Blog #3 2008
By Daniel Kiazyk

Fishing in Winnipeg

Cat Eye Outfitter

23 Jun 2008 11:03 pm

Many times people will ask me where they can fish in Winnipeg.... well there is one site on the web, the MWF that publishes a map that points out places where people go and wet a line. If you can make out a place or two they are worth a look.

Lists of all sorts

Cat Eye

24 Jun 2008 7:22 am

Lists are an important part of my preparation for getting out to the outdoors. A best friend said to me the other night, hey don't you have a list for that already? Yeah was the response but this is a different situation. I guess that's the idea behind generating a list; generating a specific list with what's necessary for that specific trip makes generating in part a new list necessary.... OK there are similar components that you'll find in each list but there are other components that will be trip specific. The biggest considerations are, 1) duration of stay and 2) type of trip. If for example it is a "carry it in" trip I'll leave a lot of stuff behind. If it is a little more of an accommodating trip where you don't have to carry your stuff as much I'll end up taking a few more luxuries. One significant consideration is making sure you have a means of keeping stuff dry. For the prior a plastic garbage bag packed on the exterior can be very helpful. I'll generally categorize as follows. Clothing, sleeping, eating, toiletries are the basics.....tackle will be limited but personally I'll always bring in as much as possible.

Sunny Day

Cat Eye Outfitter

25 Jun 2008 7:36 pm

I'd been thinking about this all last winter. I went onto Google earth and had looked at the area in detail, even printed out the map for further reference. My actual idea of what to do to angle for sunfish was to fish them much like I have fished for goldeye over the past thirty years. In effect I wasn't too far off. What, however I wasn't so aware of was that these little fish have small mouths that need a bit more time to work on a chunk of bait. I was completely surprised when one hit the first time I tried to set the hook and I missed. Not only did I miss once but I missed a number of times. The concept finally sunk in when I lost sight of a float left it and only when o went to look for it (and it was gone) that I had my first fish on...... Sometimes it's what you know AND what you don't know when it comes to finding out how to catch a species you've never caught before.

Mapping

26 Jun 2008 7:03 am

Perhaps one of the most interesting developments for people that spend quite a bit of time out of doors is the amount of access that we now have to a variety of maps. The most interesting of what's directly available is Google earth. To actually be able to zoom in on a lake and its environs is a great help. I particularly like to look at components of the lake that I suspect might have an affinity for holding fish, a point here a bay there.... all of which can hold fish. Another interesting component of maps available via new electronic sources are the bathyographic (sp?) types that are available for some of the more popular lakes. The internet has definitely changed fishing to some extent with regards to map sources

One away.....

Cat Eye Outfitter

27 Jun 2008 7:03 am

It is an accomplishment to catch a master angler sized fish in any one species. To catch five of a species is a real feat. I am very surprised whenever I get on to a pattern that produces large fish. The real challenge is to be able to adapt to changes in conditions that may be present or different conditions over a period of time. Some of those changes however might be that fish are only available for a very narrow period of time and then you'll probably have to wait until next year.... one away can mean in some instances a year's wait for some species.

Fish Fry

Cat Eye Outfitter

30 Jun 2008 5:30 am

Fish for food is a part o the reason why we get out there on the water to chase after our favorite fish. Knowing how much fish we need given their size, method of preparation and number of people to be fed is a variable consideration. I generally go by the axiom of a fish and a half per person and an extra fish for every three people. I'll pan fry, poach, bake, chowder, deep fry what we catch. The amount of time and proximity to supplies and manpower will effect ultimately the decision as to which method is chosen. I'm always partial to the easiest and quickest method ;) and there are some days when it takes a little longer because of environmental conditions over which we have no control. i do like some of the prepared fish coverings as their packing and shelf life means I don't have to guess as to whether they are fresh or not. I do bring along other spices and will sprinkle them on the finished product while cooling. Can't say I hear too many complaints when serving fish.... perhaps a "ooh that's too hot but I just couldn't resist the temptation!"

Sunfish

Cat Eye Outfitter

01 Jul 2008 4:30 am

Just had another opportunity to fish for Blue Gills. This fascinating little fish have just a few places they like to hangout. To get at themits either run and gun or just slow down and let it happen. We did a little of both today and had a modicum of luck with these little creatures. The one difficulty with fishing these little critters this time of year is that they like to hang out in areas where there is a lot of human activity. Getting at them means getting out before everyone gets up..... really early in he morning in other words.

Walleye (a hot local bite)

Cat Eye Outfitter

02 Jul 2008 3:30 am

Of late there's been a little local lake that has had a really hot bite. It was interesting to see how many people were out to fish on this lake in a day where the temps had risen into the thirties. We arrived a little earlier then the rest of the group and had the one particular spot where fish seemed to concentrate all to ourselves. In about ten minutes we were on to the fish that has made this spot a local favorite. Our bait was the normal fair of leeches and minnows and in a short amount of time we were onto the willing biters. Our fish were caught in about 6-8 feet of water.

Some Species

03 Jul 2008 5:55 am

It makes me wonder with some fish on the Master Angler list if there is any point of spending what are limited resources on a very limited resource. Brook trout for example (with the numbers stocked each year) would seem to be an easy species to notch into one's master angler accomplishments. Well not so or so it would seem form the M.A. lists. I believe that given this fish's propensity to bite it doesn't last too long in most stocked waters. Timing it would seem is everything with regards to brook trout. Another species that would seem to be nearly impossible to bad would be the largemouth bass. I know of only a couple of places where this species swims and then they are extremely limited in number. Could there be other sites stocked with this fish? Well as opposed to stocking rout who won't reproduce it would seem that stocking largemouth in some of Manitoba's southern reservoirs would be a better choice.... oh well what do I know. I'm just making the suggestion because they are so hard to find.....and perhaps that's what will keep me looking for them....maybe one day there'll be a lake where that one will have my name on it. Finally why is the Kokanee still on the list.... I have seen a Kokanee stocking in a long time.... and its still on the list. Well maybe there's a need to ask tourism Manitoba why this fish is on the list and if it must remain why aren't there any more stockings?

Walleye and summer time

04 Jul 2008 9:59 pm

As a part of my summer time fishing practice I try to get out to fishfor walleye in areas of southern Manitoba at a time when most people think that walleye aren't biting. Now saying the prior doesn't mean there aren't fisheries that turn off during the summer but there are some walleye fisheries that are active during the summer months. I don't like to fish for walleye too much in the heat of summer as their flesh tends to become very soft very quickly. Ice and a cooler are necessities if you want to take some fish home as is being very quick with the processing of the fish. I've seen some folks drag around fish for some length of time during the summer only to find out that their catch had been ruined even before they had a chance to fillet the fish, In some instances it is better to put fish on ice immediately to preserve their quality and make a concerted effort to get in as quickly as possible to process the fish you wish to keep.

Fishing and facebook

05 Jul 2008 6:06 am

I saw this for the first time about two weeks ago that some internet companies were suggesting that facebook could serve as an excellent opportunity to make yourself known through a distribution system that at the moment is not encumbered by rules delimiting the use of this social networking utility. Long and short facebook can let a business get its name and services be known to a whole bunch of people without the costs of internet advertising. I thought that was going to be my sole reason for getting on facebook, but soon saw that this utility has a lot more going for it then the prior. As an example I made contact with a cousin with whom I did some fishing by a culvert near St. Adolphe some 30 years ago. Ok it's not all hugs and kisses but it sure came through on a level I had not even anticipated. I have made a concerted effort to get to know fishermen from all over the world with a view to perhaps learning something new or perhaps receiving a perspective I have not yet considered.

 

Check out my Facebook profile

I set up a Facebook profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile.

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Hi: Become a fishing friend of Cat Eye Outfitter (Dan Kiazyk) on facebook! Click on the link included as a part of this message. Cheers, Dan

Species that might work

07 Jul 2008 9:21 pm

It is more and more the case when I talk with anglers that they feel there's a need to change the direction of the stocking program in parts of the province. The program has focused on "eating" fish and trout. In many instances this isn't bad but the possibility to put some variety exists and even presents the option of having forage available for some of these put and take created fisheries. Take the blue gill as an example of a fish species that could be planted in the odd walleye lake. These little fish are quite prolific and could provide a food source for those hungry walleye that people like stocked in their lake. There's also the opportunity to stock the lowly perch on many bodies of water. I can't figure out why there's such an aversion to a native species that can be so prolific and so tasty for those who like to eat fish. Crappie are another example of a fish species that have been stocked in some reservoirs that have been created in the southwest.... why not include largemouth bass in those reservoirs as well. In many instances the species that these anglers are suggesting are not overly costly (no more than the species already being stocked) and they have the capacity of becoming renewable resources. It seems to me that there's a bit of a need to consider developing our ideas about what we can put into our stocked bodies of water. To see stocking as building self sustaining fisheries is a bit of a step beyond the present emphasis of put and take (that's not to say the prior isn't operative ...... but perhaps it's not emphasized enough)

08 Jul 2008 9:21 pm

Harvest, no harvest or selective harvest. Well I've run into this one a number of time in a number of different contexts. Surely the past practice of catch 'n keep was short sighted and produced fisheries where there weren't any more fish to catch. I can remember going out to fish and not catch too much. Of course at the time the excuses we manufactured didn't take into consideration the fact that maybe we could have a negative impact upon the fishery by just keeping everything we caught. OK the logic was flawed but there's the other extreme that I just can't fully embrace... just to catch and release.... such a practice opens itself up to the animal activists complaint that what we are just harassing the fish. I think its just as irresponsible to deep hook a fish and just leave it to die on a lake. I can't forget the enjoyment that comes from sharing a meal with friends. Moreover fish itself is nutritious and provides a level of protein and other food elements that provide excellent health benefits. The ecological footprint of a manageable harvest makes perfect sense and shows an element of stewardship that has hitherto not been operative in our modern culture. Selectively harvesting a few fish makes really good sense and should be part of the message that anglers need to preach

Catfish and goldeye

09 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

Catfish and goldeye on the Red River. The connection is irrefutable. It's just a matter of going out picking up a couple of goldeye eye.....then rigging up for some fun. Now there are some folks who wouldn't even put their boat in the river for this kind of catch 'n release fun. Too bad ;)

Bait

10 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

OK yesterday I was mentioning that goldeye are a significant bait for catfishing on the Red River.... well the art of goldeye fishing is something I'm always trying to refine. In this vein I was recently picked up by St. Croix rods as one of their pros in the field and was able to purchase a couple of longer steelhead rods that are going to be put to use a long distance float fishing units. I guess we'll see if the theory that keeping the line out of the water will improve float fishing holds true..

The weather again

11 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

I guess it's been a while since we've had such a wet summer. Water levels on the Red are not very consistent and as a result fish are moving all over the place. The trick it seems this summer is to move around with a hypothesis and then fish until you're either proven right or wrong. Cats as a whole are very good but it seems the length of time to pattern them has increased from previous years where our summer weather has been more consistent.

Fishing In The Rain

13 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

Well the other day was one of the toughest days (yeah like fishing is tough :() ) guiding I've had this year. No the company was great and the fishing was OK but the weather put to the test my rain gear. I'd say if a rain suit has the ability to keep you dry after ten hours of straight rain you've gotta like that. Well except for my knees and arms I was pretty much kept dry by the big banana suit. My feet were wet but that's another story. Wearing leather boats in a bunch of water for most of the day isn't exactly the best way to stay dry. I could also see that the Gortex guys were staying dry for the most part but eventually even that stuff was having trouble in the deluge that fell. Having a good wetsuit is something that can make a day almost bearable when the clouds burst.

Waterhen

14 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

It was about twelve years ago when a very good friend loaned me that book that had a profound impact on how I would look at fishing in Manitoba. Bill Robinson's, "Rather fish then eat" talked about this little place up on the north end of Lake Manitoba where the fishing was something above average. Moreover over the years I had heard of some exploits of colleagues that had gone up there and had done very well for themselves in the walleye department. So it has been with me over the past few years after having wandered up into the waterhen neighbourhood that I've experienced some of the glory expressed by fishermen of days gone by.... What a unique little corner of the province, far enough to dissuade the throngs that would inundate it if it was any closer to larger urban centers but not so far that in a couple of hours I can't appreciate a few of its many charms. This particular trip was no different than other I had experienced the past two years.... a really good time and good company to boot.

Creel Census

15 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

I guess I've been whining enough the past few years about the lack of any empirical methodology being applied to the lower Red River and its fishery. Well happily the province has decided to hire some summer students to put together a creel survey about the fish that are being caught in the area over the summer. I guess its about time they decided to do something especially since the last little bit of science done was when Christpherson from the Fresh water institute did his graduate studies about the fishery.

Night Crawlers

16 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

with all the rain we've had this year I'm surprised by all the worms that are showing up on my doorstep. OK worms aren't just crawling their way voluntarily to my door presenting themselves as gifts to be offered to the river's hungry fish (ooh sometimes I wish... hah ha) No it seems that there are quite a few folks out there who are out and about the mornings after rainfalls and are picking crawlers for me. The crawlers to my surprise aren't necessarily the best but beggars can't be choosers or so I've heard. One of my projects this year is going to be to start to keep more worms throughout the summer and see if I can reduce the number I normally have to buy throughout the summer (about three flats). Once again being a fisherman is a little more then just some guy who just catches some fish eh!

Keeping it in perspective

18 Jul 2008 9:10 pm

I recently had one of the most unique experiences I've had in a while. It was a gentleman that had hired me to take him and his son fishing. Now there's not a whole lot that's extraordinary about the prior as I am a guide who does do a lot of work with families or parents with their children. I was however significantly affected by the story that this particular father had to share with me about his life and his particular struggle. As it happened this father had had a severe bout with cancer. His battle was so significant that he had been fishing with a colostomy a couple of days before I was able to put together the whole picture. I guess his outlook wasn't necessarily the brightest and his wish was to share a special few days doing something they both loved: "wrassling with our big 'olchannels". I was really humbled by the experience and I'd have to say that there are things greater than the dollar and the stuff we tend to like having. Perhaps the greatest thing we have is the people that are a part of our lives. Appreciating and spending quality time with friends and family is about the best thing anyone can do......

E-TEC

19 Jul 2008 12:24

Well part of a summer is under its belt and the results are quite good. I've used about a quart and a half over fifty hours of operation. This one factor was something that I was going to wait on before I made any kind of determination of whether or not the motor was what I wanted. In effect the motor has burned a lot less oil than expected. I like the top end of the unit and the ability to get out of the hole with a load on the boat. Four strokes are great but in terms of being able to do the prior this new two stroke is a it more capable. I guess the only thing that is left to see is how much more oil the motor is going to burn once the water temps start to fall

Noisier

20 Jul 2008 12:24

Oh I forget to mention that the one down side of the E-TEc is that it tends to be a bit noisier at more then half throttle. A small price to pay for the increase in power. A smaller addition to the boat since the motor was put on has been a few extra hand handles to allow for people to hold on as the boat gets up to go.

Hook line and sinker

21 Jul 2008 12:24

Just had a little bit of an insight concerning my hooks line (leader) and sinkers. Hooks have to be adjusted to the season and bait being used as does the leader. Big game trilene seems to this point to be the best leader material I've used as its not to tough but does stand up to abrasion. Sinkers are changed from a day to day basis depending upon the current or the locale where I will be fishing. As far as catfishing goes (being successful more often then not) there's a need to make some adjustments on a day to day basis. OK, no matter what kind of gear you use there's always a need to replace rigs throughout the day. I find that the boat foot of a rig seems to take the greatest beating throughout the day. Now having to change out rigs isn't all that bad as it generally means you are on to fish ;)

Seiners show

22 Jul 2008 12:24

On my way out to fish this morning from Selkirk park I noticed my first shiner seiner. He was at the north end of the dock near the dry dock facilities. He was throwing in his net and was pulling a few shiners on every pull. It's really quite interesting how shiners all of a sudden they show up and how some folks are attuned to this rhythm. I was also amazed at how important shiners can be to the success of an outing when last year I shifted over to fresh shiners on one trip.... and it made all the difference with the boat pulling its first large walleye of the season!

Combat fishing

23 Jul 2008 9:49 pm

I spent a few days out on the east side of the river this year fishing up and down from the floodway outlet to the dam. In effect fishing this way did save me having to take the boat up the river to fish. I did however have to fish amongst the throngs that usually install themselves in this area. It was interesting to see when the saugers came into the river how the white bucket fishermen came on a regular basis to take their limit of smaller saugers. Now not all these fishermen were there just for the meat. I would see the odd guy switching off his jigs to see what else would bite on this or that colour. Some folks even specialized in certain types of species.... not sauger. It was also fun to see that not everyone fished with bait,rather some would fish with just artificials. I saw that position of rod and speed of retrieval was also important. OK fishing the combat zone wasn't only a negative experience rather there was a bit of an education to be derived if you knew where to look for it.

TV Spots

24 Jul 2008 6:56 am

Dave Mercer has had a spot on the weather network for about 6 months or more (or at least that's when I started to notice his spots) and I like the "bloggy" nature of the spots. Just the basic nature of the spots make them understandable and useful. I think that a lot of programs have got to the point that if you're not an expert you're not worthy (basically code for you need to spend more money on the tackle sponsor's stuff we're flogging today). I guess it's the reduced level of marketing that is a breath of fresh air with these spots that makes them so interesting

YouTube

26 Jul 2008 6:56 am

Well I've moved into the 21st century by setting up a YouTube channel.... I've got about ninety little flicks of fishing in Manitoba up there and I've made a point this year of making more video of fishing trips that I go on. I used to make a lot of video but let it go as it requires a whole other set of skills (and time/effort) that takes away from what is the real goal - catch fish. Well in the process I've switched away from the camcorder and I've started using a small digital camera with a movie function. Moreover it's also been necessary to re-learn how to use editing software with all of its ins and outs.

Mooneye -- finally

27 Jul 2008 6:56 am

OK if you've fished with me over the years you know well enough that I've been vexed by the mooneye over the past four years. My brother-in-law and his brother are true aficionados of this silvery little devil of a species. It's quite interesting that I've gone out to visit with my sister and brother-in-law over the past four years trying to score a large mooneye. Now it's not that we haven't been successful but rather it's been that I haven't been bitten by a larger fish. My biggest mooneye to this point had been thirteen inches.... a full inch off of what is required by the Manitoba master angler program. OK this was going to be my year for the large mooneye. In general we were going to be looking for current weed and a change in depth (usually with the biting fish holding in the shallower faster water). We had a pretty good day with at least 7 masters caught and finally i broke the four year old drought with three fish over fourteen inches. The one real difference with the area where we were fishing was that we were float fishing in the current. Casting was to be the order of the day. The one thing that come with casting a float in a lot of current over a number of hours is that your line will eventually become tangled - small price to pay for another master.

Fun fishing the pier

28 Jul 2008 9:49 pm

A good friend of mine caught a beautiful 36" cat with light tackletonight . We were fishing for bait for the next day's excursion and were casting floats worms and some light wire hooks. We both were doing quite well picking up our share of fish when all of a sudden my buddy's line stopped dead. I figured he had a snag and expected that he was going to have to break of his rig. Well to both our surprise the snag was pumping a little. Sometimes the latter is experienced where you'll cross a line and feel a fish who has been caught on a line that has been broken off. In this instance I figured it was just another instance of the prior. But the line moved some more and the fight began in earnest. After another ten minutes the battle ended with a nice 20 pounder being beached up on some shore line near the end of the pier.

Masters this year

29 Jul 2008 9:49 pm

Well I've started taking stock this year of some of the masters I've caught and it's been a pretty good fishing year. The year started off by finishing off carp and then taking someone out to catch their first drum. Following that there was those beautiful little sunfish at a locale that unfortunately was hit by a tornado the week after we had been there to fish. Then, finally, I was able to get a species (mooneye) that had eluded me for such a long time. As a whole it's been a pretty good year for masters. I'm at 26 of the 30 recognized in the province as a sport species. The last few species are going to be harder to tackle.

Crawler disaster

30 Jul 2008 9:49 pm

I do buy throughout the summer a flat or two of crawlers. This summer I thought I was going to be a bit more adventuresome by transplanting some worms over to another box with new medium... well despite following the directions I lost about ten dozen worms for no known reason. The only reason I can presume was the cause of such a large scale loss was that the medium into which I put the crawlers into was too wet and in the end drowned the little beggars. In the future I guess I'll be experimenting with smaller numbers so as to no lose as many at one time. I may even hybridize the medium to include more soil and not as much liquid as recommended..... the bottom line is being able to find what they'll live in

Cat Eye goes Facebook

31 Jul 2008 9:49 pm

Just a quick note for anyone that's on facebook ... just look for Cat Eye Outfitter and send me a request to be a friend and I'll respond. To this point I've have over 1400 requests