South Buck Lake
 

I had the chance to go out there with a buddy yesterday who has a quad with tracks and was very suprised when we got there how much less snow that is on there compared to Pigeon.With a 4x4 you can get around not too bad.Just have to watch out for the drifted areas by the weedbeds.As for the fishing we had action throughout the day catching walleye and northerns.Caught alot of 47/48 walleye but no keepers.Had no idea where the fish were as we never fish there in the winter but drilled a bunch of holes and strangely enough caught alot of walleye in 5 fow 100 yds from shore on a flat bottom.Had a great day on the ice!

not many walleye over 50 cm as soon as they are , they are kept.

We fished 2 days and only landed 2 pike and 2 small walleye.
My biggest disappointment was the 10 guys hauling in nets full of whitefish walleye and burbot.
Oh and the fact whitefish and pike are off limits and we have a slot size for walleye.
Native fishing rights at its finest makes my blood boil.
Fisheries are at its lowest in that lake and yet its being cleaned out by netting and if it was sustenance fishing ,the 6 new trucks on the lake were not food gathering individuals.

Netters are going kill all lakes same thing at Wabasca sell the whites and walleye feed the rest to the dogs or throw away makes me sick

I'm actually amazed....maybe skeptical that they are pulling "nets full of whitefish". Pics?

That said, I've rarely ice fished Buck.

Never caught Whitefish or Perch from SB myself but I have seen them netted from the Lake first hand when commercial fishing was still running several years ago. Absolute pigs in that lake. Perch pushing 2lbs Whitefish pushing 10lbs. I wouldn't believe it if I did not see it with my own eyes. I wouldn;t suggest the nets were "full" but there were some fish being caught. Not certain what it would be like today but suspect fish are certainly still there.

I don't suspect populations are large enough for either species that would make angling for them all that easy but if a guy could figure them out it would be quite rewarding for certain.

definitely big perch in south buck. Just not many.

30 years ago my in laws were allowed to set a net at SB and it was pretty slow even then. With one net they would be lucky to get a dozen whitefish. All big fish but hardly worth the effort. The big whites are so thick and greasy that they aren't as nice to smoke either.

I notice the record lake whitefish for Alberta comes from South Buck, caught in 1998. 11 lb. 10 oz..

It is more of a treat when a big perch or two come around the hook.

That's what I remember too Red. It was early netting like xmas eve or new years eve. Nice big whites for sure but not in big numbers. I've caught them in the summer trolling deep in a certain area of the lake, but without good electronics and the right hook on you would never know they were there. Disappointed it's still being netted as well as battle.... Pretty hopeless situation. Any by-catch at all is too much when the pike are closed and Ling are closed and walleye closed for the most part. Defeats the purpose of at least attempting to TRY and protect what's left.

The odd summer the whites will kill and they are big enough that you almost fear hitting them with the boat lol.

Had family that used to net Buck, 2-5 whites a pull was the norm.

WC

Thanks, so maybe not what would be considered a net "full of whitefish"? ;)