MANITOBA
Stable weather has allowed anglers to get out on the water to enjoy the great fall weather. The fishing has been good as well.
LAKE OF THE PRAIRIES-ROGER GERES
Fishing is still fantastic but the fish are somewhat scattered, starting to move with water temperatures slowly dropping, We have been doing better with bigger presentations. The walleye are fattening up and we are finding them in depth ranges from 4’-22 feet. There are also some big pike still being caught as well as jumbo perch.
Keep moving around and you’ll find and catch fish !
NORTHERN MANITOBA
The fishing in the north is on fire right now for big pike and lake trout. The trophy pike are moving to deep weedlines and throwing a big bait will catch you some jumbos. The lake trout are starting to move shallow, getting ready to spawn. Cody Young has the big fish dialed in on Clearwater Lake.
RED RIVER AND SOUTHERN MANITOBA
The great weather has extended the catfish bite on the Red River and slowed the walleye run. There are some greenback being caught. Check out this jumbo that Michael Sieczka landed recently.
For those anglers in southern Manitoba, catching big walleye on Pelican Lake can be a bit of a mystery. Well Alvin Price hit the jackpot recently with this beauty of a fish.
STOCKED TROUT – DUCK MOUNTAINS
Stocked trout are always a favourite of mine and right now is as good a time as any to visit some of the many ponds and lakes that hold a wide variety of trout species. As always, the Duck Mountains is a favourite destination, especially those who like to fish from shore or small watercraft. There are many different lakes to choose from but one of the best shore fishing destinations is East Blue Lake in the middle of the park. East Blue has decent access on foot and the fish move close to shore at this time of the year. Angler Brett Lavallee knows the program. Check out this beautiful East Blue Bow!
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO
Jay Siemens has been enjoying the great fall weather. He has been fishing many of the lakes north of his home of Kenora, Ontario. He posted this recent video of some hot pike fishing in Sunset Country.
Glenn McDonald has been extremely busy with work and guiding so didn’t have a chance to post a report this week. However you can check out some of his exploits on his youtube channel at
https://youtu.be/nL2jhGAiKWc
Jeff Gustafson’s tournament schedule has slowed somewhat so he has been out on Lake of the Woods trying out some of new lures. Gussy has been catching smallmouths on a flutter spoon . He says it is a great technique in the fall up north, might be more fun than topwater!!!
Here is the setup
• Nichols 5” Lake Fork Flutter Spoon
• G. Loomis NRX+ 903C MBR (7’6” MH)
• Shimano Bantam MGL reel (7.1:1)
• Gamakatsu SP MH Hypershield treble hook – this is an incredibly strong, durable hook, perfect for use one a spoon. Takes a lot open these guys up or to dull the point.
• 40 lb Power Pro braid with a 20 lb Seaguar Tatsu leader (about two feet, connected with an FG knot)
“Make a half cast away from the boat, rip it three to four feet off the bottom and hang on! Works best in 20-30 feet of water. I’m looking for fish constantly on my Mega Live unit and pitching the spoon to them.”
SASKATCHEWAN
LAST MOUNTAIN FISHING REPORT- ROB SCHULZ, G&S MARINA OUTFITTERS
Don’t put your boats and fishing rods away just yet!! The end of September and early October brings some of the best fishing Last Mountain has to offer. The fish are feeding hard to get ready for winter.
The bite is still on
With the colder nights the water temperatures have now cooled to 57 degrees F. The Walleye are still in some of their regular summer locations and patterns but these cooling water temperatures and windy days have triggered a lot more shallow feeding frenzies. They are now also starting to move onto the sand points.
OTHER OPTIONS
The Walleye are also still on the steep brake lines of Last Mountain’s main lake basin but when the wind blows there has been a number of good catches now in 5’ to 10’ of water. All sizes of walleye are being caught from 12” up to the giant 32” trophies. For Walleye all the fishing techniques are still working well. Bottom bouncer and crawler harnesses, crank baits, jigging spoons, jigging and live bait rigging.
CARP STILL ON THE BITE!
The Carp are feeding very well with some big number catchers of fish ranging from 15 pounds to 34 pounds. The secret to a good Carp fishing day is the work that goes into the pre-baiting of the area you plan to fish for Carp.
PIKE ON THE TROLL
The Northern Pike have now moving shallower to depths from 4’ to 15’. Trolling mid to shallow crank baits, tossing swim baits and spoons along the weed beds is working very well for the Northern’s as well as the Walleye.
There are good numbers of Perch still being caught off the steep breaks with small jigs and minnows or a piece of crawler and also they are hitting the crawler harnesses while fishing for Walleye.
Your electronics are critical now that the fish are in varying water depths. Your depth finder is your under water eyes so watch for what depth you are marking fish then work that depth.
Remember never fish deeper than 30’ so you don’t kill those Walleye as they cannot withstand the trauma of coming out of deeper than 30’ depths.
CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN – TOBIN LAKE
With the Vanity Cup Walleye Tournament starting tomorrow, anglers are scrambling to find some kind of pattern that will produce some big fish. By all accounts it has been a tough bite in the river itself.
Most of the good catches of walleye have been in the main reservoir itself but much of that is off limits to the tournament anglers. Main lake anglers have been focusing on the deep ciscoes/walleye/pike pattern that exists at this time of the year. That will not cut it in the tournament.
Many times at this time of year, I look for bird activity, indication of cisco activity below. If you can mark those suspended baitfish, the big pike and walleye won’t be far behind.
ALBERTA – WES DAVID
If you’re not one to fish past the month of September regardless of the weather conditions, now is the time to book your boat into your local marine shop to be winterized. We are right in the mix of hunting season in Alberta. Elk are bugling, waterfowl fill the cut agricultural fields, archery hunting is in full swing, and the rifle hunting season is right around the corner.
At this time of the year, fishing is often put on the back burner and our boats are all but abandoned. However, now is the time to take the time to clean out your boat and have it winterized and beat the rush when other boat owners/hunters come off the fields from filling their big game tags.
LAST MOUNTAIN ON THE LIST
At the time of this writing, I’m gearing up to shoot the last episode of the season for Fishing the Wild West TV. We will be targeting walleye and northern pike on Last Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan, with Rob Schultz from G&S Marina, and Daryl from Tourism Saskatchewan will be joining us. If all goes well, I will return home on September 30th, and I have my boat already booked into Tracker Boat and Marine at Bass Pro Shops, Calgary, for October 1st. Then I can spend October and November focused on hunting and not worried about my boat.
Tracker Boat and Marine at Bass Pro Shops will maintain and winterize any make and model of boat and when you pre-book your boat in early it rarely takes more than a couple of days to have your boat back and tucked away for another winter.
Don’t get caught in the cold or miss a day of hunting. Book your boat to be winterized today.
BRITISH COLUMBIA – DAVE SHYMR
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