Cold Lake Walleye Fishing Was Brutal Until We Found This Pattern

Some lakes make fishing easy.

Cold Lake is not one of them.

After several days grinding across one of Alberta’s most confusing fisheries, it became clear this lake wasn’t going to hand over walleye easily. Shallow bays, weed edges, rocky structure… everything looked perfect. But the fish were elusive, unpredictable, and frustratingly scattered.

The strange part?

Cold Lake is still one of the few lakes in Alberta where anglers can legally keep walleye without needing a special harvest tag.

Most people would assume that means the lake is loaded with fish.

It doesn’t.

At least not in the way anglers expect.

There are much better walleye lakes nearby like Moose Lake and Marie Lake where numbers are stronger and success comes easier. If your only goal is filling the freezer, Cold Lake probably isn’t the smartest choice.

But Cold Lake has something else.

Something that keeps anglers coming back.

Big water. Giant pike. Trophy lake trout. Violent strikes in shallow water. And just enough mystery to make every fish feel earned.

That’s what this trip turned into.

Not easy fishing.

Memorable fishing.

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The Tiny Swimbait Trick That Changed Everything

After hours of trying different presentations, one pattern finally started producing fish.

Swimbaits.

Specifically Northland Tackle swimbaits and Big Hammer swimbaits worked best, especially when tipped with a small piece of minnow tail.

That tiny adjustment changed everything.

The added scent and natural movement made hesitant fish commit harder, and using a bait button kept the minnow tail perfectly secured so the swimbait still moved naturally through the water.

The setup wasn’t fancy.

Just effective.

And once the fish started biting, they absolutely crushed it.

These weren’t soft little walleye taps either.

The fish were inhaling the swimbaits completely.

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Then Chaos Broke Loose Beside the Boat

One moment the retrieve felt ordinary.

The next moment a heavy fish surged sideways through the shallow bay.

“Get the net!”

Suddenly everyone was scrambling as a big Cold Lake walleye bulldogged beside the boat. Water splashed, the fish surged again, and for a few seconds it felt like the whole trip balanced on a single hook hold.

Then finally…

Success.

A thick, beautiful keeper walleye slid into the net.

After days of grinding, the pattern was finally working.

And once confidence kicks in while fishing, everything changes.

The next fish came shortly after.

Another solid Cold Lake walleye that absolutely inhaled the swimbait.

That’s when the day shifted from frustrating to unforgettable.

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The Pike Were Everywhere

While targeting walleye, the shallow bays suddenly exploded with aggressive northern pike activity.

In just two and a half feet of water, fish were smashing spoons and chasing lures right beside the boat.

Some hits came so close you could see the wake charging behind the lure before the strike happened.

Every cast felt dangerous.

Every retrieve felt like something could explode out of the weeds at any second.

Using spoons high above the vegetation triggered nonstop follows and reaction strikes. Smaller pike were everywhere, but larger fish kept appearing behind them like underwater shadows.

Cold Lake might frustrate walleye anglers, but its pike fishery is absolutely alive.

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Why Cold Lake Is So Addicting

Cold Lake is the kind of place that refuses to fit neatly into expectations.

It’s not the easiest lake.

Not the most consistent.

Not even the best walleye destination in the province.

But when things finally come together, the experience feels bigger than just catching fish.

The shallow water explosions.

The follows beside the boat.

The sudden chaos after hours of silence.

That unpredictability is what makes Cold Lake different.

And honestly, that’s what keeps anglers coming back even after difficult days on the water.

Because the fish never feel guaranteed.

They feel earned.

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Cold Lake Fishing Tips From This Trip

What Worked Best:

• Northland and Big Hammer swimbaits
• Minnow tail tipped plastics
• Slow jigging presentations near bottom
• Shallow bays with emerging weeds
• Faster spoon retrieves above vegetation

Best Species During This Trip:

• Walleye
• Northern Pike
• Lake Trout opportunities nearby

Best Conditions:

• Spring shallow-water feeding activity
• Active fish in 2 to 5 feet of water
• Areas with weed growth and baitfish presence
  
  

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Final Thoughts

Cold Lake may never become Alberta’s easiest walleye fishery.

But maybe that’s exactly why the fish matter more when you finally catch them.

The strikes feel harder.

The victories feel bigger.

And the memories last longer than easy fishing ever does.

That’s Cold Lake.

Ice Fishing Tactics Best Jigs and Lures

BACK TO ICE TACTICS... WHAT JIG or LURE???? This is a vast topic otherwise I wouldn't have tackle cases loaded with lures. But after years of fishing all sorts of lures there are two I most consistently go to through the ice! In this topic we will cover the Tungsten JIG!

If you are new to fishing and see the price tag attached to tungsten it may make you shy away and go for a cheaper lead jig. Understandable and I did it for many years. It wasn't until several years ago when I went fishing with @chriskindraka that I for once saw the AMAZING properties of TUNGSTEN.

Number ONE most panfish and even mini submarine sized trout are often filled with small aquatic insects. If you want to get things down to near natural size the Tungsten is your friend.

Number TWO usually a 1/32 or 1/52 jig is so small you can barely even feel it on the end of your line, rendering it very difficult to find bottom, jig or feel bites. Tungsten is quite a bit more dense than lead and always gives you a good thump on the end of your line no matter how tiny. You'll underestimate how shocking this is untill you actually have one on the end of your line.

Number THREE hundreds of colors to chose from but take it from me that more often than not the HOTTEST color seems to be CHARTREUSE. So if you want to dabble in Tungsten prior to becoming a HARDCORE FANATIC then pick up a few chartreuse. They have amazing visibility in low light and bright sun and for some reason fish seem to love it.

Number FOUR use bait! But use tiny pieces of bait! Shrimp, bugs, meal worms, maggots, worms. Whatever you use keep it small and keep the hook exposed. This is a FINESSE presentation so don't mess it up with a big gob of bait.

Lastly these can be jigged, deadsticked, and put under a flasher spoon. Super versatile and super fish catchers!!!

I hope you enjoyed that, follow me for more tips on ICE FISHING this season.

#tungsten #tungstenjigs #icefishing #icenation #howtoicefish #fishingbc #fishingtips @circle_tackle #gofishbc #fishingbc #troutfishing #rainbowtrout #trout #icejig #customjigs #customlures

ICE FISHING LINE!!!!! WHAT TO USE and HOW TO CHOOSE???

ICE FISHING LINE!!!!! WHAT TO USE and HOW TO CHOOSE??? People often ask me what type of line I use.

Most anglers underestimate the importance of the fishing line during ice season. This probably leads to more frustration and less productive days.

The number one mistake is over testing. This is a major factor and the colder it gets the more of an issue. For monofilament lines the heavier test you use the worse the memory will be in cold weather. The coiling memory in the line is more noticeable underwater, affects your jigging action and reduces your bite detection. Imagine fishing with a coil in between you and the fish absorbing all the shock. NO GOOD. SOLUTION: go lighter and fish 4 to 8 pound monofilament ice rated lines. I find these are much better and once you pass the 10 pound mark you will find the MEMORY becomes a significant issue. Use your drag more and line test less to manage your fish. Lighter lines also are less noticeable to pressured fish and provide a more natural active presentation that fish love.

What if you need a higher test line or fishing BIG FISH in Deeper water. Well then you may want to consider an ICE or other Braided Line like Power Pro. These should be combined with a fluorocarbon leader attached to the lure. They have no memory until absorbing water on cold days when the line freezes, no stretch and super sensitive. Super tough and won't break on the ice. I love braid to be honest especially lake trout fishing in deep water. WARNING: if you're spooling a metal spinning reel with braid tie the line on then wrap some electrical tape over the line, otherwise the whole spool of line will spin on the spool when cold. Very frustrating when you hook a big fish.

Fluorocarbon is not great for a mainline since it coils worse and is stiffer than mono. I do use it sometimes, but only go as high as 4 to 6 pound test. If you want to use anything else heavier then just use it as a leader. You can attach the line with a small swivel or a uni to uni knot!

I hope this helps you chose!

#fishingline #icefishing #icenation #howtoicefish #trout #troutfishing #howto #fishingline #powerpro #fluorocarbon #monofilament #ice

ICE FISHING EXTRA LINES - HOW TO CAPITALIZE

ICE FISHING EXTRA LINES!!!! Ok so here is the low down, unfortunately in BC you are only allowed one line through the ice and I wish they would change that to two. Around the rest of the icy North of America you are allowed a set line, extra lines through ice. So check your regulations and if you can use one then this post is for you!!!

Dead sticking is one of the oldest in the book. Just set up an extra rod and drop it down. Sometimes this "no action" bait will get all the action.

@jawjackerfishing has taken the dead stick to a whole new level by creating a loaded dead stick waiting to be triggered by a fish below. The trigger can be set super light or any range of tension you choose. Once the fish touches the bait the rod tip is released and the hook is set by the loaded rod. The fish can fight the rod while you run your butt over to reel it in.

Leveling up as pictured is the Jigging JawJacker! Now this rig basically fishes for you and will catch more fish than you! Don't feel to bad, happens to me all the time. There are three different wheels for different jigging actions. I've caught perch, trout, whitefish, kokanee, lake trout, pike and walleye on these. Excellent device.

Tip-up is a flat based device with a spool and a flag. Usually used with larger baits for pike. When the fish takes the bait the flag goes up and the fish can pull out the braided ice line. Run over and haul them in.

@ifishpro is another unit that turns your rod into a tip-up. Any rod becomes a tip-up and you get to set the hook and reel it in on your rod. So if you think the Jaw Jacker does to much then maybe this one is for you. Check out my pike videos using it. Pretty sweet how to video.

There are other things you can do like tieing line to a pop bottle or stick. I've seen all sorts of custom dead sticks so get creative. Most catch fish.

If you have any questions or suggestions for people let me know.

#icefishing #fishing #setline #deadstick #tipup #jawjackerfishing #jawjacker #ifishpro #eskimo #howtoicefish #howto #jiggingjawjacker #rainbowtrout #trout #troutfishing

How To Chose Ice Fishing Rod

ICE FISHING RODS 101... so you're new to ice fishing and you want to know what kind of rod to get. This has to be one of the most common questions I receive by message.

What are you fishing for??? Is my usual reply. You see just like the open water season these rods are made to meet the requirements for any fish you're after.

The first is weight - heavy, medium, light, ultralight and everywhere in between. Then there is length from short to almost as long as your summer rods.

So how do you choose?

Well consider the behavior and size of the fish. If they're smaller go light, larger go medium or huge go heavy. But for fish like trout, I still like a light or ultralight tip even if they are larger fish. The reason is they sometimes take the lure very light and a soft tip will help you detect bites. This can be the difference between catching fish and not even knowing you're having bites.

Length is impacted by your situation. In a shelter you may have to use shorter rods. Outdoors a longer rod will help you get a better Hookset and make it easier to stay pinned to the fish. A long rod will load up better giving you more ability to keep a constant pressure on the fish. A short rod you'll find it either doubled over or straight with every headshake.

So I think a decent practical rod length is in between 28" to 36". Once they start getting longer than that you'll need special carrying cases. Sure for big lake trout and pike guys are now using 40 to 50 inch rods. If that's your jam then you may want a longer rod as well.

I hope that has and if you want a flat ultralight tip rod with a solid backbone like the 29 inch rod pictured go check out the Alpha 029 rod by @circle_tackle.

#icefishing #icerod #ultralight #fishing #fishingrod #gofishbc #fishingbc #howto #fishingtips #icenation #howtoicefish #trout #troutfishing #brooktrout #rainbowtrout #circletackle #alpha029rod

ICE FISHING WITH SONAR

SONAR!!!! If you ICE FISH or getting into it then my 2nd most important recommendation to you is SONAR! There are hundreds of units to choose from in every shape and size imaginable from the castable @buydeeper Deeper Chirp all the way up to the @garminfishhunt Live Scope Ice Bundle. They vary by brand, price and a few other details, but all do some major things for you.

Number one is discovering depth and bottom contour, so you can map out the SPOT on a SPOT!

Next you can actually see if there are FISH below the ice where you have placed a hole, without being in a tent or on your belly pearing down the hole.

Thirdly and maybe most importantly a flasher SONAR will help you determine the mood of the fish. It allows you to instantaneously adjust the movement of your presentation to attract fish, keep fish in the area and trigger bites. It's basically like playing a video game in real life as you flick that lure and draw that big red mark in for a closer look.

People say, but thats cheating and what's the point? Well all I can say is if you want to revolutionize your ice fishing experience and catch magnitudes more fish than get a Sonar. You will not regret it! (Disclaimer: Unless you always fish in 5 feet of water or less you may not find it as useful)

#sonar #marcum #marcumtechnologies #garmin #livescope #chirp #flasher #iceducer #transducer #gofishbc #icefishing #icenation #howtoicefish #britishcolumbia #lowrance #humminbird #deeper #helix #vexilar #brookie #brookchar #BROOKTROUT #catchandrelease