Effects of fire on fishing

[sportman]

Just wondering what peoples thought are on what effect if any all the smoke, ash etc may have on fishing. Scheduled to go to Calling Lake this weekend. Thanks

[pikergolf]

I'd be a lot more worried as to what the smoke and ash was doing to my lungs.

[Drewski Canuck]

Yes, you will cough a bit. You also won't get so much of a sun burn with the smoke though.

Based on last year's experience when BC burned, the fish still where biting well. Actually, they were biting real well.

The fact that the ash is alkali does help alot of our lakes with the Algae issue, as the PH gets knocked back enough to keep the algae somewhat reduced.

The water colour is a bit off though.



Drewski

[bigrfish]

Just wondering what peoples thought are on what effect if any all the smoke, ash etc may have on fishing. Scheduled to go to Calling Lake this weekend. Thanks

Looks like the campground is closed to the general public.

[WinefredCommander]

The fish are shallow because of low UV.

[Kim473]

Went to St.Anne yesterday and the bite was really slow. The ones that did bite , were just mouthing the bait. Could barely feel them. I think the smoke does effect them.

[Bushleague]

Long term I think fires are bad for rivers. In the time since the Slave Lake wildfire, bank erosion and siltation on the upper portion of the Lesser Slave River has been far more significant than before the trees were burned off.

[Bushleague]

Went to St.Anne yesterday and the bite was really slow. The ones that did bite , were just mouthing the bait. Could barely feel them. I think the smoke does effect them.

Just a question, but were you jigging? I just ask because this entire spring I have witnessed a tendency for takes like that. Slip bobbers aren't even getting pulled under, just twitching or moving to the side, and the pike are following like crazy. Different lakes but very similar fish behaviour.

For the Walleye we've been having better luck with faster presentations, trolling cranks, or rip jigging rather than vertical jigging. For the pike I've been keeping a rod rigged with a dead herring and a bobber, with the weight about 2-3' away from the bait so it flutters very slowly when twitched. If I get one following a lure in a couple times I toss the herring out there and just twitch it back to the boat at a snails pace, I actually pop the bobber like a topwater more than I actually move the bait. This will often get me a take from a neutral pike. Interestingly enough, other than picking up followers I haven't been doing very well with deadbaits this spring.

[Bushleague]

The fish are shallow because of low UV.

I believe this to be true, I've been picking up more pike in under 3' of water than in deeper water. 5-7' seems to be the sweet spot for walleye, but I'm catching plenty of these in super skinny water as well.

[RavYak]

http://firesmoke.ca/forecasts/current/

[sportman]

fishing was EXCELLENT