MANITOBA
Cooler nights remind us that fall is on the way. It is also a huge trigger to almost all species of fish to head to the shallows. These include two of our most popular game fish, walleye and pike. When I guided at Eagle Nest Lodge on the Winnipeg River in my early days I was taught a valuable lesson by a group of guests from Oklahoma.
Each morning they would head out early to fish for pike in bays off the main lake, looking for deep cabbage beds. Here they would work buzzbaits and spinnerbaits over the weed tops. They knew that those big pike would move into these areas overnight and be aggressively feeding. Some of the largest pike all year were caught at this time of year and it is a lesson I have taken with me all my fishing career. While I have added large swimbaits to my pike arsenal there is nothing quite exciting has having a 40 inch plus pike smash your top water lure.
Up in our northern reaches that action has already started. Check out this beast caught my Cash Coleman at Simonhouse Lake in northern Manitoba.
One of the more more interesting catches that were recorded on the Manitoba Master Angler site in the last two weeks was a white bass caught in the Fisher River by Nick Gauthier.
When I first started in the industry in the early 80’s white bass use to be a favourite game fish for myself and a number of anglers who would journey to Pine Falls. During June and then in early fall it was not unusual to catch a 100 in a day. In fact in 1991 I did a Complete Angler t.v. show with Randy Carlye and his son there. It was late June and the white bass were on the shallow rock reefs spawning. There were also lots off the current breaks and we would catch them throw crankbaits, sometimes hooking two at a time. Those days are long gone unfortunately and biologists that I have talked to have no idea why they all but disappeared from Lake Winnipeg.
One species that is still going strong are the channel catfish. It has been a good year once again for anglers targeting these hard fighting cats. Now is a good time to head to Lockport and try your luck and wrestling with these brutes.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Many anglers in this part of the world are starting to gear up for the fall muskie season. Glenn McDonald who guides out of Vermillion Bay, is one of the top experts in the pursuit of these apex predators. Glenn wrote many articles for Hooked over the years and one of my favourites in the one he wrote on getting ready for the fall season.
Check out the link below to find out more.
https://www.hookedmagazine.ca/preparing-for-cold-weather-musky/
SASKATCHEWAN
As I write this fishing report I have started packing for my trip to Last Mountain Lake north of Regina. Rob and Donna Schulz are hosting the industry gathering that Wes David organizes every year. Last fall we were up enjoying the hospitality of Cindy and Nick Ouellet at T&D Amisk Camps. This time we are heading to enjoy three different species.
While the walleye is king there, pike and carp provide great alternatives. One of my favourite Complete Angler episodes of all time was the carp show I did with Rob. I was lucky enough to have a 13 foot carp rod especially made for this adventure and it is packed once again.
ALBERTA – Wes David, Host and Producer of Fishing the Wild West TV
The cutthroat trout west of the Oldman River Dam are more than willing to hit a fly. However, they are picky and fly anglers will definitely have to match the hatch.
We spent two days fishing the Oldman River system with Top Notch Flys & Guiding Service. I have never claimed to be a fly fisherman. I can cast my fly well enough to get my fly in the right area. However, I rely on more experienced fly-fishemen to point me in the right direction of what flies I should be casting.
On the river, we fished deep holes where the cutthroat would rest in deep water or behind big rocks where the trout were holding out of the mid-river current. We would also cast to the edges and seams of fast-moving water. Many of these areas produced cutthroat and the odd Rocky Mountain whitefish. As for the flies we were casting, I followed Bryce, the owner of Top Notch Flys & Guiding Service, advice. During the mornings, we would tie on a small misketo imitation fly, which would produce a few trout. However, during the day, as the sun came over the mountains, raising the ambient temperature and sunlight pierced the river water, we would tie on imitation mayflies or whatever seemed to be hatching at the time. Cutthroat trout were the most active during midday.
Bear spray is a must when fishing in the mountains, and have it at the ready, not stuffed in your backpack. We didn’t have any bear trouble. We didn’t even see a bear, and I was ok with that. However, a young bighorn ram followed us around most of the day, and he didn’t seem to be shy. Several times, he came within 20 meters of us and just stood and watched us fish. The young ram wasn’t worried about bears. He knew he could outrun us.
