MANITOBA
Water, water everywhere. Combine that with cold temperatures, and it could be one of the worst fishing openers every. As is the case, there are some fish being caught but caution is strongly advised on most rivers and tributaries. There is also a ton of debris dislodged with the high water.
There have been some catfish caught in the Red and Assiniboine rivers but this action is from shore. Some of the trout lakes have been good. Check out this beauty rainbow caught by William Leefe in Kormans Lake.
SMALLMOUTH BASS A GOOD OPTION
If I had one species to choose right now for a decent bite it would be smallies They are aching to move shallow to find warm water and sun will trigger a shallow bite. With the forecast for the long weekend I would put Sunday and Monday aside for some bass action!
Check out the MA smallmouth that was caught in Horseshoe Lake by Jacek Fatla Jr.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
LAKE OF THE WOODS AND AREA-JAMIE BRUCE
Smallmouth bass should be eager to get up and get shallow after a long winter. Often times, all it takes is one or two nice days to push a massive first wave up shallow.
VERMILLION BAY AND AREA-GLENN MCDONALD
As we enter the walleye opener this weekend in Northwestern Ontario, all eyes are on lake water levels. Everyone knows we have dealt with the highest water levels in decades. Water levels are still exceedingly high, and should be a concern for all anglers. The first word of caution, check with locals about launch areas, some are not safe due to flooding. Second, high water levels have washed lots of debris into lakes, so use extreme caution while boating.
If you are staying at a lodge, reach out to the camp manager about access and docking. Some area lodges are experiencing heavy damage to roads and docking areas.
As of May 20, highway 105 remains CLOSED, and the official detour has been marked as ‘local traffic only’, please check with local authorities prior to visiting the area. The closures change daily.
FROM ICE FISHING TO OPEN WATER
In one of the strangest springs in recent memory, we were able to ice fish in the first week of May and be in a boat a week later. Lakes, more the most part became ice free during the weekend of May 14/15.
The last days on the ice brought some great crappie fishing. My nephews were out around Kenora and brought in some great slabs. Around the same time, my buddy Hunter was doing the same thing on Wabigoon Lake. Amelia Reimer caught a personal best lake trout as well. The end of the hard water season was good for everyone!
No surprise the first on the open water were the Temple Bay Lodge crew. Hunter was out chasing bass and Henry was out chasing lakers.
TOURNAMENT SEASON HAS ARRIVED
May 28/29 second annual Eagle Lake walleye classic held at Temple Bay Lodge. $400 per team
Package deals if needing accommodations, $1000 per team gets you your entry, a cabin for two nights, two breakfasts, two lunches, two suppers and two drink tickets for Jiggers pub
Temple Bay Lodge is hosting this tournament again in 2022. It proved to be a popular event in 2021. Those interested click through the link below.
WALLEYE SEASON OPENS, WHAT TO EXPECT
With rain expected for the first half of the weekend, flooding will remain a concern. Lake levels will remain above average for a few weeks yet. Walleye are most likely just coming off a late spawn and will be found in shallows and current areas. Look for an up to the minute report early next week, as I will reach out to area locals and guides to get a fresh report.
For those hitting the water this weekend, use extra caution this year. High water will lead to unexpected conditions. Be very mindful around inflow and outflow areas.
Best of luck anglers. Glenn
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SASKATCHEWAN
Snow in some of the central and northern areas of Saskatchewan are discouraging anglers from heading out. It is also making for a tough bite for most species of fish, especially walleye. In some of the southern reservoirs like Rafferty and Boundary the walleye bite has been good. The 7th Annual Rafferty Reservoir Walleye Cup was a success despite the cold weather and high water. It was the first event on the CWT tournament trail.
Ralph Shaw, who guides on the lake and owns the store at Mainprize Park, says shore anglers have been having good success. Ralph says hovering jigs with minnows or leech’s near the bottom is best on this reservoir. Actively working a jig will result in very few bites. The Dam Store located in Mainprize Park is the only store on the lake carrying gas bait and fishing licenses. Prairie Pro Outfitters is the only licensed guide service on the reservoir and you can look them up on their web page Prairie Pro Outfitters.com
The Saskatchewan side of Lake of the Prairies is producing some good walleye action as post spawn walleye make their way back to the main reservoir.
LAST MOUNTAIN LAKE- ROB SCHULZ-G&S MARINA
Spring fishing is finally here. With the late ice out and the cool spring weather the water temperatures are still very cold. On the up side we did get some spring run off and good rains which has been bringing the lake levels up to close to a foot higher than last spring. With the cold spring the water temperature in the main lake is only 7 degrees Celsius which has made fishing a bit behind normal for this time of the year.
The walleye are starting to bite well towards the shallower ends of the lake where the water temperatures run 3 to 5 degrees warmer. The Northern Pike are now in the shallow bays and along the shorelines throughout the lake. The Carp are fishing very well right now also at the shallower ends of the lake. Good luck fishing and please practice catch and release those trophy fish !! http://gsmarina.com/
You can get your Saskatchewan fishing license online as well as the Angling guide. The 2022/23 Saskatchewan Anglers’ Guide has information on licensing fees and requirements, season dates, daily limits, management zones, catch-and-release angling, regulations and more. Available in English and French. All anglers are advised to review the 2022 Saskatchewan Fishing Regulations available at the Government of Saskatchewan website, along with the Anglers’ Guide for alternate season dates for certain waters.
ALBERTA – WES DAVID FISHING THE WILD WEST TV
The 2022, southern Alberta fair-weather fishing season opened in the southern portion of the province on May 8th and will progressively open throughout the month of May the further north you go, with the bulk of Alberta’s 2022 fair-weather fishing season opened for the May long weekend.
Like every year, southern Alberta anglers were eager to launch their boats. Many central Alberta residents made the trip to the southern Alberta reservoirs on the opening week to launch their boats in hopes of setting the hook on a few early season northern pike and walleye.
While many walleye and northern pike were caught and released during opening week, typical, some reservoirs fished well while others fished slow. On average, the walleye bite was slow across southern Alberta. There is rarely a year that I don’t have my boat on the water on opening day and historically, I have found a slow walleye bite very common during the first week or two of the new seasons. Water temperatures are still very cool and often water levels within the reservoirs are fluctuating, and walleye are still recovering from the stresses of the spawn.
SHALLOWER BITE BETTER
Most of the bites on southern Alberta reservoirs are coming in 12 feet of water or less and it’s often the smaller male walleye that are more aggressive and willing to bite an angler’s offering during the first two weeks of the opener. Vertical jigging a frozen minnow or a 2” swimming minnow from Big Bite Baits in eight feet of water off a rocky shoreline is my go-to presentation and location at this time of the year. The walleye do not want to work for it. A small, slow, easy presentation in or around walleye spawning locations is key to getting bit.
BRITISH COLUMBIA-WES DAVID
“Fish a Lake a Day for as Long as You Stay”
Merritt BC and the Nicola Valley have a slogan. “Fish a Lake a Day for as Long as You Stay”. While I could only stay for three days so I could only fish three lakes. However, I do believe in the slogan.
We booked a room at the Best Western Plus in Merritt BC right off highway 5A. The highway that would lead us to over 30 lakes in one direction but more importantly, the three lakes I wanted to fish first. Stump Lake, Rosh Lake, and Peter Hope Lake. All three lakes are in Nicola Valley and are world-class rainbow trout lakes with an added bonus of great kokanee fishing. However, my focus was the rainbow trout.
HOT BITE FOR RAINBOWS
During our stay, even with the cooler weather and the cold-water temperatures, the rainbow trout were willing to bite. Fly fisherman were getting bites close to the shorelines on the surface and within a few feet below the surface. I had my Tracker Boat with me and was trolling a #2 Bingo Bug from Lucky Bug Lures in 12 to 40 feet of water, and to my surprise, the majority of my bites on all three lakes were coming in 30 to 44 feet of water and they were also the larger rainbows that were holding or suspended just off the bottom at these depths.
GETTING DOWN TO THE FISH
To get down that deep, I set up a basic Lindy Rig system as if I was Lindy Rigging for walleye. I used a 1oz slip-sinker walking weight, a bead to protect the knot to the swivel that connected my 20-pound Sunline Braid to the 12-pound Sunline FC Sniper Fluorocarbon 12-foot leader, and a #2 Mud Bug Bingo Bug to the end of the fluorocarbon leader. We dropped the setup down until it hit bottom and used the electric trolling motor to zigzag the boat in and out of 12 to 50 feet of water at 1.6 miles per hour. Eighty percent of the bites come when trolling from the deeper water into the shallow water. Once hooked, the rainbows would race to the surface and propel themselves into the air trying to spit the hook. Often more than six feet in the air. The regulations state a single barbless hook so maintaining a tight line during these acrobatic leaps was key to landing your catch. However, if one did spit the hook, which happened four or five times, no need to panic, there was always another rainbow trout willing to bite your offering. I lost count of the number of rainbow trout I caught and released during my three-day stay, but I assure you, Nicola Valley is truly a trout angler’s paradise.