MANITOBA
It is that time of the year. With the warm weather still with us, it might not seem like fall but the leaves are just starting to turn and the birds are migrating. As the night start to cool fish will start feeding for longer periods of time and it won’t be long before some of the best fishing of the year is upon us.
There was a wide variety of Master Angler fish caught in the last couple of weeks including a massive carp caught in the Assiniboine River near Portage la Prairie. Hard core angler Trent McGorman caught this beast that measured just over 31 inches!
I love catching big carp as they are one of the hardest fighting fish that swims. A totally underutilized fishery but one anyone can access in most of our rivers in the south part of the province.
Speaking of hard fighting fish never mind the incredible freshwater drum fishery we have in Manitoba. Lake Manitoba is a mecca for huge drum. Check out this beauty caught from the Fairford River.
Later summer and early fall also brings a pretty good run of goldeye and mooneye in our rivers as well. Check out this beauty caught in Nutimik Lake by Robert Wichers.
A bit further north friend Brock Koutecky snuck into Black Beaver Lake in the Duck Mountains and laid a licking on a few stocked rainbows.
The funny part is that Brock was probably responsible for stocking those fish. He has worked for the Swan Valley Sport Fishing Enhancement Group for years and has helped with the great work they do in that part of the world.
One of my favourite fisheries in this part of the world is the Winnipeg River, especially in the Lac du Bonnet region. The pike in this section of the river get really large as they feed on ciscoes, tullibees and mooneye. Jay Siemens recently spent some time there for Hunt/Fish MB. Watch the video and see what I am talking about!
Finally, the report from this part of the world would not be complete without a shot of a big walleye. This one is courtesy of Rodney Carberry and it comes from Lake of the Prairies.
SASKATCHEWAN
Saskatchewan Lodge Report-Wes David
Northern Saskatchewan has received some much-needed rain during the last three weeks, which has helped with the northern fires and the remaining hot spots. I spent four days fishing at Stockman’s Lodge, on Cuelenaere Lake, in beautiful northern Saskatchewan, and the northern pike fishing was on fire.
Stockman’s Lodge is located 120 miles north of La Ronge, Saskatchewan, and is well known for its incredible lake trout fishing. We did spend some time targeting lake trout. However, our focus was on the monster northern pike that swim within the depths of Cuelenaere Lake and the outpost lakes that Stockman’s Lodge is famous for.
Northern pike of all sizes were found in bays ranging from eight to 13 feet of water. However, the most productive bays, which also produced the largest pike, were in the shallow bays that supported large weed growth, often referred to as cabbage. Working the weed beds thoroughly with a #2 Len Thompson Lure (Brass & Flame). If the weeds were to think and weed-hangup was an issue, we would change out the treble-hook with a single hook so the lure could work its way through the vegetation more easily. Pike would come out of hiding and aggressively hit the lure. We used 50lb PE x 8 Sunline Braid to not only handle the big pike but also cut through the thick vegetation during the fight.
Stockman’s Lodge caters to small groups with a maximum of 12 guests at the lodge. Six to 10 guests are common. Making Stockman’s Lodge friendly and personable. The lake trout, northern pike, and walleye fishing will take care of itself. However, the food accommodations and friendly camaraderie are very tough to beat. www.stockmanslodge.com
Wes David. Host and Producer of Fishing the Wild West TV