Author Topic: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan  (Read 1797 times)

Offline SNAPFisher

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Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« on: Jan 16, 2023, 03:34 PM »
For both my birthday and my wife's we split cost on an ice cabin rental on Gull Lake.  Yep, I married very well ;)

We rented the cabin called the "Ice Haven".  Says it sleeps 5 but perfect for 2 really.  Bunks where not to comfy on their own so we combined all the mattresses to make one good bed.
Six built in fishing holes with covers.  Full time AquaView 715C down the one hole hooked up to a 32 inch flat screen which also switches over to DVDs.  Stove with burners - gas of course.  Furnace.  Decent storage.  Outhouse.  All the tackle and rods one needs included. 

Fishing was ... not great.  The cabins are at the point to the East of Brownlows.  That said, we did the best out of all the cabins that we talked to.  I landed 3 fish - burb, pike and perch.  Only one small walleye landed by one other cabin...
I think the area is literally been swept clean of fish. 

Nice to fish from bed though and anytime you really want :D

So, Sunday morning we pack up after I was trying to catch a skinny hammer handle that wouldn't bite - btw, nothing more annoying that a hammer handle that won't commit - just sayin. 
It was 10:30 a.m.  I say to the wife, since we are here...let's check out Sylvan.  She agreed!  Got to Sylvan and drilled holes from 12 FOW, 15 FOW, 20 FOW and 23 FOW.  Hooked and lost two whites in the first 15 minutes.   Then it went quiet for like maybe 20 min. I hole hopped.  Had some runs at the lure but no hookups.  I'm ready to pack up but decide to head back out to the 23 foot hole.  Drop the Panoptics and there is cloud of minnows up starting at 5 FOW and down to 12 FOW and about 20 feet wide!!  That is a lot of bait fish!  Never seen that at Sylvan before.  There are marks underneath the cloud of bait.  I figure walleye for sure or pike.  Nope, whites!!.  And lots of them.  As soon as the cloud moved a bit I had whites coming at the lure from every angle.  3 at a time even.  Quickly landed my first white.  When 3 came in again  I managed to get the biggest mark to bite.  Line started peeling...and peeling.  I thought I had hooked a pike but the fight was weird.  Maybe a big walleye... nope!  I pull a huge white into the hole.  About 3-4 lbs is my guess.  Of course I do the wrong thing and try walking back to pull the white onto the ice.  With a fish this heavy it is either going to break the line, 6 lb mono, or pop off.  It popped off...   My fault really but it was an attention getter.  The fishing just continued stupid good.  Landed another white and packed up.  It was 1 p.m. by now and time for a fish fry of fresh burb and just caught whites.

Pics:
The Cabin:


Interior, 4 main fishing holes with the cam down the first one, comes with panner as well


2 more in the kitchen area:


A very long burb - 28 inches


Perch on cam


Perch caught - 10.5 inches



First white at Sylvan




Great fun weekend!  Weather was nice as well.

Offline jpohlic

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #1 on: Jan 17, 2023, 08:32 AM »
Sounds like a fun weekend!
The more I fish, the less I know about fishing...
Send me a PM if you'd like info about how I built my ice shack

Offline allenford

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #2 on: Jan 17, 2023, 03:08 PM »
awesome report, thanks Snap~

Offline calgary-john

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #3 on: Jan 21, 2023, 10:13 PM »
Those look pretty nice. Do they leave then in the same spot all year?  If it seems like it had been swept of all the fish they should move it

Offline SNAPFisher

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #4 on: Jan 22, 2023, 10:33 PM »
Those look pretty nice. Do they leave then in the same spot all year?  If it seems like it had been swept of all the fish they should move it

Yes - move around a bit each year but the same general area.  Until the bookings stop I'm sure he has no reason to move them.  That was my first and last time for sure though.

Offline Spudman66

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #5 on: Jan 23, 2023, 02:27 PM »
I have fished out of the shacks on Gull Lake 3 times now in the last year. Most recent was the week before Christmas. Chad is a great guy and these shacks are very nice. But all three times I have been skunked. Went out to Coal Lake yesterday and my buddy and I caught 8 pike. Not sure why the fish at Gull don't like me. I see them on my flasher and the camera but they just don't like me.

Offline SNAPFisher

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Re: Gull Lake rental cabin report and a little Sylvan
« Reply #6 on: Jan 23, 2023, 05:09 PM »
I have fished out of the shacks on Gull Lake 3 times now in the last year. Most recent was the week before Christmas. Chad is a great guy and these shacks are very nice. But all three times I have been skunked. Went out to Coal Lake yesterday and my buddy and I caught 8 pike. Not sure why the fish at Gull don't like me. I see them on my flasher and the camera but they just don't like me.

Congrats on Coal lake!! 

Chad is a great guy.  Permanent ice shacks though as a business I am no longer in favor of. The shacks are great.  The job Chad does is super stellar.  The fishing though pays the price.  Your own experience proves it.  I used to be the only one fishing that area in 2005 to 2008.  Fished it until 2010 when Chad moved in and then stopped the following year.  Fishing was off the charts back then.  Yes, Gull has changed overall but that particular area is swept clean of fish.  Proof is I can go to other area on Gull lake today and do well.  Fishing is spotty at best where the shacks are.  Doesn't take much to think of what 20 or so permanent shacks does in one area operating for the entire season for 15 years and going...  It is just not a good idea and not good for the lake imho.

 



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