Author: Don Lamont

Want to try your hand at ice fishing this year but need some answers?Many people I talk to over the course of year ask me what I do in the winter time. Ice fish of course, I tell them. Some give a look of amazement like that could possibly be fun!Not only is it fun but it is a recreational pursuit that anyone can afford. That would explain why over the last ten years this segment of the sport fishing industry has seen the largest growth. In fact, there is so much new equipment out there for the hard water…

Did you know that if you can get a young person to try fishing before he or she is eleven years of age the chances are pretty good they will do it for the rest of their lives. It’s no surprise then that Ryan Suffron turned a boyhood dream into reality. Ryan grew up in Alberta and had a father that loved to fly fish. He got his first fly rod when he was eight years old, accompanying his dad on many a fishing adventure. After moving to Manitoba, Ryan decided to guide up north at a couple of fly-in…

There is no substitute for spending time on the water, especially if you can work the same body of water for the same species. Accomplished anglers and guides can then pattern and increase success rates for both themselves and clients.On a recent trip to Tobin Lake for walleye I decided to head up with an open mind, a number of presentation options thought through and accounted for. I was also fishing with two other accomplished anglers, anglers who had thousands of hours on the water and who also liked to try different techniques that might improve success. Now Tobin is…

Todd MacCulloch is one big guy and he likes to fish! Recently I had the opportunity to take Todd out for a day fishing on Lake Winnipeg. Todd had spent his high school years in Winnipeg, starring as a basketball players and part time comedian (by his own admission) at Shaftesbury High School. You see Todd is no ordinary basketball player or individual for that matter. He is a legitimate seven footer and played in two NBA Finals! Before we get to that, lets back it up a bit. Todd grew up fishing as a young lad in Prince Albert…

Smallmouth bass have been a fall fascination of mine for years. Great sport on the end of the line, cold October days see these aggressive predators schooled up on deepwater structure chasing down anything that moves. One key point to consider when looking for areas that are holding fish at this time of year is that all spots are not created equal. On a medium sized lake like Falcon you might have most of the large bass in the lake in three small areas. This can make finding them somewhat of a chore but when you do, look out!One of…

Ever been caught on the water in the middle of a thunderstorm? It is not the most pleasant of experiences. In fact people in North America die every year when lighting strikes the boat while out on the water. I had a life and death experience while fishing a walleye tournament on Last Mountain Lake in Saskatchewan. It was the second day of the tournament and the forecast called for rain and wind but it seemed many of the contestants and tournament organziers were unaware that there was the possiblity of thunderstorms. Everything started okay in the morning with a…

Time to get out the float tube and fly rod, fall is officially here. It’s been three years since I visited some of my favourite trout lakes in the western part of the province, way too long. One of my top picks and probably the best place in Manitoba to catch a trophy brown trout is a small lake located north of Oakburn on Provincial road #577. Patterson Lake, is tucked down in a valley, surrounded by poplar, aspen and willows, making it a great destination for the float tuber, even when the wind is blowing. While both rainbow and…

When people ask me about a great drive to place for big pike I mention Cross Bay and portions of Cedar Lake. This fishery is located above the dam at Grand Rapids. The Grand Rapids Generating Station was built between the years of 1960 and 1968, and this huge structure was the first major hydro-electric project in northern Manitoba. Grand Rapids was the logical spot to put the dam because of a series of natural waterfalls along this stretch of river that formed a total drop of thirty five point six metres. Alexander Mackenzie, first traveled this route in July…

I am not sure why it is called Footprint Lake. Maybe if I was to see this body of water from the air, it would become clear. One thing I do know, is that this small lake is absolutely full of big, hungry rainbow trout. It was a crisp cloudy late August day when two friends and I drove into the boat launch area, just ten kilometres north of Grand Rapids off of Highway Number Six. Once again we had the lake to ourselves, with just a loon family and one real hungry cormorant for company. Hopefully, this greedy…

When friend John Toone and I headed down to Grand Forks a couple of weeks ago for an opportunity to fish a half day on the Red River we had no idea what to expect. Let’s face it, we have become spoiled with the world class catfishing we have here. What surprises could the river in this rebuilt community hold for a couple of prairie boys? Our first stop was Cabela’s to check out the fishing gear, then over to Whitey’s Café for a reception sponsored by this historic Grand Forks eatery. Rebuilt after the great flood of 1997 we…