Did you hear they're letting us keep the bass now?
Morning from the Interlake — here's what's happening in Selkirk today.
You know, for years, we’ve been told to throw back any largemouth bass caught in our waters. These fish aren’t native to the Red River or the smaller lakes around us, and they can really mess with the ecosystem, especially the pickerel and catfish we rely on. But it seems like they're just too established now. The province has actually changed the rules, and now we can keep up to four of these largemouth bass.
This is a bit of a head-scratcher for a lot of us who spend time on the water, whether it's off the docks at Selkirk Park or further north towards Gimli. It tells you how much these illegally introduced species have taken hold. While it’s good to see the province acknowledging the reality, it also means we've lost a bit of the fight to keep our waters as they should be. It’s a reminder that what happens upstream, or even what someone does with a bucket of fish, can have real consequences for our river.
### What This Means for Selkirk Anglers
* **New Possession Limit:** You can now keep up to four largemouth bass. * **Impact on Local Species:** This change signals the bass are here to stay, and potentially competing with our native pickerel and catfish. * **Vigilance Still Key:** Even with this change, protecting our waterways from other invasive species remains important for the health of the Red River.
For those of us who grew up fishing the Red, watching the Sturgeon Fest at the Marine Museum, or just enjoying a quiet evening off Manitoba Avenue with a line in the water, it’s a tangible shift. It’s another reminder that our connection to the river, and what lives in it, is always changing. It's a pragmatic decision, I suppose, but not without its own quiet sense of loss for the traditional Selkirk fishery.
Nolan Chicken, MiTL Sports Desk, Selkirk.
Mish and the team are talking about this on the Morning Wire — get the full scoop at mornings.live.