Fall Time 'Eyes

[Guest]

I put in some time this weekend and didn't hear of too many eyes being caught. It shouldn't be too long now. The water is clear and flow has been regulated by the gates being closed for about three and a half weeks. The cats are biting well but it seems that the window for the bite is slowly closing itself out. We had a super day yesterday (20+ cats , 7 of them 34" or better the best at 38.5) and the cats showed a definite preference for frogs....we didn't catch one fish on goldeye (although we stopped using it at noon). The bite however waned by three and we could only catch the odd whiskered critter after that... The bite remains good in September but it is definitely effected by the increased number of cold fronts that'll roll through. I suspect the greenbacks will start showing up in the next week or two. I think I'll be out trolling some flats and jigging some structure next weekend. I also look forward to the change in scenery, trees losing leaves/changing colours, cool breezes and the geese moving here and there ... I like this time of year!

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Guest]

I have 3 days off, maybe you need some help up there piggy hunting?

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson
Backwater Guiding Service
10409 Co. Rd #17 S
Horace, ND. 58047

[email protected]

1-(701)-281-2300

[Guest]

Ed. I've only got one day free in the next 7 weeks. If interested (Sept. 16). We can talk off-line (via e-mail about details). I was thinking of working north of the Netley area. I want to develop a larger repertoire for the area ---- not a charter, for sure, but a search and discover mission (long hours of not much (trolling, jigging, drifting) Who knows what can be found!... and would be glad to have an other's input. I fish the area but want to go further up towards the lake (scary in the fall!).

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Guest]

Nope won't work for me on the 16th. I have 4 days off this month and 2 are gone now. The 14th and the 25th is my only free dates left.

Bummer, would be interesting out on the marsh Eh!

Head em off at the pass!

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson
Backwater Guiding Service
10409 Co. Rd #17 S
Horace, ND. 58047

[email protected]

1-(701)-281-2300

[Guest]

Hey Ed just got one of your Red River reports.... some superb tips. I'm still waiting for the gurus at the Dept. of Nat. resources to get back to me about creel surveys, test nets etc. on the lower Red... nothing yet. Surfing around this afternoon I found one posting by "Jim" saying that one greenback was caught at the hydro plant at Selkirk (apparently a piggy of 9lbs). Myself and my river sources (sounds clandestine eh!) haven't really seen anything yet, but we expect to hit "green" in a short while. I'll keep you all posted.

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Scoot]

Hey Dan,

Any word from Red for the past weekend? I have this coming weekend off and I'd head your way if you tell me that it's worth it. If not I'll probably head for LOW, but the word is that things have been pretty slow there too. I'd have to spend a weekend at home!
Scoot

[Guest]

Greenbacks are in the Red although there probably is not a real concentration of these fish as of yet. When fishing the better spots I was able to catch a few in the morning and evening. I did see one good one caught and
another was on a stringer ....... too bad... but as the law reads you must sign that license boys or let 'er go --- and don't release a fish that's been on a stringer ---not a good idea!

Sauger were aggresive throughout the day taking jigs and cranks. They were biting very well.

The one big surprise of the weekend was a sturgeon@70cm. caught while jigging - I
haven't heard of any stockings in the Red so I suspect it may be one of those fish that were stocked -- as far away as Brandon-- in the Assiniboine river over the last six years (it may have been a fish produced by natural
recruitment but I doubt it!).

A friend of mine fished the Winnipeg river this weekend and said it was very quiet.
Generally Pine Falls starts to go a little later and will be good for a lot longer than the Red.

Yup it's that time of year again!

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]

[Scoot]

OK Dan,

You've had another weekend to scope things out... what's the word? Down here we've had light, but northerly winds for the past few days. From what I hear that means green and gold in the Selkirk area. Has this been the case?
Scoot

[Guest]

A miserable low came in on Saturday and it rained for more than half a day (solid, the drenching stuff!). We didn't see much more than one walleye and a few saugers in the a.m. but when the storm broke and we moved further up river the bite improved considerably . Sunday: The river was overrun with anglers. I didn't see a lot caught jigging, but when we moved to trolling cranks our luck changed considerably. I saw a couple of other local guides working really hard to scratch up a few fish for their clients during the day. The bite was slow but improved as the evening wore on...when I did see a few piggies hoisted.. Time to pack the car guy and get to it! Oh by the way it was -4 Celsius ---- with a fair blow out of the north west (time to get out the long gotchies!)

[Guest]

First frost, goodbye skitters!

The central and headwaters region of the Red has been heating up. The past few days a good amount of 28-31" walleye have been caught with many 15-19" fish in the mix.

From 2:30 PM to just after dark seems to be the best times recently, piggy's after dark if you are a night hunter. Day time bite has been on white suckers 4-6" long and big fathead minnows set on bottom slip rigs. I personally prefer larger Phelps floaters on the slip rigs with a 16" mono leader and the bait tail hooked to produce a lot of vibration for the walleye to lock in on. Cast cranks after dark to search for the big stuff lurking near cover.

The dams on the Red and it's tributaries have been very good as are any rock bars with a silt transition near. Trolling Husky Jerks, Thunder Sticks, Bobbers, and #7 & #8 Shad Rap's have been effective in daylight hours, but at night anchor up and work high percentage areas slowly and thoroughly, then move on to the next piggy hole. A jig dressed with a plastic twister and a minnow is a great bet on most any area that won't eat them too fast, bigger is better as in bulk them up so they look like a big snack for Miss piggy.

Good fishing and please practice selective harvest.

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Ed "Backwater Eddy" Carlson
Backwater Guiding Service
10409 Co. Rd #17 S
Horace, ND. 58047

[email protected]

1-(701)-281-2300

[Rick]

How is the walleye bite going guys?

[Guest]

I received a letter yesterday and was asked an interesting question:

"It's my first year fishing for Greens on the Red. Was out today (jiggin) and it was dead. Not even the trusty sauger were picking away. All of the people I talked with shared the same fate. Do the Greens head back out to the lake? Or are they still in the river?"

My response was as follows (and the milder weather we've had over the past few days has improved the fishing ---- and it will probaby only get better!)

"The greenbacks stay in the river and won't move out until they spawn next spring (photo period and water temps and finishing the spawn will cue them to move out of the river and back to the lake). They come into the rivers in the fall following forage. They are also (so some believe)setting themselves up in their future spawning environment. The river also has an advantage of better oxygen levels and better opportunities to forage. So no,they haven't gone back to the lake! Why didn't you catch them today....well I'd think the onset of a low pressure system (with all the changes that it brings, wind/noise, lower water temps, instability in the environment where forage would not be relating to those places where we'll usually set up to jig etc.). If the weather should break and we were to have a few days of stable/warmer weather (which is tough this time of year in Manitoba) the fish will come back on. This latter point seems to explain why walleye are usually really good once first ice goes on... in effect their environment has become incredibly stable, no longer subject to sudden changes in temperatures and fierce winds/changes in water temperature etc. The latter situation decays with the continuation of winter as the water continually cools and the fish are far less active etc. etc.. As for what I'd look for right now if I had to find fish.... I find that you have to look for areas/structure relating to deeper water as the ice season approaches. Fish shallower earlier on and go deeper during the day only to go shallower when the sun goes down. The fish at this time of year seem to show a tendency to feed at specific times.. early am and later pm. You might as well go for coffee some days during the day or be willing to be reallllllly patient. I hope this gives you something more to work with when out for walleye this time of the year.... as for saugers go deeper..."

Keep on bringing them to the boat guys. Five months of ice is enough for me. I'm out there until the boat is bustin' the bergs! Tight lines.

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Dan Kiazyk
Cat Eye Outfitter
http://www.geocities.com/dkiazyk2000
[email protected]