Lake Winnipeg ice fishing

There is something about big water that attracts me. Maybe it’s the challenge of trying to find fish over a large area. Certainly it’s common knowledge that large bodies of water like Lake of the Woods and Lake Winnipeg grow big fish, another part of the equation. Still when you are trying to find fish on these lakes, whether it’s in a boat or on a snowmobile when fishing these huge areas, mobility becomes key. Recently on Lake Winnipeg many anglers have been having a tough locating the fish in areas that they have been the last three years. The majority of the angling pressure has been from Matlock to the mouth of the Red River on the west side of the lake. Those anglers working this area are reporting some tough slugging while those who have been venturing up the east side finding considerable more success. Most have been accessing at Beaconia off of Highway 59. There are a couple of other access points, places to leave vehicles and venture out on snow machine. In talking to a couple Manitoba fisheries biologists that have been enjoying the great ice fishing for walleye the last couple of years, they say things have changed on the lake, with the 2001 year class of walleye still maintaining the incredible fishing. As these fish get older and both commercial and sport fishing pressure is maintained they both believe there will be a decline in the fishery to some degree in the next couple of years. With those 2001 walleye, they say there is a variation in sizes, all the way down from thirty two inches. Lake Winnipeg walleye are wonderful fish for a number of reasons. Foremost, when you do locate a school of fish you can usually get some to bite. When you do take some home they are wonderful to eat. And oh yes, they put a decent battle on light gear.
Many anglers are travelling light on the ice right now in order to stay mobile. A snowmobile with a sleigh behind loaded with a heater, portable tent and auger does the trick. The main rule of thumb when we go out is to fish and area for twenty minutes max and move if you aren’t marking fish. If you are marking some fish and they are not biting we might give them a little more time to see if we can find a presentation that will trigger some bites. Of course out on the big lake, both a compass and GPS are required in case of a malfunction in the GPS unit in the middle of snow squall or whiteout. On the big lake you should also travel with more than one machine or vehicle if at all possible. Right now the anglers who are having success have been fishing the thirteen foot mark with a variance in presentation. Some have been only catching on dead sticks (a lure fished stationary) while for some a combination of a jigging spoon, or rattlin rap style bait have produced some of those larger 2001 year class walleye.

Icing Lakers

Anglers in Northwestern Ontario have been taking advantage of the warmer weather to chase down some lake trout. While not as much snow as last winter there is still enough to get around on snow machines. On Lake of the Woods, the winter roads have been plowed but venturing off the beaten track in a vehicle is always risky. On the smaller lakes in the region, ice is good and the slush is manageable. I take at least one trip every year either in January and then again in late March for lake trout, a worthy adversary below the ice. As in most species, it pays to be mobile when trying to find active fish. It’s not unusual to try at least ten different areas in a full day on the hard water. Locations will change depending on time of year and the type of lake that you are fishing. On a crystal clear Canadian Shield Lake with plenty of deep water there are a number of different areas to try and variety always increases your chances of contacting active fish. I usually fish a medium sized Shield Lake that holds a decent population of lake trout and plenty of deep water which helps produces some large fish as well. Over the years I have tried three different types of structures, extended flats in thirty to fifty feet of water, shoreline points that drop off into deep water and sharp dropping granite bluffs that lake trout use to herd ciscoes. On a trip last winter, it proved to be a combination of this type of structure that was the most productive. I and two other friends fished a sharp shoreline drop off between an island and another point of land, which we anglers like to call a funnel area. We use this term as it relates to the underwater structure. With shallow water on both sides, if the lake trout prefer to stay in deeper water they only have a restricted area to use. This helps narrow down the search for them and also increases the odds of contacting active fish. It’s not the most obvious spot on any hydrographic map but usually quite productive. After drilling half a dozen holes, we started working the water column from bottom to top with a variety of heavy spoons and jigs. Fifteen minutes after arrival, I had the first hit, a small tap on a rapid retrieve to the surface. Dropping back down to about the twenty metre level, I jigged my Swedish pimple in the zone where I had the hit. Sure enough the trout came back. Rolling and head shaking like only a lake trout can, I eased him toward the surface. Friend Steven Wintemute was waiting beside the hole, making sure to take the transducer out of the ice hole to avoid tangling. Unfortunately for me the fish shook the hook just below the hole. Encouraged, we renewed our angling efforts with increased concentration. Ten minutes later Steven hooked into another fish and judging by the bend in his rod, I knew this was a smaller fish. Still, a short time later we had our first laker on the ice. Steven had another fish on right away, a big solid lake trout that hit his white tube jig ten metres below the hole. I rushed into his portable tent, just in time to the see the tube drop out of the fish’s mouth below the hole. One of the neat parts about fishing on a lake like this is the water clarity- you could still see your lure ten metres down.
I hurried back out of the tent to my hole, figuring if there was one good fish around, there could be more. Sure enough on my very next drop with a glow and chartreuse Lindy Flyer jig tipped with a two inch Berkley Gulp smelt I had a fish almost rip the rod out of my hand with the strike. This was no small fish, my rod bent over almost to the hole. Five minutes later I had made little progress, the laker rolling and bulldogging to shake the hook. Gradually gaining line, I could see that I had the fish now up to the twenty five metre depth range on my Humminbird Ice 55. It had been twenty years since my last visit to this lake and it might be another ten until I come back but the memories of this day and others will last a lifetime. These kinds of experiences are out there, a myriad of lakes to choose from with nobody around but you and the ravens.

Anglers Notes: It is now official, Kennedy Ironstand’s painting entitled “ The Big Chase” has been selected the winner of the 2010 Youth Angling Art Competition. Ironstand’s painting was chosen first by a panel of five judges from a number of entries across Manitoba. Kennedy lives on the Tootinaowaziibeeng First Nation at Shortdale. Just fifteen minutes from Grandview in the Parkland region, Kennedy transferred recently from Ericksdale. It was Ericksdale art teacher Kim Branconnier that encouraged Kennedy to enter the contest. Branconnier pulled Kennedy away from a school project to enter the contest and she says he had the painting done in one class. Kennedy’s mom Diane says her son has been fishing since he was two but his drawing fills up much of his life with folders and folders of artwork. Kennedy is fourteen years of age. His painting will now adorn the front of 50,000 youth angling cards that will be handed out this year to anglers under sixteen years of age in Manitoba.