(Submitted photo/Government of Saskatchewan)

By Elliott Knopp

Free Fishing

Meadow Lake, provincial parks open up free fishing July 10-11

Jul 8, 2021 | 3:00 PM

The Government of Saskatchewan announced the province-wide free fishing weekend will take place on July 10-11. During this event, residents will have the opportunity to try fishing on any public waters used for fishing without the requirement of a fishing licence.

In a media release, the Government of Saskatchewan stated the annual event is designed to increase public awareness about fishing opportunities across the province.

Murray Koob, Ministry of Environment Sport Fishing Specialist, stated while the event doesn’t apply to national parks as those sites require a federal licence, residents in the Meadow Lake area will still have the opportunity to catch a wide variety of fish in nearby lakes.

“In around Meadow Lake and the park itself, there are a lot of native fish species, the most popular being walleye, northern pike, yellow perch, and then you get into some stock trout and rainbow trout,” Koob explained.

The weekend opens up many angling opportunities to people all across the province. Whether participants are out for some catch and release or trying to capture some food, many provincial sites are expected to have a few new faces enjoying the summertime activity.

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Dennis Baldinus, Owner of The General’s Bait and Tackle, shared while the opportunity to explore fishing for free is a great event to provide to residents, he’s noticed there are still some obstacles that prevent people from capitalizing on the occasion.

“You don’t see much of that. People do go fishing, but there’s very few people that take advantage of free fishing. Most people either have a fishing licence and go fishing on a regular basis,” Baldinus shared.

“We find a lot of people that don’t bother to fish don’t understand it. Free fishing is a lot more than just going fishing. You have to have somebody to go with, and you’ve got to have somebody with a boat and a boat licence. So, I think it’s nice that there’s free fishing for people that don’t want to get their licence, but it seems like it’s not being taken advantage of very much.”

Baldinus recommended that people who do want to enjoy the free fishing event should attempt to go out with a friend or a group of people who will be able to offer some advice and supply the necessities required for an enjoyable experience.

A list of catch limit and size regulations that residents should be aware of is available in the 2021-22 Saskatchewan Angler’s Guide.

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp