Author: Don Lamont

 JIGGING UP JUMBOS “There’s some trout” I say, looking at the screen of the Helix beside me, seeing some trout looking arcs hovering above bottom. We had just settled over a hump rising from around 50 feet to just over 40, and on top of this little hump were what sure looked like lake trout. I hit the anchor mode on the Terrova, grabbed a rod and sent a jig into the depths.    LAKE NIPIGON IS A WORLD CLASS DRIVE TO FISHERY We were fishing the giant expanse of Lake Nipigon and had found an area that seemed to be holding trout, and…

 MANITOBA FISHING REPORT Big China is back on the water and producing videos. He, like many others have been discovering the great fishing on Lake Winnipeg this year.  Check out his latest adventure! https://youtu.be/RmeKtKQhEB8 LAKE MANITOBA A combination of predominant winds from the west and the south have allowed the water of this big lake to clear to about three feet. This has improved the fishing for walleye, perch and freshwater drum with some pike thrown in for good measure. Some big fish are being caught as well in eight to nine feet of water. Trolling with cranks is catching…

SOURIS RIVER FULL OF SURPRISES Having the Souris river so close, I often check it out regularly. It’s a great river for a multi species fishing, with carp, suckers and bullheads in residence. It’s great fun to change it up every once in a while, as it does hold the odd surprise Manitoba Master Angler. It’s a relatively shallow river, more so in the summer but I do like to target the river with small plastics and swimbaits for walleye. On a good day in either spring or fall it can be constant action and like all fishing it can…

Crappie have become one of the most popular game fish in Manitoba. There range has spread across the eastern half of the province with isolated pockets in southwestern Manitoba as well. Anglers have had tremendous success catching them through the ice and in the springtime when they move shallow to spawn. The question for many anglers is how do you catch them in the summertime? FIND THE EDGE When the crappies are done doing the spring spawn they move out to deeper water. The key to finding them is your ability to find edges that these fish will use. These…

PRIME TIME FOR BIG PIKE! As the water warms in June, and the weeds start to emerge, pike start to shake their post spawn doldrums and get on the move. Early in the season, a slow presentation is usually more effective. Right now fast and aggressive is better. In fact if I had to choose in June it would be a jerkbait or a spinnerbait! BIG WATER PRODUCES BIG FISH Some of the best to drive to locations in Saskatchewan include Last Mountain Lake, Lake Diefenbaker, and Tobin Lake. In Manitoba, Cross Bay on Cedar Lake is my favourite spot.…

CARP CRASH COURSE On the walk back from the water I often overhear anglers whispering amongst their group, “That guy was fly fishing,” as though I was a celebrity or perhaps an alien from an alternate dimension. I try to eavesdrop on the conversation that ensues. “What is that?” Someone else explains, “Fly fishing is when you float an insect or fly on top of the water” and gestures with flailing arms how to fly cast. Out of nowhere one of the anglers stops me “Hey, do you fish in British Columbia?” A little baffled, I respond, “Not often, I…

EARLY SEASON TROUT Stocked trout lakes remain fair game year long. Be it through the sheet of ice, or through the first pockets of water opening up as the ice rots away. For die hard fly fishers and trout-bums an April ice-off is the first remedy to the lingering cabin fever. This spring does not look too promising. As I am writing this, the cold April morning has once again brought with it a layer of fresh snow. Well, there is no better time to look through old photos and journal logs. The memories start to flood back, and that feeling of anticipation begins to mount…   MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS We crest the hill, and there is that familiar vista I’ve come to love. A small reed-lined bay to the left, a large island in the distance and a parking lot…

PART TWO OF OUR SOUTHERN ALBERTA FLY FISHING ADVENTURES It was cool and dry in the mountains when we arrived on July 11th, 2016 for our semi-annual fly fishing trip to the Crowsnest Pass region. Two years ago the streams and rivers in the region had been fairly high and fast. Totally different conditions greeted us that year and that was a good thing. Water conditions were relatively benign, with lower water levels and medium flow. In fact, when talking to Vic Bergman the first night, he said he was hoping for rain for the next couple of weeks in…

As we self isolate, time to tell some stories of trips gone by. Two of my all time favourites came two years apart in the same part of the world. My first trip was in 2014 with a group of friends. Two years later I went back and almost never made it home. What surprises me is that I didn’t include this trip in my new book. TRIP ONE The older I get the more I appreciate my time on the water. I started full time in the industry in 1982 and since that time I have seen my share…

THE EARLY DAYS! When I started in the fishing industry as a guide in 1982, we relied a lot on the use of bait to catch many of our fish species. For walleye, it was nightcrawlers, minnows and leeches. There were soft plastic baits available but the use of scent, impregnated in those lures, hadn’t happened yet. I used a lot of Mr Twister curly tail plastic and old classic double tail. Back in the day these were the go-to plastic, and since that time they have expanded their products considerably.The design of the curly tail started a revolution in…