Blackstrap 2019/20

[saskbucks]

So what are you suggesting?

I’m not sure how many anglers understand that a fish suffering barotrauma will most likely not survived when released.  When a fish’s stomach is bulging up their throat when brought up that’s a tell tale sign. Unless you use a descending device, that fish most likely won’t survive.  An angler has to be aware that all those barotrauma fish should count against their limit.  If they go out and catch 60 perch and half are suffering barotrauma and may swim far enough down the hole do you don’t see them, they will most likely die and be floating right below the ice.  Then they are way over the limit.
This is the first time if experienced barotrauma perch in 22-23FOW at this lake.

[speckspotter]

Agree with Ran7ger. My son says the little ones taste really good, largely because they remind him that those were about the only ones we ever got when he was learning to fish. We still make boneless fillets out of them, and practise our microsurgery techniques at the same time. Count 'em and cook 'em.

[farmboy]

I don’t fish Blackstrap myself but to say our lakes, rivers and fish are getting the proper care they deserve is just not accurate. Some lakes are still healthy and offer good angling opportunities but many have also suffered and declined significantly.

I think Twisted Hook is simply trying to remind anglers to show our resources the respect they deserve, which nobody should be upset about.

You don’t have to look very far to see how fragile our natural resources are and how quickly we can lose them for a very long time, and in some cases forever. Alberta still has a lot of issues and at the rate we’re going we might not be far behind which would be an absolute shame.

Lots of good ethical anglers out there still though, and I’d like to think most of the guys on this forum are in that category,  which is fantastic.

Just need to keep doing our part as reposible anglers and also to educate new anglers on how to properly handle fish and that’s all we can do.

Tight lines everyone and good luck out there!

[Twistedhook]

I don’t fish Blackstrap myself but to say our lakes, rivers and fish are getting the proper care they deserve is just not accurate. Some lakes are still healthy and offer good angling opportunities but many have also suffered and declined significantly.

I think Twisted Hook is simply trying to remind anglers to show our resources the respect they deserve, which nobody should be upset about.

You don’t have to look very far to see how fragile our natural resources are and how quickly we can lose them for a very long time, and in some cases forever. Alberta still has a lot of issues and at the rate we’re going we might not be far behind which would be an absolute shame.

Lots of good ethical anglers out there still though, and I’d like to think most of the guys on this forum are in that category,  which is fantastic.

Just need to keep doing our part as reposible anglers and also to educate new anglers on how to properly handle fish and that’s all we can do.

Tight lines everyone and good luck out there!

[Twistedhook]

Well said farmboy (UP)

[dkruks]

Too add another angle, Many people do not like it when then see anglers keep large walleye or northern pike and keep them, as they are top grade breeding stock. However nothing is ever said when people keep larger than average perch. Are they not too breeding stock too?

[ran7ger]

I don’t fish Blackstrap myself but to say our lakes, rivers and fish are getting the proper care they deserve is just not accurate. Some lakes are still healthy and offer good angling opportunities but many have also suffered and declined significantly.

 you nailed it farmboy and i've seen it already in my short life time.  every aspect of management has been slashed from bios to c.o's.  i think knowledge, ethics and personal accountability go way further to protecting our fisheries than limits/rules and the c.o's nowadays.

 look one province east to see how fisheries should be managed.  we know football they know fishing

[saskbucks]

Too add another angle, Many people do not like it when then see anglers keep large walleye or northern pike and keep them, as they are top grade breeding stock. However nothing is ever said when people keep larger than average perch. Are they not too breeding stock too?

This too is a very good point. What would be the ones that would fit into that category?  Anything over 12”?  I’d have to look at the data more carefully and that may differ from lake to lake

[saskbucks]

you nailed it farmboy and i've seen it already in my short life time.  every aspect of management has been slashed from bios to c.o's.  i think knowledge, ethics and personal accountability go way further to protecting our fisheries than limits/rules and the c.o's nowadays.


 look one province east to see how fisheries should be managed.  we know football they know fishing

Totally agree. Manitoba, IMO, manages their fisheries much more effectively.  Barbless all over the province as well.  I think it’s ridiculous that we are going the other way with our reservoirs in going back to barbed hooks. 

[BlueDevil]

I was just wondering what everyones thought is on the water color on the North end VS the South end.  This year I have noticed the North ends water is very brownish/yellow, while the South end is crystal clear.

My buddy says it’s from the construction work happening on the causeway.  Dirt/debris is heading north.  They drilled a hole and a bunch of dirt came shooting up outta the hole.  Very dirty water over by Shields (area).

[speckspotter]

I don't know if the falling barometer had anything to do with this morning's bite, but we had steady action in the south end all morning. The big girls had the feed bag on. A couple of thirteen inchers made it topside and a few other heavy perch released themselves prematurely. I  switched to minnows after having little initial luck and that seemed to be the ticket. DH on the other hand caught well with mealworms, and Churchill River, well, I think I'll win the lottery before I see him not catch on the Hawger and eyeball combo.

The water was indeed clear, but it is worth noting that a lot of the work is happening on the south side of the causeway. If the work is the issue, why is the north lake so dirty?

[speckspotter]

Here is my small contribution to making our lives easier.

If you struggle with the extraction of perch eyeballs for bait, I may have the solution. My thumb push technique is quite frankly awful. I end up ruining about a third of the eyes because I squeeze them too hard trying to pull them free from the connective tissue that holds them to the socket. I needed help in the form of a custom tool.

Enter the commemorative teaspoon from Aunt Nettie's 1963 trip to the Osh Kosh Geranium Museum. Dig that beauty out from the back of the spoon drawer, take it to the bench grinder, and put an edge on the undersides of the spoon tip. Insert your newly created precision implement under the eyeball and run a semicircle around the socket. Eureka! I went 17/18 on my trial run this evening. Seventeen plump, perfect eyeballs ready for the next perch outing.

Aunt Nettie need never know.

[Churchill River]

Blue Devil, you are right about the construction work making the water more dirty.  But I noticed the water on the North end was murky before the construction started, and slowly getting worse.

I think we have all seen the brownish/yellow water in past years also.  So not sure what is the cause.

On the other note.......I released over 35 perch today and not one of them had their bladder in their mouth while
fishing in 20 to 24 feet of water (in different areas).

[Piggyperch]

Was out today for a quick fish. We have kept our shack in the same spot and have done real well all year..... until today. Today was my first time being skunked on the strap this year! Saw maybe 12 fish on the cam in 2 hours. I actually thought the water was a bit murky on the south side today compared to the last few outings. Saturday on the other hand was amazing. Some of the biggest perch I’ve ever scene were pulled up, best part was that the 2 four year olds landed a double header and were the 2 biggest fish of the day

[geo315]

Here is my small contribution to making our lives easier.

If you struggle with the extraction of perch eyeballs for bait, I may have the solution. My thumb push technique is quite frankly awful. I end up ruining about a third of the eyes because I squeeze them too hard trying to pull them free from the connective tissue that holds them to the socket. I needed help in the form of a custom tool.

Enter the commemorative teaspoon from Aunt Nettie's 1963 trip to the Osh Kosh Geranium Museum. Dig that beauty out from the back of the spoon drawer, take it to the bench grinder, and put an edge on the undersides of the spoon tip. Insert your newly created precision implement under the eyeball and run a semicircle around the socket. Eureka! I went 17/18 on my trial run this evening. Seventeen plump, perfect eyeballs ready for the next perch outing.





Aunt Nettie need never know.

How do you keep them and for how long?  thanks Geo.

[timbertomjr]

How do you keep them and for how long?  thanks.       

Freeze them in water,in a small ziplock bag. they will be fresh when thawed out.

[geo315]

How do you keep them and for how long?  thanks.       

Freeze them in water,in a small ziplock bag. they will be fresh when thawed out.

Thanks for the reply, Geo.

[Pollock fish]

I’ve have kept mine in a pill jar with a splash of oil then they come sort easier as they thaw

[Pollock fish]

Was out today 1-4.... very cold n not many others out.

Finally paid off as i landed easily 50 perch in the third hole i drilled. Was hammering nice perch in 18’ of water. In 18’ I only saw two that had the bladder pop, and they both came home.

Kept 6 for a nice dinner n tossed the rest back.

Use two tiny jigging spoons with tiny minnows, caught more today than i have all winter in about 6 outings to the strap.

[Pollock fish]

Most actually came up about 4-6’ off the ground aggressive which i found odd.

[speckspotter]

You earned those fish yesterday in that wind Pollock. Respect!

[saskbucks]

Was out today 1-4.... very cold n not many others out.

Finally paid off as i landed easily 50 perch in the third hole i drilled. Was hammering nice perch in 18’ of water. In 18’ I only saw two that had the bladder pop, and they both came home.

Kept 6 for a nice dinner n tossed the rest back.

Use two tiny jigging spoons with tiny minnows, caught more today than i have all winter in about 6 outings to the strap.

Very happy for you!!  Great day on the ice when you can slay!!

[Churchill River]

Two of us fished from 9:30 to 3:30 on the North end.  Fished the far North end and in front of the big back bay.  Lot's of perch action, with
some slow times, and then you would hit a honey hole and catch 15 in a row.  So even with some slow periods, we hit 6 or 7 honey holes.

For middle of Feb, the fishing has been better then past years (for Feb).

Nice day, with the wind picking up in the afternoon....but not cold.

[speckspotter]

We fished the south again today. With no real need to take home a limit, and perch all over the flasher, it was time to experiment. A couple years back I bought some artificial red wigglers hoping I could convince perch they were bloodworms. I thought I had wasted my money until I put a piece of one of these on the bottom treble of a jigging Rapala. For a while this morning I thought one secret of the universe had been revealed. One after another they just had to have this offering.... and then they didn't. Fun while it lasted however.

[Churchill River]

Speck, what the H.......you perfected the removal of the eyeball, and had 17 of them........or did you throw them in the fish soup you made?

[speckspotter]

Just stockpiling for that furious March bite.

Besides CR, my mother always told me to be my own person. A couple of weeks back I even caught a perch on a BLUE Hawger!

[Churchill River]

See Speck, that was money well spent.

[Hard Waterman]

The “Dead Sea” was pretty hot again today. Caught over 60 perch in a couple hours. Had to fiz some small perch in 26 FOW (don’t horse the little guys up from that depth!!) we saved all the ones the need to fiz. Kept a few for supper released the rest healthy. Oh yeah and the wife released a $1200 iPhone for a lucky angler today catch 😂

[Churchill River]

Ouch, I only lost a old flip phone down a hole years ago.

My friend found these two burbot on the Strap yesterday.  I wonder if someone brought them from another lake and dropped them off on the ice.
Between 3 of us, we have caught over 75,000 fish (we are old),  on the strap and we have never caught one, or heard/seen anyone catch one.  I know there
have been people on here saying they used to be in the lake, and have even caught some.

Any thoughts people?

[Hard Waterman]

Ouch, I only lost a old flip phone down a hole years ago.

My friend found these two burbot on the Strap yesterday.  I wonder if someone brought them from another lake and dropped them off on the ice.
Between 3 of us, we have caught over 75,000 fish (we are old),  on the strap and we have never caught one, or heard/seen anyone catch one.  I know there
have been people on here saying they used to be in the lake, and have even caught some.

Any thoughts people?

I remember 25 years ago guys catching whitefish and burbot regularly on the south end of those. I was only 5 but I remember seeing tones of them on the ice.