One Last Try, Chain Lakes?

[mrmoose]

I am thinking tomorrow deserves one last ice fishing outing. I am thinking an easy day down at Chain Lakes. I have not been there since early December. How are the conditions? Anyone been out recently? Anyone want to meet up on the ice?

[Flieguy]

I haven't been there for a week or two, but my guess is you'll be able to make it on the ice no problem. I was there kinda the last couple days of real warm weather, and it's been mostly below zero since then.

Be careful though, I could be wrong.

[mrmoose]

Ice was still quite thick. Folks were driving on all over the lake. I went to my usual spot and set up the tent in the wind. I spent the first little bit of time messing around with my camera. Sure is fun to watch the trout try to eat the lens of the camera despite being smaller. As for the fishing once i got the right bait combo going I ended up landing 11 trout from 8" to 13" and two larger sucker fish. Not bad for just over three hours.

Question: what is the proper procedure for suckers? Put them back in? Leave them on ice for hawks,etc?

Left my phone in the car so sadly no photos today.

[WomanOfTheWild]

i was out there on last sunday and didn't see anyone driving on. plenty of bites but only landed 2.

[Rikkles Fisher]

Ice was still quite thick. Folks were driving on all over the lake. I went to my usual spot and set up the tent in the wind. I spent the first little bit of time messing around with my camera. Sure is fun to watch the trout try to eat the lens of the camera despite being smaller. As for the fishing once i got the right bait combo going I ended up landing 11 trout from 8" to 13" and two larger sucker fish. Not bad for just over three hours.

Question: what is the proper procedure for suckers? Put them back in? Leave them on ice for hawks,etc?

Left my phone in the car so sadly no photos today.
Nice job I have never been here it sounds like a really popular rainbow trout lake any get over 20 inches in there? I would put the suckers back down the hole it's not our right to decide what lives and what doesn't unless we plan on eating it, same thing as people throwing away burbout it's just not right to do if you ask me.

[Lefty-Canuck]

Nice job I have never been here it sounds like a really popular rainbow trout lake any get over 20 inches in there? I would put the suckers back down the hole it's not our right to decide what lives and what doesn't unless we plan on eating it, same thing as people throwing away burbout it's just not right to do if you ask me.

X2 on the suckers....why let them parish needlessly?...they have their place in the ecosystem.

LC

[mrmoose]

I myself put them back. As for big trout I haven't seen anything over about 16" in person from there. A guy did post a photo earlier this winter of a big one he caught though.

[Icatchfish]

I was gonna say something nasty, but Ricky7 explained it better. the proper procedure is to keep fish you will consume . Feeding the hawks is non of your business

[Tigger72]

thinking of heading there as well tomorrow.... I caught 1 8" rainbow in the summer on a little rapala... what is the right combo for winter??? what type of jigs/ bait... I've never winter fished trout before let alone stocked trout?

[TomE]

There's big Trout in there..I had my boat in there about 5-6 yrs ago..Trolling up and down the lake..Had a Big Eagle swoop in behind the boat and Latch on to a Huge Rainbow.The Eagle could barely fly! Must have been 5 lbs or more..He flew just above the Water till he reached shore and up into a Meadow..About 5 mins later, Wham, A 7 1/2 LB Rainbow hooked in the side! We had no Net, (didn't think I'd ever need one!) and played the fish for close to an hour before we were able to flag down another boat in which we could see a big Net..I was so glad as we would have had to cut it free..I wanted to put it back but my Bud wanted to eat it..Had no Camera either..The Big ones are there all right but not an easy catch..

[mrmoose]

I use a small jig usually red/orange/neon with Velveeta cheese. Yesterday I was landing them with a small tungsten jig that I prefer for perch fishing. They bite soft so the sharper the hook the better. Might be another reason the small hook does so well.

[mrmoose]

And the reason I brought up the sucker question is I have seen people do everything but eat them when I am out there so just wanted to see peoples thoughts. One person I met was under the assumption they want to rid the lake of the sucker fish.

[Gust]

years ago F&G would tell us to toss the suckers onto the ice, and you would see random piles of hundreds. I haven't caught a sucker in years from there, are they a good size?

[mrmoose]

First one was about 14" and thin. Second was quite a bit larger and round as a baseball bat.

[Croatian sensation]

Was there last Saturday and was the first one to drive out on the ice. Still safe, so I drove half way up the lake to my spot. Between myself and my father we landed 26 rainbows and one skinny 11" bull trout. Ice should still be alright to drive on this weekend.

[JReed]

Was there last Saturday and was the first one to drive out on the ice. Still safe, so I drove half way up the lake to my spot. Between myself and my father we landed 26 rainbows and one skinny 11" bull trout. Ice should still be alright to drive on this weekend.

Sounds like a fisherman's tale due to the date of the calender, won't take him long to get bigger than 11" in that lake :sign0161:

[Gust]

Sounds like a fisherman's tale due to the date of the calender, won't take him long to get bigger than 11" in that lake :sign0161:

[PDF]
Chain Lakes Reservoir - Alberta Environment
environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/7720.pdf‎
... bull trout population, fingerlings were stocked into Chain Lakes Reservoir in 2000. ... bull trout would be compromised by the addition of stocked individuals. ..... This appendix provides an introduction to lake science and an explanation of.

My stupid niece used my computer and I can't open PDF's now. Google

"Bull Trout" introduced to "Chain Lakes"

http://www.albertaparks.ca/chain-lakes-pp/information-facilities.aspx

with quotations

[Gust]

so, I guess jigging a herring food dyed to look like a rainbow might produce something bigger than the usual fare.

recipe;

~ by bag of herring.

~ dry the skin of herring by flaking off the ice and dry patting with a cloth.

~ by a four bottle pack of food dye.

~ get your kids and their friends over under the guise of them hand painting Easter eggs.

~ show the kids pictures of rainbow trout.

~ give them each a herring or two.

~ take away the herring when they look good and trout like and re-freeze after they have dried.

~ give the kids a piece of chocolate then make them go play outside with an old can and a stick.

ta dah

[Flieguy]

Was there last Saturday and was the first one to drive out on the ice. Still safe, so I drove half way up the lake to my spot. Between myself and my father we landed 26 rainbows and one skinny 11" bull trout. Ice should still be alright to drive on this weekend.

It's possible that he DID catch a bull. There are bulls in the creek. It's unlikely that there are any of the original stocked bull trout there, as they'd be pushing 15 years old. That's quite old for them, but possible. They'd be bigger than 11" though. I've never caught one there.

I HAVE caught a brookie out of there. Those are quite prevalent in the creek.

[BobLoblaw]

so, I guess jigging a herring food dyed to look like a rainbow might produce something bigger than the usual fare.

recipe;

~ by bag of herring.

~ dry the skin of herring by flaking off the ice and dry patting with a cloth.

~ by a four bottle pack of food dye.

~ get your kids and their friends over under the guise of them hand painting Easter eggs.

~ show the kids pictures of rainbow trout.

~ give them each a herring or two.

~ take away the herring when they look good and trout like and re-freeze after they have dried.

~ give the kids a piece of chocolate then make them go play outside with an old can and a stick.

ta dah

Pure genius!:)

[JReed]

[PDF]
Chain Lakes Reservoir - Alberta Environment
environment.gov.ab.ca/info/library/7720.pdf‎
... bull trout population, fingerlings were stocked into Chain Lakes Reservoir in 2000. ... bull trout would be compromised by the addition of stocked individuals. ..... This appendix provides an introduction to lake science and an explanation of.

My stupid niece used my computer and I can't open PDF's now. Google

"Bull Trout" introduced to "Chain Lakes"

http://www.albertaparks.ca/chain-lakes-pp/information-facilities.aspx

with quotations

Interesting........ too bad they didn't stick. That'd be a ton of fun, and a little closer than lower K, depending on where you live of course

[Croatian sensation]

Story looks real enough to me. I didn't fall through the ice and I'll bet I would've got a ticket if I had one like this in the bucket and got stopped by the fish cops.

I've been guiding southern Alberta for nearly 25 years now and between myself and the people I've taken there over the years we've collectively caught several hundred fish. This was the first bull. I figure it was just one of those "winning the 6-49" kind of events that happens to everyone if they spend enough time out on the water.