This winter, the province in partnership with the Manitoba Wildlife Federation and MLOA, will be conducting a recreational angling survey (creel survey) on the south basin of Lake Winnipeg. Read more from the Province below:
“The most recent creel survey was conducted on the south basin in the winter of 2018-19. The attached article from Hooked Magazine provides a summary of survey results. Creel surveys not only report on fish harvest, release, and effort statistics, but also touch on the overall economic benefits of angling to local business and the province as a whole.
To give you a few more details on what we plan on doing this winter, please refer to the following link (https://mwf.mb.ca/archives/6569) which is a recent MWF article specific to Lake Winnipeg angling and the upcoming creel survey.
The 2018-19 survey was implemented by the provincial fisheries branch. The MWF however is taking the lead role in conducting the 2021-22 creel survey with funding provided through FWEF. The fisheries branch is providing logistical support. Beginning as soon as safe ice is established and anglers begin venturing out onto the hard water of the south basin, we hope to have creel clerks in place to chat with anglers. MWF is currently in the process of hiring 6 – 8 creel clerks who will be in place throughout the winter months until the close of the angling season on April 3, 2022. Due to the size of the south basin, creel clerks will be stationed at access points where they will interview anglers either coming onto the lake or exiting the lake at the end of their angling day. This method is more effective on a waterbody this size as opposed to a Roving type survey where creel clerks would typically be travelling from shack to shack to interview anglers.
Our goal this year is to increase our ability to interview anglers and improve our data collection. Increasing the number of creel clerks and therefore survey effort is one improvement. Another area we hope to improve on involves active participation by angling outfitters on Lake Winnipeg. With help from the MLOA, we would like to reach out to Lake Winnipeg south basin angling outfitters that plan to host clients on the lake this winter. Ideally, this would involve providing each outfitter with a supply of creel cards (see creel card template attachment). Each time a group of clients is taken onto the lake, the outfitter would fill out a creel card documenting their day of fishing. At the end of the season, we would collect the cards from the outfitters. When the report is produced, whether it be in Hooked Magazine, through MWF, or other forms of media, outfitters would be acknowledged for their participation, thereby providing each one with some advertising for their respective businesses. The greater the participation we have from individual outfitters, the greater the argument we can make for the economic benefits of angling in Manitoba!”
Download the Hooked Magazine Article below:
Download the Cree Card Template Below:
Download the Creel Survey Signage Below:
