Part 1 Report: Pigeon, Garner and Vincent Lakes

[Brandonkop]

Well got back from Canada yesterday Dec 28th back to southern california and Loma Linda where we live. Looks like our house survived the rains, floods and mud slides. Just one spot on the ceiling had a new water spot.

Dec 20th my Father in law decided he needed new tires before we went out fishing to Pigeon lake, so we got out the the lake around 3:30pm and the sun was just above the shoreline. This was my first time ice fishing Pigeon. Punched some hole and it was frigid cold withthe wind howling across the lake. I dropped a couple tip ups with smelts and set up the tent to get out of the wind. We were in about 6 feet of water out from of Johnsonia over a weedy bottom. I started by jigging a silver spoon to draw some fishy attention to the hole. Soon after a nice white fish darted by but did not stick around to taste my offering. Soon after a very large pike was circling my hook like a wolf. Since it was shallow water he looked even bigger but i'd say he was probably around 8 pounds comparing him to the others I caught and saw down the hole. I couldn't interest him either though. The sun was going down when a walleye came straight in and inhaled my silver/blue kastmaster. After a short battle I had her on the ice and back down the hole after a quick picture. Since the sun had disappeared and it was cold I started packing up. One of the tip ups went off and I ran over to pull up a nice little pike. Tossed him back down the hole and decided to come back in the morning. The ice was around 14 inches thick.
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saw this dead buck in the ditch on the way home, poor little guy. http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a325/Brandonkop3/Christmas%202010/IMG_0664.jpg

Some pics from day 2:
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[Brandonkop]

Dec 21st headed back to Pigeon lake with my Father in law Stan. Its tough getting him places because he likes to stop at every store he passess. We grabbed a few wetaskwin specials at the local store and headed back out to Johnsonia. I set up the tip-ups and right away flags were going off and we caught some pike. Nothing huge though. Got in the tent and started fishing the copper wetaskwin special like someone had mentioned before. I tied the line to the two hooks so the blade sat horizontal and then just jig it slightly. It has a great slow flashy action. I was peaking outside the tents when I glanced back down the hole there was a big tail end of the biggest whitefish I've ever seen down a hole. I didn't even realize he had my hook. My little ice rod started to scream as the fish pealed out my two pound test. I thought I was about to be spooled by a white. I started to put some pressure on him and he slowed down. I tried to real but wasn't gaining any ground. Then it happened... slack line! I realed in my line and my knot had pulled out, oh man this never happens to me. I must have left the tag end too short. Oh well that was exciting anyways. Then I caught some walleye and more pike on the tipups but didn't see any more whites. We decided to pack up and head over to Mulhurst area out from of the store where there were some shacks. Must have fished there for two hours in 10 fow without seeing a single fish. Caught one walleye there on a tipup with a smelt. My uncle and freind Rob showed up on the ice and we decided to head back to johnsonia area since I was having more action there. We got back and popped a few more holes in the ice. I ended up catching some more pike and walleye on the tipups with a smelt. Also caught a couple walleye on the copper wetaskawin special. It was amazing every walleye I saw down the hole came straight in and without any hesitation inhaled whatever I had down there. My uncle also pulled in some walleye and pike, but Rob wasn't lucky and got skunked.

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Dec 22nd woke up at my Grandpa's house on Garner lake and went out early with my little bro to one of our usual hot spots for some perch. Got there, drilled a bunch of holes and only caught a few small perch. Moved, drilled some more holes and not even a bite.... moved again and not bites. Fished out front the house and only caught a few small perch all under 7 inches. Didn't even get a bite from a pike or walleye. In the afternoon went out with grandpa and tried three more spots without even a bite! We pretty much tried 3/4 of all the good spots we know that usually produce for absolutely no keeper perch. This was the first time that I've ever fish Garner and never had one fish to show for it. Pretty sad! They opened it up this year for pike 1 any size and walleye for a draw. Before they opened it we were catching lots of pike and walleye in the winter all over the lake. Now nothing. My grandpa said the biologist netted for two days this year with six nets and took two truckloads of walleye and pike out of the lake!!!! WHAT A WASTE! My grandpa said it sounded like they didn't even know what the hell they were doing. So why on earth do we put all the fish back if the biologists are going to go in there and in two days put a major hit on the lake. 6 nets x2 days pretty much covers a large portion of that small lake. The ice at garner was around 12-14 inches.

[Brandonkop]

Dec 23rd decided to head out to Vincent Lake since we heard the fish were still in there and you could also keep a fish. This was my first time ice fishing it. Tried for perch but caugth mostly little guys. I only kept two, one was 9 and the other 9.5 inches. Supposedly you can catch some decent perch in here but we tried a few spots without finding them. We caught some pike while fishing for perch and kept our limit which was one each. Seems like the pike are doing quite well there because me must have caught about ten while fishing for perch. We did not catch any walleye, but I don't think we were in the right area. I'm not sure if anyone ever catches them there in the winter and would like to give a tip. The ice up at vincent was probably around 24 inches, alot compared to Garner.
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[Brandonkop]

Dec 24th back at Garner went out to the best area I know for walleye on the lake and caught one 56 cm. He was the only bite I got all morning which was pretty disappointing, not even a perch there. Tried out from the house in the after noon and caught a few small perch but nothing worth keeping, even tried out in the middle for nothing. I could see a bunch of large minnows swimming around. I even caught three of them in the mouth while fishing for perch. I kept them for walleye later that evening. Went back to the AM spot for an evening walleye bite. My grandpa, uncle and i were fishing. After a few minutes trying a couple other holes I dropped my line down one with a walleye flasher jig and minnow head. The line went slack and I pulled it up off the bottom, but it was waiting in a walleye's mouth and not the bottom to my surprise. I set the hook and pulled up a nice 47 cm walleye. I fished some more and felt a tap. Then a few seconds later a good tug. I started pulling him up and before he got to the hole he came off. Oh well at least I had fun with a few walleye that evening. Still no perch. I have no idea where the perch are this winter and hope that they are around somewhere. I can't believe the bigger ones have been fished out with a limit of 5. But this is the first time I've ever had such poor perch fishing there. Didn't even catch one over 7 inches.
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Well that was it for my ice fishing Canada. We decided not to go to Pinehurst this year since we weren't sure about the ice and thought with all the snow there would be a lot of washwater. We drove on all three lakes with trucks without any problems. The lakes really range in ice thickness so be careful out there.

Brandon

Sorry there were so many parts, I typed it all out as one and then it said I was only allowed 10 pics per post, so I separated them all. I like pics hope you guys do too!

[chubbdarter]

Noice pics

[chubbdarter]

top notch story with great pics
thanks for posting

[CeeZee]

Great great threads!!! Great story and nice to see all the pics and hear all the results.

X2 on the Thanks for Posting.

[boonedocks]

I hate to be" that guy" but the only bait allowed in Garner lake is meal worms and maggots.

[Safety D]

I wouldnt loose any sleep over missing out on Pinehurst. Its been pretty dead the past few years for hard water fishing

[FOTW]

I wouldnt loose any sleep over missing out on Pinehurst. Its been pretty dead the past few years for hard water fishing

YES :sHa_shakeshout:, I look forward to reading your posts because regardless of what any ****ing report says, You say "Its Dead". I could catch a million damn Trout in a pothole lake, And you would say "Its dead". Your posts make me laugh.

[Safety D]

Thanks for all the great pics and reports Brandon. It sure aint like it used to be bro !!!

[Safety D]

Well for you info I have been catching tons of rainbows at Lake X and believe me it is far from DEAD right now !!!!

[Rockymtnx]

Congrats on some great fishing.
Thanks for sharing your pics with us.

[horsetrader]

Between Safety saying every water is dead and Carnage saying this forum has killed all the lakes here we might as well all stay home. I Don't under stand
why you bother posting if all your posts are going to be negative. I don't need to read them and I'm sure others don't either.

[goober]

Between Safety saying every water is dead and Carnage saying this forum has killed all the lakes here we might as well all stay home. I Don't under stand
why you bother posting if all your posts are going to be negative. I don't need to read them and I'm sure others don't either.

Don't be scared to utilize the ignore option!!! It can be fantastic!!!:sHa_shakeshout:

[Brandonkop]

I hate to be" that guy" but the only bait allowed in Garner lake is meal worms and maggots.

Yes you are right! The regulations do state that is the case, but it was an error according to the fish and game since the lake was changed to one pike any size and walleye for draw. Since my grandpa lives out there and talks to the officials often he said that they were going to be putting up signs at the lake to notify people, but they never got around to it. So at least that's what I was told relayed from Fish and Game officer. The larger walleye I caught at Garner in the AM was caught on a cicada and meal worms anyways. Just the evening one caught on minnow.

Brandon

[Safety D]

Well then dont read them horse trader. I think you like reading them though !!!!:argue2:

[Alberta Bigbore]

Hey Brandon.... Nice to see you and the wife came up from your busy life in Cali to visit your family up here. Nice round of pics .... Hope you have a happy new year. Hows life down in Cali?

[Brandonkop]

Life is going pretty good down here in Cali, Big Bore. Keeping busy always but most importantly always finding time to do some fishing. Mostly fish up in the mountains for rainbow trout, but I get to the coast sometimes in the kayak which is alot of fun. Nice change of scenary but I always like getting back home to poke a hole in the ice! I think in a couple of years if all works out I'll be moving back to Canada. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

Brandon

[Paul C]

YES :sHa_shakeshout:, I look forward to reading your posts because regardless of what any ****ing report says, You say "Its Dead". I could catch a million damn Trout in a pothole lake, And you would say "Its dead". Your posts make me laugh.
When Mr. Safety D says its dead that means the fishing must be really good.

[Safety D]

Well then go out to one of the spots I said was dead and post a report of how good it was and how you couldnt keep them off !!!!

[Fishin' Fool]

Great stuff, Brandon!
I was just recently wondering what had become of you. Good to see you are doing well.

Thanks for sharing!

FF

[Brandonkop]

Great stuff, Brandon!
I was just recently wondering what had become of you. Good to see you are doing well.

Thanks for sharing!

FF

Yup still alive and well all finished with medical school and now in my second year of residency in Internal Medicine. I got married to in the mean time three years ago so life is great. She makes a great fishing partner cause even when the fish aren't biting I still have my hot wifey along!

Hope all is well with you as well and you're enjoying the ice!

Brandon

My best catch of all! Recent Trip tp Florida Keys over American Thanks giving. She outfished me too!

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