Crawling Valley

[slingshotz]

This is my first year getting into ice fishing and I have never been to CVR at all (summer included). I'd like to head out there tomorrow or Wed and would like some suggestions on where to try for burbot and pike. I'm not asking for directions to your honey holes (but feel free to PM me if you do want to share some, I'm good at keeping secrets!) but some general suggestions would be handy as it seems like a big place. I'll be coming from Calgary and I don't have a ATV so I'll be limited to maybe 100 feet from where we park as I'll be dragging my tent, hand auger and other gear by hand over the ice. I'll be in a red eskimo cube :wave:

Thanks.

[calgarygringo]

Go straight out from the boat launch and a bit to your left. Many fishin front of the island. You may be able to park on the campground shore if not too much snow as well. If you don't mind some around the back road travel let me know as we quite often fish further down the lake on the west side. There are some islands right off the main shore that are easy to walk out a hundred yards or so. Walleye, Pike and Burbs and Perch

[slingshotz]

I'm fine with back road travel, got a 4x4 with studded snow tires :)

Thanks for the tips, might head out there tomorrow and try our luck. Are the islands you're talking about underwater islands or islands you can see from the surface? I dont have a flasher or sonar yet to check depth and structure.

[calgarygringo]

If you are a regular and may see us in our shack half way up the west side here are directions.
Roads are good just may be a bit of snow at the lake but if you have 4 wheel no problem. Several different islands right out in front and we catch quite well. Just pick one and get out a bit in front 10-15 deep and you can get them in front of any of them.
Take the usual way off hiway 1 to the campground. At the first T off the hiway turn left instead of right to the campground. The road heads back north. Go for about 10 minutes and watch for a big red painted boulder on the right side of the road. You can't miss it. There will be a bunch of power lines and a gas compressor station on the right as well. Turn right and follow gravel past compressor station and watch on the right side. The road will fork right with a cattle guard and a list of 20 or so well sites. Take this road and keep straight then veer left and it will follow the lake. Pick one of the sideroads to go down to the lake. Ice is usually really good down in that area and you don't have to venture far out if it is not as thick as you like for driving.

[slingshotz]

Thanks for the directions they were good except when we got near the lake as all the sideroads got snowed over and no one had driven there in the morning so I couldnt follow any tracks. Luckily there was an Encana person there which directed us to a sideroad that went to the shore. There were some tricky roads due to the snow and a couple of times I thought I was going to get stuck going through a deep snow drift but all was good. Unfortunately there was no access to drive down to the lake so we just hauled our gear out about 100 feet from shore.

The good (and bad!) thing was we had the entire area to ourselves and we couldn't see anyone else at all. The ice was quite thick, 18-20". We were in about 12 feet of water and when I realized the weeds were about 6 feet tall, I started to jig my bait just above the weed while starting down the hole. Almost immediately a pike snatched it and boy is it ever freaky looking down a hole and seeing a pike come out of nowhere. Was a decent keeper and we missed two others all within 30 minutes. Had nothing else for the rest of the day but was still nice to get out and enjoy the sun.

Next time we might try the boat launch and drive out instead of hauling gear over deep snow. Has anyone caught any burbot during the day here? That's what I'm really itching to get over hard water.

[calgarygringo]

Too bad with all the snow. Once you figure that back way it is pretty easy and qiuick onto the ice. When it is tough with the snow we just drive on right off the edge. There are a few good spots that are level with the water for access. We are going tomorrow as well and probably drive down the boat launch and will do the east islands if thats the case with the snow. Yes you may get the occasional burb there during the daylight hours but we usually get them after everyone else has gone home. Just before dark until about 8 seems to work well. We don't usually leave until 8 or 9 0'clock unless they are still biting. Sometimes you will get the odd pike or walleye at night as well.

[Gooly]

How about this year... the event is still on?