Sylvan - 2018/19 & The Beat Goes On !
 

Count down to opening day has started, got some of my stuff organized today, fresh premium fuel/oil mix, my old faithful Jiffy Model 30 started on 1st pull, sharpened/honed up the blades, set up the shed it's good to go, filled the propane tank/stove works, the Marcum is fully charged and finds a few fish, GPS needed new batteries, found my cleats ..... tomorrow going to get my sled & punch a test hole or two at Sunbreaker Boat Launch. Stay tuned Mr. Snap, will update ice conditions, more to follow.

Still a few items on my to-do-list .... hope to find some fresh P-Mag's & some M-Worms for Scott, none in Sylvan, I imagine they should be available within the next week or so.

Plan to focus on Whites in Sylvan opening morning and maybe hit Gull late afternoon & evening, looking forward to getting out .... how about you ?

D.

Ab Reg's ... says "0" Pike in Sylvan & Gull appears to be the same this year.

http://www.albertaregulations.ca/fis.../PP2-Lakes.pdf


https://i.imgur.com/WFqBAQG.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/Uk3ER4U.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/mOoL9YW.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/juVODpn.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/0ipmETB.jpg

Wow that is an old school auger and tent!

i wanna gooo!!!!!!!

Nice Zip! I'll miss opening day this year but plan to make it there on the first weekend. Keep the reports coming :)

Nice to see you have a Shappell. I just picked up the BayRunner II this year. I'm sure I'll be glad I did. I sets up quicker than any tent and is very functional. The real test will be on the ice. I plan to use it for run and gone missions.

We love your updates Zip, keep them coming And make sure to change battery in your camera lol, you do post amazing photos as well

Thanks for the updates Mr Z
 

Old augers work the best, everything is made out of plastic nowadays! Thanks for the updates, I plan on checking out Sunbreaker on opening day! :)

That auger must have a few story's to tell! Lol

Yup my equipment is Old School with lots of Seniority = Experience = Knowledge = Skill …. I’ll consider that a complement.


November 28 …. got my gear together and went out to Sunbreaker boat launch, bty day, no wind, nice & warm. Brought the steel spud bar, it didn’t go through so I ventured out solo testing the ice for about 50 paces. Auger started first pull warmed it up, X-sharp blades, punched through almost immediately. We need some cold weather to grow the ice, will update on Dec. 9th or 10th.

A few pic’s of the ice conditions.

D.


Sunbreaker facing west to Palm Bay, note very little snow.

https://i.imgur.com/UZGBtm8.jpg



Facing southeast towards town

https://i.imgur.com/uJh3zEQ.jpg


South shore Tower & RR23 in back ground

https://i.imgur.com/tvj5ZAl.jpg



Lots of geese still hanging around.

https://i.imgur.com/f4TNlae.jpg


As well a pair of Swans … not sure what this means.

https://i.imgur.com/NKXCqO6.jpg


Thin ice that recently separated but no ice heaves out here.

https://i.imgur.com/RJW5jjk.jpg


Went out 50 paces/Yds.

https://i.imgur.com/1JIOQFa.jpg


Only 3 ½” over 4 fow didn’t go any further out, chickened out.

https://i.imgur.com/NSGi3MC.jpg


Better pic, with nice bottom for Whites.

https://i.imgur.com/oCvDPox.jpg

I don't mean to ask for any private secrets, but is that launch at Sunbreaker public access?

Mr Snap, I'm sure you'll enjoy the new Shappell, their very well built and super easy to set up in seconds. Scott & I needed to downsize to one man style tents to be more mobile, he found me the S2000 & my Clam had to go. To move 20 ft to a new hole all I have to do is real up close the trap door and drag it over the next hole, don't need to turn off my heater or put anything away ..... Zip & I'm gone.

I've only got 2 weeks to have my fun, I'll be reading your posts & admiring your pics from Arizona & SoCal this winter.

All the best ....

David

Yes it is .... Google maps will take you down Rainy Creek Road to Sunbreaker Road/Village which heads due south right down on to the lake. There's lots of parking for vehicles with trailers in 2 lots adjacent to the launch.

Trust this helps.

D.

thanks z!!!

Love your posts Z! My brother moved to sylvan this summer, and we plan on trying some icefishing this year, ill likely PM you and maybe we could meet up out there.

sorry cameltoe....Z and Bwack are mine!!

Really appreciate this! We're looking for a new way to access Sylvan (have only gone out via the town marina) so we'll absolutely try Sunbreaker this winter!

Cool Thanks Z!!! Have you seen any Whities under the ice ? :medium-smiley-035:

last year there were guesses as to ice thickness for sylvan .....any guesses?

happy

Happy .... you got-to watch what you say here, members will get the wrong idea!



Of course ... when I call them they come ..... See !

https://i.imgur.com/XbfNg8w.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/jjNoGPr.jpg



I'm workin on it ... doing something different this year ... stay tuned.


Cheers

D.

hey Z -- those cam pics are fantastic! What type of cam are you using? We're thinking about picking one up on Boxing Day this year, and I'm doing research on all the models....Vex, Marcum and AV.......

Cool pictures....hope to see them when I get there ;) what is the magic word to call them? ;)

It's a few years old Marcum VS825C

https://i.imgur.com/juVODpn.jpg


Decent color in Sylvan's clear water.

Edit: Wife also enjoys coming out to fish for 1 hr or so and watch/play with the walleye, she makes them dance.

https://i.imgur.com/p4I3OtN.jpg



Try jigging a flashy lure like the one above ... "Here Fishy-Fishy" normally works for me.

D.

this is exactly what I have on my mind :)

Dec 02nd .... this started yesterday evening and hasn't let up, forecast suggests another 2 cm's still to come. This will make ice conditions on Sylvan/Gull somewhat of a challenge. Just seen my first snow plow go down Lakeshore Drive, we got lots of white gold for the snow clearing contractors.

See ....

https://i.imgur.com/WlN8jfL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Jz31vCC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Lx1ybzo.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/xsjZgx3.jpg

Thanks Zip, agreed. It will be a mess. It is not like we had a great ice base before this snow came. Also, the long term forecast calls for +6 or +7 in Edmonton next weekend. Throw some warm temps in and we might be waiting. Hope not...but what can you do.

Dang now I need to get my stuff out and organized. Thanks a lot!! Lol. I might try sylvan again this season. Last year all I found was weeds.

Dec 3rd - On the way home I stopped to have a look at the dark areas on the lake, it starts around the main townsite area all the way northwest past Norglenwold. With all the snow we got it looks like flood water on top, not good. Planning to go out on the weekend to do some further ice survey/testing, more updates to follow.

A few Pic’s …..

D.

Norglenwold boat launch/lake access road.


https://i.imgur.com/lnYUPov.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/h8jmXFl.jpg


https://i.imgur.com/5vLUMmf.jpg


This is not what I would of expected for December ice conditions.

https://i.imgur.com/mO42qgp.jpg

noooo!!!!!

Of course. I spend most of Nov renovating my shack and wont even be able to get it out till Jan.

Finally some cold temps, the thermometer outside my back door says -18C.

Env Cda R/D says -21C add the 14 km/h wind chill = -30C.

Scott & I are going out Saturday am to do some further ice survey/testing on Sylvan & plan to go to Gull ... will update here with more pics.

D.


Remember this thread from last year .... me thinks I have an excellent chance for 2018!


2017 - 200yds out from lighthouse area.

https://i.imgur.com/nT1K97K.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mzqGqAz.jpg


This year we'll take the measurements at Sunbreaker, hopefully there will be sufficient ice to venture out 200 Yds.

oh yes.....that "minus" will add couple inches of ice :)