MANITOBA
Expect some October weather for the rest of the month so get out your warm clothes. The good news is that the fishing should pick up for many species. The walleye bite on the Red River has been sporadic with just a few big fish being caught. One of the best was this beast caught by Ezra Warkentin the first week of October. It was just short of 30 inches.
That is one beautiful walleye and Ezra took advantage of the night bite. Congrats!
Still with the Red River, there have been a lot of incidental catches of Lake Sturgeon this fall. Check out this beast caught by Eduardo Aliniz. The catfish are still on the hunt as well and supply more action that the walleye right now.
Stocked trout are still active and lots of anglers are still shore fishing our western rivers. Silver bass have been bending a lot of rods including some big catches on the Assiniboine River. Trevor Bogue Scott registered this Master Angler fish.
For those of you interested in a fall crappie adventure check out the feature story Hooked Contributor Nathan Blank wrote on the Whiteshell. He outlines the fishing on Caddy as well as South and North Cross lakes.
How three connected Whiteshell lakes create one of Manitoba’s most unique crappie fisheries.
The Route
The journey into North Cross is half the fun. You launch into Caddy Lake and make the run across its open water before lining up with the first rock tunnel — a narrow, cave-like passage carved right through the rock wall. Glide through and you’re in South Cross, a relatively narrow, weed-filled lake that feels completely different from Caddy’s open depths. At the far north end waits a second tunnel, darker and just as rugged, and once you ease through, you spill into North Cross. Here the landscape shifts again, with deeper basins, pockets of structure, and fewer boats. Each lake in the chain has its own character, and that contrast makes the final arrival into North Cross feel like you’ve discovered something hidden — the perfect backdrop for a fall crappie trip.
Check the rest of the story on this website.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
It continues to be a great year for Jeff Gustafson on the tournament trail. Jeff and his partner Ben were on the English River system competing in a bass tournament put on by the Whitedog First Nation. They took home first place and won the belts!
It has become an annual event for us and we really look forward to getting to spend a few days up there every year. We’re fishing remote water, with minimal mapping, limited cell service and amazing fishing. I love the adventure out there every day!We have a good crew and rent a cabin in Minaki (about 30 minutes away) for the weekend. Hopefully we can get some more anglers to get up there and experience what a place it is! I’m happy to help share how to get around and mark some hazards if you’re headed up for the first time. We caught several five pound smallmouths this week, what a place!
Thank you to Rollie for putting on a good event! Already can’t wait for next year!
SASKATCHEWAN
My wife and I ventured to T&D Amisk Camp last fall and had a great time. This time Jesse and Jordan put together a video for Fish Hunt Saskatchewan on there trip last fall.
2026 VANITY CUP CHAMPIONS –
DANA LUTZ of Fort Peck, Montana & JUSTIN KREIGER of Williston, North Dakota put together a two day total of 52.69 pounds for ten fish that earned them the the biggest prize in the history of the tournament!
Congratulations on your $150,000 cheque and other awards!
ALBERTA – WES DAVID-FISHING THE WILD WEST TV
The fair-weather fishing season is coming to a close.
Cooler temperatures, shorter days, leaves changing colour, and the fact that I just finished raking leaves off the lawn indicate that the fall season has arrived. With the changing of the season comes the fall feeding frenzy, one of my favourite fishing seasons. However, I have been receiving a lot of messages asking if the boat docks are still in at a variety of lakes and reservoirs.
I can’t speak for all lakes and reservoirs, but historically, across the western provinces, docks and marinas begin coming out after the September long weekend. I can almost guarantee that all docks and marinas will be removed after the Thanksgiving weekend. Anglers can still use the boat launches, but dock systems will no longer be in the water. Keep this in mind as you plan your Thanksgiving weekend or remaining fall fishing trips.
If you are planning to take your boat to a marine dealer to be winterized, be sure to call ahead and book an appointment. Marine dealers are very busy at this time of the year. I was at Bass Pro Shops & Tracker Marine this past Monday, and the Tracker Marine boat parking lot was packed full of boats waiting to be winterized. The Tracker Marine manager said they are booking a month out for winterization. Anglers have a lot on their minds at this time of the year. Getting in one last fishing trip to take advantage of the fall feeding frenzy in between hunting trips can often be a challenge!
Anglers tip
Stocked trout ponds are often overlooked at this time of year and well until freeze-up. Even stocked trout know tougher living conditions are ahead, and they prepare by feeding aggressively to prepare for winter beneath the ice. October and November can often offer some of the best shoreline trout fishing of the year.
Good luck on your fall hunting and fishing trips. Wes David. Host and Producer of Fishing the Wild West TV
