2020/2021 Cold Lake Ice and Fishing Reports - Page 9

58thecat · #**241** 01-28-2021, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rasbok

i'm no pro on cold lake that's for sure but a flasher in my opinion is a must i wouldnt even fish cold lake with out one

start at 80 ft and see if you mark any fish. I use navionics and look for shelves and drop offs I always try different depths till you mark work the whole column of water sometimes they are 2 feet of bottom and sometimes they are cruising at 20-60 feet (seems like those ones are hungry ) If you get a chaser reel right to the ice. sometimes they will bite 10 feet under the ice

I typically use a white tube jig but have luck with white and red paddle tails and of course chartreuse is always a good option if white isn't working i haven't tried len thompson's but read that some guys have good luck (just takes forever to get to 80-100 feet.

I normally put a minnow on. This year i've tried sucker belly and it stays on good.

Good luck

very sound advice....ya just gotta find the area with marks and be prepared to change it up....gibbs jigging minnow works too....I always lay a herring on the bottom too...poke holes in it and send it down.

OL_JR · #**242** 01-28-2021, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamSteele

Feb can be pretty good to

Nice fish! Honestly we have have had some pretty good days in Feb as well, our best day for bigger fish was a family day long weekend a few years back. This year February might be the only chance we get to fish it. But all things equal if I had a choice I'd prefer to get on as early as possible.

eman · #**243** 01-28-2021, 09:17 PM

safe to drive a half ton truck from french bay to garnet yet? plan to stay there 1 night this Saturday

58thecat · #**244** 01-29-2021, 07:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eman

safe to drive a half ton truck from french bay to garnet yet? plan to stay there 1 night this Saturday

Yes...seen multiple trucks going across....good luck!!!!

I will be out and about tomorrow....its truck time...I like that cuz all my gear is in it.

lromanchuk · #**245** 01-29-2021, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binati

K hope picture works. Should I use fluorocarbon for stinger then. And do you leave the hook flopping at the end or attach it to lure/bait

Personally , I attach my stinger to the hook, not the eyelet . Then the head of the bait gets attached to the main hook and the stinger attached to the tail of the bait. I like to use 4-6 inch anchovies. And yes, a fluoro leader is the way to go.

58thecat · #**246** 01-29-2021, 08:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lromanchuk

Personally , I attach my stinger to the hook, not the eyelet . Then the head of the bait gets attached to the main hook and the stinger attached to the tail of the bait. I like to use 4-6 inch anchovies. And yes, a fluoro leader is the way to go.

I also like to put a slight bend by having the hooks a little tighter together when attached to the minnow so that when dropping it down or reeling up it has a flutter action of a wounded bait fish....indicating a easier meal...even a lazy laker cant resist.....enough with the dam secrets....

Binati · #**247** 01-29-2021, 10:10 AM

Beautiful mid teen weather has turned to 20s next week but no snow. Going to have all the ice.

mlee · #**248** 01-29-2021, 12:42 PM

Anyone been up the road to cold river? Has it been plowed at all this year?

SamSteele · #**249** 01-29-2021, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Yes...seen multiple trucks going across....good luck!!!!

I will be out and about tomorrow....its truck time...I like that cuz all my gear is in it.

Lots of ice shards sticking up would make it a pretty rough ride! I used the sled the last couple days and it was pretty rough even with weaving through the rough areas.

58thecat · #**250** 01-30-2021, 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamSteele

Lots of ice shards sticking up would make it a pretty rough ride! I used the sled the last couple days and it was pretty rough even with weaving through the rough areas.

When you leave the launch head out around the point and get past the ice heave then head directly across to garnet....if you head towards the mouth of French bay then scoot across yes there are some ruff areas.

How was the bite?

Worm · #**251** 01-30-2021, 09:53 AM

At garnet right now. Nothing yet but we suck at lake trout ice fishing so don't take my word for it

Sent from my SM-A715W using Tapatalk

Teamprotz · #**252** 01-30-2021, 12:07 PM

Moved around a bit. Marking fish and bait but only a couple small ones.

SamSteele · #**253** 01-30-2021, 02:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

When you leave the launch head out around the point and get past the ice heave then head directly across to garnet....if you head towards the mouth of French bay then scoot across yes there are some ruff areas.

How was the bite?

4 on day one and 5 day two. Pretty much all of them took bait off the bottom. iFish Pros out fished us.

fish99 · #**254** 01-30-2021, 04:20 PM

sams that's beauty

Worm · #**255** 01-30-2021, 05:16 PM

My son and I got pur act together mid day. Landed 10 between the two of us. Bite was very light though.

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LJalberta · #**256** 01-30-2021, 11:32 PM

Was out today. First time laker fishing. Found them between 80-130’ of water with lots of fish marked but only half a dozen wanting to play. Didn’t get any of the real big hogs to the surface.

What a blast though.

58thecat · #**257** 01-31-2021, 07:57 AM

Yup....slow compared to last month went out for a few hours and got three through the hole, had a few hits and wife lost a beaut at the hole after multiple runs....ohhhh well that's fishing!

I do know someone on this forum that thier girlfriend got a 38" plus laker yesterday but I will not spoil the story......

58thecat · #**258** 01-31-2021, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SamSteele

4 on day one and 5 day two. Pretty much all of them took bait off the bottom. iFish Pros out fished us.

The last few outing nothing on the jaw jacker but yesterday was the Len Thompson #2 that was producing.....140' of water and just played the different depths....ya just never know eh!

58thecat · #**259** 01-31-2021, 07:38 PM

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts...5357/-110.0620

neat site to see depths and distances etc for many lakes....kinda give you an idea of where to start drilling holes etc.

Teamprotz · #**260** 01-31-2021, 09:25 PM

Missing a lot of structure

eman · #**261** 01-31-2021, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 58thecat

http://fishing-app.gpsnauticalcharts...5357/-110.0620

neat site to see depths and distances etc for many lakes....kinda give you an idea of where to start drilling holes etc.

thanks for the chart very helpful .i was there on Saturday. spend 3 hours looking for fish with my half ton truck . from french bay to English bay ice about 16-25 inches .14 hours got 6 fish avg is about 30 inches .was a fun day . been ice fishing this lake every weekend past 2 years never seen this many people on the lake . a lot of garbage on marina bay and provincial park....

Binati · #**262** 02-01-2021, 12:04 AM

Thats the depth chart I've been studying to pick potential spots for this week. Coming up on Wednesday now. How is the snow on the lake?

58thecat · #**263** 02-01-2021, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Binati

Thats the depth chart I've been studying to pick potential spots for this week. Coming up on Wednesday now. How is the snow on the lake?

Small drifts here and there just be careful as there are a few ruff areas with protruding ice that is covered by drift snow.

58thecat · #**264** 02-01-2021, 12:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Teamprotz

Missing a lot of structure

Gives you a good perspective to where the shelves are, steep drops, humps etc where lakers like to push bait fish up against....plus if you like to mark an area for distance from one point to another you can....just another tool to use is all...

Brovacs · #**265** 02-01-2021, 10:02 AM

Just wrapped up a 3 day trip and it was fantastic. This was my second time out on Cold Lake and over the three days I landed 53 lakers. Big improvement from last year where I got 7 over 3 days. Last Thursday was spectacular with fish biting and chasing consistently all day. Caught fish on tubes, spoons, hair jigs, swimbaits...everything in the tacklebox seemed to work. Definitely one of my top 10 all time days on the ice. Thanks to all the seasoned Cold Lake anglers who post on this forum, all your tips are really appreciated! Good luck in the Feb tournament everybody!

shinpoe · #**266** 02-01-2021, 01:28 PM

For any of the Cold Lake vets, I am planning on heading out in a week or two during the weekday. I wanted to know if there's a ice hut rental service or if it's better to just get a hotel in town and sleep comfortably.

A quick FB post seems like the ice hut rental shop is not available this season due to COVID and late ice. Want to try ice camping but also don't have an insulated tent, so it's between a hut or packing away the kit.

Also, any safety issues with fishing into the night and driving a FWD sedan on/off the ice from the PP?

Any hints or tips would be appreciated - bit of a trip there and want to make sure I do some research before heading out

58thecat · #**267** 02-01-2021, 01:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brovacs

Just wrapped up a 3 day trip and it was fantastic. This was my second time out on Cold Lake and over the three days I landed 53 lakers. Big improvement from last year where I got 7 over 3 days. Last Thursday was spectacular with fish biting and chasing consistently all day. Caught fish on tubes, spoons, hair jigs, swimbaits...everything in the tacklebox seemed to work. Definitely one of my top 10 all time days on the ice. Thanks to all the seasoned Cold Lake anglers who post on this forum, all your tips are really appreciated! Good luck in the Feb tournament everybody!

you killed it man...congrats...you got on them just before the -35 crap rolled in...glad it worked out for ya!!!!

58thecat · #**268** 02-01-2021, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinpoe

For any of the Cold Lake vets, I am planning on heading out in a week or two during the weekday. I wanted to know if there's a ice hut rental service or if it's better to just get a hotel in town and sleep comfortably.

A quick FB post seems like the ice hut rental shop is not available this season due to COVID and late ice. Want to try ice camping but also don't have an insulated tent, so it's between a hut or packing away the kit.

Also, any safety issues with fishing into the night and driving a FWD sedan on/off the ice from the PP?

Any hints or tips would be appreciated - bit of a trip there and want to make sure I do some research before heading out

get hold of Kim Grey....(780) 660-9336..he has a shack out on the ice maybe two now plus he will sort you out on bait etc...local guide that has all the amenities to accommodate you...check here closer to your target date for ice conditions...I know we are supposed to get snow over the next few days.

shinpoe · #**269** 02-02-2021, 04:33 PM

Thanks for the recommendation. Debating now between Lesser Slave Lake and Cold Lake but will def give Kim a call couple weeks out before

LJalberta · #**270** 02-02-2021, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shinpoe

Thanks for the recommendation. Debating now between Lesser Slave Lake and Cold Lake but will def give Kim a call couple weeks out before

I've caught some real chunky pike and walleye from Slave, but after hooking into lakers in 130' of water, I'll have a real tough time choosing Slave over Cold lake again anytime soon.