MIGHTY LAKE DIEFENBAKER IS AN ANGLERS PARADISE
Saskatchewan’s Lake Diefenbaker provides some of the provinces best angling for several different species. These included burbot, walleye, rainbow trout, and northern pike. This is the first part of a two part article on how to catch fish on this massive reservoir in March.
While often overlooked the whitefish are often overlooked but are the abundant and relatively easy to catch. I will break down all the key things you need to know to catch these great sportfish.
WINTER WHITEFISH LOCATION
Large coulees make up the majority of the shoreline on the lake. These are where the whitefish can be found, feeding on the key structure points in the coulees throughout the ice season. The whitefish will be found back in the sand or gravel bays in anywhere from eight to 25 feet. They can be chasing small baitfish or foraging in the sandy or mud bottoms for other types of aquatic insects and organisms.
Whitefish can also be found deep in the lake, but the best action will be found in the shallower structure where you can target active feeding whitefish that are cruising looking for a meal.
KEY ELEMENTS
In the coulees look for shallow points surrounded by deeper water. The whitefish will frequent these areas looking for schooled up baitfish that are feeding around the shallower structure adjacent to the deeper holding waters. Whitefish love to move into these shallow areas to feed on the baitfish. When they are active in these spots the strikes can be outstanding.
MORE THAN ONE!
Once you catch a whitefish on a point of structure, you can bet you will find more as they generally travel in schools. With Diefenbaker being more of a reservoir style waterbody, the fish are constantly on the move in the lake and by targeting the key points of structure you will greatly increase the number of whitefish you catch and limit the time in between fish.
KEY LURE CHOICES
Whitefish on the lake can be tricked on a wide variety of baits. Some fish can be caught while targeting other species on rigging that would surprise any whitefish angler. When focusing on structure some of the best baits can be subtle but aggressive. Small jigging lures such as the Northland Forage minnows in size 1/8 ounce with a number 6 hook, or 1/16 ounce with a number 8 hook can be effective all year for whitefish at these locations.
I like to use the jig to stir the bottom, which helps attract cruising whitefish. Once the fish key in on the bait, slow the action right down into very small twitches and subtle movements to trigger the bite. If they are still not striking, drop the bait into the sand and let the fish suck it up from off the bottom.
Small tungsten jig heads, 1/16 ounce tipped with small minnows can be effective on the lake as well. Whitefish on Diefenbaker love foraging for small baitfish and generally the smaller size you can find the better. The tungsten jig head will allow your bait to drop faster and get back down quickly to a passing or feeding school of whitefish.
RIGGING AND GEAR
Whitefish in Lake Diefenbaker can weigh up to six pounds or more! Combine that with extremely clear water in certain areas, means proper rigging and equipment will help you hook and land more of these fish. With the traditional ice set up being a medium action rod for whitefish, this may not always be the best choice. To consistently present your bait with a subtle presentation while controlling the baits motion and maintaining positive hook sets, bumping up the rod action to a medium heavy can help with this. The medium heavy action rod will help control the subtle motions of the jigging bait. At the same time, you will be able to positively set the hook without any doubt at any position the bait is in during the jigging or twitching sequence.
When jigging small baits with small movements and light striking fish a light rod with medium to light backbone can result in a lot of missed hook ups and lost fish. With the clear waters of Lake Diefenbaker fluorocarbon is a must for your leader line to catch numbers of these fish. A fluorocarbon lead, ranging from four to eight pounds is best. The pound test is based on water clarity and what the fish are willing to strike.