Wabamun techniques for the big one?

[PINEHURST-PIKE-FREAK]

This lake use to be good 2008-2011ish, I could go to my favorite spot and hammer double digit pike steady,now the fish are sickly ,small and barely bite! I went to lac la nonne and Wab back to back days,the pike in la nonne hammered the baits and the Wab fish grabbed the bait and dropped it steady.I had to be ready to set the hook asap!!If they did take slack they would carry it a foot or two and drop it,this has been the case for a few yrs. Just curious how or where or if you guys have had any luck catching double digit fish? A friend caught a 6lb walleye a few days ago!!

[EZM]

Wabamun Pike numbers, sizes, health have dramatically diminished since the reintroduction of walleye into that lake.

We caught less than a dozen double digit pike this year, and none over 20. Probably spent 15-20 days out there this year (way down from years past due to the state of the fishery).

This lake (and the pike) was/were drastically different when 4-5 years ago I could guarantee a person a double digit "teener" (a pike 13-19lbs) on ANY DAY of fishing that lake.

There are 4 forum members on this site that have landed their personal best pike on my boat .... a few have posted pictures on here. It may sound like a tall tale - but it was a true trophy pike fishery.

I would be hard pressed to catch a teener on any given day now. When you catch a 42"-43" pike that weighs 16-17lbs - you know they are getting pretty skinny.

Sorry to break the news to you.

[PINEHURST-PIKE-FREAK]

Originally Posted by EZM

Wabamun Pike numbers, sizes, health have dramatically diminished since the reintroduction of walleye into that lake.

We caught less than a dozen double digit pike this year, and none over 20. Probably spent 15-20 days out there this year (way down from years past due to the state of the fishery).

This lake (and the pike) was/were drastically different when 4-5 years ago I could guarantee a person a double digit "teener" (a pike 13-19lbs) on ANY DAY of fishing that lake.

There are 4 forum members on this site that have landed their personal best pike on my boat .... a few have posted pictures on here. It may sound like a tall tale - but it was a true trophy pike fishery.

I would be hard pressed to catch a teener on any given day now. When you catch a 42"-43" pike that weighs 16-17lbs - you know they are getting pretty skinny.

Sorry to break the news to you.

Oh I agree,I have also iced multiple fish over 20lbs,some over 25lbs. 12lb is my biggest in 5 trips, I use to ice a dozen in the teens and a 20lb plus every 2nd trip......where are the big ones? My first 3 yrs my smallest was 6lbs!!

[PINEHURST-PIKE-FREAK]

Also I noticed the fish over 5lbs look healthy and the ones smaller look horrible! Is it the walleye stocking? It seems it has gotten worse since they started stocking from Isle and Ste anne

[Safety D]

Wab is dead now compared to a few years back. I don't even fish there anymore

[PINEHURST-PIKE-FREAK]

if I had the time i would travel the lake with an auger and a cam on an atv and look for bigger fish in certain areas. You still hear of decent fish but no 25lb range .

I've never caught anything bigger than 12-14 around Fallis yet there's a ton of people there every warm day.

[Sooner]

I assume the walleye are eating up the food the pike were feasting on? Too bad, lots of lakes close to there if you want walleye.

[Blake]

That's a shame. My best was a 26 pounder on a silver gibbs croc spoon there in fall 2002. Lots of big fish back then. Moved to Calgary the next year and haven't fished it since. Kept saying I was going to go back one of these days. Guess there's not much point.

[Talking moose]

Haven't fished wab, but could it be possible that the pike had some really good spawns around 20 years ago resulting in very strong year class fish for a period of time and as those year classes die off they were not being replaced by other year classes due to a succession of sub par spawns? It happens.

[Kim473]

Could the C&R have anything to do with it ? I don't agree with C&R cause I think there is a high amount of mortality that we are not seeing. I would prefer lakes be closed instead. JMO .

[FlyTheory]

Ever since the walleye introduction I haven't caught any hogs. Having said that it could be that all the big pike are full and lethargic, and absolutely lugs that won't move, but I don't think this is the case. I'll probably go scuba diving there this summer and I'll let y'all know. Maybe.

[ROA]

No more warm water discharge is the biggest reason the size, numbers and fish activity is down. Walleyes don't help either.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by ROA

No more warm water discharge is the biggest reason the size, numbers and fish activity is down. Walleyes don't help either.

Agreed. Colder water equels slower metabolism equals less feeding equals slower growth rate. Good point.

[cube]

Originally Posted by Talking moose

Haven't fished wab, but could it be possible that the pike had some really good spawns around 20 years ago resulting in very strong year class fish for a period of time and as those year classes die off they were not being replaced by other year classes due to a succession of sub par spawns? It happens.

Actually we have had better spawning conditions there for the last few years (except for perhaps this last spring)

The pike decline correlates perfectly with the 11.7 MILLION walleye that were stocked in

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by cube

Actually we have had better spawning conditions there for the last few years (except for perhaps this last spring)

The pike decline correlates perfectly with the 11.7 MILLION walleye that were stocked in

Better spawning conditions in the last few years won't take effect until those fish have a chance to get older.....healthy year class spawns 15 years ago would be the big fish you see today. If it's had good spawns recently, could be into hog heaven in 10 years again.... Woot!

[Talking moose]

Is there a pike decline or a just big pike decline?

[lromanchuk]

Big pike decline. You seem to catch more pike lately, it's the size that's elusive.

[boonedocks]

It's been 2 years since I've hard water fished wabamun but I'm gearing up to go tommorow, this thread is a little disappointing, I will report back tommorow evening!

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by lromanchuk

Big pike decline. You seem to catch more pike lately, it's the size that's elusive.

Well if it's the big pike that are starting to decline, than I wouldn't blame those small walleye. Big pike will be targeting whitefish and other oily soft bodied fish like suckers as well, sounds like the big girls days are done and now we have to wait for the next strong year class to mature. All those smaller pike are foraging on the same things as the walleye. The loss of the big girls is due to poaching, c@r mortality rates and old age. Nothing to do with the walleye.

[Lowrance Fishburn]

Big pike much harder to find on Wab these days. Was out last weekend though and caught a 9 lb burbot!! Biggest burb I have ever seen. Was fishing with a couple girls and they just started screaming, thought it was some sort of alien creature lol.

[LutherDLG]

Originally Posted by Lowrance Fishburn

Big pike much harder to find on Wab these days. Was out last weekend though and caught a 9 lb burbot!! Biggest burb I have ever seen. Was fishing with a couple girls and they just started screaming, thought it was some sort of alien creature lol.

The first burbot I ever caught was 6-8 lbs and was out of the Bow. I thought I was caught on a rock or log for about a minute. My girlfriend had the same reaction - thought it was a swamp monster. I told her that that's just what adult rainbow trout look like.

[DiabeticKripple]

Originally Posted by EZM

Wabamun Pike numbers, sizes, health have dramatically diminished since the reintroduction of walleye into that lake.

We caught less than a dozen double digit pike this year, and none over 20. Probably spent 15-20 days out there this year (way down from years past due to the state of the fishery).

This lake (and the pike) was/were drastically different when 4-5 years ago I could guarantee a person a double digit "teener" (a pike 13-19lbs) on ANY DAY of fishing that lake.

There are 4 forum members on this site that have landed their personal best pike on my boat .... a few have posted pictures on here. It may sound like a tall tale - but it was a true trophy pike fishery.

I would be hard pressed to catch a teener on any given day now. When you catch a 42"-43" pike that weighs 16-17lbs - you know they are getting pretty skinny.

Sorry to break the news to you.

I was one of these 4. I posted a thread about it a while ago. We should meet up this winter on a lake and hammer some fish.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by DiabeticKripple

I was one of these 4. I posted a thread about it a while ago. We should meet up this winter on a lake and hammer some fish.

Absolutely - would love to ...... give me a call next time you are down here ....

I haven't been to Wabamun this ice season yet - but there are still a few off the beaten path areas that do produce some decent fish.

[Bushrat]

It would be interesting to tag a bunch of fish, record their weight/length, when they get caught again compare the data. I'm betting that pike that weighed 20 lbs a couple years ago now weighs only 15-17lbs. I think the big pike are loseing weight and getting real skinny and the young ones will never grow to the size they used to before the walleye emptied the cupboard..

[EZM]

Originally Posted by Bushrat

It would be interesting to tag a bunch of fish, record their weight/length, when they get caught again compare the data. I'm betting that pike that weighed 20 lbs a couple years ago now weighs only 15-17lbs. I think the big pike are loseing weight and getting real skinny and the young ones will never grow to the size they used to before the walleye emptied the cupboard..

I agree that a scientific method is the best way to present a case study that could be used for change - unfortunately, we don't have data from 4-5 years ago to compare it with.

I don't recall ever seeing anyone comment about improvements of the pike since the reintroduction of walleye at Wabamun. It seems the consensus is 100% in alignment with what we are all seeing there.

I had really hoped I was right a few years ago when I had less concern about this introduction but have been proven wrong since.

The change has been devastating to the pike.

I would suggest that the fishery opens up to the retention of walleye (through the use of a controlled tag system) ...... and it should be done soon.

[Andy44]

Originally Posted by EZM

I would suggest that the fishery opens up to the retention of walleye (through the use of a controlled tag system) ...... and it should be done soon.

I was under the impression that the lake was catch and release only since 2005 when those oil tankers derailed and dumped 800,000L of crude in the lake? Regardless, I wouldn't personally be interested in eating anything out of that lake after that incident. Maybe one day my opinion on that will change.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by Andy44

I was under the impression that the lake was catch and release only since 2005 when those oil tankers derailed and dumped 800,000L of crude in the lake? Regardless, I wouldn't personally be interested in eating anything out of that lake after that incident. Maybe one day my opinion on that will change.

There is nothing wrong with the lake, it is one of the cleaner lakes really.

I hope you don't eat ocean fish or fish from supermarkets etc. They come from much worse waters then Wab...

[EZM]

If you compare Wabamun to almost any body of water in the prairie area, the water is far cleaner and clearer with little or no algae in the summer compared to the stink holes like St.Anne, Pigeon, South Buck become after July. I don`t fish those lakes in late summer because of this.

[-JR-]

Wabaman lake has been C&R for some time.
So lets say the 20 pound pike count is 10-20 pike

Every picture you seen posted, looks like the fish you caught that year!
Chances are it was the pike as you released it in the area you where fishing in .

So lets say the last 5 years we lost half because they were handled to long or gilled.They were released and died on the bottom of the lake .Count 5-10

So now let say 500 fishermen on the lake all summer.
In 5 years 2500 fishermen

Half were killed by just C&R and the rest were killed by those not releasing !
Count is 1-5 pike in the 20 pound range.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by -JR-

Wabaman lake has been C&R for some time.
So lets say the 20 pound pike count is 10-20 pike

Every picture you seen posted, looks like the fish you caught that year!
Chances are it was the pike as you released it in the area you where fishing in .

So lets say the last 5 years we lost half because they were handled to long or gilled.They were released and died on the bottom of the lake .Count 5-10

So now let say 500 fishermen on the lake all summer.
In 5 years 2500 fishermen

Half were killed by just C&R and the rest were killed by those not releasing !
Count is 1-5 pike in the 20 pound range.

Yes. People say the BIG pike are dissapearing because of all the 1-2 lb walleye but they don't even eat the same thing. Those walleye are eating stunted perch, shiners, sticklebacks, and young sport fish. Big pike target whitefish, Cisco, and suckers. Unless the walleye are eating up the young whitefish, Cisco (if wab has them) and suckers, the big pike main food source is still there. Big pike don't waste time chasing around a stunted perch if there is a 2 lb whitefish to be had.... How are the whitefish doing in Wab? If those walleye are affecting the whitefish, then they could be affecting the big pike down the road. Are the whitefish dissapearing?