ICE FISHING CODE OF ETHICS, CODE OF CONDUCT

LAKE SIMCOE OUTDOORS

ICE FISHING CODE OF CONDUCT - CODE OF ETHICS

REMEMBER FISHING IS A PRIVILEGE AND A RESPONSIBILITY - NOT A RIGHT!

CONSIDERATION OF OTHERS

i) Be courteous, stay at least 10 meters from other anglers.

ii) Treat your fellow anglers the way you want to be treated.

iii) Other people’s enjoyment is no less valuable than yours

iv) Have respect and consideration for local residents on shore, non-anglers and the environment. Let others enjoy the peace and quiet.

v) Keep your noise and language down. Respect families with children.

HOW YOU FISH

i) Never risk your life or an injury for a fish.

ii) Know the ice conditions, respect them and the weather.

iii) Know the fishing rules and regulations.

iv) Practice good “catch & release” methods. Keep the fish in water and use wet hands.

v) A quick release means better survival. Put fish back promptly.

vi) Fish for yourself. Take only what you need.

GARBAGE AND WASTE

i) DO NOT LEAVE GARBAGE ON THE ICE! That includes, but is not limited to: coffee cups, lure packaging, cigarette butts, fishing line, beverage cans, food wrappers and excrement.

ii) Make sure you have a garbage pail in your hut. Take the garbage home with you.

iii) If inconsiderate anglers have left litter on the ice, clean it up if you can.

iv) Don’t throw anything down the hole.

v) Bring an extra pail if you need a toilet.

Lake Simcoe Outdoors believes that ethical behavior is a key component of the angling experience.

The objective of this code is to empower anglers to make responsible decisions in pursuit of their passion.

- Courtesy of Sdcaller

Well that just about covers it pretty well.

I like it

absolutely

A solid reminder for all outdoor activities.

Thx,

Well said

Because one person thinks something is ethical, doesnt mean its the same for others. Mostly agree, but to say that one should only fish for themselves, to me, is not what ethical fishing is. I fish, but I dont really enjoy fish.

That being said, I do keep fish, why? Because I have friends and family who are not fortunate enough to be able to go out, my one friend is looking after his mother in law who is 90 years old. Doesnt give him much time to go fishing, and he loves fish, so I keep some fish and give it to him. My grandparents are to old to go fishing, so I keep fish and give it to them. Do I take more then I personally need? Technically yes, as I need 0 fish. But to say that ethically you cant fish for others, in my opinion is just false. And if you think im bringing a bucket to p### in, lol. A little p### wont hurt the lake. Wouldnt go dropping a duce on a very public and used lake, as thats just a little gross, but if I were fishing a back lake, I wouldnt think twice. Its natural, and wont hurt anything. Where does on think animals go? Not in buckets lol.

Ethics vary by person, what one believes is ethical may not be ethical in someone elses mind. There are things we can all agree on, but, if it doesnt effect you, and its legal, people need to butt out and mind their own business. How many fish someone keeps, if they are legally allowed, doesnt effect you, and isnt your business. Stuff like littering, etcetera does effect everyone, and is illegal. Dont do it.

TLDR: If its legal, and doesnt effect you, people need to begin to mind their own business, todays society loves to get all up in crap that does not effect them and is completely legal.

I'm really glad to see this topic has been read so many times!

If you recall earlier this year we had a thread going about garbage and the Oro-Medonte garbage barrels at access points and members were offering to help pick up full bags.

Well, it got me thinking about a code of conduct etc. and I did a Google search and couldn't find a fishing forum with an ice fishing code of conduct. The only thing I found that came close was on the Nipissing Stewardship web-site.

I e-mailed Jerry and suggested we should develop one for LSO. He thought it was a good idea, but said that work had him really busy now and he didn't have the time right now to do it. I replied that I was retired and as Covid is keeping me from music jams and square dances that I had time and would see what I could put together.

Using Google I managed to pick up ideas from forums or web-sites in Florida, Australia, Great Britain and the International Fly Fishers Assoc., together what I found on Nipissing.

The Code you see is what I put together as if we were living in a "Perfect World". I know we don't live in one!

The idea was to create awareness and hopefully we have done that.

What one would do in the North woods is different than what you should on Lake Simcoe.

Each one of us needs to decide how we will embrace the code or part of it based on our own beliefs and situation.

SDC

With your keeping fish comment yeah that sounds ethical to me, nothin wrong with that IMO. (its legal) But human waste is not the same as normal animal waste, we don't exactly have natural diets these days anyway when it comes to taking a pee I don't imagine it hurting anything, but takin a duce even on a backwoods lake, that's only gonna be left to thaw in the warmer weather...Even backwoods camping, in most places it's in the rules to dig a hole a certain depth to put it.

Not sure what another solution is for you, I usually just hold it till I get home unless it's extremely dire. Definitely think twice is all I'm saying, chances are it'll be left to thaw for someone else to come across

I went for a ride on the bike tday off line 2 shanty bay, my first time out on the ice this year, rode down to the 5th & back & i couldnt believe all the piles of human crap & t-paper i saw on the ice & even a few empty cardboard rolls, absoulutly disgusting, if this is the way of the future i say block off all winter access,but it just proves some people care & others Are just ######in pigs ,just remember u pigs u just left ur dna,( but try to get anybody to enforse it) '' assholes ""...

We need a code of ethics for soft water fishing too. So many anglers are trolling 50 feet around people in circles.

Really people - when you're fishing in 120 feet of water, stay at least 150 feet away from the other boats! I can't believe this even needs to be said.. but every day, there are boats literally almost colliding.

Simcoe is literally polluted with white fish and lake trout. You do not need to hug another boat!

Here he lies

Here’s a question….when done……should you fill in your hole. I’ve been told not to and also to do it. I’ve always done it. But just wanted to confirm

Leave them open. A hole covered in snow can be an ankle-breaker for a walking angler.

Anything large enough to catch an ATV wheel we mark with a branch (yes, that means taking some with us if we plan to drill larger holes to sight fish).