MANITOBA
Another hardwater season is knocking on the door. In fact, in some places of this great province, it has arrived. Up in the Duck Mountains anglers have been venturing out on the stocked trout waters.
While caution is advised, most of the first ice anglers are wiley old veterans that know to be smart. Never go alone, wear flotation gear, bring ice picks, and as one famous person said walk slowly and carry a big stick. It really is not a time to consider anything other than walking out. That is why stocked trout fishing is so special at first ice. Access to many of our lakes is easy, and you only need to walk out a short distance to the first break line. The littoral zone is where those fish are actively fishing so start drilling holes from shallow to ten feet and pay attention.
In many cases if you set up a portable tent, you can easily look down the hole and see if there are fish in the area. Twin Lakes in the Ducks is a very popular early ice destination, and it has been on my early trip list many times.
DUCK MOUTAINS – ROGER GERES
Set out to find safe ice in the Ducks and first stop was successful on a beautiful afternoon for fishing. We walked out on Twin Lakes for Tiger Trout.
Jaw jacker caught this one with paste and hair jig , in 4’ of water , of course, set up away from the tent and noise . The colours are magnified in the water but I was certain it was a master. I was unsure I’d get him in but with a bit of luck he was on the ice for a quick photo and back he went. The colours of some of these tigers is absolutely breathtaking!
We caught others jigging with small tubes , and saw several. By changing hooks and trying different things we got a few more to bite. That and being quiet always makes a difference.
Be cautious on first ice especially on lakes with aeration!
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Our group of professional anglers and guides have been a bit burnt out the last couple of weeks from a hard season of travel and tournaments along with guiding commitments.
Gussy just got back from Australia with his wife. He is taking a bit of a breather after an intense 2022. He has supplied us with an article on ice fishing for less popular species that you can read about on the Hooked Website as part 2 or our 3 part series on early ice fishing for multiple species.
Check it out at https://www.hookedmagazine.ca/early-ice-success-part-two/
SASKATCHEWAN
Clayton Schick found some good ice for some early season walleye!
Anglers are finding enough ice in most sections of the province. Daryl Gilbert has been having good success for big pike near his home at Saskatchewan Landing on Lake Diefenbaker. Extended cold weather has made for some solid ice and he is fishing points on the reservoir.
WEST COAST REPORT – DAVE SHYMR
Winter Chinook are showing up and some nice halibut are being brought in to the harbour. Winter chinooks are being caught 80-140 of water close to bottom as they are feeding on needlefish . Small skinny spoons ,hoochies, crankbaits and bucktails behind flashers are all good options . Halibut can be caught on the right tides in 250/400 ft of water on spreader bars with salmon belly / herring / and squid on halibut rigs.
We have also been targeting smallmouths on humps and edges of drop offs on Ned rigs and drop shots. Smallmouth have yet to school up on the humps like they were last year but in a week or two they should be more plentiful in numbers together. Looking forward to the winter fishing on the ocean and bass . Will be taking a few weeks back to Alberta for some ice fishing as well.
ALBERTA
Dave Shymr has been fishing the many lakes and reservoirs in his home province of Alberta since he was six years of age. While he now lives on the West Coast, he shares his expertise on ice angling in his home province in this great article now on the Hooked website.
https://www.hookedmagazine.ca/early-ice-patterns-from-a-pro/
WES DAVID – FISHING THE WILD WEST TV
A successful winter fishing vacation starts with the questions you ask now.
Each year around this time I receive several emails, messages, texts, and phone calls from people going on a winter vacation or looking for somewhere to go on winter vacation and they are looking to combine a fishing trip with their winter getaway. This year with the COVID-19 restrictions lifted and the borders open, it seems everyone is looking to travel, and a large volume of calls and messages are coming in looking to book a fishing trip while they are on their winter vacation.
Most people are checking to see if I have ever fished where they are going or what kind of fish species are in the areas they are going and what they should target. Places like Mexico, the Hawaii Islands, Costa Rica, etc. I’m honoured that complete strangers respect me enough to reach out to me about their winter vacation fishing trips and I admire that they are thinking ahead and beginning to research their fishing trip before they hand over their hard-earned money.
I have fished in several tropical locations while on vacation including in Mexico and the Hawaii Islands. The truth is, when you hire a guiding service anywhere in the world, it all comes down to your research. However, fishing is fishing, and no one can control the weather. But there’re some very basic questions I ask that are often overlooked before I book with a guide. I also have some advice that I have gained from my personal experiences that I share with anyone who asks me about fishing on their winter vacation.
Questions.
You’re going to ask the basic questions like. How much is the trip? (Usually, a day trip or half-day trip). How/where do you get a fishing license? The location where you will be fishing? The species you will be fishing and how you will be fishing for them, etc. However, I also make sure to ask these eight questions.
#1. Is there a deposit to hold my trip and how much? Also, make sure you are talking in the right currency. Many people have overlooked this when talking cost of a trip.
#2. What are the safety measures if something should go wrong on the water?
#3. If the weather is an issue, can the fishing trip be postponed and rescheduled?
#4. If the fishing trip must be cancelled due to weather, is your deposit refunded? Believe it or not, every time I have asked this question, the answer has been yes. Most of these fishing guide services know you’re only there for a short time and are very accommodating. However, in saying that, I have never had to cancel a fishing trip, so I have never had to ask for my deposit back.
#5. Make sure you understand clearly. Is it just you and your guests on the fishing trip or are there multiple guests on the trip on the (same boat)?
#6. Are there other fish species to target while we are on the water?
#7. Each fishing trip is different and unique so make sure you write down and ask any additional questions you have.
#8. Call back or email a few days after your original conversation or email and ask additional questions that come up after you have had time to think about your first conversation with the guiding service.
My advice if you choose to hear it.
I went on one multiple-guest fishing trip, (multiple-guest fishing on the same boat) and although I got to meet some great people and it was more affordable, I was not a fan of the experience. You pick a spot on the edge of the boat and that is where you fish from during your entire trip. The caption drifts over reefs and you hope that a fish picks your presentation out of 10 or 20 other presentations that pass over the reef.
Also, I prefer fishing for an abundance of species instead of just targeting one species. For example, I once booked a trip and spent eight hours trolling for sailfish and never had a hookup. I prefer spending six hours or the day jigging or what they call (bottom-fishing) for multiple species and during my last Mexico fishing adventure in February 2019, I caught and released 32 different saltwater species, six different triggerfish species, and well over 200 fish in 6 ½ hours of fishing. There are 40 different triggerfish species and I have now caught 21 of them. It’s become a personal goal to catch all 40 which means I must keep going on winter vacations!
As you plan out your winter vacation, research some local fishing trips and start with these #8 questions and add your own questions as needed and I’m confident you will have a successful winter fishing vacation.