Wab is dead

Safety D · #1 02-22-2015, 01:54 PM

Anyone else out here having no luck ? Can't figure this out. Same spot same techniques. Fishing getting worse as time goes on

JohninAB · #2 02-22-2015, 02:01 PM

Been on Wab fishing since 9. Up around 20 pike iced and probably 8 or so missed. In the last half hour been slow on the camera but before that not uncommon to see 2 or 3 pike at a time on the camera.

Have found dead sticking with bait just off the bottom to work best.

Safety D · #3 02-22-2015, 02:02 PM

Pike must of been reading the board. Getting flags now.

JohninAB · #4 02-22-2015, 02:03 PM

Excellent.

Safety D · #5 02-22-2015, 02:14 PM

Sure not aggressive. Hardly taking any line ?? A few drive bys. No commitment !!

crownb · #6 02-22-2015, 02:14 PM

Any size today boys, seems tough to beat the 10 pound mark this year.

JohninAB · #7 02-22-2015, 02:19 PM

Yeah some of these pike have bigger commitment issues than me!

Nothing big so far. 5 or 6 lber is about the best so far.

Safety D · #8 02-22-2015, 02:20 PM

Nothing over 10 this year for me. And I'm a guru on this lake. Probably 40 to 50 between 10 and 24 pounds the last 5 years. This year it's DEAD for double digit fish

EZM · #9 02-22-2015, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safety D

Nothing over 10 this year for me. And I'm a guru on this lake. Probably 40 to 50 between 10 and 24 pounds the last 5 years. This year it's DEAD for double digit fish

wrong again dave ..... wrong again .... might be the operator behind your rod maybe ....

trophyhunter · #10 02-22-2015, 03:29 PM

Caught a couple 15's this year but have noticed a decline in the trophy's for sure! Lots of new traffic from what i can tell, not shy either...pull up while your fishing and set up right next to you

Summer is what usually gets me, i can catch hammer handles all day but cant buy anything over #10-12!

Talking moose · #11 02-22-2015, 03:56 PM

Wab is slowing down for big girls this year. This is the start of the decline.

EZM · #12 02-22-2015, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Wab is slowing down for big girls this year. This is the start of the decline.

I agree as well .... have not seen as many bigger fish this year either ....... just don't tell Safety D ........ it's a bad idea to EVER agree with him ....

SKSniper · #13 02-22-2015, 07:53 PM

I was at Wab all weekend, landed an 11lb 14oz tubby yesterday, lost an even bigger one at the hole, I would say closer to 15lbs, watched it for 5 minutes before it took my herring. Today was slower, only about 8-10 pike, biggest was 8lb 12oz.
In 6 outings to the lake this winter I have gotten 2 over the 10lb mark, but not by much.

Here's the fatty from yesterday...

chriscosta · #14 02-22-2015, 08:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Wab is slowing down for big girls this year. This is the start of the decline.

I couldnt agree more just wait n see ...

Safety D · #15 02-22-2015, 09:46 PM

Fish cops came around. They were really nice. They even said it was dead most people they talked too.

lromanchuk · #16 02-22-2015, 09:50 PM

I've caught more pike this year than ever before, but the size is wayyy down.

Very unfortunate.

Safety D · #17 02-22-2015, 09:56 PM

I wonder where all the massive hens went? Wife came out with me last March. We fished 3 hours. Got a 18, 16, 15 to 12's and a 10. Along with a few more close to 10. I too have had some good numbers of fish earlier in the year. It's to bad

RavYak · #18 02-22-2015, 09:56 PM

Can't find any big pike because there are too many freaking 13 in walleye...

Only managed 1 pike over 30 inches so far this winter... Easily caught over 100 walleye and smaller pike though...

The bigger pike must be hiding in there somewhere because they were there this summer but I sure can't find them.

SKSniper · #19 02-23-2015, 07:30 AM

According to the F&W officer we were talking to all the small pike died when the oil spill happened a few years back and only the bigger tough pike survived, so they had all the bait fish to themselves for a few years. Now the pike are repopulating again and all the walleye they stocked on top of it will just mean more competition for the big girls. I would agree this is the beginning of the end...oh and pizz poor handling techniques I have seen out there aren't helping either, I watched a guy pin down a 10lb pike with his foot for a few minutes while his buddy scrambled to get pliers and a camera...

Still, it's a pretty great fishery IMO

binnzer32 · #20 02-23-2015, 09:25 AM

I never have any problems. Perhaps your getting worse With age...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Safety D

Anyone else out here having no luck ? Can't figure this out. Same spot same techniques. Fishing getting worse as time goes on

cube · #21 02-23-2015, 09:39 AM

This is what happens when you manage lakes for walleye. Pike numbers drop. Not saying that Wab is dead but there have been some significant changes in the last 5 years.

In the last 5 years close to 12 million walleye have been stocked into Wabamun. This would make recruiting pike to the larger sizes much harder, hence, nothing to fill the large fish that die of natural causes or C&R mortality.

At the end of the day walleye are not food for pike, rather they compete for food from pike.

So Sad

ROA · #22 02-23-2015, 09:54 AM

Do the power plants discharge warm water into the lake anymore?

cube · #23 02-23-2015, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROA

Do the power plants discharge warm water into the lake anymore?

No

ROA · #24 02-23-2015, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube

No

Well, right there is a damn good reason the fish are not as big as they used to be. Anyone know how long its been since the plants discharged warm water?

cube · #25 02-23-2015, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROA

Well, right there is a damn good reason the fish are not as big as they used to be. Anyone know how long its been since the plants discharged warm water?

Over 5 years now.

FlyTheory · #26 02-23-2015, 11:05 AM

Wab is definitely not what it used to be a few years ago, but nothing is ever constant. There are other lakes in AB with big pike!

Talking moose · #27 02-23-2015, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ROA

Well, right there is a damn good reason the fish are not as big as they used to be. Anyone know how long its been since the plants discharged warm water?

I agree. Warm water kick starts the metabolism of fish and forces them to feed more often and thus accelerates the growth of fish. Could be a factor for sure.

cube · #28 02-23-2015, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Talking moose

I agree. Warm water kick starts the metabolism of fish and forces them to feed more often and thus accelerates the growth of fish. Could be a factor for sure.

Only a very small percentage of fish hung out at the effluent discharge so not sure how big of an affect it would have had.

Talking moose · #29 02-23-2015, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cube

Only a very small percentage of fish hung out at the effluent discharge so not sure how big of an affect it would have had.

Ya, was thinking the same thing after I posted, would affect a small lake but not one as large as wab...

ROA · #30 02-23-2015, 02:21 PM

So it's just a coincidence that Wab has always had big fish as far back as I can remember? I think the power plants had everything to do with it.

Iv been working with a bunch of guys from the US that fish power plant lakes. According to them every lake with warm discharge into it produces bigger fish. The guy that fishes tournaments said it's 100% true on every plant lake he has ever fished. I don't see why Wab would be any different, and guess what it isn't....so there must be something to it. That many big pike that close to the city? Come on what are the chances? My average pike in Wab were better than any other lake I have ever fished in Alberta including remote lakes.

Now that there is no more warm water I would expect Wab fish size to start to go down hill over the years no matter what fishing regulations are in place. I will ask the tournament guy from the US if he has ever seen this happen before, he might have as he has fished 100's of lakes.