MANITOBA
It has been a wild two weeks since the fishing season opened. Many anglers have been enjoying the great outdoors and catching a few fish along the way.
Walleye fishing has been excellent in many of our lakes and rivers. Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba has been good for both numbers of fish and some big walleye.
Freshwater drum are biting in the Whitemud and on the Red River. The channel catfishing has been excellent on the Red and good on the Assiniboine.
We also got some much-needed rain in southern Manitoba which has alleviated drought conditions to some extent. It has also helped raise water levels.
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
VERMILLION BAY AND AREA BY GLENN MCDONALD
Two weeks into the Northwestern Ontario open water season for walleye, and reports have been nothing short of spectacular! The walleye bite has been off the chart in every corner of Sunset Country! The bass have been moving shallow, making them easy fish to target. The pike are seemingly everywhere, including the big girls who are still close to spawning areas.
Water temps are on the rise with most lakes around the high 50 to low 60° mark already! To say we haven’t seen an early spring like this in quite some time would be an understatement.
I spent opening weekend fishing with my family and we found walleye in shallow areas close to spawning bays. By shallow I mean 3’ out to 9’. Using Droptine Tackle jigs and minnows we were able to quickly find active walleye close to shallow cover and rarely had to move much to stay on a steady bite.
SHALLOW CRANKS COVER WATER
I personally love to target post spawn walleye with crank baits. Casting over rocks and shallow points just out from spawning areas is most productive. My baits of choice are Rapala X-raps, ripstops and shadow raps. These styles of baits are perfect for the twitch, pull, pause technique I like to employ. Other choices can include spoons such as Northland Tackle Forage Minnow spoon, or lipless rattle trap type of baits. If I am fishing around shallow timber I will use a square bill crank bait, which lends itself to fishing better around timber without snagging.
The following weekend, May long as it is known, was a continuation of the previous week’s fishing. The walleye had not moved much and were easy to target in the 3’ to 10’ range. The only major difference was that some were moving out to the first available main lake rock structure for feeding. While jigs and minnows proved to be the hottest bite, I was still able to catch a mixed bag of walleye, bass and pike on crank baits.
The fishing did improve over the May long weekend and the kids were having a blast reeling in fish from 13” up to 24”. One area of Eagle Lake in particular held all three species on the same rock pile. My daughter caught a 23” walleye and only a couple minutes later I fought a mid 30” pike to the net on my light walleye set up. We managed to catch a few bass over the weekend and if we were to target them specifically I think we could have put up a nice bag of smallies.
This weekend Temple Bay Lodge is holding a catch, photo and live release tournament on Eagle Lake. Although lock downs and covid regulations are keeping entries to a minimum it should prove to be a popular event. I will have a report in a couple weeks time to share with the readers.
THUNDER BAY AND AREA BY TOM ARMSTRONG
It’s been a great spring here in northwestern Ontario, spring arrived early, and we have seen some beautiful weather and some unseasonably warm Temps! Although I did have the furnace and central air both on at one point in the last 24 hours, so mother nature can’t quite decide.
SASKATCHEWAN
SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN-WES DAVID
I recently returned home from Katepwa Lake where we shot a complete episode of Fishing the Wild West TV, Spot & Stalk Bow Fishing Carp.
During the spring of the year, carp move into the feeder creeks and back bays by the thousands, and bow fishers have thousands of shot opportunities at carp with nothing but love on their mind. Bow fishers can use a flat bottom boat to get into the back bays or spot & stalk carp from the shoreline. The shot opportunities are endless and bow fishers will be helping conservation as carp are an invasive species in the province of Saskatchewan.
GREAT ACCOMMODATIONS
Be sure to read the Saskatchewan Fishing Regulations before you draw your bow. If you don’t have friends or family in the Qu’Appelle Valley, Sundays Log Cabins are sportsman friendly and have all the comforts of home a mere casting distance from four beautiful lakes full of a variety of fish species including eager to bite northern pike and walleye. https://sundayslogcabins.com
SOUTHEAST SASKATCHEWAN BY BRAD GRAHAM
Fishing in the south east is starting to pickup.
Boundary Dam has been good for walleye with a jig and a leech and bottom bouncers and spinners the top choice. Largemouth bass have become more active with wacky rigs and shallow cranks producing.
Rafferty Dam is producing some nice size walleye on a Lindy Rig with a leech. The pike are in shallow bays. Top producers have been spoons and swimbaits.
Over at the Alameda Dam slip bobbers tipped with leeches have been picking off walleye on rip rap.
Some anglers have found bottom bouncers the ticket with chartreuse spinners.
Fishing in the southeast is awesome with so many lakes with something different to offer. If you get a chance get out to one of lakes close to you and enjoy.
CENTRAL SASKATACHEWAN
Tobin Lake has been on fire for northern pike. Friend Boyd Holmen says it has been a long time since he has seen the water so clear at this time of the year. He was able to spot the pike swimming in the shallow bays and those also laying on the bottom He caught his fish on a variety of lures including spoons and swimbaits. Boyd said it took a few days for his hands to heal from catching so many fish!
Alberta Fishing Report by Wes David
The last week of May and the first week of June is my favorite two weeks of the spring fishing season to target northern pike in the shallow bays. Pike have just spent four and half months under the ice dealing with extremely cold-water temperatures, low oxygen levels, and living in low light conditions. They have also recently endured the stress of the spawn which has further depleted their energy levels.
SPRING PIKE LOCATION
Historically, large female pike move into the shallow back bays to rest and recover, and the last week of May and the first week of June is the perfect time to target resting pike. Lures like the #2 Len Thompson Lure, 4” Lucky Plugs from Lucky Bug Lures, soft plastics like Big Bite Baits Cane Thumper on a Big Sky Jig, or even dead-sticking frozen minnows are all ideal baits to target resting northern pike in shallow water in central and southern Alberta during the last week of May and the first week of June.