Author: Don Lamont

After the worst winter in 116 years anglers in this part of the world in 2014 we are ready for it all to end so they can get out on the water. Do you want to hear the good news? With another late ice out, just like last year, the fishing should be just crazy when the season opens. All species will have to make up for lost time as the water finally warms. This was certainly the case last year on the two spring trips that I took. A number of lakes in southern Manitoba were still frozen when…

If you love to bass fish, chances are that love affair started with a topwater bait! I can personally recall numerous violent and awesome topwater strikes that happened more than a decade ago. Day dreaming of such events can often evoke goofy ear to ear grins, try not to do that at work, people will think you are weird. I have two go to topwater baits over the course of a fishing season: a Rockpile Lures popper, and a walking bait, something like a Heddon Zara Spook or Lucky Craft Sammy. I have a few general rules of thumb about…

The weeks following ice-out provide some of the best lake trout fishing of the season. Simple trolling tactics like long-lining and using planer boards are all that’s necessary to catch fish. Lake trout are a cold-water species, preferring water temperatures of less then 55-degrees. During the summer months they spend most of their time in cool, deep water, where it’s more challenging to target them. However, in the weeks following ice-out, water temperatures in the upper portion of the water column are within lake trout’s comfort zone. This creates a unique window of opportunity from an angling perspective. First, lake…

We decided to start by slowly trolling along the out flow of a muddy creek. The line between the brown river run off and Superior’s crystal clear flow was easy to follow. My son Devin Ellis, and myself, trolled #7 Rapala Shad Raps. At the front of the boat, Sandro Fragale cast a Mighty Mitch and Jungle Jig fly. I kept the boat moving relatively slowly and we cast the Shad Raps out behind the boat. Sandro started working the river mouth , swimming a black headed bucktail slowly back to the boat. Then he loaded the rod but his…

Stay late and get Big Fish!With the ice fishing season winding down in the southern part of the province, many anglers are making arrangements to try the variety of ice fishing opportunities in the northern part of Manitoba. One thing I would suggest is to stay late. At this time of the year you will catch the biggest walleye at first or last light if you are fishing clear or water that has any kind of clarity. It doesn’t matter if it is a reservoir or a medium sized lake, it pays huge dividends to fish until a half hour after…

Russ with a nice one!Pike fishing gets really exciting in this part of the world in March and for those of you further up north April as well. In Manitoba, northern pike are one of the most sought after trophy fish for anglers from all over the world. Most prefer to try for them in open water but if you want a really big fish, last ice can be the ticket. On this particular day we were fishing a large reservoir with extensive mud flats which averaged about two metres in depth. After we arrived at the spot we…

There are only two things that have made this relentless  winter bearable: NHL Hockey and Ice Fishing. Although the latter isn’t my first choice in pursuit of my favourite fish species, and I would much rather be targeting largemouths donning my favourite pair of flip flops; one needs to maintain his sanity. Chances are if you’re an avid fisherman, you at least spend a portion of y our winter on the ice. It may not be your first choice, but without ice fishing I know I would probably either turn into a snowbird or have a significant mental breakdown. As…

When the topic of ice fishing for pike comes up it’s hard not to think of late season fishing with tip-ups and dead bait in shallow water spawning areas. All for good reason, too. It’s a proven tactic for catching big pike. But what about the rest of the winter, before big pike head to the shallows? In my experiences, big pike spend much of the winter hunting in the same areas and depths that walleye do. In fact, every winter some of the biggest pike I see are caught on walleye gear while jigging for ‘eyes. GEARED UP My…

The Pelican Lake Healthy Water & Fish Committeecould not believe the number of anglers that turned out to their event, with 263 adult anglers and 42 junior anglers come out to fish. The horn to signal the start of fishing blasted at 10:00 AM and the finish horn sounded at 2:00 PM. During the 4 hours of fishing, they measured 414 fish in total; 57 Walleye, 122 Northern Pike, and 235 Perch. According to chair Trevor Maguire the higher than expected revenue brought in should allow them to double the size of the current aeration field located in the northern basin for next…

Pelican Lake, in southwestern Manitoba used to be a Mecca for ice anglers from Manitoba and the northern United States. Jumbo perch were in abundance along with the occasional walleye and pike thrown in for good measure.PK PredtorThen around 2005 the lake started to winter kill on a regular basis and all that changed. Residents were concerned about their lake and for years have been trying to figure out the best way to help the lake back to health. A number of different groups were formed over the years with mixed results. Lately though the lake has staged a comeback…