MANITOBA
Rain and unstable weather continues to be the story in this province. There has been a lot of overland flooding caused by large amounts of rainfall. This has raised water flows in creeks and rivers and affected water clarity in a many of our fisheries. The good news is that has reduced our forest fire risk and the fish are still biting.
One of those fast flowing tributaries, the Fairford River in the Manitoba Interlake is producing some Master Angler Freshwater Drum. Check out this 28 inch brute caught recently from shore.
There have been some massive drum caught this past month including another huge fish caught in the Whitemud River by Brinna Tough, a friend of Hooked Contributor Sarah Henuset.
In fact Brinna and Sarah caught several Master Angler fish recently from shore including huge common carp.
This has been a great year to fish from shore with the fast water flows attracting fish. Here are some pointers on making your next trip more successful.
Shore fishing is one of the most basic and primitive activities, yet somehow it continues to evolve. Technologies advance, new lures and gear hit the market and more people young and old get exposed to the sport. While location, temperature, seasonal patterns and prey preferences all play a part in a successful day on the water’s edge, there are plenty of essentials vital to the health and safety of the fish you target and to you success.
Reliable Rod and Reel
Rods and reels used for shore fishing often take a bit more of a beating than those that live on boats and for that reason the cheapest and most expensive gear should be avoided. There are plenty of durable and reliable set ups along a medium price range that can stand the test of time and the wear and tear of shore fishing. Different species and scenarios may call for different rod and reel combinations. Obviously a much stronger rod would be needed for catfish or carp over walleye and bass likewise a more sensitive rod tip for pitching jigs than bottom fishing. Take some time when shopping for your ideal set up and note what species and techniques you plan to employ with it.
A Quality Net
The health and safety of each fish caught with the intention of release should be paramount and a good quality net can aid in that process. Use a large diameter rubber mesh net as it has the space for any fish you may come across big or small and allows me to keep the fish in the water while unhooking it with low risk of escape. Keeping the fish in the water while preparing for measurement and/or pictures as opposed to flopping around on shore contributes to a higher chance of fish survival and nicer looking pictures.
Landing Mat
The protective slime coating on a fish serves many purposes and if one needs measurements or pictures of a trophy catch, a landing mat is a good thing to have along. A small tarp or foam rubber mat can be used as a barrier between the ground and the fish, preventing damage to the fish from the shoreline substrate. Dump a bit of water on the landing mat before measuring the fish (limiting slime transfer) and it is usually no worse for wear.
Release Tools
Whatever the target species, it is important to have along adequate release tools. Pliers of all shapes and sizes can come in handy (I usually have a long-nosed pair and a smaller version), along with f orceps and, if targeting toothy critters, wire cutters, lip-grips and jaw spreaders. All tools should be in a convenient and easily accessible spot to minimize time out of water for the fish. Enjoy your time outside and bring a friend!
Hecla Hammer Time! Sarah Henuset
Hecla is currently putting a hammer down on giant walleye. This past week, I made my very first trip to Hecla with my husband Stuart, and our friend Richard, who travelled all the way from Oklahoma to experience Manitoba’s world class walleye fishing. It definitely didn’t take us long to see why Hecla has become one of Manitoba’s premier destinations for trophy fish.
Coincidentally, I ran into the family I guided for the KidFish derby over the past couple years: Fredy, Rowena, Marek and Mirko, from Steinbach, Manitoba. Marek had placed top five out of more than 1,300 participants and had won a guided trip with Dalton from Cooks Outfitting. We decided to follow their boat and spend the day fishing together, and what a day it turned out to be! Because of the great company, nonstop action, and giant walleye we were landing, it was an experience none of us would forget.
The best part of the trip came when Fredy caught his very first Master Angler walleye, measuring 28.5”!! Everyone was still on cloud nine when just five minutes later, Marek hooked into his first master angler walleye. Not only was it big, but it was a 31.5” giant!! Joining the 30” club is something us adult anglers spend years dreaming about, and Marek accomplished it at a young age.
If you’re looking to hook into some giant walleye, now is the perfect time of year. If you don’t have a boat, there are plenty of options. Cooks Outfitting offers fully guided trips and has rooms blocked off at Lakeview Hecla Resort, making it easy to plan your next adventure.
I can definitely see why people make the journey to Hecla. It was easily one of the best days of walleye fishing I had ever experienced. But as incredible as the fishing was, watching the excitement and pure joy of the Hiebert family land so many giant walleye made the day even more memorable. The smiles, excitement, and memories created that day are what fishing is all about, and I’m grateful I was there to be a part of it.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Early June is a favourite time of year for friend Paul Conchatre and myself to head for a day fishing on Lake of the Woods, Ontario. The amount of available water to fish is mind boggling but we try and limit ourselves to one section of the lake. On this particular day we were on a mission to catch a trophy northern pike. While LOW is famed for its great musky fishery there are plenty of big northern pike to be found.
Paul and I started fishing at the mouth of a small tributary dumping in warmer water to a section of the lake. Water temperatures were in the upper 50’s Fahrenheit and there was some emerging cabbage weed on the section we decided to fish. Joining us for the first part of the morning were a pair of loons. These two loons seemed fascinated by the lures we were throwing and decided to swim around and under the boat to see what was going on. Then all hell broke loose when I hooked a huge pike. This fish was being chased by the two curious underwater observers and believe you me that made this massive fish fight even harder. Luckily it was way to big for these to consider attacking. We finally got the fish in the boat unscathed and after a quick measure and photo, it was back in the water. This pike measured out at 43 inches and was one of the heaviest pike I have ever lifted in my career.
I did manage to catch one more trophy pike on this fine June day, all on the same lure, a white boot tail shad made my Berkley. I have had great success over the years fishing minnow baits for pike and this day was no different. What was even more ironic when I read my friend and Hooked Contributor Jeff Gustafson’s summer submission for Hooked it was all about using minnow baits for big pike. The summer issue will be out the beginning of July so make sure you subscribe to read all the great content it provides.
In the afternoon Paul and I decided to check out the smallmouth bite. We did find them shallow, most in less than 10 feet of water on a combination of rock and sand. Ned Rigs were the ticket,
SASKATCHEWAN
While temperatures remain cool across the province, the fishing is heating up. Some of the best walleye lakes in this part of the world have certain criteria. I would argue that Last Mountain Lake might be the best trophy walleye lake in Canada right now. Friend Rob Schulz recently held a Take A Young Person Fishing at G&S Marina. One of the young anglers caught four walleye over 30 inches! That is the kind of fishery this natural lake has turned into. Smart management and a great forage base has just made this fishery better and better.
Back in my television show days I had Rob Schulz on my show several times catching big walleye and carp. I also fished the Last Mountain Walleye Classic for several years so I love this fishery. Right now is a great time to visit as the walleye are out of their post spawn doldrums and on the sand flats chowing down. Drifting with a bottom bouncer and spinner combo with a crawler or leech is tough to beat. Just adjust depth to wind and sun conditions and once you find the right depth stay on it to until the bite slows. Rob is on the water guiding for ten days in a row but he has lots of other good guides there to get you on the fish of a lifetime. See there ad on this website.
ALBERTA – WES DAVID, FISHING THE WILD WEST TV
Lac La Biche is one of my favourite Alberta walleye lakes to fish in the spring. However, this year, as we were launching the boat, we talked with a few local anglers at the boat launch, who mentioned more than once that the ice came off Lac La Biche Lake extremely late this spring, and they said the walleye bite was a little off. With the information provided, as we went to our starting point, we expect a slow bite.
Lac La Biche is well known as a quality walleye fishery, but you have to be where the fish are. We started bottom-bouncing PK Reeff Rigs baited with frozen minnows and Liquid Mayhem Jurk Minnows in 14 feet of water, less than 100 yards from the shoreline. We were zig-zagging on/off structure and in and out of 10 to 14 feet of water. We caught and released two quality walleye in nine feet of water and decided to move into shallower water. We also decided to slow our presentation down and tied on a 1/4oz jig (colour didn’t seem to matter) baited with a frozen minnow or Liquid Mayhem Jurk Minnow.
We hit spot-lock on the trolling motor in 10 feet of water and cast into six and seven feet of water. We would let the bait hit the bottom, then reel up the slack line, then slowly make short sweeps, bringing the jig back to the boat, reeling up the slack line at the end of each sweep. Painfully slow was key. It was important to feel every little bump on the bottom. When the bottom felt different, or there was a little weight on the line. Set the hook. Once the jig was at the boat, it was important to leave your presentation hanging vertically about an inch off the bottom for two or three minutes. Several walleye would follow your bait in, but not commit until it was completely stationary.
We lost count of how many walleye we caught and released with this painfully slow presentation, and we even picked up a few quality northern pike.
