Answering the call of the open water

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/05/2017 (3377 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Another open-water fishing season has arrived in our part of the world with very mixed reviews.

A friend and I headed out to Whiteshell Provincial Park last Thursday to see if I could explore a bit of the Whiteshell River system. The Whiteshell River starts out at Caddy Lake and ends up in the Winnipeg River at Nutimik Lake. It has been a major canoe route for thousands of years, allowing people access from Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg.

After stopping at the Otter Falls store to buy a park pass, we headed east on Provincial Road 307. There are numerous access points to the river along this road. After launching, we headed into a couple of backwater areas to see if we could find some shallow water walleye.

Seven hours later, we had managed just six walleye and a number of small pike — a bit frustrating, but still a fun day on the water.

Meantime, my friend Jim Price had launched at Sportsman Park on the Whitemud River. Despite long lineups to get launched, he and a couple friends ended up having an adventuresome day. While only a few small male walleyes were caught, the freshwater drum and huge carp more than made up for it. In fact, Jim and his friends hooked three huge carp on crankbaits along with eight Master Angler drums.

Meantime, I got my annual opening-weekend catfish update from Gary Schewe. A hardcore angler, Gary has been making this part of his angling adventures for a long time.

“Hey Don, check out, some of these large cats, I caught from shore,” he said. “The second one was probably the biggest cat I have ever caught. I’ve been doing this shore fishing on opening weekend since the early ’90s. Perfect setting, locks still down and tons of flow; just need enough weight to keep you where you want to be — 12 ounces to be exact. Big, huge bait, lots of scent and give these fish a big meal, that’s what they are seeking. I run a large baitcaster reel and a heavy seven rod, matched with 30-pound Berkley Solar monofilament. It helps me to see the line hitting the water. Also I noticed that the Pelicans seem to see detect the colour and avoid it when flying by. Even with the drag tightened down, these monsters took out line and were a chore to land. What a world-class fishery, where you can catch the fish of a lifetime from a shore spot. Only disappointment is the amount of litter present. I don’t know what the answer is. Fines, more education, but let’s protect this valuable resource for future generations!”

Thanks Gary for that update.

I have two longtime friends coming down in the first week in June to enjoy this incredible fishery. They have seen the pictures, heard the stories and are ready to cross it off their bucket list. One of the keys when fishing for catfish is to be observant. Look for current seams or fish rising in back eddies. These all indicate fish activity. I never stay longer than 15 minutes in a spot if I haven’t had at least three hits. In the springtime, most of the time the catfish are super aggressive and will just smash your bait. I really like using cut sucker at this time of year. The smell trail it leaves in the water really calls the catfish from a distance.

Right now, the Red is about two metres above summer average, with a strong flow mostly created by the amount of water coming out of the Assiniboine River.

Anglers notes

Many of the schools in Manitoba, including Winnipeg, have fishing programs. I recently had a chance to talk to the angling clubs at Miles Mac and David Livingstone. My friend Tyler Kohut has started one at John Pritchard School as has Martin Grubert for River East Collegiate. Hopefully, with some warmer weather on the day, the action from the shores of the Red River will continue to get better.

dlamont@mymts.net