First Open Water of 2015 Shannon Lake Kayak / Swan Ice Fishing

[FishDoc]

Here's a dose of open water.
[wGLyJAeyVv4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGLyJAeyVv4

This is a very warm winter though in BC and the ice is fading fast. On Monday I went out in the Kayak Fishing Shannon Lake in West Kelowna and had some luck with rainbows on a white powerworm and jig cast along the weed edges in shallow water. Pop it back all the way on a slow retrieve. They were slamming it. Very nice fat rainbows since it is stocked with Fraser Valley strain. Can't believe people were ice fishing this lake a little over a week before I arrived. Still got on the ice at Swan Lake in Vernon but barely. Had to walk through crotch deep water before getting to ice that would hold me. The perch were being fussy, caught an 11 and a 9 inch there rest were little guys. Seems like I'll have to try next year when the ice is safe. Starting to be some decent perch in there.









Can't wait to get back on the ice AB/SK in a couple weeks before the season is all over.

 

[tubber]

Can't wait to get back on the ice AB/SK in a couple weeks before the season is all over.

Nice fish. Welcome to the Okanagan. You are the second person I've ever been aware of that looked forward to going to Sakatchewan from BC. My grandpa sold his house and boat and went there in 1978. He was the other one.

 

[fshnfnatic]

Great vid there FishDoc.Sounds like you were twitching that jig with worm combo.Haven't tried that technique for
trout but I can tell you it's crazy effective for coho salmon in the rivers here on the coast.Think I'll give it a try in
some local lakes here pretty quick.

 

[fshnfnatic]

Great vid there FishDoc.Sounds like you were twitching that jig with worm combo.Haven't tried that technique for
trout but I can tell you it's crazy effective for coho salmon in the rivers here on the coast.Think I'll give it a try in
some local lakes here pretty quick.

 

[FishDoc]

Nice fish. Welcome to the Okanagan. You are the second person I've ever been aware of that looked forward to going to Sakatchewan from BC. My grandpa sold his house and boat and went there in 1978. He was the other one.

Really only two people? Haha! Well I'm an Albertan born and raised so that type of prairie fishing is what I know and enjoy! The action on the ice can be relentless, so much fun.
Like this one out on Lac La Biche in Alberta in January.
[nZiyzNvhPOc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZiyzNvhPOc

Great vid there FishDoc.Sounds like you were twitching that jig with worm combo.Haven't tried that technique for
trout but I can tell you it's crazy effective for coho salmon in the rivers here on the coast.Think I'll give it a try in
some local lakes here pretty quick.

Yup just constant twitching of the jig works very well for rainbows. Learned this technique in California. Everyone is doing it down there. They use either little tube jigs or worm style plastics. Seems to work up here as well. I find it works best in the spring/spawn period. I'll have to give it a try for Coho. I'm new to Salmon fishing so I'll be learning it this summer hopefully after work, haha.

 

[SpringVelocity]

I so miss ice fishing....Used to fish on lake Winnipeg. Super relaxing...

 

[Cuba Libre]

I still remember the first time I took my 10yr old son ice fishing at Loon lake (Kamloops) After 2 hrs he had a 2 in snot-sical hanging off his nose, one 10in trout on the ice frozen solid. He looked at me and asked "Dad-- why are we doing this ? I cant feel my fingers ! " And after giving it a long sober thought -- I had to agree with him! It was the last time we went ice fishing-- except for fishing the Thompson for steelies when we had to de-ice the guides after every cast . Now THAT was fun .. Miss those river times, but not so much on the frozen lakes.

 

[FishDoc]

Nice fish. Welcome to the Okanagan. You are the second person I've ever been aware of that looked forward to going to Sakatchewan from BC. My grandpa sold his house and boat and went there in 1978. He was the other one.

Great vid there FishDoc.Sounds like you were twitching that jig with worm combo.Haven't tried that technique for
trout but I can tell you it's crazy effective for coho salmon in the rivers here on the coast.Think I'll give it a try in
some local lakes here pretty quick.

I still remember the first time I took my 10yr old son ice fishing at Loon lake (Kamloops) After 2 hrs he had a 2 in snot-sical hanging off his nose, one 10in trout on the ice frozen solid. He looked at me and asked "Dad-- why are we doing this ? I cant feel my fingers ! " And after giving it a long sober thought -- I had to agree with him! It was the last time we went ice fishing-- except for fishing the Thompson for steelies when we had to de-ice the guides after every cast . Now THAT was fun .. Miss those river times, but not so much on the frozen lakes.

Haha... that sounds like ice fishing done all wrong. When you have kids along it is necessary to have a tent or shelter with a heater. I love ice fishing! The electronics makes it very exciting and different from open water since you can use a flasher and a underwater camera. These things also keep the kids entertained.

I have a question I've heard steelhead fishing is usually slow. People fish all day and don't catch much. Was that the case on your thompson trip? I just don't get it fishing all day for one or two fish in these rivers. Or do you expect to catch more than one or two fish?

 

[Cuba Libre]

Hehehe... Its all a matter of perspective, isnt it! There is a low likelyhood that my son at ten would have been happy staring down a hole! Even if he was warm. But to answer your question.. Thompson steelhead are one of the top prizes in the steelhead world. Back in the 80s, multiple hookups were not abnormal. But I guess we killed to many for bragging rights back then. Limit used to be 40 steelhead annually, and I personally know a bunch that made that magic number their goal. They were valued for their size and fight... coastal steelhead didnt come close... The annual pilgrimages to the Big "T" were something we anticipated annually-- from shirtsleeve fishing in October, to parkas in December. Damn-- I miss those trips.

 

[Big Green Machine]

Haha... that sounds like ice fishing done all wrong. When you have kids along it is necessary to have a tent or shelter with a heater. I love ice fishing! The electronics makes it very exciting and different from open water since you can use a flasher and a underwater camera. These things also keep the kids entertained.

I have a question I've heard steelhead fishing is usually slow. People fish all day and don't catch much. Was that the case on your thompson trip? I just don't get it fishing all day for one or two fish in these rivers. Or do you expect to catch more than one or two fish?

Steelhead fishing is hunting, it's about the pursuit, not catching. That is true sport fishing.

 

[Karma-Kazi]

BGM said it right. Its hunting 100% And when we hunt we dont look for #'s of fish caught! Its about a Trophy!

 

[fishhunter327]

Steelhead fishing is hunting, it's about the pursuit, not catching. That is true sport fishing.

BINGO we have a winner!
FISHHUNTER 327.

 

[FishDoc]

Ok well that will take some getting used to because I go Catching!

 

[Cuba Libre]

Its all good- just different strokes for different folks! ( And most of what I catch does get eaten too )

 

[Big Green Machine]

Ok well that will take some getting used to because I go Catching!

You can do both! Lol. On the salt, I go to catch. Rivers and lakes, it's more of a zen thing. Plus, I don't like the taste of trout.