MANITOBA
A break in the cold weather has encouraged anglers to get out. There has been a noticeable slow down in fish activity in many of our lakes and stocked trout ponds, but some fisheries remain hot. Check out the report below from Roger Geres!
LAKE OF THE PRAIRIES – ROGER & SUE GERES
Fishing is crazy good now that the weather has warmed up.
There is an incredible perch bite and evening walleye bite. If you are on the right spot you can also catch walleye throughout the day!
PRESENTATION
Jigging spoons in various colours and Glo jigs have been key. Using your electronics to watch fish react makes a huge difference. At times jigging raps and rattlebaits work when the fish are aggressive but don’t be afraid to change up.
Live and frozen minnows have both been working for us also in depths from 12-22 feet.
Access at some places has been tricky and getting around is starting to become a
challenge, but getting to untouched spots can pay off!
Some places have flood water from all the snow and some of the untouched spots
also flood once you start drilling. Sue and I both landed Master Angler caliber fish recently.
LAKE MANITOBA
This body of water that has been producing some solid perch and walleye action this winter. My friend Jim Price has already been out over 20 days this winter on the south end near Delta. Despite a bit of snow he and his friends have been able to travel by truck to most areas. As usual it is a low light bite in shallow water. He usually only goes out for the last three hours of the day. Meantime Jay Siemens is spending four days on different parts of this massive lake. He started on the southeast shore with Keevin Erickson, who lives in Lundar. On Day Two of this video series he heads up the Narrows Sunset Lodge to fish with friend Brandon Beiler.
HUNTFISH MB REPORT – PETRO HRYNDA
Lake Winnipeg (South Basin) & Red River – Trophy Multi-species
Whether you’ve been reminiscing about getting back onto the big lake to take advantage of the incredible walleye fishery, or it’s your first time heading out onto the river – it’s safe to say the greenback fishing so far this year has been exceptional.
Lake Winnipeg and the Red River north of Lockport have finally frozen up with varying ice thicknesses. Due to the recent varying temperatures, vehicle travel is not yet recommended however anglers have been heading out on foot or with snowmobiles and ATVs. If you do plan on heading out, ensure to check the ice thickness, avoid ridges, and take all safety precautions.
Undoubtedly, walleye are the most targeted species in these bodies of water during the hardwater months. However, goldeyes provide an exciting opportunity throughout the winter. If you’ve ever fished the Red River and noticed suspended marks coming through quickly, those are likely goldeye. Downsizing to smaller bait can be an effective way to target these nimble fish.
Another species less often targeted in these waters are northern pike. Pike can be found plentifully around all of Lake Winnipeg and its tributaries, with some true giants roaming these waters!
Eastern Region – Slab Crappies & Giant Tullibee
One of the most popular species to target through December is the black crappie. These can be typically found in the deeper basins of lakes schooled up in big groups to make for an action-packed day on the ice. To protect these crappies against barotrauma it is recommended to only target them in 30 feet of water or less.
The Eastern Region provides phenomenal opportunities for crappies throughout the Whiteshell River chain of lakes such as Brereton Lake and White Lake.
Nearby Big Whiteshell Lake is a hidden gem that regularly produces giant cisco (tullibee) – this year being no exception with several big ciscoes already caught.
Western Region Ice Fishing Report – Stunning Tigers & Beautiful Brown Trout
The hot trout bite has continued through the past few weeks with anglers catching some beautiful tiger trout and brown trout. Twin Lakes continues to provide anglers with a unique experience with the stunning hybrid tiger trout making it a must for any hardwater bucket list this winter!
Patterson Lake has also been producing beautiful trophy brown trout as one of the prime trout lakes in the Western Region. Remember to always use caution on trout lakes as many are aerated to sustain the trout through the winter and will typically have visible open water around the aerator.
A Look into January
If you’re looking to start off the new year with a thrilling adventure, then there is no better way to kick things off than going after some lake trout! Without a doubt, one of the most exciting species to target through the ice, lake trout put even the best ice rods to the test. Each winter many 40-inch-plus beasts get pulled through the ice across the North.
From all of us here at HuntFishMB we wish you very happy holidays and a great new year! Best of luck on the ice with whatever your pursuit may be, and most importantly, stay safe!
NORTHWEST ONTARIO
LAKE OF THE WOODS – JEFF GUSTAFSON
SASKATCHEWAN
TOBIN LAKE
Deep snow conditions have made travel difficult on most this big reservoir. There is some limited access at Tobin Lake Resort and Prudens. The walleye fishing has been okay and their have been some large pike caught. Most anglers are using snow machines to get around.
LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE
The big fish bite has slowed down a bit on Last Mountain lake north of Regina. The Mountain Man himself Layne Maier was out checking out some new products on a recent trip there and captured some great underwater footage. He also managed a walleye over 30 inches!
ALBERTA
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Over the holiday season, anglers were taking advantage of their time off and spending a great deal of time ice fishing even during the frigid temperatures. While social media was blowing up with pictures of fish being caught and released through the ice across Alberta, my schedule would not allow me to venture out. However, I wasn’t complaining as I was enjoying a break and spending my time off with family and friends. I also spent a great deal of time watching hockey on TV and the new season of Fishing the Wild West TV.
I’m always looking for new ways to cook fish especially northern pike. Northern pike often gets a bad cooking review for several reasons. The first complaint is the Y-bones. Pike can also have a strong fishy taste especially if they are caught out of warm water. However, northern pike deboned properly and caught out of cold water and not overcooked, in my opinion, makes for some amazing table-fare.
Over the holidays, some friends and I got together and had a huge fish-cooking event while we told hunting and fishing stories and shared a few adult beverages. There were salmon appetizers, deep-fried halibut, walleye breaded and seasoned with Wild West Seasonings, and ling cod fish cakes. However, the star of the event was my buddy Dwayne’s Cajun northern pike served on a bed of wild rice. It was so good it would be a shame not to share it with you.
CAJUN-STYLED PIKE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp crab boil seasoning or Old Bay seasoning
- 1 1/2 pounds of pike fillets cut into cubes
- handful of fresh shrimp and/or small scallops
- 3 strips of diced smoked bacon
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp. onion
- 1/3 green pepper, 1/3 red pepper and 1/3 yellow pepper sliced into thin strips
- 2 sticks of butter
- 1 tsp Cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp Grey Poupon mustard
- 1/4 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 1 – 5 squirts of Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Step 2. Sauté the bacon, garlic, and onion in a skillet until the onion starts to become translucent.
Step 3. Add red, green, and yellow peppers and stir them around the skillet.
Step 4. Add the butter, cayenne, mustard, basil, oregano, thyme, Tabasco, and crab to boil. Simmer for 3 minutes.
Step 5. Add the cubed shrimp and pike. Stir and simmer for another 3 minutes.
Step 6. Transfer to a baking dish and cook in the oven for 15 minutes then serve hot.
As I said, I’m always looking for new fish recipes and I highly recommend this Cajun northern pike dish. The next time you set the hook on a keeper northern pike, give Cajun northern pike a try.