the table to the section Bass:

Bass big mouth catched by Benoit Ruel

Occasional but rare in the bay

  • The Black Crappie. Their weight may vary from 1 pound to 1½ pound

  • (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) Family of Centrarchidae

  • La Marigan Noire

    •

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

To know the fishing period and the daily quotas of our territory
consult the table to the section Black Crappie:

 

 

Marigane Noire capturée par François Boisvert

Occasional but rare in the bay

Batrachians Family

  • The Mudpuppies. Their dimension may vary from 25 cm to 35 cm

  • (Necturus Maculosus) Family of Batrachians

  • Le Necture

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

These little batrachians sometimes hook to our lines but are not good to eat.  So we recommends to put it back in water when it's possible.

Mudpuppie

Occasional in the bay

  • Le Necture Tacheté dont les sujets varient de 25cm à 35 cm

  • (Necturus Maculosus) Famille des Batraciens

  • The Mudpuppie

    •

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

This little batrachian that stick to your hook at the end of the day is not comestible.  So we recommend to release it when it's possible.

Necture

Occasional in the bay

Lotidae Family

  • The Burbot (Loche) Their weight may vary from ½ pound to 4 pounds

  • (Lota lota) Lotidae Family

  • The Burbot

    •

For more details on the specifications of the specie:

 

This fish that stick to your hook at the end of the day is comestible but the taste is not that much.  So we recommend to release it when it's possible.

Necture

  • The Computor.   Their weight may vary from 100 pounds to 150 pounds

  • (Ordinotorus pescadum)

  • Le Computeur

Very funny (hi, hi, hi...)

To know the lunar phases and your luck for good fishing:

The data on the lunar cycle come from:

II  - The Baits

To capture one of these species of fish, you will need baits.  The three most common encountered in your bucket will be the three first of this list:

  • The Spotfin Shiner (Notropis spilopterus)

  • Le méné Bleu ou Shiner Bleu

Characteristics :
1. scales on side diamond-shaped (taller than wide);
2. dusky to black bar on chin;
3. black spot on rear half of dorsal fin.
Size : to 120 mm

 

  • The Emerald Shiner (Notropis atherinoides)

  • Le méné Émeraude

Characteristics :
1. slender, elongate body;
2. large mouth on fairly pointed snout;
3. dorsal fin origin behind pelvic fin origin;
4. black lips (front half).
Size : to 124 mm

 

  • The Golden Shiner (Notemigonus crysoleucas)

  • Le méné Jaune ou La Chatte de l'Est

Characteristics :
1. small, upturned mouth;
2. deep-bodied but very thin;
3. scale less keel along belly from pelvic to anal fin.
 Size : to 211 mm

 

  • The Flathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas)

  • Le méné Tête-de-Boule

Characteristics :
1. crowed scales between head and dorsal fin;
2. blunt snout with slanted mouth;
3. head short, flat on top.
 Size : to 73 mm

 

This information comes from the web site of:

III  - The License

To learn more about regulation concerning the license required for sport fishing in Quebec province
you may consul the web site of:

Important points to remember:

Since Avril 2017 because of the new regulation you must use dead baits for ice fishing in the future.

The license is required for fishing in Quebec territory.

The annual license utilized for ice fishing from January 1st to March 31st, is the one used during past year and outgoing until the end of the season.  So, if you didn't fish last summer and have not license, and you think to fish only once this winter, you're better to use a three days license instead of the annual license.

The multiple use of fishing rods(10 rods in our region # 8, for other regions refer to the guide) for ice fishing begins on December  20th until  March 31st.  Out of this period, it is strictly prohibited to fish with more than 1 fishing rod, and the ticket is really expensive.

So be careful.

IV  - The Fishing Stories

Some fish in the boat even if you don't ask for it:

;    

370 Grande-Ligne, Rigaud,
 Quebec  J0P 1P0
Tel. Center: (514) 975-7962

Pike of 15 pounds captured at the Center by Sylvain