Back to Lake Winnipeg?

[Upnorth]

Water has gotten much clearer, so change up the tactics a bit.

 

[Vollmer]

Water has gotten much clearer, so change up the tactics a bit.

How so? Are you running more natural looking stuff?
Salted minnows is not what I am hoping to be doing up there.
The last two times I was up there I ran a snootypatootie almost exclusively.

 

[Upnorth]

How so? Are you running more natural looking stuff?
Salted minnows is not what I am hoping to be doing up there.
The last two times I was up there I ran a snootypatootie almost exclusively.

Not so much a reactionary strike anymore. Zebras have dramatically increased water clarity. You can see it on the livescope, they are more cautious to rattle baits. Sure you still get the freight trains that hammer them, but more often for me it’s jigging spoons, flutter spoons and smaller baits with 1/2 a salted. I don’t bother with livies, you have to dump them before leaving. Waste of money.

 

[svnmag]

Beginning on October 1, travelers arriving in Canada are:

• No longer required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Canada or meet COVID-19 testing, quarantine, or isolation requirements,
• No longer required to submit public health information through the ArriveCAN app, and
• No longer required to wear a mask in terminals, ports, and on aircraft.

^ source: https://stefanik.house.gov/press-releases?ID=3360688A-09D6-46B9-9466-67A64767A08E#:~:text=Beginning on October 1, travelers,through the ArriveCAN app, and



Is anyone going back to Canada for fishing, now that the mandates are lifted? Our group is planning on going back to Lake Winnipeg, after a couple of years off, due to the COVID mandates.

I'm still apprehensive but will give a this:

 

[Vollmer]

Not so much a reactionary strike anymore. Zebras have dramatically increased water clarity. You can see it on the livescope, they are more cautious to rattle baits. Sure you still get the freight trains that hammer them, but more often for me it’s jigging spoons, flutter spoons and smaller baits with 1/2 a salted. I don’t bother with livies, you have to dump them before leaving. Waste of money.

Good to know. I appreciate the info.
I might have to bring more than a couple snooties with, I guess.

 

[MicLee]

Water has gotten much clearer, so change up the tactics a bit.

Looks damn dirty to me still.

 

[Icepirate]

Open water is still relatively dirty up there, although it's cleared up quite a bit over the years. Once it's iced over with no wave action it clears up a lot by January. the zebra muscles have definitely changed ice fishing tactics. we first fished Lake Winnipeg in 2010 and I lived there from 2014-2020. amazing how much clearer the water is. went from not being able to see the bottom of your hole, to seeing the bottom of the lake in 8 FOW from the top of the ice last winter. areas near the mouth can still be murky because of the Red, but you don't have to get too far away from the mouth and its clear water. Upnorth is definitely right that the walleyes are more cautious of rattle baits. there's still days and times that they work well, but the last 3 years I've probably fished 75% spoons. there have been a fair amount of days in the last 3 years or so that I'll hardly even mark any with a rattle bait, switch to a spoon, and start marking fish within minutes (usually after a cold front). It's also important to have a slip bobber or dead stick out now too. Last March (2022) I fished two days up there. granted it was after a cold front, but half the fish I caught came on a slip bobber with live minnows. For anyone going up there, I would say just be prepared with everything and switch it up like always. You might still have a day or two where they hammer the rattle baits, but probably be thinking spoons and more traditional tactics overall. Also have a slip bobber rigged up and don't rule out buying live minnows if they're in a fussy mood. it's still really good fishing, just different then several years ago

 

[Victory]

Open water is still relatively dirty up there, although it's cleared up quite a bit over the years. Once it's iced over with no wave action it clears up a lot by January. the zebra muscles have definitely changed ice fishing tactics. we first fished Lake Winnipeg in 2010 and I lived there from 2014-2020. amazing how much clearer the water is. went from not being able to see the bottom of your hole, to seeing the bottom of the lake in 8 FOW from the top of the ice last winter. areas near the mouth can still be murky because of the Red, but you don't have to get too far away from the mouth and its clear water. Upnorth is definitely right that the walleyes are more cautious of rattle baits. there's still days and times that they work well, but the last 3 years I've probably fished 75% spoons. there have been a fair amount of days in the last 3 years or so that I'll hardly even mark any with a rattle bait, switch to a spoon, and start marking fish within minutes (usually after a cold front). It's also important to have a slip bobber or dead stick out now too. Last March (2022) I fished two days up there. granted it was after a cold front, but half the fish I caught came on a slip bobber with live minnows. For anyone going up there, I would say just be prepared with everything and switch it up like always. You might still have a day or two where they hammer the rattle baits, but probably be thinking spoons and more traditional tactics overall. Also have a slip bobber rigged up and don't rule out buying live minnows if they're in a fussy mood. it's still really good fishing, just different then several years ago

Thank you for this extensive response and info!! This is great.
I am looking forward to that big lake having some different challenges.

 

[Jigaman]

Has anyone been up there yet this season? My first trip for the season is in a couple weeks and I can't wait!

 

[Vollmer]

Has anyone been up there yet this season? My first trip for the season is in a couple weeks and I can't wait!

March for our group. Good luck up there!

 

[HUNTFISHND]

Went up the day after Christmas for a few days. Caught plenty of fish, just none of the ones you go up there looking for. Biggest our 3 man group caught was a 25". Lots of fish in that 21-23" range. Travel was still good on the lake as there were plenty of pickups out driving around. We went on the lake at Pruden Creek. Hopefully going to get back up there in February at some point and a couple times in March. Seems like the closer to spring you get, the better it gets for bigger fish so hopefully better results next time.

 

[MuskyManiac]

When we were up there last March it's the same thing we saw, spoons were the ticket for sure. Not only that, but when we really got into them they were suspended as well. Without live sonar we would have never known, because they did not show up on the Vexilar. Didn't get any monsters last year, 27 was the biggest, but probably caught 100 fish between two of us over 3 days.

 

[DirtyMike]

I have snooty spoons on the website. In the winnipeg spoon kit but I have some loose ones lying around.

Good to know. I appreciate the info.
I might have to bring more than a couple snooties with, I guess.

 

[JayKay]

How so? Are you running more natural looking stuff?
Salted minnows is not what I am hoping to be doing up there.
The last two times I was up there I ran a snootypatootie almost exclusively.

Never disappoints.