11 Species of Fish Caught in 24 Hours

Sure, with over 85 kinds of fish in our river we could have caught more, but since when was catching all the fish you ever wanted not a problem? Last week’s 24-hour Fishathon on the Ottawa River was a success in raising awareness about stewardship and biodiversity!

We had a great day on the Ottawa River last week with Lawrence Gunther, president of Blue Fish Canada and the one who dreamed up the Ottawa River 24-hour Fishathon and made it happen.

More than 18 people came aboard Lawrence’s boat during the 24 hours of the fishathon and helped us catch and release 11 of the more than 85 fish species that can be found in the Ottawa River. With the help of these pro-anglers and local guides, we managed to prove that we can find gar, pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth pass, rock bass, perch, channel catfish, sockeye, walleye, sunfish and muskie in the Ottawa River. What a great way to showcase the incredible diversity and rich aquatic ecosystem that exists right at our doorstep!

[slickr-flickr items=”12″ type=”galleria” autoplay captions=”off” descriptions=”on”  flickr_link=”on” flickr_link_title=”on” delay=”3″ flicker-link=”on” search=”sets” set=”72157655073045112″ items=”30″ flickr_link_target=”_blank”] See more photos from the event in our Flickr Album.

Now’s your chance to get out on the river for some fishing too because Canada’s National Fishing Week starts tomorrow, July 4th and runs until July 12th. In Ontario, these are also license-free fishing days, so it’s a great excuse get out on your river and try fishing! Here are some tips from Blue Fish Canada (link to PDF) on how to do it right:

How to Be a Steward of Your Favourite Fishing Hole 

  1. Use the right strength tackles so returned fish aren’t overly tired
  2. Don’t over harvest and don’t keep the larger breeders
  3. Be careful fueling engines to avoid polluting water.
  4. Recycle old fishing line so it doesn’t tangle and kill wildlife
  5. Clean-up shoreline waste and garbage.
  6. Take measures to stop Nitrates or Phosphates from entering the water
  7. Minimize time fish spend out of the water, and avoid removing a fish’s protective slime.
  8. Use barbless or non-offset circle hooks, and environmentally safe artificial baits.
  9. Be careful not to transport invasive fish and plants, or to spread disease
  10. Support fish health research by reporting tagged fish

Find information about Canada’s National Fishing Week and get more fishing tips at Catching Fish.

Have a great week fishing!


 

Related Links

Expert Anglers to Document Fish Diversity on the Ottawa River During Fish-a-thon
Blue Fish Canada
Fish Species in the Ottawa River
#OttRivFishathon | #PêcheRivOutaouais
Videos from CTV Morning Live

2 responses to “11 Species of Fish Caught in 24 Hours”

  1. Neptune says:

    Sockeye? As in Sockeye Salmon? Really?

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