Wabamun ruled this weekend!

[DNORTHERNSNIPER]

Went from 10-4 on monday and we caught 64 huge pike.
Between our 2 boats.
7 out of those were under 10 pounds!!
All others were over 10 pounds!

My largest was 18 lbs.
My friends was 21 lbs!!

We went in my boat at the power plant near town.
There about 400 yds round open water.

Bobber and smelt thats what we mostly used.
I will post some pics as soon as I download them off my camera...

:D

[pickrel pat]

simply incredible for a lake so close to a major city..... normally youd have to go to the teritorries for fishing like that....wouldnt mind releasing all the fish if it meant a fishery like that... never been there..

[fluxcore]

simply incredible for a lake so close to a major city..... normally youd have to go to the teritorries for fishing like that....wouldnt mind releasing all the fish if it meant a fishery like that... never been there..

X2 I hope they keep it a C&R fishery.

[jacob1202]

X2 I hope they keep it a C&R fishery.

i think they will for a long time... i know there are indians from paul band reserve on the east side of the lake taking fish home from the lake and eating them... even tho the rules apply to them... it wont ever stop them

[hooklineandsinker]

I would have to agree, was a decent weekend on the north shore of Wab. Camped on the lake Saturday/Sunday Night. Fished Sunday/Monday... Caught my first fish on ice... a 25", 5lb Jack. Overall we hooked 7 pike between the two of us, iced 4. Biggest was 26" a little better than 5 pounds. Nothin crazy but still fun. Saw hundreds of small perch... the minnows in the tackle box were bigger lol. Had three visits from the fish cops, just checked our hooks and carried on. Nothin to see here folks! :evilgrin:

[DaveFish]

i think they will for a long time... i know there are indians from paul band reserve on the east side of the lake taking fish home from the lake and eating them... even tho the rules apply to them... it wont ever stop them

We fish that area, and we've seen many people the second we get there bugger off, huge blood piles around holes, etc. We had a convo /w the head fish and chips of Stony plain district sunday, he said they've gotten calls from people seeing piles of fish on the ice, they're gonna be going over there a lot more, hopefully they'll atleast bust more people keeping.

[Safety D]

Wabamun is not DEAD !!!

[BBJTKLE&FISHINGADVENTURES]

X2 I hope they keep it a C&R fishery.

x 3 .

Good news is , when I spoke with the Fish and wildlife officer , I asked him if Wabbamun would be kept a Catch and release lake .

He responded by saying nothing is forsure , but it is on a 5 year cycle , and there's 3 years left of that Cycle , so for 3 more years it will be kept Strictly Catch and release , which doenst hurt my feelings at all . In fact they should do it elsewhere aswell , he agreed .

[DNORTHERNSNIPER]

It was an awesome day.
I have always dragged my small boat across the ice and dropped into the open water to fish here because it's awesome.
All the times I have gone normal ice fishing I fish all day and we catch 6-10 fish and maybe 1 is a big one....not to popular in my books, I'd rather do this and catch monsters all day!!
It is like being up north in a trophy lake or in the N.W.T.T.

Wabamun is a great place in the winter and summer.
I do see oil in the water and on the ice edges still though and think it needs more clean up.

Got some good pics and a few rushed ones with my pals thumb in the frame but enjoy...i will add more later from other trips. :)

[J-C]

how much did any of those fish weigh

[jvillads]

READ !!!!
7 out of those were under 10 pounds!!
All others were over 10 pounds!

My largest was 18 lbs.
My friends was 21 lbs!!
!

[bushnell]

The fishing was good on monday,between 5 of us siting on the ice we managed to land , 6 under 5 lbs,1@ 8 1/2 and 2 that went at 19lbs.Saw your boats out there and thought we should have done the same.maybe next W/E.

[wind drift]

Wow. Good stuff. Do you think you're killing many fish from hooking damage with that technique? I like the success, but don't want to beat up those potential spawners too badly, and going thru that many fish, even killing 1 out of 10 is too much for me. I'm interested in what percentage you think were injured badly.

[DNORTHERNSNIPER]

All the fish we caught were hooked usually in the corner of the mouth.
When we would get a hit we were setting the Barbless hook immeadiately.
The releases were easy with no floaters after.

We were Not waiting for them to swallow it and then swim away.

We did not have one fish bleed or tear any mouths.

We had one that was hooked weird and we let her go with the whole rig.

I have fished in this spot for 15 years and take total care in not harming the fish because I respect them and the fun they give us.

The only one we kept from there in 15 years was a 24 lb.er which my friend got a great mount done from it.

We have released all others in the 15 years.
So we could keep fishing there.......
:D

[mooseknuckle]

Wow. Good stuff. Do you think you're killing many fish from hooking damage with that technique? I like the success, but don't want to beat up those potential spawners too badly, and going thru that many fish, even killing 1 out of 10 is too much for me. I'm interested in what percentage you think were injured badly.

Ahhhhh hear we go. Go home David Suzuki.

[wind drift]

DNORTHERNSNIPER,
Thanks. Sounds like you worked it out. All the best.

Knuckledragger,
So I'm not into killing a bunch of fish that I can't take home. Don't let it bother you. Conservation is the future of fishing. Whether you buy into that or not is your choice. My ethics are mine. Your reply adds no value to the conversation.

[mooseknuckle]

DNORTHERNSNIPER,
Thanks. Sounds like you worked it out. All the best.

Knuckledragger,
So I'm not into killing a bunch of fish that I can't take home. Don't let it bother you. Conservation is the future of fishing. Whether you buy into that or not is your choice. My ethics are mine. Your reply adds no value to the conversation.

nor did your original post. You just had to take the wind out of the sail's, what they had to good of day? So if they caught 100 fish a couple may have died so you poke them for it? Just had to rain on the parade hey. Just remember everyone if the fishing is awesome stop what your doing think of the fish pack up and go home.:huh:

[notagoodtroutfisher]

It was an awesome day.
I have always dragged my small boat across the ice and dropped into the open water to fish here because it's awesome.
All the times I have gone normal ice fishing I fish all day and we catch 6-10 fish and maybe 1 is a big one....not to popular in my books, I'd rather do this and catch monsters all day!!
It is like being up north in a trophy lake or in the N.W.T.T.

Wabamun is a great place in the winter and summer.
I do see oil in the water and on the ice edges still though and think it needs more clean up.

Got some good pics and a few rushed ones with my pals thumb in the frame but enjoy...i will add more later from other trips. :)

Nice pics. Good to see. Looks like a great time. Very healthy looking pike