MANITOBA
It is a wonderful time of the year to shore fish, especially for stocked trout. Luckily, here in Manitoba we have a ton of options, especially in the Duck Mountains. I can remember some spectacular late fall days fishing from shore at East Blue Lake. It was simple, just throw out a walking sinker, a small hook with some Berkley trout bait and wait patiently for a rainbow to come along. It was as relaxing as it could get and there was always fish to be caught.
Just down the road is one of the best brook trout lakes in the province. While they can be extremely difficult to catch, if you do they are usually big! Daxton Kulcsar shows off this 22 inch Master Angler.
For an encore Daxton headed north to the Twin Lakes and managed another MA from shore, this beautiful tiger trout.
Many anglers in this province have had some great fall success. Patterson Lake has been good for both brown trout and some healthy rainbows.
FALL WALLEYE
There is a pretty good run of fall walleyes up the Assiniboine River and Aidan Keown shows off this beauty.
Meantime the Red River is still kicking out some big walleye and lots of goldeye!
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Hooked Contributor and musky expert Glenn MacDonald was out last weekend grinding it out.
Here is what happened!
The esox trifecta, a pike, a musky and a tiger musky is rare. To catch all three in a respectable size is ultra rare. But it can happen! Fishing with our buddy Jeff, not only does he get his first sucker rig musky, he catches his first tiger musky! A great way to cap off a great weekend. – I give you the Esox Trifecta!
SASKATCHEWAN
Lots of hardcore anglers still out on the big waters of Last Mountain and Tobin Lake. Meantime Prairie Pro owner and guide Ralph Smart is enjoying some outstanding fall pike fishing on Rafferty Reservoir.
Ralph is throwing out some quick strike rigs with big dead bait. He and his guests are catching pike over 40 inches each day. Ralph has been also doing pretty well on walleyes between 18 and 22 inches.
Hopefully the weather lasts and we can get out everyday possible till it locks up. Been really busy! Same techniques have been working with jig and minnow but trying different depths constantly during the day is key. Don’t stick at one depth as the fish are really moving with the fall turnover Big fish can still be tight to the weed edge and then be out in 25 feet minutes later. Make sure to change jig colours also ! You wouldn’t think it would make a difference during the day but in our experience it’s huge !
ALBERTA-WES DAVID
The hunting season is in full swing across the western provinces and most Alberta anglers have put down their fishing rods and picked up their bows, rifles, and shotguns. However, a handful of Alberta anglers are having great success chasing that last open-water walleye bite on Alberta lakes, reservoirs, and river systems. Anglers are also experiencing great lake sturgeon fishing on the South Saskatchewan River system.
2024 Cariboo Outdoor Distributors Show
I took a few days off from hunting and fishing and attended the 2024 Cariboo Outdoor Distributors Show at the Fantasyland Hotel and Conference Center in Edmonton, October 28-29. It always amazes me how much work goes on behind the scenes to get the hunting and fishing products in the stores and on the shelves well before we as anglers and hunters even realize we need them. The bulk of the product bookings in October at the Cariboo Outdoor Distributors Show were booking products to hit the store shelves in early spring 2025 in time for the 2025 fair-weather fishing season and spring hunting season. But most of the hunting products were being booked to hit the store shelves in time for the 2025 fall hunting season. Personally, the 2025 fall hunting season has yet to cross my mind, but the dealers and distributors are well ahead of the game.
There is definitely a lot going on behind the scenes well in advance to get hunters and anglers the gear they need to be successful on the water and in the field.