Spray Lakes 2018.

PikeMonkey · #1 12-31-2017, 11:19 PM

Hey guys,

Has anyone been on the ice at spray this year, better if recently? I’m planning on heading out tomorrow with the wife and had a couple questions?
- road conditions? We have a small car and she would really prefer to not get stuck haha

-areas? Was thinking walking a little ways south of sparrowhawk.
-ice? Good all over I assume?

Regardless, I’ll bring updates tomorrow, just wondering if anyone has any info

Scott N · #2 01-01-2018, 04:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PikeMonkey

Hey guys,

Has anyone been on the ice at spray this year, better if recently? I’m planning on heading out tomorrow with the wife and had a couple questions?
- road conditions? We have a small car and she would really prefer to not get stuck haha

-areas? Was thinking walking a little ways south of sparrowhawk.
-ice? Good all over I assume?

Regardless, I’ll bring updates tomorrow, just wondering if anyone has any info

I was out at Sparrowhawk yesterday (Sunday Dec 31). Road from Canmore is OK, plowed but a little icy in a few spots. A car should be fine with decent winter tires. Ice was good, close to 12", and covered with about 4" of soft packed snow. As usual, fishing was better in the morning and tapered off at about lunch time. Sure was a nice, sunny day, hardly any wind, but pretty cold.

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Fwee6 · #3 01-01-2018, 10:00 AM

Beautiful day out there.

Sundancefisher · #4 01-01-2018, 11:42 AM

Any fish pics?

Scott N · #5 01-01-2018, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundancefisher

Any fish pics?

Here are a few of the fish I caught up there yesterday, pretty much cookie cutter fish.

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DiabeticKripple · #6 01-01-2018, 12:51 PM

The usual 15.5” lakers lol

ks.snow · #7 01-01-2018, 09:33 PM

Anyone have any recommendations on what to use for hooks, bait, etc. out there?

Scott N · #8 01-02-2018, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ks.snow

Anyone have any recommendations on what to use for hooks, bait, etc. out there?

We have good luck with white marabou jigs tipped with a bit of smelt. Buzz Bombs tipped with a bit of smelt work good too. Be careful and read your regs before you go up there - for example, you can use smelts as bait, but not minnows in Spray Lakes. We usually find the fish near the bottom in 80' or 90' feet of water or so, but sometimes the fish are higher in the water column. I'm talking about lake trout, there are also whitefish in the lake, but I've never targeted them.

straight · #9 01-02-2018, 08:24 AM

My best Lakers at Spray Lake I caught with Williams Ice Jig at 30-40'.

Fwee6 · #10 01-02-2018, 08:55 AM

Gold swedish pimple for me, tipped with a bit of smelt. Next best option has been a smaller white tube jig, tipped with smelt.
Oddly enough, my last couple trips the previous fishing season had more action on tip-ups.

Calgaryguy1977 · #11 01-02-2018, 10:04 AM

Hey Scott how good is that tent in -30 -40? I was thinking of buying the exact one. I wonder if its as good as the 600 denier fabric on the clam im looking at? TIA

In addition, I would add some ideas for bait/lures. I reccomend white and yellow (sparkly version) tipped with bait such as smelts (no minnows) or shrimp. Also don't be scared to throw a dew worm on or red wire worm if youre targeting whites. Silver spoons tipped with bait work well on lakers too!

Scott N · #12 01-02-2018, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Calgaryguy1977

Hey Scott how good is that tent in -30 -40? I was thinking of buying the exact one. I wonder if its as good as the 600 denier fabric on the clam im looking at? TIA

In addition, I would add some ideas for bait/lures. I reccomend white and yellow (sparkly version) tipped with bait such as smelts (no minnows) or shrimp. Also don't be scared to throw a dew worm on or red wire worm if youre targeting whites. Silver spoons tipped with bait work well on lakers too!

Regarding the tent, it's pretty warm in the colder weather, even with a bit of wind blowing. I have a "portable Buddy" heater, which is one model less than the Big Buddy heaters, and my heater will definitely keep the ten warm. It really helps if you can pile some snow on the skirt and keep the draft from blowing between the ice the and tent material.

Calgaryguy1977 · #13 01-02-2018, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott N

Regarding the tent, it's pretty warm in the colder weather, even with a bit of wind blowing. I have a "portable Buddy" heater, which is one model less than the Big Buddy heaters, and my heater will definitely keep the ten warm. It really helps if you can pile some snow on the skirt and keep the draft from blowing between the ice the and tent material.

Right on....I have the small buddy heater too. That's exactly why I was asking! hahaha
Thanks buddy!
Cheers

ks.snow · #14 01-04-2018, 08:34 AM

Thanks for the info guys

Fwee6 · #15 01-15-2018, 12:27 PM

Heading to Spray with the family this coming weekend...

What can I expect for ice right now? Guessing 18"? Snow depth?
Anyone lucky enough to catch a few whites yet?

James Henry · #16 01-26-2018, 11:06 AM

A group of us are heading out on Sunday, If you see 4 or 5 tents close together, stop by and say hello.

Calgaryguy1977 · #17 01-26-2018, 01:53 PM

.

Calgaryguy1977 · #18 01-26-2018, 01:54 PM

Hey Scott, I bought the fatfish 949 I. It works great, just as you said!

raw outdoors · #19 01-28-2018, 07:57 AM

Keeps us posted on sprey lake productivity, I would like to try again next week as I was skunked last time but would really like to catch a couple trout.

FlyTheory · #20 02-21-2018, 01:13 PM

Does anyone ever catch fish after noon? Like up until darkness? Does the bite pick up in the evening?
Cheers

Scott N · #21 02-21-2018, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyTheory

Does anyone ever catch fish after noon? Like up until darkness? Does the bite pick up in the evening?
Cheers

I'm usually on my way home by 3 or 4 pm, but I've had some pretty decent afternoons out there. The action usually seems to really die off around noon on most of the days that I've fished it.... like 70% of the time in my experience. That being said, I caught my biggest Spray Lakes laker (about 3 pounds) at about 2 pm on day last February. I've actually never fished late enough that it was getting darker out.

raw outdoors · #22 03-04-2018, 09:49 AM

I am thinking of going out to spray tomorrow anybody else going to be out there?

TROLLER · #23 03-04-2018, 10:08 AM

I Think the snow on the ice may be too deep for me for sure. Good luck

raw outdoors · #24 03-04-2018, 03:10 PM

I am going to try snow shoes or touring skies

Coho911 · #25 03-12-2018, 07:54 PM

Was thinking of heading up for Tuesday - anyone have any recent ice/snow reports?

Kingfisher · #26 03-13-2018, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ks.snow

Anyone have any recommendations on what to use for hooks, bait, etc. out there?

I like to use tube jigs. I bring several different colors. I tie up my own with a stinger hook also for those short biters. I use green and pinks, but I like to have a few different one's like orange or red/purple one's. You just never know what they are going to key in on. Some of the green pink and orange I use glow in the dark materials. I do sell these. You can PM me for details. I'll post a few pics of them. I use these in Spray Lakes and Abraham Lake. But they are also great in Cold Lake. Especially the large 6" one's. The deeper I go the larger I use. Just a good rule of thumb. Besides, I don't want to wait forever to get my hook down to the bottom where the lakers reside. I usually use a piece of smelt and put it onto the stinger hook. As others have said DO NOT USE MINNOWS AT SPRAY. A piece of smelt work just fine there.

The lakers usually seem to be active early in the day or later in the evening. 60 to 80 FOW. However a buddy of mine has gone shallow (20 FOW and shocked me with some nice lakers).

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/attac...1&d=1520966378

Fwee6 · #27 03-13-2018, 03:37 PM

Kingfisher -- where do you buy those tubes? Or are they home made?
4-6" tubes not too big for Spray Lk?

Kingfisher · #28 03-13-2018, 10:17 PM

I build them. PM me for info.

raw outdoors · #29 03-16-2018, 12:44 PM

I also have been build some tube jigs for spray but I am having a hard time finding jigs that are 2.5”. Lots of 1.5” to small and lots of 3.5” that once tied are to long in my opinion. Been to bass pro/ cabalas and fishing hole with no luck. Anyone seen any 2.5” ?

raw outdoors · #30 03-16-2018, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coho911

Was thinking of heading up for Tuesday - anyone have any recent ice/snow reports?

Snow is crazy deep I used skies to get out but they where kinda a hastle when trying to get back up the hill. A good quality pair of snow shoes would be good if they have teeth on the bottom. Ice is deep very deep I couldn’t make it though until I shoveled down to bare ice then I could just reach with no extension.