March Madness is drawing to a close and the cold weather is finally letting up a bit across the prairies.
I don’t know about you but I am getting a bit anxious to get on with the open water season!
MANITOBA
LAKE WINNIPEG – ROGER AND SUE GERES
We try and plan a trip to Lake Winnipeg every March to partake in the madness. This year we hired Matt Cornell of Bruin Outfitting to take us out on Big Windy. Sue and I were both able to catch a Master Angler walleye! Travel on the lake was good when we were there so we moved around a lot to stay on the fish. We found our fish anywhere from four to 15 feet of water.
PRESENTATION
Spoons with minnows and rattle baits when they were aggressive was the answer, fish in the 21-26” range seemed common with a couple masters mine at 28.75 and Susan’s over 31”
Dress up and stay mobile and you’ll catch fish !
LAKE OF THE PRAIRIES
If you are looking to catch a trophy pike at this time of the year one of the best places in the province is this reservoir on the Saskatchewan/Manitoba border. Hardcore angler Sarah Henuset recently landed and release her personal best which measured just over 45 inches. Congrats Sarah on a special fish and awesome photo!
THE MIGHTY BURBOT
Many of our lakes and reservoirs have good population of these great eating and hard fighting game fish. Yes the burbot is all of that and then some. One of the best drive to reservoirs in the province for truly large burbot is Cedar Lake and Cross Bay. (which is part of Cedar) There are great accommodations at Moak Lodge, which opens from Mid March to Mid April for the great burbot and pike fishing. Check out this beauty Hooked Contributor Robyn Grant caught on a recent trip there.
NORTHERN MANITOBA
The fishing is really starting to pick up in the north as we head into April. Trophy Lake trout have been biting all winter but the fishing should continue to get stronger. Visit Travel Mb to find out all the different lodges in the north that are open to ice anglers at this time of the year.
With the new angling regulations coming into play last year in the province, anglers will be able to pursue some species year round. This extends the ice season fishing for pike, smallmouth crappies and other species. The Manitoba Anglers Guide is now available online but here is some important information as we go ahead. Those fishing for walleye and sauger are reminded of the following fishing season:
April 1 – southern division closed;
May 1 – northwest and north central divisions closed;
May 11 – southern fishing division (except Lake Winnipeg) opens; and
May 18 – Lake Winnipeg and the northwest and north central fishing divisions open.
Anglers must not target these species during closed times. Division maps can be found in the anglers’ guide. Some areas are closed to all fishing during the spring including the Red River between the Lockport Dam and Lake Winnipeg, Dauphin Lake and its tributaries, excluding the Vermilion Reservoir, and the Assiniboine River downstream of the Portage Diversion to Provincial Road 240.
ANGLING LICENSE SALES
2024 angling licence’s will be available for purchase online and at participating vendors starting April 1 and become valid on May 1. The 2023 annual angling licence is still valid until April 30. All anglers are required to obtain a Manitoba angling licence to fish in the province, unless exempt or fishing within a federal park.
Manitoba Resident Seniors
A Manitoba resident 65 years of age or older does not require an angling licence, but must be able to
show proof of age and Manitoba residency when asked by an Officer. For more information on fishing regulations refer to the Manitoba Anglers’ Guide 2024, available online at www.manitobafisheries.com or in stores where angling licences are sold. For more information or to purchase an angling licence, visit www.manitobaelicensing.ca.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
A bit of the white stuff and some cold nights tightened up the ice on the back country lakes of Sunset Country. Many of the the tourism operators in this part of the world are now offering a variety of accommodations for those who want to explore the myriad of lakes that offer world class fishing.
Jay Siemens recently ventured southeast from his home in Kenora to try some lake trout action of Brown’s Clearwater West Resort located just north of Atikokan.
SASKATCHEWAN
Anglers are spread out across the more than 100,000 lakes in the province enjoying the last bit of ice fishing for the season. It ends in the south and central regions March 31st.
Tobin Lake is kicking out some big pike on the flats on the east end of the reservoir. Further south, big walleye and pike are being caught on Last Mountain Lake.
Many anglers in the south target the lakes in the Qu’Appelle valley. DB Fishing fishes Round Lake for the big pike that swim there.
ALBERTA – WES DAVID-FISHING THE WILD WEST
The Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show held at the Edmonton Expo Center March 14-17 was a huge success. Four halls were jammed packed with hunting, fishing, and everything outdoors. There were more hunting and fishing lodges at the show than I can ever remember in past shows. Hats off to the show promoters, vendors, guest speakers and everyone who attended the show, without you, the show would not be possible.
Subtle Biting Tiger Trout
I had the chance to get out and do a little ice fishing before the show started. I was thinking of setting the hook on a few walleye beneath the ice, however, the call of tiger trout was too great so I grabbed my trout tackle and headed to a stocked trout pond northwest of Red Deer. I found the trout resting right on the bottom in 11 feet of water. I was using a Tic-Tack jig from Big Sky Jigs tipped with Power-Bait and a little Liquid Mayhem. The tiger trout would subtly take the bait off the bottom, so subtle that you had to stay focused on line movement. We placed our line in the middle of the eight-inch ice-hole and if the line moved to one side or the other, set the hook. It was the most subtle and soft trout bite that I have ever experienced during any time of the season.
Some Exciting News for Fishing the Wild West TV
Wild TV Official Press Release:
Wes David Teams Up with Core-Mark to Bring Fishing Tackle into Canadian Convenience Stores
Edmonton, Alberta – March 15th, 2024 – Wild TV, which is Numeris-rated as the most-watched, major outdoor programming provider in Canada*, announces that their content partner, Wes David, host and producer of Fishing the Wild West TV, has joined forces! Along with the distribution company Core-Mark, they will deliver fishing tackle to Canadians via convenience stores located across the country.
COMMERCIALS ON THE NETWORK
Wild TV will begin running commercials on its network this month to inform their extensive national audience that David’s favourite fishing gear. This gear is manufactured by companies Wes currently collaborates with for Fishing the Wild West TV.
It can be purchased at participating stores starting May 1st of this year. The collaboration between David, Core-Mark and David’s key manufacturer partnerships opens the opportunity for Canadian anglers of all levels to purchase lures and products for the most popular fish species in each region with ease.
HAD A DREAM!
Wes David comments on the partnership,
“One of my goals when I started Fishing the Wild West TV was to help bring fishing, and the enjoyment of fishing, into new areas and communities and I believe having easy access to fishing tackle will help support that goal. Now you can get fuel, snacks, and fishing tackle on your way to any body of water at participating stores.”
Scott Stirling, Wild TV’s Vice President, comments,
“Bringing the fishing gear featured on Fishing the Wild West TV into convenience stores across the country is such an amazing benefit to fans of the show! I am also confident that it will serve novice Canadian anglers by taking a lot of the guesswork out of what to buy by presenting the appropriate tackle, based on the region they’re fishing in, which will lead to more people continuing our great Canadian fishing heritage. We couldn’t be prouder of Wes for his initiative to make the outdoors more accessible for people.”
To view air times for Fishing the Wild West TV, go to Wild TV’s schedule.
Stream Fishing the Wild West TV on Wild TV+.