Winter sport fishing opportunities in Pictou County

Shubenacadie Sam saw his shadow last weekend so I guess it’s official. We can expect six more weeks of winter. Other than heading down south, there’s not much we can do about it, so a great way to embrace winter, in my opinion, is to take advantage of winter sport fishing opportunities available to us. Ice fishing has always been a popular activity in Pictou County as anglers extend their fishing season for smelt as well as trout, chain pickerel and white and yellow perch in a few areas. Local anglers have a variety of trout fishing opportunity available to them with both Dryden Lake and Gairloch Lake open for trout, as are Cameron and Gillis lakes in Antigonish County. Anglers may also fish Black Lake and West Branch Lake for chain pickerel as well as white and yellow perch. The winter season runs from Jan. 1 until March 31 and your 2019 fishing licence is valid until the end of March. No licence is required to fish for smelt in tidal waters. During the winter season the bag limit for trout is two fish per day while the bag limit for white and yellow perch is 25 fish per day and the bag limit for chain pickerel is 100 fish per day. The daily bag limit for smelt is 60 fish by angling. To check on winter sport fishing opportunities throughout Nova Scotia see your 2019 summary of sport fishing regulations. Ice fishing is one of the easiest fishing methods and a great way to introduce new anglers to the sport. An axe or auger to make a hole in the ice, a simple rod and some warm clothes will get you started. The most important consideration when ice fishing is safety and that starts with carefully checking the ice before you venture out on it. The Red Cross recommends a minimum of 15 centimetres or six inches of good ice for one person standing or walking and anglers should always check ice thickness before venturing out. Factors such as running water or springs can weaken ice and anglers should be on the lookout for grey or dark areas on the ice that may signal a soft spot. Ice that is hard and blue is usually safe. If you are fishing an unfamiliar lake, be very cautious of springs, or the outlets of brooks where the ice is often thinner. Changes in the weather, such as a mild spell, can have significant effects on ice thickness. It is also important to make sure you tell someone where you plan on fishing and when you plan to return. Winter sport fishing regulations in Nova Scotia allow anglers to fish with hook and line during the open season. If the weather is mild, and the lakes aren’t frozen, anglers may fish from shore or a boat. This winter anglers in Nova Scotia can take advantage of the winter sport fishing weekend, Feb. 15, 16 and 17. On this long weekend, residents and non-residents may fish inland waters which are open for winter seasons without a general fishing licence. The Pictou County Rivers Association will be holding their 13th annual ice fishing derby on Gairloch Lake on Feb. 15. This year they have renamed the event the Bob Ferguson Memorial Ice Fishing Derby. Bob was one of the founders of the Rivers Association and a longtime supporter of sport fishing, especially for young anglers. Congratulations to the association for recognizing Bob’s contribution to sport fishing in Pictou County. If you plan on taking advantage of winter sport fishing seasons, hang on to your licence stub until the end of March. If your fishing is done for the year then fill out your catch information for 2019 and send it in now.