Canyon Creek Report. Slave Lake. Attention!

[steve19]

Originally Posted by Bigwoodsman

Built like a Rock! Sinks right to the bottom!

All joking aside, I hope the occupants are ok.

BW

Everyone was OK, his wallet won't be so lucky! Truck was pulled out today.

[cschache]

Originally Posted by steve19

Everyone was OK, his wallet won't be so lucky! Truck was pulled out today.

How do they get a vehicle out like that? picker? snowcat and pull it? Either way can't be cheap!

[grouse_hunter]

Originally Posted by cschache

How do they get a vehicle out like that? picker? snowcat and pull it? Either way can't be cheap!

Like this?

[grouse_hunter]

As for all of the comments about deep water fishing: Angler and I have never fished Slave Lake before. We tried our luck by one group of shacks and then moved to the other one which was located over the deep spot. He caught a small pike which he released. I caught a 46cm walleye there, but I released the little guy because I thought that it was sick. Its tongue was really swollen. It was sticking out of the mouth! Both of us thought that the fish wasn't healthy and therefore wasn't fit for the table. I don't think that the walleye survived its release. Hopefully it provided food for other carnivorous fish in the lake. I kept the 55cm one caught in the same spot. I should have kept that smaller fish. Oh well, it was a learning experience. One way or the other, I'm full of burbot and quite content! So to hell with your "learned" opinions...

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by grouse_hunter

As for all of the comments about deep water fishing: Angler and I have never fished Slave Lake before. We tried our luck by one group of shacks and then moved to the other one which was located over the deep spot. He caught a small pike which he released. I caught a 46cm walleye there, but I released the little guy because I thought that it was sick. Its tongue was really swollen. It was sticking out of the mouth! Both of us thought that the fish wasn't healthy and therefore wasn't fit for the table. I don't think that the walleye survived its release. Hopefully it provided food for other carnivorous fish in the lake. I kept the 55cm one caught in the same spot. I should have kept that smaller fish. Oh well, it was a learning experience. One way or the other, I'm full of burbot and quite content! So to hell with your "learned" opinions...

I started these comments because it seemed you guys didn't know any better and judging by this response you still don't.

The walleye you caught didn't have a swollen tongue. That was his stomach and it was being pushed out of his body by his air bladder because he was caught in too deep of water... He wasn't sick, you killed him...

My comments are not to make you look bad, they are to educate you and others reading this thread about barotrauma in fish. Here is some more information on it if you still don't want to believe my "opinion"...

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/newslett...eep_water.html

I wish the CO's would do something about these guys with their shacks in the deep water, I didn't even realize this happened because I have never fished that location. Unfortunately there isn't really a law against it so the only way to ticket them is if you can prove they killed and wasted undersize fish which is almost impossible to do.

[Dragless]

maybe they use cameras and select which fish they will catch ...,

[Z7Extreme]

Thanks everyone for your tips on what to use for burbot.

[Angler]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I started these comments because it seemed you guys didn't know any better and judging by this response you still don't.

The walleye you caught didn't have a swollen tongue. That was his stomach and it was being pushed out of his body by his air bladder because he was caught in too deep of water... He wasn't sick, you killed him...

My comments are not to make you look bad, they are to educate you and others reading this thread about barotrauma in fish. Here is some more information on it if you still don't want to believe my "opinion"...

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/newslett...eep_water.html

I wish the CO's would do something about these guys with their shacks in the deep water, I didn't even realize this happened because I have never fished that location. Unfortunately there isn't really a law against it so the only way to ticket them is if you can prove they killed and wasted undersize fish which is almost impossible to do.

We learned a lot thanks to your comments, and I am sure a lot of other AO members did learn something as well. Even you, right? As you didn't even realize that was going on there, now you do. So the report was helpful for everybody. Maybe, even those guys in the shacks, if they read this forum, will rethink and move their shelters closer to the shore now. But again, there is no law for that, and it's legal(not recommended), something wrong with this system...

[Angler]

Originally Posted by Dragless

maybe they use cameras and select which fish they will catch ...,

No camera, no flasher. True fishing!

[grouse_hunter]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I started these comments because it seemed you guys didn't know any better and judging by this response you still don't.

The walleye you caught didn't have a swollen tongue. That was his stomach and it was being pushed out of his body by his air bladder because he was caught in too deep of water... He wasn't sick, you killed him...

My comments are not to make you look bad, they are to educate you and others reading this thread about barotrauma in fish. Here is some more information on it if you still don't want to believe my "opinion"...

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/newslett...eep_water.html

I wish the CO's would do something about these guys with their shacks in the deep water, I didn't even realize this happened because I have never fished that location. Unfortunately there isn't really a law against it so the only way to ticket them is if you can prove they killed and wasted undersize fish which is almost impossible to do.

I didn't disagree with your educational comments. I acknowledged that I needlessly killed that walleye and that I should have kept it. Oh well, I'm sure that something ate it already. Good luck with your fight against uneducated ignorance.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by RavYak

I started these comments because it seemed you guys didn't know any better and judging by this response you still don't.

The walleye you caught didn't have a swollen tongue. That was his stomach and it was being pushed out of his body by his air bladder because he was caught in too deep of water... He wasn't sick, you killed him...

My comments are not to make you look bad, they are to educate you and others reading this thread about barotrauma in fish. Here is some more information on it if you still don't want to believe my "opinion"...

http://www.seagrant.umn.edu/newslett...eep_water.html

I wish the CO's would do something about these guys with their shacks in the deep water, I didn't even realize this happened because I have never fished that location. Unfortunately there isn't really a law against it so the only way to ticket them is if you can prove they killed and wasted undersize fish which is almost impossible to do.

What should they do? Its legal. And, as I said before it is near impossible to enforce. Fizzing and descenders are not the answer. Damage is done. Education is the best solution, but it will not keep everyone out of deep water.
Just have higher mortality rates. Sad but thats the way it is.

PS: not trying to make anyone look bad. Its just FYI/education.

[RavYak]

Originally Posted by grouse_hunter

I didn't disagree with your educational comments. I acknowledged that I needlessly killed that walleye and that I should have kept it. Oh well, I'm sure that something ate it already. Good luck with your fight against uneducated ignorance.

I must have misunderstood this comment.

Originally Posted by grouse_hunter

So to hell with your "learned" opinions...

Anyways, everything is clear now so lets move on. Thanks for your guys report, I am sure many especially appreciate the information on ice conditions.

[Angler]

Peace!

[Moldzy]

Headed up to Slave first week of Feb. Rented a shack but got bumped due to being double booked. Was thinking of taking the hunting trailer out as we wanted to spend a couple nights out on the ice. Small trailer and pretty light, good or bad idea?

[waterninja]

I am arriving to this party late. A couple posts have interested me. When I first heard about "fizzing" fish it was considered a big no no. Poking a hole in the swollen protruding air bladder of a fish like a walleye leads to almost certain death. At on time i think it was illegal to fish for walleye in water that was too deep. Should be quite simple for F&W to tell if an ice tent is set up in water that is too deep to fish in, though laws might be different now.


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[Forest Techer]

Originally Posted by waterninja

I am arriving to this party late. A couple posts have interested me. When I first heard about "fizzing" fish it was considered a big no no. Poking a hole in the swollen protruding air bladder of a fish like a walleye leads to almost certain death. At on time i think it was illegal to fish for walleye in water that was too deep. Should be quite simple for F&W to tell if an ice tent is set up in water that is too deep to fish in, though laws might be different now.


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Except I could be in 200' of water but not fish deeper than 25'...

People need to stop thinking that laws are the solution to every problem. People need to stop thinking that they know better, or that people inherently will do harm everywhere unless it is against the law.

[redcoat01]

Originally Posted by Forest Techer

Except I could be in 200' of water but not fish deeper than 25'...

People need to stop thinking that laws are the solution to every problem. People need to stop thinking that they know better, or that people inherently will do harm everywhere unless it is against the law.

What are you suggesting , leave it to common sense !

[waterninja]

Originally Posted by Forest Techer

Except I could be in 200' of water but not fish deeper than 25'...



People need to stop thinking that laws are the solution to every problem. People need to stop thinking that they know better, or that people inherently will do harm everywhere unless it is against the law.

Whoa whoa whoa. I never made the law and quite frankly I don't agree with it, but nowadays there is a law, reg or technicality for just about anything a person does. A lot of them don't make sense and many even contradict each other but hey, it's a great way to bring in revenue and some of them are even based on common sense. If you don't agree with a law then feel free to ignore it or bend it. You can always tell it to the judge.



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[Angler]

Seems like a bit of people never went to check this thread out, and require some education in this thread "Cold Lake - Where are the other species?!"

[TylerThomson]

Why he's talking about fishing Burbot. Every fish is a keep able fish.

[huntsfurfish]

Originally Posted by waterninja

I am arriving to this party late. A couple posts have interested me. When I first heard about "fizzing" fish it was considered a big no no. Poking a hole in the swollen protruding air bladder of a fish like a walleye leads to almost certain death. At on time i think it was illegal to fish for walleye in water that was too deep. Should be quite simple for F&W to tell if an ice tent is set up in water that is too deep to fish in, though laws might be different now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Was never illegal to fish in deep water. How would a shore fisherman know the depth? There would need to be a law requiring you to have a depth finder on the boat. How would they enforce it(know where you were), could be a matter of 15 feet between 5 fow and 50.
And what Forest Techer said.
It would be near impossible to enforce. That is why it is a recommendation.

[grouse_hunter]

Originally Posted by Angler

Seems like a bit of people never went to check this thread out, and require some education in this thread "Cold Lake - Where are the other species?!"

Our pall, the "newfie hobbit" was fishing in 100+ feet for lakers with no remorse or fear of barotrauma in Cold Lake...

[TylerThomson]

Lake trout have a different air bladder and can burp to release pressure. Just give their belly a rub and put them back in the water. No harm done.

If you have a flasher you can watch lake trout rocket from the bottom while your reeling the hook away from then up 50 or more feet to smash your hook.

You will never see pike perch or walley do this. They all take a long time to adjust to depth changes.

[Northern Bob]

Waterninja, you might be getting government regulations confused with the rules of some walleye tournaments. In the Anglers Cup and Golden Walleye Classic tournaments on Slave Lake you aren't allowed to fish in water deeper than 18 feet to avoid killing fish. Fizzing isn't allowed of course. I'm not sure of other tournaments. I don't think there has ever been a law restricting depth.

[7magtime]

Back to the original post, any updates on current truck access issues? Thanks.

[kgm1]

I drove out the other day to 4 different accesses. Assineau access has no ice ridge and trucks were out there. Canyon Creek has bad ice ridges but close to shore and people were driving over the ridge west of the marina
The Widewater access is the worst and many trucks has dropped in there. My friends just rescued a Nissan Pathfinder with his 350 cat that was froze in and Rick said the water was 1/2 way up the engine.
People are still driving out to their shacks but follow a winding trail. Rick has fished this lake for 20 years, he won't take a vehicle to his shack. He says the cracks open and close and the other day it opened up on him and he had to Quad all the way over to the 9 mile point access to get off the lake. He has never seen the lake like this.

Do yourself a favour and take an ATV. Just not worth driving on Slave with a vehicle.

[grouse_hunter]

Originally Posted by kgm1

I drove out the other day to 4 different accesses. Assineau access has no ice ridge and trucks were out there. Canyon Creek has bad ice ridges but close to shore and people were driving over the ridge west of the marina
The Widewater access is the worst and many trucks has dropped in there. My friends just rescued a Nissan Pathfinder with his 350 cat that was froze in and Rick said the water was 1/2 way up the engine.
People are still driving out to their shacks but follow a winding trail. Rick has fished this lake for 20 years, he won't take a vehicle to his shack. He says the cracks open and close and the other day it opened up on him and he had to Quad all the way over to the 9 mile point access to get off the lake. He has never seen the lake like this.

Do yourself a favour and take an ATV. Just not worth driving on Slave with a vehicle.

When Angler and I were over there, we ran into a local guy. Actually he drove up to us on his quad for a chat. He said that he hasn't seen the lake in such a condition in the 20 some years that he's been living there. Stay safe everyone and good fishing to all!

[7magtime]

Originally Posted by kgm1

I drove out the other day to 4 different accesses. Assineau access has no ice ridge and trucks were out there. Canyon Creek has bad ice ridges but close to shore and people were driving over the ridge west of the marina
The Widewater access is the worst and many trucks has dropped in there. My friends just rescued a Nissan Pathfinder with his 350 cat that was froze in and Rick said the water was 1/2 way up the engine.
People are still driving out to their shacks but follow a winding trail. Rick has fished this lake for 20 years, he won't take a vehicle to his shack. He says the cracks open and close and the other day it opened up on him and he had to Quad all the way over to the 9 mile point access to get off the lake. He has never seen the lake like this.

Do yourself a favour and take an ATV. Just not worth driving on Slave with a vehicle.

Got back a bit ago and I agree with your update, thanks for sharing. Checked out Widewater 1st but there were multiple heaves and cracks all the way out to the shacks. Moved on to Canyon Creek and accessed where there was the heave close to shore that had a path over it. Okay to get over with a truck with decent ground clearance, I didn't see any other heaves out to the shacks. Fishing was average but the weather was decent!