Blackstrap 2021-2022

[speckspotter]

Great story HatandBoots.

 If someone had been filming you as you sorted out this mess it would very quickly dispel the notion that ice fishing is boring. Pure pandemonium.

I have started rigging big smelts on tip ups with heavy circle hooks rather than trebles to up the chances of a successful release. That might cost me the odd fish, but as you point out, it is a shame to have to take those big breeders out of the gene pool.

[ZXJpYW]

I almost didn't go out Sunday but ended up catching ~40 small perch and 5 keepers, a nice pike, and then a monster pike nearly destoryed my setup.

I had a Jaw-Jacker out with a 8" herring, but unbeknownst to me it had frozen solid, so when it got hit it didn't popup, or ring the bells. I ended up going out to stretch my legs and could hear my drag screaming, so I ran over and over half my line was already gone... Of course during this time she had also ran all the way over to my camp, and did a few laps around my camera cord and my jigging line. So I could feel that the fish was stuck on something after fighting it for a few minutes, assumed it must've been my camera, and then walked the 25ft over to my tent with my rod. THe bucket I had my jigging rod on was tipped over, rod gone, all my loose lures were yard saled around the hole, and my camera display was half pulled into the hole (thankfully it didnt fit). I managed to pull the jack up by the camera cord, and the tip up line snapped as she came up, but I got my thumb in her mouth before she could drop back down. Ended up being my PB jack at almost 37", but super fat. Sadly she had a treble right down her throat into her stomach, so I didn't get to send her back.

Total disaster, it probably sounds made up. Thankfully my jigging rod was also wrapped up in the camera so I did get it back haha.

Blackstrap does have some giants apparently!

Sounds like you earned that PB! What else can you do but laugh!

[ZXJpYW]

I had a good day, didn't keep anything myself. First time fishing this lake, and my goal was to just get outside and get the hang of my new flasher.

Morning spot south of the boat launch (south of the highway) was marginally successful, but after eating lunch and moving fairly far north of the launch I managed to find a pod of perch and sat on them until I went home for the day. The flasher works great, but it turns out that if you are on top of a half dozen fish at the same time you get a big red mark that doesn't really go away!

If anyone is up for it, I'd love to organize a little meetup at 'strap sometime this season, even just to say hi and meet some other anglers in the area. I am quite new to the sport in the sense that I've been taken ice fishing plenty of times, but this season I'm outfitting myself and going ice fishing on my own.

[Hatandboots]

Great story HatandBoots.

 If someone had been filming you as you sorted out this mess it would very quickly dispel the notion that ice fishing is boring. Pure pandemonium.

I have started rigging big smelts on tip ups with heavy circle hooks rather than trebles to up the chances of a successful release. That might cost me the odd fish, but as you point out, it is a shame to have to take those big breeders out of the gene pool.

Tahnks for the tip! I'll look into using circle hooks now for sure. I've always been one to tell people to put the big breeders back to make babies, so felt a little guilty keeping her.

[Lonestarsask]

If a big fish swallows your rig just cut the wire with side cutters and send it back. It will still have a good chance of survival.

[speckspotter]

I would agree with the cut and release idea for deeply hooked fish. I am not sure I believe that those hooks dissolve quickly due to the powerful digestive juices of the fish as I have been told.

A single hook will certainly provide less esophageal blockage than a harness with double trebles. I would rate the fish's survival chances to be better with less metal in its mouth.

[Hatandboots]

I'll try a single hook rig next time for sure. The treble was disappeared down that sphincter at the back of her mouth, and had been fighting me that way the entire time, so it was all ripped up and bloody. Pike are pretty tough, may she would have lived but I doubted it.

Time to research some new rigs, the quick strike rig has been amazing but not great for the fish.

[Lonestarsask]

If there is to much damage chances are lower for survival. It happens sometimes. 
I use a quik strike with small barbless trebles.  #6
I have heard of the circle hook idea. I might have to try it.

[small-town-fisher]

Does any one have a update on the snow conditions after yesterday's snow storm?

[speckspotter]

Took a quick look at the north end this afternoon. Access was good getting onto the lake. That north wind must have driven the snow right through the ruts. On the lake there was some accumulation in the more deeply rutted trails, but getting off the beaten path made for pretty easy going in 4WD.  The surface is packed pretty hard right now. All the shacks and trailers I observed seemed to have survived the wind as well.

My driveway on the other hand, was an entirely different story.

[small-town-fisher]

Awsome thanks spec for the update I wasn't sure what to expect after that wind and snow.

[For the kids]

Hey guys,
Any update on the snow on South end - west of Launches? Will have a lifted 4x4 and studded mud tires but trying to drag shack out for the kids so looking for an update on how bad that end of the lake is.

Thanks in advance.

[speckspotter]

Fished across the lake from the launches today. It was another tent day with the wind and cold. Driving across the lake was actually easier
than last weekend when it was warmer. It was a pretty light bite once again. The lure box got a workout. Just when I thought I had the meal ticket figured out, the perch would turn off and I would have to offer them something else. Many of the fish were tiny, and then a jumbo would appear out of nowhere. One 11.5 inch just pounded the lure, while most of the others pecked and slurped at the smallest of hooks.

Strange day, but these are the winter doldrums after all.

[For the kids]

Awesome - thanks for the update. I'll hope for the best and winch out if need be

[speckspotter]

Good perch bite today on the 'Strap. Getting around the lake was bit hairy with drifts, wind and poor visibility, but the fish made it worthwhile. Good sized perch were hitting well right off the hop, and with a few brief lulls, this kept up for us right through until we packed it in mid afternoon.

Small presentation was the key for me, but some associates did well with larger offerings. Not many of the really small perch around today which was nice. Plenty on the camera to keep us entertained.

[Churchill River]

Just confirming what Speck posted.  We were able to get a wind burn today.  Well not Speck, he was hiding in his pop up all day. Very hard to follow tracks, but if you keep your speed up you can blow a new trail just about anywhere.  Didn't see anyone stuck today.  Boat launches have deep ruts for about 25 yards but still manageable.

As Speck mentioned the size was good today, almost every 4th one was a keeper if you wanted to keep it.

[rickfett]

A great day on the strap. My pal and I caught numerous perch keepers. And having our holes drilled by a friendly fellow angler was icing on the cake!

[Churchill River]

Had the pleasure to fish with 4 buddies yesterday.  Nice that there was no wind.  It was hard to visit as the perch action was non stop all day.
At the end of the day we added up what the 5 of us caught........it was hard to believe that a 75 yard area would hold that many perch all day long.  As a rule I find that come mid Feb the fishing slows down a little.  Yesterday was like March Madness.  Let's hope it keeps up until the end of March.

Have a good weekend out there all.

[speckspotter]

Has anybody noticed an unusual spinal deformation in the perch they have caught in Blackstrap? Last time out I caught a couple that were fat, healthy fish that I thought should have been in the ten inch class. When measuring these I noticed the posterior part of the fish was misshapen. There seemed to be a bend or bulge right near where the tail fin began. I kept both of these fish, and when I filleted them I observed the spine did not continue straight to the tail, but rather bulged to one side.

A conversation with Sask Environment this morning resulted in a file being opened. They are certainly interested to hear of any other such cases.

[Hatandboots]

Huh, thats odd. I'll keep an eye out this weekend. That's interesting that Sask Environment was so quick to open a case.

[Churchill River]

I was out today on the South end.  For those of you wondering what the rain and warm weather did to the snow......the boat launch are was dry....no water.....easy to drive on.....the snow really settled of disappeared as there are lot's of clear spots now.  Was able to drive in 2 wheel drive to our spot.  You don't have to keep up your speed , as the drifts are as hard as rock....so no use bouncing and hitting your head on the roof top.  You should be able to pick your way along driving slow.  I was fishing on the East side...so didn't check out the West side which had more deeper snow before the rain and warm weather.

Oh, perch are still biting like crazy.

[Hatandboots]

How are the ruts on the boat launch? I'm wondering if I would bottom out in my SUV. They were brutal in town.

[Churchill River]

I used the North one, and I am sure your SUV would make it no problem.  You could look at the South one and then decide which one you want to use.  There was a car on the ice today, and he used one of the launches.

[Hatandboots]

I used the North one, and I am sure your SUV would make it no problem.  You could look at the South one and then decide which one you want to use.  There was a car on the ice today, and he used one of the launches.

Super, thanks church. Hoping to see this hot bite tomorrow!

[GooseHunter1]

Turned out to be a good bite today.  Perch wanted to get fried in the pan.  Thanks again to the folks who plowed the launch. Awesome!!

[Churchill River]

Yes, this happens once a year usually were someone plows the launches.  It would be nice to know who it is.  For the fellow that plowed the launches, if you are reading this post....thank you thank you.

The perch bite today was all day long for our group....just crazy for mid Feb.

[Hatandboots]

Strange conditions today! The visibility was super low today, maybe something to do with the weather. All of the perch I caught were 4-6 ft off bottom. Maybe the cloudy water makes them brave enough to climb up




Then the wind really picked up and tried to take my tent. I did see some shacks on their side too. Hope you all secured your shacks well!




Finally thanks a ton to whoever cleared the launch! You did a really thorough job.

[GooseHunter1]

Hi HatandBoots. I had the same experience earlier in the week...perch suspended way higher than normal.  Same murky water conditions, so I turned camera off.  Mark's on the flasher were as you say. I was just south of the launch,  at the time.  But Saturday, perch were behaving "normally" farther north.  Who knows?

[ZXJpYW]

I sat on a school of perch all morning this Sunday until I ran out of mealworms, which I certainly did! I saw similar behaviours. The perch were definitely feeding. They were enthusiastically chasing my bait upwards. I triggered a lot of strikes by bouncing my jig off bottom a couple times, and then slowly reeling upwards. It was very easy to tell if I had lost my bait because if I didn't get a bite within 15-30 seconds of dropping down, I knew they had nibbled the worms off!

From time to time I would see a big flurry of activity 5 feet off bottom. I wonder if there wasn't some kind of bloodworm hatch. They were all full of bloodworms from what I could see.

If I were to go back any time soon, I would try some red bloodworm plastics so that I don't have to spend half my time baiting my jig!

[gman51]

 set a flag for pike and did some jigging yesterday afternoon. picked a nice quite spot and enjoyed the day fished from 1pm til 7pm. lots of perch throughout the afternoon all different sizes and 3 pike on the flag. another great afternoon.