Fishing fun.

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,
It's been a while since I last posted, but here are my fishing reports for the beginning of Sept. and the start of my fall fishing season.
 
The first 2 reports are from the Sept. long weekend and are a combination of shore and boat fishing.
 
The first of the 2 days takes place on Sept. 1st where I do some evening shore fishing fishing from 4:40pm to 8:30pm.
This is another nice evening at the lake with just a bit of wind and clear skies.
 
The lake has cleared up a bit and there appears to be a bit less algae in the water with a bit clearer waters.
 
The fishing is not too bad and in 5 min I net the first fish, this not bad walleye.

 
The first pike of the evening.

 
This one is the larger fish caught.

 
And so end another good day of fishing.

 
Not quite!!!
I also try fishing after dark for a while and catch another night pike just before I quit.

 
The final results are 8 pike & 7 walleye.
 
 
 
On the 2nd day I return with the boat for a bit of fishing on Labor Day where I make full day of it, fishing from 9:30am - 6:30pm.
 
It was a nice at the lake with temps in the + 26 deg C / 78.8 F, but with the fair wind that day made it a bit rough. When I first launch it is fairly calm, but as the day progressed it got rougher. :blink:
 
The strong wind did lend it's self to wind drift fishing and that's how I fished.
I would first troll into the wind, pick up a few fish, and then drift over the same spot with the wind and nail them again, once done I would repeat again.
When the wind got really strong I anchored and jigged or cast in promising looking spots. That method was also successful.
 
While I was fishing I noticed a sail boat. It's the first one I have seen on the lake this year.

I can see why he was out that day.  He really moved along, circling around the lake 3 or 4 time before finally coming in.
 
The first fish of the day, not long into the trolling.

It came on a spinner and float rig.
 
One of the bigger walleye of the day at 19".

 
Most of the pike were around the 2 - 2.5 lb mark.
 
This was an average sized pike that day, but I found the nick on it's side a bit unusual, so snapped a photo of it.

It kind of looked like it might have been snagged by a hook.
 
There were not too many fisherman out that day, with only 2 fishing boats out while the rest were pleasure boaters.
 
The fish that day were going for crankbaits, soft plastics, and bottom bouncers pared up with hand tied spinner rigs.  
 
I had a great day of fishing landing 6 pike and 24 walleye + 4 more pike that got off.
The pike tend to jump more and are able to throw the barbless hooks easier.
 
In the end I was happy with my fishing on this long weekend, and now look forward to what the fall fishing will bring.
 
 
 

The next 2 reports are for Sept 7th and 8th and are back in my usual area.
One day 1 I shore fished, and on day 2 I am back in the boat.
 
On Sept 7th I get to the lake a bit later than usual where I shore fished from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.
 
It was a nice evening at the lake with mostly calm waters, cloudy skies and slightly cooler temps.

 

The fish seemed to be active as they were jumping off and on all over the lake and it was only 4 casts before I hook into the first one.
This pike.

 

These were the bigger pike and walleye that evening.

 

 
In the end I catch 4 pike & 5 walleye, not bad for an evening of shore fishing.
 

The next day {Sept.  8th}, I am back at the lake, but this time in the boat, launching at 10:35am and fishing until 5:00pm.
 
The weather that day was mix of some sun, but mostly cloudy with fairly calm waters and a temp at +21 deg C  / 69.8 F makes it pleasant to be out.

 

The lakes algal bloom appears to be starting to lessen and I notice the water is a bit clearer that it was in late Aug early Sept.
 
The fish were also quite active and just like the evening before, were jumping all around the lake from time to time, some of them more than half way out of the water and a couple close to the boat.
 
It appeared to me that I was the only one out fishing in that area of the lake the whole day and I saw only one other boat, a pleasure boater / water skier combo.
 
It was not long before I was on to them and I start the day with this pike.

 
First walleye of the day.

 
One of the other fish.

 
This walleye went for a bigger meal, a 6" swimbait.

 
In the end I had a fun day on the water with good fishing.
The fish were biting regularly for most of the time out. They only slowed for an hour and a half, but then started up again.
 
My final results were 20 walleye and 5 pike + 3 more pike and 1 walleye that shook free.
The walleye were a bit larger on average this time with several in the 19" to 19.5" mark.
 
I seemed to have better luck when I was moving as apposed to just sitting in one spot. I would troll for a while and then drift slowly back with the light wind.

 
This time I had luck on soft plastics and off set spinners and swimbaits, but the ones that produced the best were rattling crankbaits and hand tied spinner rigs tipped with gulp alive baits.
 
All the fish caught went back to fight another day.
 
One of the interesting things I saw that day occurred when I was reeling in a walleye and had a pike following just below it all the way to the boat.
The pike was a bit bigger than the walleye, but not by much. I am not sure if it wanted the walleye, or the food item the walleye had in it's mouth.  Whatever the case, it was neat to see.
I tried to catch the pike after I let the walleye go, but no luck.
 
The setting sun ends another good day at the lake.

 
There are quite a few bugs in these 2 photos, not sure what exactly they were, but they were not mosquetoes, thank goodness.

 

As the sun set further, and it darkens, I could see the waxing crescent moon, Venus {the evening star} and returning Canada geese to the lake.

 
P.S - The fall migration is just starting up around the lake and over the 2 days I saw flock of the local Canada geese and ducks coming and going to and from the lake plus migrating flocks sandhill cranes and even a few small flocks of snow geese.
 
 
 
The next report is for Sept 15th and again I am at my usual spot on Fishing lake doing a bit of shore fishing where I fish from 4:40 pm to 7:30pm.
 
On the way to the lake I take a bit different route which takes me past a couple pens of wild boar.

 
There are big ones and little ones in the same pens.

They are tough looking critters. :blink:
 
Once at the lake the weather that afternoon is not too bad with temps at the + 19 deg C / 66.2  F  mark, a mix of sun and cloud, and a fair wind blowing on an angle to me.
It was a bit tough to cast light lures so I went to a bit heavier weighs.

Once it got dark it got fairly cool, due to the wind and high humidity.
 
It was again fairly quite in my spot with no other anglers or boaters to be seen.
The fish were around but it took a while before they got going.
I got a pike in the first 3 min of fishing and then it was around half an hour before I found another and then they really turned on and when I
caught the majority of them.
It stayed like that to sunset, and then after that the fish shut off again.
 
In the end I was able to find 4 of these guys.

 
And 7 of them.

These 2 fish were the average size that evening.
 
Some of the fish were hitting light and others were just pounding it. The light bitters would just swim with the lure in their mouth and all I felt was my line go slack and move towards me or off to the side. I set the hook and the fight was on. The ones that hit hard were the fish that followed the lure close to shore only to grab it with a few feet of line from my rod tip. I had a couple pike do that. Talk about close combat fishing.
 
For the most part the leaves remain relativity green with only a few starting to change color.
I hope this shows that it will be a long fall ahead.
 
Hi guys,
This next report has to deal with fishing and the outdoors, but, doesn't take place at a body of water.

In mid Sept. I got a letter in the mail that said that I was invited to a VIP shopping event the day before the new Cabela's Canada store officially opens in Regina.
 The opening ceremonies were to happen on Thursday Sept 19th, but the sneak peak was to be on the 18th.  
I was excited to be a part of this even as I have never been asked to any thing like this before, so on that day I took the afternoon off, along with my mom for some shopping with a few hundred others chosen.
 
We browsed and shopped for 2 hours taking in all the new store had to offer.  
This is the 2nd Cabela's in SK. now and for the most part it is quite similar to the first in the terms of  layout, architecture and wildlife present.
It might be just me, but I think this new store might have a bit more fishing related items than the other one, will have to check back with the one in Saskatoon some time to compare the 2.,lol.
 
I enjoyed shopping in the new Cabela's as the greeters, cashiers and floor walkers in each section were polite and helpful and seemed to know their stuff and where to find it.
They also had some mighty impressive wildlife mounts from various species here in SK., and all over North America.
 
Outside of the of the new store.

 
Can you see me,lol.

 
While I was there I purchased a new Rapala Scatter Rap minnow along with a few other lure types and spinner rig components.
 
There was one Item that I had never seen before. They was called "Cabela's Fisherman Series Walleye-A-Plug Bodies" and they looked like a miniature crankbait 1.5" long that you thread through your line when making a crawler, leech or minnow rig. This little crankbait type float is suppose to wiggle and give the bait an action different from the traditional spinners or plain rigs.  
You can buy the pre maid rigs and a single  or you can buy 3 in a package and make your own rigs. The 3 pack of just bodies is what i went for, as I like to experiment with different colored beads, hook types and line length and the color I picked was orange tiger.
 
For those of you, like me, who have not see it before, here is a link to it on the Cabela's Canada website ------> http://www.cabelas.ca/product/44872/cabelas-fisherman-series-walleye-a-plug-bodies
 
I don't think they will work too well from shore, as they will be too light to cast effectively, but next time I am fish from the boat will have to see how they work for me.
They look like they should work trolling for trout, perch and other panfish, along with walleye and pike.
 
Do any of you have any reviews, good or bad for the Cabela's fisherman series walleye - a - plug?
 
I am glad to have this new store in Regain as it will be easier for me to get to that one, then the store in Saskatoon.
 
I will still continue to support the smaller private tackle shops as they will need more than ever now, but it also nice to have options in were to find the exact outdoor gear a person is looking for.
I hope that all the tackle shops in the Regina area will still be able to adapt, compete and profit.
 
 
 The last fishing report for Sept. was on the 29th were I again did a bit of shore fishing at Fishing Lake from 1:00pm - 4:40pm.
 
The sky that afternoon was mostly overcast with an odd sunny break and the temps that afternoon would have been nice, but there was strong winds blowing that day made things a bit chilly. The wind was really whipping the lake up with large white caps and as the afternoon went on it only got stronger.
 
As a results I was the only one out fishing that day and the only other anglers I saw were 2 half grown grebes that fished and bobbed in the large waves like 2 little floats.
They were not scared of me at all and we both fished together most of the afternoon. With them swimming and diving past me one way and then turning around and going back.
They seemed to always know where the schools of minnows were and came up with catches quite often.
 
The fishing for me was also good, despite the strong winds and on by 3 cast, I had a bite and landed the first fish of the day.
This pike.

 
An average pike that day.

 
First, walleye and an average for them also.

 
Largest pike of the day.

 
Largest walleye.

 
I would have fished longer than 4:40pm, but by then the waves were really rolling, and I had a hard time casting my lure. If I went straight into the wind it would go up on an land just a few feet and if I cast sideways into the wind the lures would be pinched into the rocks at shore. When I wend to stand from my chair the wind blew it over.  
By then I had enough of the wind and quit, but I was happy with the fishing results on this blustery afternoon I caught and released 6 walleye and 13 pike.
 
A shot of the lake as I was leaving.

 
On the way home I though I would take a road less traveled, and on it I came across a buffalo / bison heard.
I stopped for a few minuets and took in their sights and sounds.
They had some interesting sounds indeed, most of them made a call that could be best describes as sounding like a "burp" along with a few grunt,groans and snorts.  
 
Although the light was fading, I was able to snap a couple photos of them, from the safety of the vehicle,lol.

 
I have a friend who raises bison and he said that you can never really trust them, or predict what they may do.

 
Well that's it, all my photos from this month of Sept.
 
I am not sure what the fishing in Oct. will bring for me, but what ever it may be I will be I will be ready.
 
WW

 

[gundogwanted]

Water Wolf....I envy you...gosh is it gorgeous there, and to have all that when you want it. Don't ever let it go. Keep the stories coming.

[Water Wolf]

Thanks gundogwanted.
Yeah this area is quite special and we can't take it for granted and try to keep it as clean and healthy as possible.
Here are another 2 SK. fishin' reports.

Hi All,

Here are my 2 shore fishin' reports for the month of Oct. The first of which took place on the 15th.
That afternoon I decided to do a bit of shore fishing on my usual spot at Fishing Lake, where I fished from 3:40pm to 7:20pm

The afternoon had above normal temps in the + 12 deg C / 53.6 F mark and would have made for a nice day at the lake, but mother nature had other ideas.
The afternoon started not too bad when I left home, but by the time I got to the lake the wind had really picked up and my spot was a churning surf, with white caps
every where and crashing waves.  It stayed like that most of the afternoon only letting up a bit just at sundown. The sky stayed mostly cloudy too.

Despite the tough fishing conditions I decided to try anyways and found the fishing to be not too bad. The bite was not a consistent than it has it been earlier in the year, but that's usually what happens there this time of year.

The wind made casting tough and like some of my other days, I put on a heavier lure and cast out not going too, far but far enough to find fish.
Good thing they were sitting close to shore, probably eating minnows and other little things stirred up by the waves.


I finally quiet a bit after dark when it really got chilly.

In the end I caught and released 4 walleye & 1 pike + losing another 2 walleye and pike.

Storm wildeye swimbaits were the go to baits that afternoon.
I also caught 2 walleye on the Rapala clackin' minnow just after sunset.

Here are a few photos of the fishing.

First fish of the afternoon, this walleye.

This one was a bit of a handful and quite chunky.

First pike.


Average sized walleye that day.


All the fish look like they are feeding up for winter.


All in all I was happy that I found anything that day and I hope the next day out will be a bit calmer.


The 2nd report is on Oct. 26th were I went shore fishing at Fishing Lake.
On this day I was just passing by the lake, but had my rod and small tackle box with me so though I would stop and see if anything was still biting.

I gave it a try from 4:30pm to 5:45, just past sunset.
It was another cloudy and windy day so I opted to try a new spot as my usual spot was once again in the wind. I moved to the sheltered side of the lake and found a promising looking area. This was a bit better and the wind was reduced by quite a bit.
The temp said + 8 deg C / 46.4 F, but is was still a bit cooler than that with wind chill.

I was again the only person out there. The only other anglers around were the young swan grebes fishing near shore & a young bald eagle circling above the lake watching for fish and wounded waterfowl.

The water was fairly clear in this area and I could see a fair ways out. 

I had a bit of a nibble on the line 10 min into the fishing and then 18 or so min into the fishing I get the first fish of the
evening a smaller pike.


I let it go and throw back to the same spot as I caught the pike and again get another hit. The hit was light, but it gave a better fight than the first fish.
This turned out to be a not bad walleye of roughly 3 - 3.5 lbs.

It was fat and tight as a drum, must have really been feeding.

Fifteen minuets before I quit I get another hit and again it's another walleye, a bit smaller than the other one.

This would be the last fish for me.

The fish were not hitting hard at all in the cold water, with most of the hits feeling like a light tap from a small perch, but once I felt the tap and set the hook they fought fairly well. The lure they wanted that day were Storm Wildeye swimbaits.

I hope to get out 1 or 2 times yet before the lakes in this area freeze over.
I am not sure if this will happen for me or not, but we will see what happens in Nov.

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi all,
Well it's that time of year, my open water season is now over. I was hoping to get out one more time in Nov. but with this last series
of cold weather I won't be fishing now until safe ice.

I feel I had a good season and I am happy how it turned out.

Thanks to all of you who took a look at my posts.

Good luck in your new ice fishing season.

Until then, be safe and have fun.

Water Wolf out!

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi All,
Here are my open water reports for the month of May.

Well here it is, my first fishing report for the new open water season.
Normally I am usually out on opening day, but this year I was delayed a bit.  The first day out was Sat. May 17th.

On the way to our first spot I see some other angler out fishing in a flowing creek.



My first stop is my usual spot at Fishing Lake, but find the lake still mostly ice covered, say for 100 or so feet of open water around the edge. :blink:

This is very unusual to still have ice this late in the year, usually it's gone around the beginning of May.
In fact this whole spring has been slow getting going, even the leaves are just starting to open.  
Oh well, onto spot 2 and the flowing waters of the Whitesand River.

On the way to the river we pass by a Rama where they are having horse drawn seeding and farming demonstrations.  My passenger and I stop to observe how they used to break the land and plant the crops in bygone days. 





Neat to see.

We get to the river and to the spot I want to try.   A group of anglers are just leaving, with a few fish, so at least there might be some action.

I shore fish in this area from 3:30pm until 6:00pm.

It was a fairly windy day with gusts coming from the N. The temp was + 16 deg C  / 60.8  F with mostly cloudy skies.

I fish for 10 min or so before another group of angler join in too.
I finally get my first fish of the new open water season, this pike.

It's no, giant, but still it feels good to get that tug on the end of the line again.

Another 10 min later and this other pike, a bit larger than the first, takes my bait right at the rod tip, with no more than 5 feet of line out.


A few more anglers show up and we line the river bank.

When I first arrived I could see fish jumping  all over the river.  While fishing along the bank I finally saw what they were, white suckers.
They were swimming past me no more than a foot away from my boots, but it if made any motion, they bolted. Cool to see them that close.

In one of these spots where the suckers were congergating, this guy strikes.

This male white sucker is in full spawning colors. Maybe the jumping is part of their spawning activities?

He was aggressive enough to hit my black and white double tail grub, he is also the largest white sucker I have caught to date, and I would feel that he was 4 - 5 lbs.

I am not sure if that's a big white sucker or not, but he gave as good a fight as a walleye of equal size and I did think I had a not bad walleye when I felt it run.

I fish for another half hour or so but with all of us out there our lines were getting entangles, so I decided to move to a creek, no too far off that I had heard about last year.

Enroute to the creek, we came across a large cow moose, in the tree line, just off the road.
 She slowly walked into the bush and just stood perfectly still.  I snapped a photo of her, but she blended so well with her surroundings that she is difficult to see among the willow and underbrush.

We get to the creek at 7:10 pm and I fish until 8:00pm.

The creek slowly flows into a nearby lake down stream.

There were only a few other anglers here and we exchanged our fish stories of the day.  All of us caught 1 fish including myself. Another pike, about the size as my first one I caught earlier.

Half an our before we left we all got checked by 2 conservation officers.
They told us that fishing had been slow everywhere.

At 8:00 pm we all packed it in.

This time the fish went for Len Thompson's new lemon and flame colored 5 of diamonds spoon and a double tail grub.

On the way home we come across another moose and this neat little church.

This is the smallest country church I have ever seen. It probably no more than 10' x 15' and almost resembles a large ice fishing shack,lol.

There is a small, cemetery nearby.

All in all it was an interesting first day out, with lots of things to see, be it nice scenery, horse demos, fish and wildlife or just a unique little church on a small country back road.

I had planned on going fishing again on Monday {Victoria Day}, but the rain put a damper on that, but that's OK there is always another day.

I am not sure what the next trip will bring or where I will go for sure, but its always good.




Report #2. . . May 24th. . . In the afternoon I decide to check out my usual spot again at Fishing Lake to see if it was ice free.

On the way to the lake I spot 2 adult turkey vultures.

They must have been feeding on something in the ditch.
This photo taken at a fair distance.

When I get to the lake I find that it is now ice free, so I shore fish from 2:34pm - 5:40pm.


The weather was a mix of sun and cloud with a fairly light breeze when I started from the S then switching gradually to the NW by the time I was done.

The temps were a respectable 24 deg C / 75.2 F.

I was the only one out shore fishing as far as I could see.
Two men in a row boat went out the same time I did and anchored just off shore 60 or so yards down from me.

Fishing that afternoon was good.  I caught 6 walleye & 7 pike.

The walleye started things off, even under the bright sun they still hit.
Some hits were hard others were soft, like the lure was suddenly gone.

This is the first walleye of the day and of the year.


This is the largest one.


4 of the 6 walleye were male and released milt when I picked them up, much like what happens late in the winter.
I wonder if they are spawning or have yet to spawn.

The pike, on the other hand, appears to have already spawned. They are quite beat up looking with numerous split fins, cuts, bumps and scrapes.
One pike had what looked to be a bite to it's lower pelvic fin, and a good slash running along it's lower jaw.
The pike spawn must be quite a violent affair.

I was going to take a photo of the pike, but the camera battery died.

Half an hour before I quit, the 2 in the boat paddle back to shore and leave with 2 fish.

All my fish went back to feed and maybe, spawn shortly.



The 3rd and final trip of the month was on May 31st where my buddy and I went up to the mixed forest of the Hudson Bay area.

Along the way I snap a photo of an interesting old barn that has see better days.

A caption for this barn might be "Oh my aching back".

We get to the area in the afternoon and decide to try several different lakes.

The weather is great, with sunny skies, a light wind from the W that's not too strong but cools you down and + 26 deg C  /78.8 F temps.

Our first stop, Mc.Bride Lake.


I fish at Mc.Bride for 2 hours and in that time I find 2 pike.

The first one is quite small.

At first I though I had one of the nice perch this lake is known for.

The 2nd one is a bit bigger.


While I am there I loss a spoon when my line wrapes around the rod tip and breaks. This is my best cast of the day I see it sail far out into the lake, there goes the new Len Thomposn. :blink:
I do catch a break though, and find an older spoon hanging in the reeds just off shore and I can just reach it with the rod tip. One spoon lost one spoon found, not bad trade I guess.

After that I check out another spot, this time at PeePaw Lake.


I try this lake for 1.5 hours and in that time find another smaller pike.


There is also another friendly group of angles who had fished earlier in the day and were going out again to do some evening fishing.
They said that the fishing was OK with both smaller pike and walleye caught.

My last stop for the evening was at Parr Hill Lake where I fish for 2 hours until dark.

About an hour in I feel a nibble and then a strike. I set the hook and this feels a bit better then the others.

It turns out to be the big one of the day, and also the last one for me.

By the end of the day, there there was no breeze at all, the lake calmed right down, and, the only ripples were jumping fish.
[

It was very calm by the water listening to the loon's cry echo off the trees and down the lake and the gentle gurgle of a near by creek flowing into the lake just a few yards down from me.

I get 2 more strikes but, they both get off near shore.

We leave as the sun begins to sink behind the trees and hills to the W.

The setting sun signals an end to a good day of exploring and I am happy to have found fish in each of the spots I tried.

The fish again go back to bite another day.

The only nuisance I found were the biting insects. This area does not have many ticks and less mosquitoes than around the lakes I usually fish, but they do have an abundance of black flies and no-see-ums.
The pesky little insects definately gave me more bites than the fish did,lol.

I now look forward to what fishing the month June will bring.

WW

[Young Catcher]

Thanks WW,  so nice reports.
I have been waiting this report.
I really enjoy.
Have a good next one !

[Water Wolf]

Thanks YC, will try 

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi All,
Here are my open water reports for June.

The first report in June is from the 7th, and, I start out, up the creek, literally.  I went to do some shore fishing at one of Last Mountain Lake's creeks.

As I head to the lake I can see storm clouds gathering in the distance I am hoping that they hold off for the afternoon.

Along the way I encounter quite a few deer, some with young ones. I didn't get any photos of the fawns but did get a photo of this one as she trotted off across the field and likely to her young one in the clump of trees.



Once I get to Last Mountain Lake I make my way to the creek mouth on a rather rough and bumpy trail and do some fishing form 3:50pm - 8:00pm.

As I arrive a group of anglers are just packing up. They said the the fishing was slow and they had been out since early morning for just a couple of pike.
They told me "you should have been here last week, they were biting like mad". They wish me luck and leave.

It's a dark and windy day with cool temps, only 15 deg C  /59 F temps. There are dark storm clouds in the distance, I hope they miss me.

As I get to the waters edge I see a pike basking in the shallows not too far off shore. I do a couple of retrieves past it and it looks like it might strike. It then slowly moves toward the middle of the creek. I cast way past the spot were the fish was and half way in I get a good hit. A brief tussel ensues with the typical head shakes of a pike.
This one is netted.


It may be the same fish that I saw before. I let it go after the photo.

This is a good start so far, however, as it turned out, that's where my luck ran out.  That turned out to be the only fish of the day.  I am not sure if it was the storm making them sluggish and not hungry or that the pike and walleye may have already moved out of the creek in favor of the lake, but that was that.

The only other fish I saw go by was a school of good sized carp, some of them were real beauties. I wish I would have brought some corn or worms for them.

The one pike went for a Storm Wildeye swimbait.

I hope my next trips yield a bit more action.



Report #2.

June 22nd.

I was hoping to get out a bit more in June, but, it has been a very rainy month. It would be OK for one day and then rain 3- 4 days.  The month kind of vanished.
The 22nd was no different with rain predicited for the day, but I took my chances and went anyway.

I got to the lake by 2:30pm and was greeted by a thunder storm and heavy rains.  Luckily they were just finishing and I only had a few minutes wait to get fishing. The temps were + 18 deg C  / 64.4  F, the wind was from the NW.

Half an hour later another heavy rain rolled through and again I took shelter. This storm only lasted 5 min or so and was gone again. It did this many time throughout the afternoon.

Some of the rains were heavy and I had to take shelter others were light and I fished though them.

The fishing was also a bit mixed with a few fish following but not nibbling. My first 3 fish I caught were pike and they all jumped just as I got close to shore and pitched the barbless hooks.

I thought this luck might continue thoughout the afternoon, but, half way though, FINALLY, I net one.
This walleye.



A short time later a bit larger walleye is hooked and landed.


Towards the end of the day the skies began to clear and the wind calmed down a bit, this is when I land the first pike of the day.

This was also the last fish of the day.

The fish went for spoons and swim baits.

Although it was slower than normal, I was just happy to find anything in spite of the wind and rain.

Hopefully the next trip will yield better weather and fishing.





My last report for the month of June...  I was fishing off shore at Fishing Lake on the 28th.

On the way to the lake I pass the same group of anglers in the same spot as before.


I get to the lake and fish from 3:15pm - 6:00pm.
The sky was dark with a large band of what looked to be storm clouds all around.

The fishing started off not too bad, with a few fish chasing and nipping at the lure just out a ways from me.
In my 8th cast I net this first fish of the day.
This pike.


I pick up another pike 10 min later and then the fishing turns off.

Around 6:00pm the sky really darkens and it  rains hard for an hour and a half.

After that it is still raining, but quite a bit lighter, so I try my luck and land this walleye.


Just as I release it the the sky opens up again and doesn't stop. I take that cue and leave, driving home in pouring rain.

Sunday also brings more down pours, as well as Monday, the last day of June. During this time the area I live in gets hit hard - there is water lying everywhere!

More rain than any one around here has ever seen in one event. This leads to flooding and major damage to roads, bridges, culverts, homes and fields.

All the creeks, even the ones who rarely ever flow, are now white water torrents. There are lakes that have shown up in the middle of farmers fields. This flooding will likely kill large portions of the crops around here.  Many towns have now declared a state of emergency in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

My own house as well as family members are all dealing with ground water flowing into the basements from the walls and floors. We have sump pumps, but they can't handle the influx of water. We have been vacuuming up water around the clock and are now just finally starting to win the battle.

Here are a few photos from the floods.

This road eventually washed out and took the culvert with it.


Bush and grasslands have flooded.

Lots of trees and native wildflowers will drown.

Roads to people's yards are underwater.
There are water birds swimming up what used to be driveways to their yards.

A good number of grain fields have some areas with water sitting on them or flowing through them, carving out deep ruts, and channels.

Not good for this harvest.


The family and I took a few hours break from the vacuuming on Canada Day to see some fireworks, it was a nice distraction and the fireworks were quite good.


In early July, there were 75 local states of emergency in Saskatchewan & 43 in Manitoba.

In conclusion June has been a very wet month with rainfall totals way above normal.
I hope the rest of the summer is a lot dryer and the fishing continues to improve. :blink:


WW

[ran7ger]

 awesome reports ww.  june was a brutal month up here as well with rain more often than not.  july has been better but the bugs are outrageous this year. 

 good to see some posts from you again was starting to wonder if you got washed away down there!

[Water Wolf]

Hi ran7ger and thanks.

Yeah the biting insects are nasty hear as well this year.
We have good numbers of ticks and horse flies. Usually we don't get too many black flies and no-see-ums this far S but they are showing up now.
The mosquetios are the worst I have seen in quite a few years.
I can't even go outside I the middle of the day with out getting bit and forget it once the sun goes down.
Even indoors I get my fair share of bites.

Between the rains, and biting insects, it's been an interesting summer for us.

WW

[Water Wolf]

Hi All,
Here are my open water reports for July.  I spent all my fishing days at Fishing Lake.
 
Report # 1.
I was at my usual spot doing some shore fishing on July 5th and 6th.
 
On the 5th I went from 2:35pm - 5:00pm and the next day, the 6th, from 1:15pm - 7:00pm.
 
The weather both days was bit of a mixed bag.  The first day was cloudy with a bit of lightning in the evening, and, the next day was a mix of sun and cloud and a strong wind from the NW creating white caps.
 
The fishing was fair with 3 walleye and 1 pike the first day. The 2nd day yeilded 2 pike and 2 walleye.
 
I did notice that a good number of the fish were close to shore and seemed to be just on the edge of the mud line that developed.
 
Here are a few photos from the 2 days.
First fish of the 2 days.

 
A nice evening.

 
First fish of day 2.

 
 
Report #2.
On July 7th and I am once again back at my usual spot where I shore fish from 2:00pm - 5:00pm.
 
This afternoon is a mix of sun and cloud with nice temps in the + 22 deg C   / 71.6  F and again strong wind from the NW creating white caps on the lake with the water being quite stirred up.
 
Pike and walleye are the usual targets in this lake and it's not long before before I land my first fish of the day.
This walleye.

 


 

 
The wind continues to pick up throughout the afternoon and I have to cast hard to the right in order for the lure to go where I want it to. In this case I went with heavy spoons, which aid in casting into the strong winds.
 
There was quite a good sized mud line forming just off shore from the strong winds, and that's where I seem to have the most luck. In the end I land 6 pike and 2 walleye.
 
 
 Report #3.
July 11th, I fish for a few hours in the afternoon from 4:00pm - 5:00pm then from 7:10pm - 8:50pm.
 
This is another really windy afternoon at the lake with the waves crashing into my usual fishing area, so, I decide to find a nice shady spot, out of the wind, somewhere else on the lake.
 
I finally find a spot. It's quite a bit more shallow and weedy than where I usually fish, but, I am hopeful to find something in the bull rushes near shore.

 
My hunch pays off, and, in the hour I fish, I land 3 pike, and, have 1 throw the hook.
Most of them where hanging around the bull rushes and I just plop the lure close to them and slowly wind it back.
 
After an hour in that area I stop for a bite to eat and head back to my usual spot to see if it has calmed down.
 
I am in luck, and, although it is still a bit windy, it is definitely less than it was earlier, so I give it another go.
In that time I land 4 walleye.
 
I have not kept any fish so far this season.  So,for the first time this year, I keep my limit of 2 walleye.
The largest walleye of the bunch.

The other 3 were very close in size.
 

The next day, (July 12th 2014), I attend "The Anglers Breakfast" at Katepwa Lake's Sandy Beach community.  The pancake breakfast was a fundraiser for playground equipment for the kids.  After breakfast, Jason & Jeff Matity hand out Berkley soft plastic lures to the kids in attendance, and talk fishing with the crowd for and hour or so under the shade of the gazebo.
At the end there were draw prizes handed out.
 
I enjoyed the breakfast and what Jason & Jeff had to say.
They gave me a few new tricks I look forward to trying sometime.
I also got to chat one on one with Jeff  for a while after the show.  
 
For those of you who don't know Jason & Jeff, they are the hosts of the new website "Matity's Get Fishing" where every month they try and add a short video clip on some aspect of fishing. Their website can be viewed at matitysgetfishing.com
 
Did any of you attend this event also?
 

Report #4.
July 13th.
This day was much like the other days this July, with a strong wind from the NW and good sized white caps.
 
I was shore fishing from 4:08pm - 7:15pm.
 
The fishing was not too bad this afternoon even in the high winds.  I landed 3 pike & 1 walleye and had 2 pike throw the barbless hooks while jumping.
By the time I called it quits for the day, the lake finally started to get calm.
 
Here are the first of each species.

 

 

Report #5.
July 19th & 20th are my last fishing days for the month.
The first day was cloudy with a fair wind from the S and + 18 deg C / 64.4  F temps. The water was quite stirred up creating a good mud line again.
Windy days at the lake this year seem to be the norm.
 
I fished from 4:20pm - 7:00pm on the 19th and caught 1 pike & 4 walleye.

 

 

 

 
This time I kept my limit of 2 walleye.

 
July 20th was nice and sunny but still quite windy (from the SW, changing to W later on). The temp was + 22 deg C / 71.6  F
I fished from 12:50pm - 2:00pm, took a bit of a break and then went from 3:00pm - 6:30pm.
 
The shore fishing was on and off throughout the afternoon. I caught 2 on back to back casts. The mud line was really prominent and the walleye were, for the most part, moving right through the middle of it or just along it's outer edge. I had 2 follow me right to shore.

The wind again made casting tough so I used heavy lures to compensate. As a results the heavy lures got into the snags quicker and I did loose a few lures, but I was able to net 8 walleye, not a bad trade off.

 

 
The fishing seems to be picking up a bit as it get later in July.
One of the other anglers I chatted with said a group of them were out earlier in the day from the boat and picked good numbers of fish just a bit deeper than where you can cast off shore. He also said they got one that would be in the 5 lb range, nice.
 
Later that week the family and I tried the 2 walleye I kept, along with burbot fillets, from last winter.  We tried a new recipe that uses crushed potato chips as the batter, in our case dill pickle potato chips. We first soaked the  fish fillets in milk for a bit, crushed the chips and rolled the fillets in them.  It gave both fish species a unique flavor and one we will try again in the future.
 
Overall July was a good month for fishing, but wind was a big factor.
It was interesting  how the fish utilized the mud line to their advantage.  Even though the winds were discouraging, if you stuck with it - there were biters.
 
Most of the fish this month went for spoons, they were the easiest to cast into the wind, but, heavy swimbaits, and, single & double tail jigs also caught fish.
Bright colors during the bright light conditions and darker colors during the evening or cloudy conditions seemed to work.
 
Hopefully the fishing continues into the month of Aug. and the winds won't get any worse.

 
WW

[Young Catcher]

Good reports. WW
Thanks for sharing. Enjoy your reports as always.
Have a good Fall fishing.

[whistlepig]

Awesome Pictures and stories

[anglerbrian]

Great Stuff Water Wolf wish more people had fishing reports like yours. I havent been out as much this summer as I would like but fishing has been good for me every where I have tried. Lenore Lakes Stoney Last Mountain Dellwood Rafferty. and one trip to northern Alberta.
The way it feels today I should be getting my ice gear ready. hope to get the boat out a few more times yet.

[Water Wolf]

Thanks YC, whistlepig & anglerbrian.

Anglerbrian, I have enjoyed reading your reports as well.

Man, the weather is really starting to feel like fall now, burrr.
Hopefully it will stay decent enough for us to have quite a few more days of fishing.

Good luck to all this fall and bring on the big fish.


Hi all,
Here is my fishing report for Aug., starting with the long weekend.

Report #1.
The first day, Aug 2nd, was a nice sunny day with light winds from the W and  22 deg C  /71.6 F. I fished from 5:15pm - 8:40pm.

As I got to my usual fishing spot, I was surprised by how much more algae was in the water since the last time I was out.
I guess the warmer temps we have had lately must have contributed to the increased algal growth.

There were a few anglers out that evening, both on shore, and, in boats, all enjoying the fine weather and active fish.
Everyone that chatted with me reported that they had good fishing, be it in the boat, or off shore.  Good to hear.

The other report I got from them is that the fish are starting to taste a bit "muddy" due to the increased algae bloom. It will probably be mid to late fall, before
that clears up.  No matter, I will be practicing catch and release fishing anyway.

I too had good fishing. They hit hard and fast. In the time I fished I caught 10 walleye and 1 pike.


The walleye are definately moving into the area now.


On the 2nd day, Aug 3rd, I was up early and out on the water by 7:40 am - 12:00pm and then from 2:00pm - 3:00pm.
This was another dandy day with temps in the + 26 deg C / 78.8  F, but with the humidex it was more like 32 deg C / 89.6  F  with a mix of sun and cloud.
The light breeze from the SW was welcome and kept things cooler.

The fish were also quite active that day, and, I landed 8 walleye & 2 pike.

The fish again seemed to come in waves, both days, with several walleye being caught in short order, then a bit of a lull only to start up again.

On day 2, I got to test one of the new swimbaits that I received a few weeks ago from the SK dealer, for Big Hammer swimbaits.
I was very pleased with how they operated in the water. They had good movement with well defined tail kicks that ripple down the bait.
The size I used was 4" and the color was Margarita paired with a Hammer Head jig, also made by the same company.


This combo worked well.  I caught several of my total numbers on this pattern, and, it held up well to the teeth from both pike and walleye.
I did have one pike bite the tale off, ending the test.  They come in packs of 4 for the 4" models so I have 3 left to try. I will definately be getting more of them in the future.

I think this walleye wanted it, lol.

Little fish with a big appetite. That lure is down the hatch. :blink:

Thumbs up for Big Hammer swimbaits.


The fishing was so good it blew my socks off, literally, lol.

When I started, I had a heel in this pair of socks, after the fishing, it was gone.

I also took a few photos of the the local bird life on my fishing break. Along with robins and purple martins there were these guys around picking up fish flies, mosquitoes and other flying insects.

A pair of Eastern Phoebes  were nesting near by.


Action shot.


The young phoebes would eyeball me every time I went by the nest. The camera flash, probably didn't help either,lol.

There were 4 of them in that small nest.

This yellow warbler was also looking for food in the area.


Hopefully the fishing either stays like this or continues to get better this Aug.


Report #2.
The 2nd report is for Aug. 23rd.  I was shore fishing from 3:15pm - 7:40pm.
This was one of the colder days we have had for quite some time, with temps only in in the +14 deg C  / 57.2 F range, but, with the wind factor it was more like +9 deg C  / 48.2 F.
It was also cloudy and fairly windy with a bit of damp mist from time to time, so, I set up on the sheltered side of the lake.

I am not sure if it was the direction of the wind, or, the storm that came the next day, but, the fish were not active. I did have a few follow, and, the ones that did nibble, just tasted the tale end of the baits and that was it. It was almost 2 hours before I finally had a hit.  It was a very light bite.  It felt like my lure just got a slightly bit heavier, but, I set the hook anyway, and, this pike was the results.

This fish was not very long, but fairly thick across.

It would be toward the end of my outing before my 2nd and last fish hit.

This one was longer than the first, but thinner.
Both of them went back.

I guess the water they were in was a lot warmer than the air that day and I found it a bit odd to feel the fish were warm to the touch, compared to my hands at least.

There was a boat trolling and drifting as well,but without luck either.

I am happy with what I did find, and at least I avoided the skunk, that I was beginning to suspect might be coming.


Hopefully September livens up the fishing action once again. :blink:

WW