Sleeping on Slave tonight.

[PlayDoh]

So I would have regretted not going if I didn’t so I jumped in the truck and drove the near 6 hours or so to Slave. Last 2 hours were pretty sketchy.
Anyways, I got on the ice at Wagner and could only drive out between the first shacks. It’s not snowing hard but the wind is making drifts and I don’t even know where the beaten path was / is to reach the farther shacks. This is my first Ice trip to Slave.

Got here at 5 and only seen 1 or 2 jack who were more interested in my camera than my lure. I’m on 8 ft of water, 3.5 ft of ice. I’m on a spot that had a shack until recently, and it’s over a transition from sand to rock. But that’s about it for structure.

I’m hoping the eyes come out soon, or at very least in the morning. I might try fishing deeper water if it’s not as cold as it is now.

Any tips or tricks the eyes like here in the winter? I’ read a post where a guy said to get to the narrows, get on the ice at Wagner water tower. I didn’t see a water tower and I’m nowhere near what I think is the narrows (mid lake choke/pinch point?). There were a few guys in the shack closest to me but they left around 6. I really wish I was deeper, but this will have to do.

[PlayDoh]

Caught 3 almost certainly walleyes, but lost 2 at the hole and the first broke my seriously weakened braid. I barely felt it break. I don’t check braid enough.
Anyways I’ve learned that getting fish through a 3.5 ft x 8 in hole isn’t easy. At least not if their not solid hook sets.
But I’m cozy, warm and just happy to be here. Somehow my screw in pegs didn’t make the trip and it’s quite windy. Propane bottle, and bucket with tire chains are getting the job done, along with chain and toolboxes along the skirt.

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

Caught 3 almost certainly walleyes, but lost 2 at the hole and the first broke my seriously weakened braid. I barely felt it break. I don’t check braid enough.
Anyways I’ve learned that getting fish through a 3.5 ft x 8 in hole isn’t easy. At least not if their not solid hook sets.
But I’m cozy, warm and just happy to be here. Somehow my screw in pegs didn’t make the trip and it’s quite windy. Propane bottle, and bucket with tire chains are getting the job done, along with chain and toolboxes along the skirt.

That’s awesome and it sounds like an adventure. Thank god it’s not 40 below Might of been a bit cool in the tent if that happened. Have a fun weekend

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Jigsalot

That’s awesome and it sounds like an adventure. Thank god it’s not 40 below Might of been a bit cool in the tent if that happened. Have a fun weekend

Thanks bud. My ‘alarm bell’ went off this morning

[58thecat]

Now that's breakfast!!!!!!

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

Thanks bud. My ‘alarm bell’ went off this morning

That a nice looking walleye. Well done. Hey if you can venture out and find the 30 foot depth you might find the odd perch lurking around. Good size perch in that lake. But if you are at 8 feet it’s a bit of a hike there.

[Bushleague]

Lol, you're right by my house, should have invited you over for a drink last night.

Cool that you caught some fish shallow like that. In the summer I tend to fish more shallow than most, its amazing how many walleye you can catch in less than 6' of water, over a kilometer from the drop off, even in the heat of summer. In the winter however, I have never had much luck anywhere besides the drop off. Always knew there had to be some fish shallow though, will need to put more effort in.

I snowshoe out to the drop pretty regularly with my gear, its a little over a kilometer but if you are in half decent shape it can be done in about 15 minuets.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Lol, you're right by my house, should have invited you over for a drink last night.

Cool that you caught some fish shallow like that. In the summer I tend to fish more shallow than most, its amazing how many walleye you can catch in less than 6' of water, over a kilometer from the drop off, even in the heat of summer. In the winter however, I have never had much luck anywhere besides the drop off. Always knew there had to be some fish shallow though, will need to put more effort in.

I snowshoe out to the drop pretty regularly with my gear, its a little over a kilometer but if you are in half decent shape it can be done in about 15 minuets.

How long if your not in half decent shape? lol

I doubt I’ll be hiking anywhere with this wind sadly. I’m guessing where the majority of the shacks are is the drop off.
I had 3 Walleye last evening, yet didn’t land them. That was when it got dark enough, and since I could see things on the camera all Ive seen is a couple of pike. I’m thinking it’s way too bright at 8 ft.
I’m curious why there’s 3 shacks at the same depth I’m at. Maybe their pike lovers?
Now my concern is that the plowed path I took out here is drifted over good. I’m likely going to put on my rear tire chains and give it a go earlier than I’d like to leave at.

[PlayDoh]

Just seen a few Burbs and my guess is that’s what these guys are after.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

How long if your not in half decent shape? lol

I doubt I’ll be hiking anywhere with this wind sadly. I’m guessing where the majority of the shacks are is the drop off.
I had 3 Walleye last evening, yet didn’t land them. That was when it got dark enough, and since I could see things on the camera all Ive seen is a couple of pike. I’m thinking it’s way too bright at 8 ft.
I’m curious why there’s 3 shacks at the same depth I’m at. Maybe their pike lovers?
Now my concern is that the plowed path I took out here is drifted over good. I’m likely going to put on my rear tire chains and give it a go earlier than I’d like to leave at.

I don't consider myself to be in terribly great shape. Even at the drop off, strikes are usually grouped around nightfall and morning, fishing generally being slow the rest of the day. To be honest, even trying to catch pike shallow has never worked out that well for me in the winter. All of this is funny, because I can generally catch fish right from shore all summer.

My theory is that because there is hundreds of acres of featureless 8-15 foot water here, the fish are very scattered. Unless you happen to be overtop of some minor structure that can concentrate the fish, it is difficult to get into a good bite. The drop always produces fish, the shoreline always produces fish, and weed beds produce fish. The 1-2 kilometers of water between the drop and the weed beds is generally difficult to fish.

To be honest, Slave is a weird lake IMO. It fishes crazy fast for most of the summer, but is generally pretty slow fishing for all species most of the winter.

Whenever I see the fish cops in the winter they always talk doom and gloom about how the whole lake is fished out, nobody is catching fish anywhere, gonna need regulation changes to save it etc... I try to remind them that come summer we will be catching 20-100 fish a day from one end of the lake to the other. Not sure why, but that's just how it is.

Anyhow, if you have trouble getting off the lake give me a shout.

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

Just seen a few Burbs and my guess is that’s what these guys are after.

Be careful out there. That’s one serious lake. We got screwed way out in canyon creek one year. Fishing for hours in the tent at it was blowing hard outside. We weren’t thinking but when we came out the path was gone. That was not fun getting off the lake.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I don't consider myself to be in terribly great shape. Even at the drop off, strikes are usually grouped around nightfall and morning, fishing generally being slow the rest of the day. To be honest, even trying to catch pike shallow has never worked out that well for me in the winter. All of this is funny, because I can generally catch fish right from shore all summer.

To be honest, Slave is a weird lake IMO. It fishes crazy fast for most of the summer, but is generally pretty slow fishing for all species most of the winter.

Whenever I see the fish cops in the winter they always talk doom and gloom about how the whole lake is fished out, nobody is catching fish anywhere, gonna need regulation changes to save it etc... I try to remind them that come summer we will be catching 20-100 fish a day from one end of the lake to the other. Not sure why, but that's just how it is.

Good to know, thanks. lol @ the fish cop comment. So true.
With this extension on my auger it feels like holding a light post, and this wind makes the idea of pulling a sled anywhere, a waste of time.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Jigsalot

Be careful out there. That’s one serious lake. We got screwed way out in canyon creek one year. Fishing for hours in the tent at it was blowing hard outside. We weren’t thinking but when we came out the path was gone. That was not fun getting off the lake.

I generally end up digging myself off the lake at least a few times a season, hence my current preference for using snowshoes and a toboggan. Its more work than driving, but a heck of a lot less work than digging.

[Jigsalot]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

I generally end up digging myself off the lake at least a few times a season, hence my current preference for using snowshoes and a toboggan. Its more work than driving, but a heck of a lot less work than digging.

Lol. You and me both. Every year I get hung up somewhere but that’s part of the game.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Jigsalot

Lol. You and me both. Every year I get hung up somewhere but that’s part of the game.

Ugh, I hope I won’t need to dig. I got all four chains on. I better pack up and get outta here while I can. It’s still blowin and only gonna get worse.

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Jigsalot

Lol. You and me both. Every year I get hung up somewhere but that’s part of the game.

My current strategy is to hit more snowshoe friendly locations when driving is iffy... haven't been fishing Slave much for the last month, despite living 50 yards from it. Been a very tough year for driving on up here, and Slave is one of the least walk-on friendly lakes that I've had the pleasure of fishing. Many other lakes a guy can walk out a 100 yards or so and at least get into some pike pretty easy, with Slave you'll often be walking over a mile, and the fishing is still probably going to be slow. That said, I might drag the tent out there this evening and give-er a go.

[PlayDoh]

I just hit the lotto of ice fishing blunders. The guy who owns the shack next to where I was came to plow a path to it, literally 5 mins before I was about to try to make it.
Phew

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by PlayDoh

I just hit the lotto of ice fishing blunders. The guy who owns the shack next to where I was came to plow a path to it, literally 5 mins before I was about to try to make it.
Phew

Was it a tractor or a small cat? I was wondering if my neighbor, who goes by "Beany" (not sure if he even remembers his real name, nobody else does) was going to get his cat out there today.

[PlayDoh]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Was it a tractor or a small cat? I was wondering if my neighbor, who goes by "Beany" (not sure if he even remembers his real name, nobody else does) was going to get his cat out there today.

Small small tracked skid-steer, might have been a cat. Guy was 50ish with a beard. I gave him like $10 just cause it saved my azz.