MANITOBA
Above average temperatures have returned to the prairies throwing a bit of a curveball to ice anglers. According to Mat Hobson who owns and operates Icebound Excursions on Lake Winnipeg it broke up he big pods of fish, slowing the bite a bit. As the weather stabilizes again, he anticipates the game will be back on!
Hooked Contributor Matt Gelley recently headed out on Lake Winnipeg in style with Le Burger Week champ Carlo Guzzi! Special thanks to Westshore Marine for the fully loaded double cab Polaris Ranger on tracks. We had a great couple days chasing down Greenback Walleyes on the big pond with MEGA Live imaging.
Jumbo perch are still the story on West Shoal Lake as numerous 13 inch fish have been caught in the last few weeks. Check out this beauty caught by Evan Cormier!
EASTERN MANITOBA
Join Lake Trout ice fishing guide Emily fishing for Massive Lake Trout on Lake Athapapuskow Manitoba at Bakers Narrows Lodge. What do guides do on their day off, they go fishing! Visit Bakers Narrows Lodge https://www.bakersnarrowslodge.com
NORTHWESTERN ONTARIO-LAKE OF THE WOODS-JEFF GUSTAFSON
SASKATCHEWAN
RAFFERTY RESERVOIR
There has been some good walleye and perch action on this southern reservoir. Ralph Smart of Prairie Pro Outfitters is now taking bookings for overnight accommodation on the ice.
You can find Ralph at prairieprooutfitters.com
Now for something completely different. You never know what you are going to get next with Rylan Parrot. Rylan is down on Round Lake chasing some gators and tempting them with his new hot dog lure.
ALBERTA-WES DAVID-FISHNG THE WILD WEST
Extremely cold temperatures were experienced across the western provinces during the week of January 10-18, and it was much needed in central and southern Alberta to form quality ice on the larger water bodies.
During the cold snap, I never had a chance to get out on the ice, however, we did shoot a couple of video projects at the trout hatcheries. It was a pleasant reminder of the hard work going on behind the scenes within Alberta’s trout hatcheries throughout the winter months. A variety of trout species are in the egg stage and are beginning to hatch. After they hatch, they will be cared for and raised until spring when they will be stocked in over 250 lakes and trout ponds across Alberta.
Since the Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery in Calgary began raising trout in 1973, it has raised over 50-million trout from the egg stage to various sizes. Since that time, all the trout raised have been released into more than 250 different water bodies and thousands of repeated stockings throughout the province of Alberta as a part of Alberta’s Fish Stocking Programs. These trout have all been released to increase public fishing opportunities.
The Sam Livingston Fish Hatchery is just one hatchery in Alberta. Cold Lake Fish Hatchery (which also raises walleye), Smoky Trout Farms, and a few others are also raising hundreds of thousands of trout eggs during the winter months for our fishing pleasure during the summer months. In 2020, there were 253 lakes/ponds stocked with 2,092,799 trout in Alberta. The numbers are estimated to be higher for the 2024 stocking season.
Take advantage of Alberta’s stocked trout ponds this summer with family and friends. When the bobber goes under. “Set the Hook”!
Show Season
It is that time of the year again and one of my favourites, sports show season! By the time this fishing report comes out, I will be on a plane returning from Shot Show in Las Vegas. I attended Shot Show with Kevin the owner of Hooked Media and publisher of Hooked Magazine, and this fishing report, along with Andrew from Team Canada Pro.
What’s an angler doing wandering the aisles of Shot Show? I have heard a lot about Shot Show and always wanted to see the show whose major focus is on the hunting and shooting sports. The show was everything I was told it would be and everything I could have imagined it to be with the latest in hunting gear/equipment, guns and ammo, and so much more.
The Bass Pro Shops Ice Fishing event held on Saturday, January 20, at the Calgary or Rocky View store location, was a huge success with great deals on fishing tackle and ice fishing equipment. I was giving ice-fishing seminars within the store from 12:00 pm-4:00 pm and I was pleased to see so many new young anglers eager to learn and start their fishing careers.
Next on the agenda
The Calgary Boat and Outdoor Show (CBOS) will be held at the BMO Center on Stampede Park February 9-11. Due to the high demand from exhibitors attending the show, the CBOS has expanded its halls to accommodate a variety of hunting, fishing, camping, and everything outdoor booths. There are also a variety of outdoor seminars on the Outdoor Stage, the Kids Trout Pond where kids can catch and release live trout raised at the trout hatcheries mentioned above, archery, game calling, and so much more.
If you can’t make it to the CBOS, there is a great lineup of Alberta sports shows this winter.
March 1-3, Red Deer Sports & Outdoor Show, March 14-17, Edmonton Boat & Sportsmen’s Show, April 5-7, Southern Alberta Outdoor Show. Lethbridge.
I hope to see you at one of them!
Wes David Host & Producer of Fishing the Wild West TV