Author: Don Lamont

As the year draws to a close, time to reflect on the effect the pandemic had on the Outdoor Community. I can remember being at the Winnipeg Boat Show in early March when things really started to get serious. I was in a booth selling copies of my book, The Complete Angler, 40 years of Angling Adventures. As I autographed books, shook hands, and met hundreds of people, there was a bit of concern in the back of my mind. Little did I know what would happen shortly thereafter. Suddenly the world came to a screeching halt. For two months…

This is the holiday edition of our bi-weekly fishing report. I would like to thank all our contributors for their support over the course of this crazy year. Without your input and dedication none of this would be happen. As Wes David states in his report below, the outdoor community is a tight-knit community that wants to inform, educate and look after our resource. It is so much better when we can see each other in person to share ideas and stories. We look forward to 2021 and better times ahead with our friends and family and many more adventures…

HOT OF THE PRESS.  THE FISH OF A LIFETIME! Regular Hooked contributor Dave Shmyr is a top notch angler both on the ice and open water. He has been out in Central Alberta chasing stocked trout. He just informed us that he landed his personal best rainbow trout. Here is a the beast. It measured 29.75 inches and weighed in at 11.76 pounds! Dave caught it using a small hook and nightcrawler. Congrats Dave on this magnificent catch! See Dave’s update at the end of this report. MANITOBA Lake Manitoba is producing some nice walleye but anglers are working hard…

Dr. Vince Crichton, known in this part of the world has Doc Moose died December 3rd. He was well respected for the work he did to try and save moose populations in this part of the world. In 1982, Dr. Crichton, in his role at the Wildlife Branch, helped implement conservation measures to protect the estimated 30,000 moose remaining in Manitoba. GIANTS OF THE BOREAL FOREST Now, there are maybe 15,000 moose remaining in Manitoba. Despite numerous setbacks Doc Moose kept advocating for the rights of this majestic animal, hoping for the best. Friend John Toone Jr. worked with Dr.…

IN THE WILDS Hunting can take a lot out of you. It can also light a fire in you. Not that feeling of being some sort of big man because you killed a wild animal. Or that satisfaction after a feed of fresh meat. More like a nagging sense of ambition to keep body and mind at the ready for the next hunt and the next. In the thick of it, this pursuit can be all things fun and miserable. Eight days uncivilized is how to raise your game. Rain delayed, yet we setup camp in the sunshine and daylight.…

Long time friend and sportfishing icon Ron Lindner has died. I first meet Ron at the first Professional Walleye Trail event ever held in 1989 at Mille Lacs, Minnesota. During the years that followed our paths crossed many times, especially at the Kenora Bass International. Ron loved to come and fish up in Canada. He would call me on occasion to talk about the industry and ideas about cross promotion. Lindner passed away on Monday at the age of 86. Lindner is survived by his wife of 66 years, Dolores, and their seven children and numerous grandchildren. Ron was born…

ICE FISHING HEATING UP! MANITOBA Stocked trout and big fish has been the story of the last two weeks. There have been absolute brutes caught including this 28.5 inch rainbow caught by Jason Jones of Saskatchewan. He was fishing Beautiful Lake in the Duck Mountains when he landed this beauty! In the open water season he also landed the new Manitoba record brown trout out of Laurie Lake. It measured 31.5 inches. Congrats Jason. Regular contributors Roger and Sue Gere have been busy catching stocked trout and Roger found time to get his buck. Sue once again had the big…

ICE IS FORMING…FISH ARE BITING! Get the vehicle loaded for some of the best ice fishing of the year. In Manitoba we have over 100 lakes, ponds and streams stocked with trout! And quite a few of those grow fish to mammoth proportions. East Blue Lake for years has held the Manitoba record with rainbow trout over 30 inches in length. Over 40 years as a professional angler I have been fortunate enough to fish most of the lakes that have become folklore in this province. EARLY ICE SUCCESS At this time of the year, when the ice has just…

TRANSITION TIME As the weather turns colder this week, anglers in this part of the world are gearing up for another ice fishing season. Many will be relatively new to the sport as we look for ways to be outside. What could be better isolation than on a frozen body of water in the middle of nowhere? MANITOBA In this pandemic time, information on where to go and how to do things properly are on top of mind. Ryan Suffron, who is charge of outdoor product marketing for Travel Manitoba, commissioned prolific vlogger and film maker Jay Siemens to produce…

EFFICIENCY ON ICE If you have ever been on Lake Winnipeg at the height of the ice fishing season, you would be shocked to see the number of UTV’s (a.k.a. side-by-sides). These are the most popular form of on-ice travel in the upper Midwest U.S marketplace. While not quite as popular in Canada, they are quickly attracting more customers to the ice market because of their versatility. Since we have a whole new market of anglers this year that will want to try out ice fishing or spend more time doing this outdoor activity I decided to talk about different…