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  • Fishing (Page 2)

Alberta Open 13 Lakes for Catch n Keep

April 14, 2017 / galen / Fishing

The Alberta Fish and Game Association has altered the rules that have been in place on 13 lakes since 1996.  Previously only catch and release fishing was allowed.

alberta-walleye

In order to manage the number of fish harvested a draw system has been put in place which will allow anglers to begin keeping specified fish from the lakes beginning May 15.  (Many other waters are open for fishing April 1st.) The results of the draw are to be released May 8th.  Anglers can apply to the draw indicating their choice of up to 3 lakes, a species, and a size range.  Apply for the draw at: www.albertarelm.com/licensing.page

The Alberta lakes being re-opened for Catch n Keep fishing are:

  • Bourque Lake – Walleye
  • Hilda Lake – Walleye
  • Pine Coulee Reservoir – Walleye
  • Burnstick Lake – Walleye
  • Gleniffer Reservoir – Walleye
  • Gull Lake – Walleye
  • Lac Bellevue – Walleye
  • Lac La Biche – Walleye
  • Manatokan – Pike
  • Bangs Lake – Pike
  • Pine Coulee Reservoir – Pike
  • Magee Lake – Pike
  • Strubel Lake – Yellow Perch

You can follow more on Alberta Fishing and Hunting at: www.mywildalberta.ca

Welcome to Spring

March 21, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Fly Fishing, Goose Hunting, Hunting, Ice Fishing

Spring is now officially here.  In reality, the arrival of Spring is highly variable across the prairie Provinces.  Southern Alberta has anglers reaching for their rods and tackle boxes as seasons open up on some of the mountain streams while others will remain closed in May/June.  Make sure you check your regulations for what waters are open.  I have a number of flies and my fly rods at the ready to go join a buddy from Lethbridge and catch some fresh mountain trout in the foothills waters.  As you move further east and north, most lakes are still covered with a health coat of ice but thin ice conditions in some southern zones are dangerous and in need of caution.  I was fishing central Saskatchewan last week and buried the ice auger shaft at one point meaning the ice is still 3-1/2 feet thick.  The later half of March is often the peak of the ice fishing bite.  All the shacks should have been removed by now but portable huts are still usually permitted as long at they are removed when you leave the ice for the day.

Spring also brings the Snow Goose flock control exercises. March 15th is the season opening date in both Alberta and Saskatchewan, although you may not see any huntable flocks of snow geese until mid-April.  Early season flocks of snow geese can be hunted in Alberta often as early as the beginning of April.  Snow geese will rise and fall in latitude with the availability of large open water and food supply.  Because flock sizes are typically in the 10’s of thousands, both of these need to be in large quantity or the birds will simply hold where the food and water is available.  It’s not uncommon for birds to move north, even all the way to central Saskatchewan, then retreat to North Dakota if there is a significant early to mid April snow fall.  Canada geese have been making their presence known in Central Saskatchewan for several weeks already, but in small flocks of 10 or less so open water can be sheet water in a field or a slough edge and food sources only need to support a few beaks, not thousands. of course, only snow geese (including Ross’s Geese) are legal to hunt in the Spring.

Bear seasons don’t open up until mid April so no need to get out the rifles and bows, unless you want to shoot some target practice.

Because of the highly variable conditions, Spring hunting and Spring fishing can be dangerous times of the year.  So get out there, be careful, and enjoy the Prairie Outdoors.

Don’t Lose Your Truck While Ice-Fishing

March 10, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

Some recent stories from this ice fishing season serve as reminders that ice conditions can vary  across the same body of water.  On water bodies with flowing water, including rivers and river fed lakes, the higher rates of flow in some areas can leave spots of thinner ice.  On rivers, watch for areas where water flows over or around obstructions including man made obstructions such as bridge piers as the ice immediately before and after is often thinner.  Where water flows down a set of rapids or over a weir the ice can be thinner for up to a kilometer or more.  Just witness the mostly ice free section of the South Saskatchewan river flowing through Saskatoon this winter.  The power plant at the south end of town releases warmer water and the weir in the center of the city roughly between downtown and the university breaks up the formation of ice.  Add to this the many bridge piers and the result is very inconsistent or complete lack of ice this winter.

Many lakes are fed by rivers, underground springs, or both.  The under surface flow of the river current through a lake will mean thinner ice, especially at the mouths of the river and any narrow passages.  Underground springs can also produce inconsistent ice thickness.  During warming cycles, these underground springs can run stronger and any snow melt on surrounding hills can produce runoff streams that weaken the ice up to several hundred meters from shore.

If you are unfamiliar with a body of water, play it safe and follow the lead of local anglers and stick to the wheel tracks of others.

Red River, Manitoba truck-red-river-lockport

Buffalo Pound, Saskatchewan

buffalopoundicetruck

Lost Mountain Lake, Saskatchewan

ice-truck-1

Ice Shack Removal

March 9, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

With the recent blizzard rolling across Saskatchewan and Manitoba, it’s hard to imagine the the ice shack removal dates are quickly approaching.

Fishing last weekend and earlier this week in central Saskatchewan, the ice was over 3 feet thick, approaching 3-1/2 feet, nearly at the limits of my ice auger shaft. Even with the recently mild weather, prior to the blizzard we had highs approaching 10 degrees, we haven’t lost any ice yet, just snow melt on top of the ice.

Manitoba Ice Shelter Removal Dates

In Manitoba, ice-fishing shelters must be removed by March 12 on the Red River, March 31 across the rest of southern Manitoba and by April 15 for the rest of Manitoba.

Saskatchewan Ice Shelter Removal Dates

In Saskatchewan, ice fishing shacks must be removed by March 15 in the South Fishing Zone and March 31st in the North.

In most area, the use of pop-up shelters (such as shown below) are permitted up to the end of March, as long as the shelter is erected and removed during the same day outing. That is, it can not be left unattended.

ice-fishing-pop-up-shelter

Remember, despite the annual dates that are posted by the provincial governments regarding ice-shack removal dates, always check the thickness of ice before going out. Never walk on ice that is less than 10 cm (4 in.) thick and do not drive on ice that is less than 30 cm (12 in.) thick.

Free Fishing in Saskatchewan

February 15, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

This coming long weekend, Saturday February 18th, Sunday the 19th, and Monday the 20th, in conjunction with Family Day, anglers can fish in Saskatchewan without need for a license. Of course, it’s ice fishing season so bundle up a bit and get out on the lake. The weather forecast is for mild temperatures so it should be busy out there.

Note that free fishing does not apply to National Parks in Saskatchewan and if you want to transport fish out of Saskatchewan you need to posses a valid fishing license.

Ice Fishing Saskatchewan

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5 Ways to Keep Your Feet Warm While Ice Fishing

February 3, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

When your feet get cold, your day on the ice is done.  If you want to extend your day so you have time to catch more fish, use these simple tricks to keep your feet warm.  First of all, in general, dress like it’s 15 degrees colder than actual temperature, from head to toe.  You can always take off too much clothes but it’s hard to add clothes you don’t have.  Remember, you are standing on a three foot thick block of ice.  If the wind is also blowing, that bites through you quick.  So try these tips for warm feet.

  1. Double up socks and wear good boots.  Just because you can wear a pair of shoes for the walk to the mail box, don’t think these will stand the test of hours on the cold lake.  Get good quality thermal socks and double them up if you can fit them in your boots.
  2. Wear your cold water waders.  If you think having your lower body wrapped in insulation is a good thing when standing in a flowing stream, take that out on the hardwater and you may never go back.
  3. Put hot shots under your feet.  These are the little heater packs that give off heat for about 4 hours.  They may make it more uncomfortable to walk, but if your toes are warmer, that’s a good trade.
  4. Use a 2 x 6 block of wood, under your feet.  Place this between your feet and the ice when you are sitting on your bucket or chair and it will act as an insulating barrier.  Cut a piece just short enough that it will fit in your ice fishing bucket and bring it with you.
  5. Plastic bag your feet.  This old trick has been used to keep feet dry for decades.  It also keep them warm by not letting heat escape.

Keep your feet warm.  Fish longer!

 

Ice Fishing With 2 Lines

January 25, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

An easy tip here to double your chances for catching fish while ice fishing.  Simple, use two lines.

In Canada you are allowed to use up to two lines in the water while ice fishing.  Two lures in the water will increase your chance of catching fish.  Does that mean you have to try to fish with a rod in each hand and two holes?  No, of course not.  What I like to do is drill two holes, at least 10 meters apart, and put a tip-up rig down one hole and set my bucket seat at the other with my jigging rod.

I always set myself up so that I am somewhat aligned with the bucket, the hole I am jigging in, and the tip up hole.  That way I can see the tip up hole without having to turn around.  If you are thinking ahead, on a breezy day, put the tip up down wind of you.  That way you have the wind at your back, making it easier to stay warm.

To make sure you comply with the fishing regulations, you have to keep both lines within 25 meters of you and within line of sight.  So if you are fishing in an ice shack or a pop-up shack, you need to leave a door open and the hole within the required 25 meters.

There are many styles of tip up equipment.  My new favorite is called a Jaw Jacker Hook Setter.  What I really like about this style is that when a fish is hooked, you still get to fish/retrieve the fish with a rod and reel.  Some tip up products require the line to be hand over hand retrieved which is just not the same.

jawjackerhooksetter

Fly Tying Bible

January 23, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Fly Fishing

If I have my Fly Tying Bible on my fly tying table in my office, do I need to genuflect every time I pass it on my way into or out of my office?fly-tying-bible

Use Your Reel as a Depth Finder

January 21, 2017 / galen / Fishing, Ice Fishing

When I go ice fishing I don’t have the luxury of having all the electronics and all the gear that can possibly be purchased for ice fishing, so I have learned how to adapt in a few ways.  One way is to use the reel on my ice fishing rods as depth finder.  Water depth is often an important piece of information when fishing and without a depth finder or a flasher, it can be hard to guess based on the amount of line you let loose from your spool.  But there is an easy way, simply use the amount of line spooled per turn of your crank handle to measure.

Finding out how much line your reel cranks in is easy.  I use 20 feet as the reference point.  To do this, I first get my measuring tape and layout 20 feet on my deck.

ice-fishing-depth-finder_8107Then hook your lure in lightly at the beginning of your measuring tape.

ice-fishing-depth-finder_8108

Un-spool your line back to the 20 foot mark, then crank it back to the lure, counting the number of turns.  Divide 20 feet by the number of turns and you will know how many feet per turn of the crank handle.  Next time you are out fishing, drop your lure to the bottom, crank it up and do the math.

ice-fishing-depth-finder_8109Do this for all your reels. The feet per turn of the crank will vary with the size of the spool as well as how much line you keep on your reel.  For my two reels, the amounts are 2 feet per turn

ice-fishing-depth-finder_8110

and 1.9 feet per turn.  So I just go by 2 feet per turn for both. I don’t often fish at depths beyond 20 feet so it’s a pretty quick and easy way to check the depth.

ice-fishing-depth-finder_8111 If I drill multiple holes, trying to find the drop off point of some structure, I can check the depth of each hole in 30 seconds or less.

ice-fishing-hole_8036

Fish Length to Fish Weight Chart

September 6, 2016 / galen / Fishing

We have just put together a new chart which will allow you to estimate the weight of your fish, Walleye or Pike, based on how long it is.  Looking for a 5 pound Walleye?  You need about 24 inches.  How about a 10 pounder Pike?  Need to stretch out that ruler to 33 inches.

See the Pike and Walleye length to weight chart.

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