Northern BC ice fishing

[lovemywinchester]

I see a lot of these ice fishing "shacks" online now. They are done up like cabins and guys are staying out on the ice for days at a time. Wood stoves, porta potty strapped to the back. It's huge in the US and Alberta. Any spots in BC where you see guys camped out in the luxury shacks all winter? Anyone renting them for use?

[BRvalley]

The sleeper hut scene is huge in ON as well, imo those guys set the bar for luxury lol

I've never found anybody renting sleeper huts in BC

we do an annual trip to slave every year, but I know gull lake and sylvan also have some sleeper hut rentals...I setup my tent and stove on the ice as well, nothing beats a hot tent and catching fish from bed

[lovemywinchester]

The sleeper hut scene is huge in ON as well, imo those guys set the bar for luxury lol

I've never found anybody renting sleeper huts in BC

we do an annual trip to slave every year, but I know gull lake and sylvan also have some sleeper hut rentals...I setup my tent and stove on the ice as well, nothing beats a hot tent and catching fish from bed

I can imagine the drunkeness that would take place if you were locked in there for two days with the boys.

[Sitkaspruce]

https://www.southpeacenews.com/pics-joussards-ice-shack-village/

Ours is the 10th picture down.

It is complete w/ diesel heater, DVD and 42" HD TV, bluetooth speakers, two bunks, 6 fishing holes and attached pota-poti with heater. We eat, drink and sleep like kings!! And we catch lots of fish!!!

Just put it back out for another season, but with the the dumb ass rules, I cant go right now. Hopefully things change!

It is a little city out there, 65-80+ "shacks".

Cheers

SS

[REMINGTON JIM]

https://www.southpeacenews.com/pics-joussards-ice-shack-village/

Ours is the 10th picture down.

It is complete w/ diesel heater, DVD and 42" HD TV, bluetooth speakers, two bunks, 6 fishing holes and attached pota-poti with heater. We eat, drink and sleep like kings!! And we catch lots of fish!!!

Just put it back out for another season, but with the the dumb ass rules, I cant go right now. Hopefully things change!

It is a little city out there, 65-80+ "shacks".

Cheers

SS

SS are they all out on Charlie Lake ? any Ice fishing done on Cecil lake ? RJ

[Bigdoggdon]

Not sure the perma shack would work for what I do when ice fishing. The whole point is to be portable, fish one spot, no action, move to another spot. If you're setting out the perma shack and leaving it in one spot all season it's probably more so you have a warm place to go and have some drinks with your friends or have a camping trip on the ice rather than fishing.

[Sitkaspruce]

SS are they all out on Charlie Lake ? any Ice fishing done on Cecil lake ? RJ

Our shack in on Slave Lake. On Charlie, there is a couple small ones for getting out of the elements but nothing like what we have. Cecil has no fish, too shallow. Great duck hunting though!!


Not sure the perma shack would work for what I do when ice fishing. The whole point is to be portable, fish one spot, no action, move to another spot. If you're setting out the perma shack and leaving it in one spot all season it's probably more so you have a warm place to go and have some drinks with your friends or have a camping trip on the ice rather than fishing.

We do head out on the snowmobile when the weather is nice, but for the most part, we don't need to. We have had 100+ fish weekends; mostly walleye with a good mix of pike and burbot and the odd perch. Eyes have to be 17.5" long and you can only bring home two, so have a big fish fry on Saturdays and take our limit of eyes plus pike and burbot home.

On avg. we catch 20-30 eyes a weekend, plus another 10-15 pike and later in the year, burbot.

Yes we eat and drink like kings, but if you go there to just catch fish, then you are going for the wrong reasons.

Cheers

SS

[jonz]

Does anybody know how the ice fishing is at Babine Lake and how thick the ice usually gets there?

[adriaticum]

https://www.southpeacenews.com/pics-joussards-ice-shack-village/

Ours is the 10th picture down.

It is complete w/ diesel heater, DVD and 42" HD TV, bluetooth speakers, two bunks, 6 fishing holes and attached pota-poti with heater. We eat, drink and sleep like kings!! And we catch lots of fish!!!

Just put it back out for another season, but with the the dumb ass rules, I cant go right now. Hopefully things change!

It is a little city out there, 65-80+ "shacks".

Cheers

SS


That looks like a hell of a lot o fun

[BRvalley]

We do head out on the snowmobile when the weather is nice, but for the most part, we don't need to. We have had 100+ fish weekends; mostly walleye with a good mix of pike and burbot and the odd perch. Eyes have to be 17.5" long and you can only bring home two, so have a big fish fry on Saturdays and take our limit of eyes plus pike and burbot home.

On avg. we catch 20-30 eyes a weekend, plus another 10-15 pike and later in the year, burbot.

Yes we eat and drink like kings, but if you go there to just catch fish, then you are going for the wrong reasons.

Cheers

SS

x 2 we are the same way on the sleeper hut trips, it's just as much about hanging out with old college friends as it is for the fishing....it's one of the only times I can take a stress free afternoon nap, it's complete relaxation in the ice hut

and then slave is also a unique fishery on its own, there are of course slow bites but overall it is hard to understand how good the fishing can be, unless you've done it!! there are many many weekends where you just don't need to move to find the fish

[lovemywinchester]

Where do you guys up north buy your ice fishing tackle? Is it all from Canadian tire and Surplus Herbies? Any good tackle shops in the north?

[Sitkaspruce]

CT, Fishing Hole, Cabelas and Backcountry. But you don't need much for ice fishing gear; a few #2 and 4 hooks, some weights, a mix of 1/4oz jig heads with green, glow and yellow heads and a mix of mister twister tails in white, glow, chartreuse and yellow tails plus some Rapala snap jigs work for walleye, pike, perch and burbot. For rainbows, I like jigging #7, #8 and #00 Len Thompson spoons, the same 1/4oz jigs with worms or shrimp. Lakers like buzz bombs and zingers, a jig called a Cold Lake Special (2oz white tube jig with a stinger hook), and 2-3oz jigs with 4-6" tails.

More important, you need a good auger and a flasher or depth sounder that shows fish and just not bottom. The sounder helps find fish before drilling holes and with finding suspended fish.

Cheers

SS

[lovemywinchester]

I love it SS! You don't need much for ice fishing, then you list half a garage worth of gear. When you are saying you find fish before you start drilling do you shoot through the ice or drill a hole and drop the transducer down?

[Sitkaspruce]

I love it SS! You don't need much for ice fishing, then you list half a garage worth of gear. When you are saying you find fish before you start drilling do you shoot through the ice or drill a hole and drop the transducer down?

Hahaha......wait until I list my salmon gear:razz:!!! All that ice fishing gear fits in a 2 try tackle box plus a worm proof clear tackle tray for the tails. And some lures work for fresh and salt water, so they get moved back and forth.

If the ice isn't too thick, I just clear off the snow and get a flat clear spot and shoot through the ice, but if the ice is too thick, I drill down 6" and shoot. If there is not too many thaw/freeze and you get clear ice it will work, If not then you will have to drill until you get water.

I have a Lowrance Elite 3X all season sounder, which works pretty good once it is tuned in. There is better ones out there, but i don't chase better and the Lowrance works for me.

Cheers

SS