Coal lake for the kids

Alberta Record Holder · #1 02-17-2023, 08:09 PM

Planning on taking my two kids out this holiday Monday.
Was thinking of hitting up Coal lake. Not looking for size just hopefully lots of little pike for the kids to enjoy. Worth it or is there a better place to go? Just want to keep them interested

Thanks

Esox · #2 02-18-2023, 04:47 PM

Took my 3 year old daughter to the north end last weekend and fished away from the crowd. Slayed small hammer handles all day. Few times there was 4 or 5 on the camera at once. Was using a buckshot spoon with minnow.

Bushleague · #3 02-18-2023, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esox

Took my 3 year old daughter to the north end last weekend and fished away from the crowd. Slayed small hammer handles all day. Few times there was 4 or 5 on the camera at once. Was using a buckshot spoon with minnow.

Cool to hear that. I fished that lake lots as a kid, once upon a time there would be 12-15lbers lined up in the spring to go through the culvert at the north end and spawn in the slough. Best pike I ever saw come out of there was a 22 lb monster that my brother caught on a bass popper in the mid 90's, we were in a canoe and that fish took us for a pretty good ride. Word eventually got out and the north end was choked with shoulder to shoulder fishermen every spring for a few years... they eventually changed the regs but by then the damage had been done. I think some real low water years hurt it even more and by the early- mid 2000's I'd quit going there. Glad to hear its doing better, got some real good memories of fishing there, maybe I'll take my nephew's out next time I'm in the city.

pikeman06 · #4 02-19-2023, 08:24 AM

Agreed. Used to be an excellent fishery. If they could have protected that year class of 10-15 lbers instead of let every tom dick n Harry whack three a day we would have a trophy pike like that would be self sustaining.

pikeman06 · #5 02-19-2023, 08:24 AM

Agreed. Used to be an excellent fishery. If they could have protected that year class of 10-15 lbers instead of let every tom dick n Harry whack three a day we would have a trophy pike lake that would be self sustaining.

Curtsyneil · #6 02-19-2023, 10:32 AM

You can say that about a lot of lakes around these parts about how our regulations have de railed these great fishing lakes. But let’s get to the real secret of coal lake. Jumbos!!! Is anybody seeing them on camera or even catching the odd one. I know it’s a big hush hush but if anybody is on these beauty’s in there plz make a comment or show a picture. Simone’s gotta be catching them.

pikeman06 · #7 02-19-2023, 02:33 PM

None of those left in there either....if there is the odd one keft pretty sure nobodies gonna post it on social media.

Bushleague · #8 02-19-2023, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pikeman06

Agreed. Used to be an excellent fishery. If they could have protected that year class of 10-15 lbers instead of let every tom dick n Harry whack three a day we would have a trophy pike like that would be self sustaining.

Coal Lake went downhill well before the limit was changed to three fish. It was 10, and we would start fishing that culvert with only 20 yards of open water around it and keep at it until the weeds got too thick. Yep, I say we... some of us were worse than others but we all helped create the current situation.

Anyhow, that lake always had a good supply of suckers, and I was always pretty sure that the big pike were feeding on the plentiful hammer handles. So if the hammer handles are getting thick again then there is always hope, possibly even just a slot size limit could turn that lake around.

The jumbo perch... those were little more than a rumor even when I was a kid. I remember hearing about them, and occasionally fishing for them, but I've never seen anyone actually catch one. Perhaps a group of very tight lipped guys actually did know how to catch them, but I've always been half convinced that the "Coal Lake Jumbo's" were caught elsewhere, and the story was fabricated to keep neighbors from figuring out where they actually came from.

Lefty-Canuck · #9 02-19-2023, 10:41 PM

There was a very substantial winter kill there a few years back, dead fish all over the shores. Best of my knowledge it hasn’t recovered and then the regs changed… so it prob never will.

LC

jeffrey929 · #10 02-20-2023, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Coal Lake went downhill well before the limit was changed to three fish. It was 10, and we would start fishing that culvert with only 20 yards of open water around it and keep at it until the weeds got too thick. Yep, I say we... some of us were worse than others but we all helped create the current situation.

Anyhow, that lake always had a good supply of suckers, and I was always pretty sure that the big pike were feeding on the plentiful hammer handles. So if the hammer handles are getting thick again then there is always hope, possibly even just a slot size limit could turn that lake around.

The jumbo perch... those were little more than a rumor even when I was a kid. I remember hearing about them, and occasionally fishing for them, but I've never seen anyone actually catch one. Perhaps a group of very tight lipped guys actually did know how to catch them, but I've always been half convinced that the "Coal Lake Jumbo's" were caught elsewhere, and the story was fabricated to keep neighbors from figuring out where they actually came from.

I have seen the very rare Jumbo Perch in Coal... I saw one on the camera several years ago that may have been the biggest Perch I have ever seen, and a couple of years back, I caught one on a minnow while Pike fishing.. It was a Jumbo indeed, and I lost it in the hole... I don't know where they hide out, but I suspect someone does

RACKER · #11 02-20-2023, 08:06 AM

I was at Coal yesterday and between the 2 of us we iced over 30 pike. It was an unreal day. And speaking of those jumbo perch I spotted one myself for the first time in awhile. Of course as soon as I dropped down a smaller presentation I had a dink pike ruin my chance. It was great to see that fish anyways.

Curtsyneil · #12 03-08-2023, 10:17 AM

Was out last Sunday searching for the elusive coal lake perch just caught hammer handle pike and maybe marked one perch that darted at my hook but still not positive if it was a perch. Goin to try again if the weather gets nicer out. Was thinking of trying the narrows where it’s the deepest part of the lake. Just wondering if deep or shallow is best. Any suggestions?

Curtsyneil · #13 03-12-2023, 01:35 PM

Well I fished Saturday all day and only Sunday Morning at coal lake to try for those elusive jumbos. Ended up catching 1 male on Saturday at 4 pm it was just under 10 inches. This morning at 9am I got another male at 11 inches. After that nothing seemed to come in other than pike. Seems like they are there just gotta really wrk for them. Ended up catching a 25 inch pike so should be a nice eating fish to go along with the perch.