Travers Lake...???

[Dwightster]

Hi all, Just a flyer of a question here. I have fished Travers Lake a few times last year and a couple of times this year near the Provincial Park and had very poor results. I am usuing minnows and power bait and gulp baits....1 pike ...barelly legal size, no walleyes, perch, whites etc etc...
The ice is 14" or so and I was thinking of heading out on my truck but did not like the look of the ice near the boat launch. Any suggestions at all as to a better spot or area than where I have been going or is this lake just a poor choice as I have begun to wonder??? Thanx in advace.

[jts1]

I would like to explore this lake also. If you put a trip together let me know I'm game and have all the gear.

[WayneChristie]

give up the fake baits, use big smelts or herring on a quickstrike rig for pike and big walleye, and jig and minnow for walleyes. try different depths and structure. look at the SRD hydrographic map. be careful where you drive on the ice there are bad areas even when the ice gets thick. follow the herd

[anthony5]

Last week there was 10" of ice ,by now should be safe anywhere in the bay. Lots of underwater humps an valeys on the west and south side just have to pick a spot and work them over, most times you can catch pike, walleye, ling, whiefish etc. Get an SRD map and there are many other places that will work also.

[MoFugger21]

Ya, like Wayne said, your best bet is real bait- smelt, herring, sardines, anchovies, minnows, etc. Artificial baits (gulps and other plastics) will work if jigging, along with spoons and other jigs, but you're almost always better off with real bait.

As far as the lake goes, grab yourself the map of Travers (and other lakes/reservoirs) from here (http://www.srd.alberta.ca/MapsPhotosPublications/Maps/PrairiesAreaBathymetryMaps/ColourBathymetryMaps.aspx), and if you're willing to drive on the ice, there's plenty of options with how big the lake is.

Now, I'm only one person of MANY that fish Travers, but the past few years for myself and the guys I usually fish with has been very hit and miss. I'd like to chalk it up to the water fluctuations with building the dam (was very, very low the past two winters), and wacky weather patterns, but sometimes you just have days where nothing will play the game no matter what you do.

And ya, you have to watch the ice at the very bottom of the boat launch, it can be very touch and go- lots of guys have broken through right there. Your best bet is to drive on right beside or near the launch (on the north side of it), and drive straight out towards the middle before turning east or west (more NW than anything). When heading east, there are springs close to the south end of the parking lot, so be careful there. If/when there's snow on the ice, you can see the path everyone takes when heading that way (but that probably doesn't help right now...lol)

There's also access on to the ice at the northeast arm near the spillway, and far east end at Travers campground near the dam, just so you're not driving all the way down the lake. Hope that helps a bit!

[Dwightster]

Thanx guys, I actually meant smelts when I said "minnows"... the MAP is super...gives me a much better idea of where the structure is....:sHa_shakeshout::bad_boys_20:

[Ryanf]

Minnows work well for the walleye when you can find them. Large herring is my pike bait of choice. There are big pike in there my biggest out of that lake was 32 I've caught a few dozen 20+ as well. A word of caution with driving on that lake there are several soft spots in different areas caused by springs I wouldn't drive in an area you are unfamiliar with.

[Gust]

Not sure how you are picking spots but many people new to icefishing head way out into a lake. If you are doing this, try closer to a shoreline. Many of the food types that bigger fish need are closer to shore in depths no greater than 12 feet (lakers and burbs not included). Try two different depths,, find an area via your map that allows for shallower and deeper rigs that you can mind comfortably and try larger herring or anchovie,,, smelts are funny, I sometimes wonder if fish dont find them natural or something,, though I use squid too, so 6 of one half a dozen of the other.

[BobLoblaw]

smelts are funny, I sometimes wonder if fish dont find them natural or something,, though I use squid too, so 6 of one half a dozen of the other.

How do you fit 6 smelt or half a dozen squid on your hook???:confused0024:

[Gust]

How do you fit 6 smelt or half a dozen squid on your hook???:confused0024:

Mr. Loblaw,
Funny man,,,,, oddly enough, I sometimes put 3 or more smelts on the hook making it appear that they are in a huddle and by golly by gosh I catch fish. Squid just looks sooo enticing when jigged with little effort. I prefer de-tentacled squid cut into fish shapes.

If I dont like someone, I toss squid into their eavestrough at the height of summer.

[BobLoblaw]

Mr. Loblaw,
Funny man,,,,, oddly enough, I sometimes put 3 or more smelts on the hook making it appear that they are in a huddle and by golly by gosh I catch fish. Squid just looks sooo enticing when jigged with little effort. I prefer de-tentacled squid cut into fish shapes.

If I dont like someone, I toss squid into their eavestrough at the height of summer.

Note to self: Check eavestrough frequently this summer...:)