Author: Don Lamont

It had been a few years since I had hooked up the boat to try some summertime walleye on Lake of the Woods. If past experience could be counted on, I figured the chances were pretty good that the fishing would be good. As it turned out it would be hard to imagine that the fishing could get any better. Yes, it is summer time and the fish are hungry, ready to make up for a cool spring. Walleyes have moved out to main lake basin areas, and on this day we found them in a number of different locales…

After arriving home to Winnipeg from that memorable trip to Gunisao Lake, I got a call from friend Jim Price. He had made arrangements for us to get into Crowduck Lake on Sunday. I am not sure that my walleye jigging arm could handle any more fish but I was sure prepared to try.After leaving my house in Winnipeg for the two hour drive to the pickup point at Big Whiteshell Lake, memories of master angler walleye danced in my head. It was in 1995 that I filmed a show in Crowduck for “The Complete Angler” television series with Mitch…

I couldn’t imagine a week that could be any better for a hardcore walleye angler. First on the fishing agenda was a three day trip to Budd’s Gunisao Lake Lodge. Budd’s registers about a thousand master angler walleye each year. That was to be followed by a one day adventure to Crowduck Lake in the Whiteshell Provincial Park. Crowduck Lake has long been famous for its 100 to 200 walleye days per boat. Wow, are you ready to catch some fish! I had been dreaming for years to return to Gunisao Lake in east central Manitoba, world renowned as the…

It was the second time I got a chance to fish with Mike Asher, an angler Canadian television fishing show host Dave Mercer called the best muskie and pike guide in Canada. On both early spring trips we were faced with conditions anglers hate, cold fronts with drops in surface water temperatures that turn fish off. Surprise, both times we had days that most anglers would talk about for years. On this most recent trip a week and a half ago, we were fishing Lake of the Woods, the second week in May. Last year, it was on Shoal Lake,…

As a professional angler, one of the questions I get asked most often is what kind of filleting knife would I recommend. Well, I was lucky enough some fifteen years ago to get a Cutco filleting knife as a present. I had donated a day of my time to take a young angler with cancer fishing. His family was so grateful that they gave me the Fisherman’s Solution. With the extendable stainless steel blade; pivoting sheath that doubles as a gripper; built-in, notched line cutter and sharpening stone, this knife has been the answer to my filleting needs for a…

Five o’clock in the morning couldn’t come soon enough this past weekend. Three hours later the sun was burning down from a cloudless sky as we pulled up next to a large island on Shoal Lake, Ontario. In this particular area, two other groups of ice anglers had arrived before us, so we headed to area between the two groups. Darrin Bohonis quickly drilled a hole to find a depth with me right behind with the Humminbird Ice 55 to check depth. “We need forty five feet of water Darren!”. Lo and behold as the depthfinder powered up, 46.5 registered…

Huge chunks of ice littered the shoreline and dock at Balsam Harbour as we ventured down Road 100 on the east shore of Lake Winnipeg this past Thursday, March 24th.. As friend Pete Hiebert eased his truck on plowed road on the north side of the dock, water surged over the gunnels. This was big truck 4×4 territory and on this day only his huge Nokian studded snow tires were to save us from a fate a number of other anglers were to face this day; a truck buried in a snow drift with a foot of slush underneath. Twice…

There are few better places in North America than Manitoba to ice fish for perch, for both quantity and size of perch and now is a great time to be out. Our huge shallow lakes hold endless schools of these tasty little morsels, and some of the smaller lakes especially in the southwestern part of the province have some real trophies.My favorite presentation, especially for aggressive perch is a small jigging spoon. Last trip out I used the new Slender Spoon in a silver prism colour from Reef Runner and it was very productive. A short lift and drop right…

Icing Lake Trout!As in most species, it pays to be mobile when trying to find active fish. It’s not unusual to try at least ten different areas in a full day on the hard water. Locations will change depending on time of year and the type of lake that you are fishing. On a crystal clear Canadian Shield Lake with plenty of deep water there are a number of different areas to try and variety always increases your chances of contacting active fish. I usually fish a medium sized Shield Lake that holds a decent population of lake trout and…

A shroud of ice fog enveloped the two vehicles in front of me, slowing progress on a early December morning.A brief coffee at the Tim Horton’s in Dauphin at 5:30 a.m. had been the rallying point for an ice fishing expedition that had us heading west on Highway # 5 towards Roblin. I was joining Chip Leer along with guide Don “Sticky” Stokotelny on a filming expedition that was to cover almost a week in this part of Manitoba. Chip wanted a shot at catching the tiger trout of Twin Lakes, a fish he never knew existed before this trip.…