FIRST ICE ADVENTURES ACROSS THE PRAIRIES
MANITOBA
Ice conditions are still very iffy across the southern half of the province, especially on larger lakes and reservoirs. Some of the smaller stocked trout lakes and ponds are fishable close to the shores. The Duck Mountains are always a good choice at this time of the year because of higher elevation and colder overnight temperatures.
Check out the Digital Edition of Hooked Magazine, covering tons of Manitoba Ice options!
DBFishing and his friend Brandon recently make the drive to Gull Lake in the Ducks for brookies, rainbows and splake!
Twin Lakes has been producing some Master Angler Tiger Trout.
The Cast and Conquer crew along with Jay Siemens and APBassing made the journey up north to Wekusko Lake Lodge. This time they are fishing for stocked rainbows!
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
While Gussy has been chasing Baramundi in Australia, friend Jamie Bruce has been staying closer to home around Kenora. He recently got out of his deer stand to test out some early ice brookies. Please wear your floater jacket next time my friend!
SASKATCHEWAN
Really warm temperatures in the southern half of the province impacted the making of ice dramatically. On Rafferty Reservoir there is six inches of ice closer to shore. However, it seems that’s were the walleye are right now. Ralph Smart of Prairie Pro Outfitters says friends of his went out at Main Prize Park for the last three hours of light recently and landed 20 walleye. That is the story for much of the south.
Up at Tobin Lake the ice is a little thicker but the bite has been sporadic. Right now most areas of the south and central part of the province need some colder nights to make decent ice. Might want to stick to getting some meat in the freezer of a bit yet!
ALBERTA – WES DAVID
There is not a lot of Alberta fishing to report on.
Alberta has experienced the warmest November that I have ever experienced in my lifetime and very little to no snowfall across central and southern Alberta. Temperatures drop throughout the night but increase from +4C to +14C during the day causing the ice on larger waterbodies to form much slower. Ice has formed on the small waterbodies but is still very thin on the larger waterbodies. Right now, extreme caution must be used on all waterbodies.
November is also Alberta’s prime month for hunting big game and most outdoorsmen and women are focused on filling their hunting tags. Also, with the mild November weather, there is no snow on the stubble fields, which means there is still an abundance of waterfowl around central and southern Alberta. November fishing has taken a backseat to the mild weather, lack of ice, and the hunting season. The anglers that are fishing are in the northern portion of the province or are focusing on the river systems and moving water.
Many people are excited to go ice-fishing but please keep safety in mind and remember to check the ice before you venture out.
BRITISH COLUMBIA – WES DAVID
Fraser River White Sturgeon
The Fraser River White Sturgeon is a keystone species within the province of British Columbia and at the top of its food chain. As an apex species, white sturgeon relies on a bounty of Fraser River aquatic life including salmon species, a variety of bait fish, insects, and chironomids. However, the white sturgeon is struggling and needs our continued help and support.
Since April 2000, the Fraser River Sturgeon Conservation Society (FRSCS) Monitoring and Assessment Program has relied on Fraser River guides and their clients and trained volunteers to tag sturgeon and collect sampling data. Each year, several thousand sturgeon are caught, measured, tagged, and released back into the Fraser River.
To date, there have also been several thousand re-captures of white sturgeon which have provided the FRSCS with incredible data such as growth, travel, seasonal patterns, spawning behaviour, and most importantly, the overall health of the Fraser River white sturgeon population.
My first experience catching, tagging, and releasing the Fraser River white sturgeon was in 2012 with BC Sportfishing Group, and I have been hooked (pardon the pun) ever since. Several guiding companies on the Fraser River are a part of the FRSCS tagging program. However, each year I book a trip with BC Sportfishing Group. Due to my 2023 schedule, the only month I was able to make it to the Fraser River was during February, and it was one of the best sturgeon fishing experiences of my life.
I don’t know if it was a welcome break from ice fishing, catching and releasing prehistoric white sturgeon on the Fraser River system, being a part of the FRSCS tagging program, the incredible accommodations at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort, visiting the Fraser Valley during the off-season, or all of the above, but I can assure you, I will be booking to catch, tag, and release white sturgeon on the Fraser River in January or February of 2024.
If you’re thinking of an affordable winter fishing getaway, or a Christmas gift for the angler on your Christmas list, BC Sportfishing Group, guides anglers to prehistoric white sturgeon every day of the year, with the exception of Christmas day.
Wes David Host & Producer of Fishing the Wild West TV