Man recorded illegally spear-fishing for largemouth bass

WINNIPEG — An apparent poaching incident in which a man was recorded spear-fishing multiple largemouth bass — a must-release species — is the latest example of trouble at a popular fishing spot described by one angler as a “free-for-all.”

Colten Single was at Reynolds Ponds, located about 60 kilometres east of Winnipeg, on Friday morning when he spotted a man snorkelling and spearing largemouth bass.

“It was definitely frustrating to see that,” Single, 36, said in a phone interview Monday.

“That is blatant poaching … No way in heck is that pond going to be able to sustain a harvest like that.”

Provincial regulations prohibit anglers from keeping largemouth bass, which are prized as sporting fish and can be found in only a handful of Manitoba fisheries. The 2024 Manitoba Angler’s Guide states spear-fishing is legal for certain species but prohibited for others, including largemouth bass.

Single said the man had four largemouth bass, two of which appeared to be more than 45 centimetres long, meaning they would qualify as master anglers and could likely be up to 10 years old.

Single said he spoke with the man, who admitted he had largemouth bass but indicated he did not realize spearing them, and keeping them, was illegal in Manitoba.

Videos of the incident, shared with the Winnipeg Free Press, showed Single confronting the man, who was dressed in a wetsuit and standing beside several fish lying on the shore.

“I asked him if he had a fishing licence … and he said ‘yes.’ I was like, ‘Oh, well, you should know the rules,’” Single said.

“As soon as you go and get that fishing licence, you are supposed to go and read up on the handbook and know all your rights and wrongs, so you don’t get yourself in trouble.”

The man told him he was going to release the fish, but Single said he scoffed at that answer.

“I let him know that you can’t really release these fish because you put a spear through them.”

Single reported the incident to the Manitoba Conservation tip line, and a conservation officer phoned him minutes later to launch an investigation, he said.

He provided the officer with the video and information he collected, including the man’s licence-plate number, Single said.

Contacted by email, Manitoba Conservation confirmed it had investigated the incident. It did not say whether the man faced any fines or other penalties.

“The role of the Conservation Officer Service is to ensure compliance with the Conservation Act. In some cases, education can be the most effective tool to do that,” a spokesperson said.

David Abbott, a fishing guide with Whiteshell-based Shield Outfitters, called the alleged poaching incident an “egregious act.”

“For someone to take out top-end, largemouth bass out of Reynolds Ponds is sickening,” he said. “It’s really an incredibly self-centred act at best, and a shame.”

Abbott said spear fishing for largemouth and smallmouth bass is prohibited because the fish usually reside in shallow water and are territorial, making them vulnerable to spearing.

“A single spear-fisher let loose in the Reynolds Ponds areas could completely devastate largemouth bass fishing in those ponds in a single season,” Abbott said.

“Not only is it against the law, but it’s against every aspect of how you look at the sport of fishing.”

Abbott described Reynolds Ponds as the provincial “mecca” for shore anglers because of its small size and the diversity of fish available there.

Single said he would like to see stronger oversight at the ponds and greater willingness from the public to proactively report poachers.

Reynolds Ponds are popular among locals but have limited road access. Single, who has been fishing in the area for more than a decade, said he has only been stopped by conservation officers there once.

“There are a lot of people who see poaching like this going on, but they just turn a blind eye because it doesn’t affect them,” he said.

“Especially for a place like Reynolds, because it’s back in the bush, it’s kind of a free-for-all. It’s got so much activity, but there is no management out there.”

The ponds, which are stocked with fish and feature opalescent waters, have been the site of several tragedies in recent years.

A 70-year-old Ontario man drowned in the pond while swimming earlier this month.

In June 2021, 24-year-old Sandeep Bandaru drowned while swimming there. The previous year, a woman died in a head-on collision with a concrete barrier while riding an ATV. Weeks later, multiple assaults, one involving a firearm, were reported to RCMP.

The ponds sit on Crown land, but officials from the Rural Municipality of Reynolds mulled the idea of privatizing the ponds or converting the area to a provincial park in 2022. They hoped doing so might regulate visitors and compel them to be more responsible.

It is unclear whether officials are still pursuing those plans. Efforts to reach Reeve Russ Gawluk were unsuccessful Monday.

The latest Manitoba fishing guide lists several proposed regulation changes that would be implemented for the 2026-27 season.

One proposed change would allow fishers to possess as many as four largemouth bass, as long as none are longer than 45 centimetres, except at Mary Jane Reservoir.

» Winnipeg Free Press