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Merry Christmas And Happy New Year 2025

Once again, we have arrived at Christmas and New Year. I always like to wish those of you that read the blog, holiday greetings and blessings for a new year. Blogging is much different now …

Bow River Winter Fishing Tips

With the boat put away for the winter, the time has come here in Calgary to switch to shore fishing. Winter has arrived indeed, but we are blessed to get those chinooks that break up …

That’s a Wrap on the 2024 Bow River Season

With mild temperatures running into the second week of November, and snow finally blanketing the ground today, I think its time to winterize the jet boat and close the 2024 boating season. Once again, it …

Bagels, Browns And The Bow River

Fall fishing in swing and today we are joined by the best receiver in the CFL, Mr. Reggie Begelton and his teammate Mr. Tre Odoms-Dukes. As most of you know, Reggie is a seasoned angler …

Reporting Poachers- Why it’s Important to Do Our Part

Recently I have seen an increase in poaching on the Bow River while out fishing. Poaching is bad for our fisheries and can cause severe decline in fish populations rapidly. Not only is it against …

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Aug 25

Bow River Fishing Adventure

  • By Mike Robertson in Fishing Trips

paige-and-bow-river-trip-stacey-client-055

Fishing The Bow River

I was back on the Bow River today for some more trout action, this time I got to watch the fish being landed and not landing them myself. I was out rowing Stacey’s boat while he was catching fish, some nice fish to boot. Stacey asked me if we could take his boat so he could learn the river better, specifically where the deep channels are so no more props are damaged. Stacy contacted me through the site and asked if he could take a guided fishing trip down the Bow River. I kindly agreed and we set up a date to fish. We met at Policeman’s Flats and loaded the fishing gear into the boat, a fifteen foot Zeebec he recently purchased out of Rocky Mountain House for lees than five grand, and motor included.

We floated down the river not using the motor and were successful in catching some great fish, the most memorable one a twenty two inch rainbow that battled strong and fought hard. I figured we were going to slay those monsters today but it just was not too be. All in all it was a great day out on the Bow River. We chucked out Rapalas and some Panther Martins and Stacey caught fish on both hooks. The day started out chilly but warmed up to be a scorcher with the thermometer hitting thirty two degrees Celsius. By that time we were finished the trip and landed back at Policeman’s Flats after using the horsepower in the Johnson outboard to power our way back up the river. For those who are curious, it took us an hour to make our way back up the river from Mackinnon Flats to Policeman’s Flats doing seventeen Kilometres an hour. 

I would like to personally thank Stacey for hiring me as his guide for the day, it was a pleasure meeting you and getting the chance to serve you out on the Bow River today. I know you will catch more fish the next time you head out on the river. I only wish we could have slammed a few more trout on or trip. Next spring we will get out and fish the Bow River again.

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  • 6 comments

Jul 24

Fishing For Trout With Crank Bait’s

  • By Mike Robertson in Tackle

 

berkleyfrenzycrank-baits

Crank Bait’s Are King

We all have seen those big fat juicy looking lures dangling from the tackle store shelves just begging us to buy them. Heck they look so life like these days I even think about eating one or two of them so why not a fish. I turn on the fishing channel on Saturday mornings and see these same lures being used time and time again, “today we will be using crank baits to catch our fish” says the host of the TV show. So why choose the crank bait to catch your prey. Well its simple really, these lures like the Rapala are tank tested to achieve the perfect wiggle, wobble, pitch and roll which makes the lure look like a reel bait fish.

The color schemes on the Rapala are matched to duplicate whatever baitfish is in your local area. I fish my local river for rainbows and brown trout so I choose the corresponding colors to catch my quarry, rainbow trout colors and the brown trout color. I see the pro’s using them while they fish and have great success with them; some even sign their name on the favourite lure like the Berkley Frenzy Jay Yelas hard baits. Relying on  Berkley Frenzy crank baits, professional bass angler Jay Yelas led wire to wire at the 2002 CITGO Bass masters Classic to capture his first world championship.

Yelas, who finished with 45 pounds and 13 ounces, entered the final day of the three-day competition with a comfortable lead of over nine pounds, out fishing the field that included fifty-two of the world’s best bass anglers. It was only the third time in the 32-year history of the Classic that the winner led from start to finish. So this is why I choose to fish the crank bait often, they are proven to work for the pro’s and for me also.

Crank baits can be used in all depths of water as they make them to dive from two feet all the way down to thirty or more feet deep. Depth is important in choosing the right crank bait for your fishing situation. When exposed to different food sources, trout spend more of their time at different depths, making the most of the variety of food that is available to them. When fishing at depth, use large crank baits for better visibility, and when fishing shallow where light penetrates easily, go smaller. Fish tend to find their food on the surface, on the lake or river bed or in the margins. The middle depths tend to be an unproductive “dead zone” as there is little food and no cover there. It is wise to begin fishing deep, on or near the bottom or on the surface when fishing open water. If you don’t find quick success, work your way up or down with your crank bait until you find success and hook up.

Crank baits can be used from a boat or while standing on a shoreline. They can be used in rivers and lakes alike, so they are very versatile and work well in most all fishing situations. My favourite crank baits include the Rapala, Berkley Frenzy, Storm, and many more. Crank baits deserve a place in your tackle box and on the end of your line.

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  • 18 comments

Jul 12

Rainbow Trout Fishing the Bow River

  • By Mike Robertson in Trout Fishing Stories

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Bow’s Are Not Just For Boys

Many of us fishermen are not only fishing more, we are taking our family members along with us to let them experience the fun of fishing. After I was introduced to the sport I wanted to bring all my friends along with me for a fun day or weekend on the water. More and more I see on the internet and firsthand, men bringing their wives and or girlfriends along with them when they fish. After all fishing is not just for men, it’s for women and children as well. One example of fishing with your girlfriend is my good friend Dean, he and his sweetheart are often on the river with a picnic basket and their rods. What a great way to spend a few hours and enjoy each others company while having some fun.

Last week Dean had called me to tell me fishing stories of the day before. He stated that he and his girlfriend Angie were out on the river fishing. He told me Angie was on fire, hooking one trout after another. I chuckled and congratulated her on her great day landing the big rainbows from the Bow River. I know she gets excited when she hooks up and I bet she was full of adrenaline after her first fish. Dean was kind enough to send me a few pictures of her fish on the day. I asked dean what they were using for lures, Rapalas, Panther Martins were the choice of the day. I am so glad to see more people introducing their loved one’s to the sport of trout fishing.

There are so many great websites on the internet that are run by women who love to fish and share their passion for the sport. Some of them fish by themselves with no men around. Some write articles and share their journeys with others to enjoy. Here are a few of my personal favourite fishing sites run by women who love the sport. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. The first site is http://www.fisherbabe.com/ and the second site is http://huntslikeagirl.blogspot.com/

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  • 10 comments

Jun 14

Spring Fishing The Bow River

  • By Mike Robertson in Trout Fishing Stories

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/EMA_0IPE9XM" width="425" height="344" allowfullscreen="true" fvars="fs=1" /]Gearing Up For the Spring Season

It’s that time again folks, a time where anticipation runs high and hooks are plentiful. Over the winter I have been socking away lots of fishing tackle gearing up for the 2009 fishing season. My tackle box, which is actually a back pack, is overflowing and bursting at every seam. Let’s hope the fish are hungry and looking to eat my new gear. The season the Bow River run off is late, usually by the middle of May the water is stained and sometimes un-fishable. It looks like we will see run off start in the first weeks of June. While the water is dirty and high in the Bow River system I switch my fishing to lakes loaded with Walleye and big Pike. I am going to try and fish places where I have never fished before such as Keho Lake, Badger Lake, and Newell Lake to name a few.

I was however able to fish the Bow River today with great success. I retrieved the Rapala Clackin Rap from my back pack after an hour of fishing with a Countdown. The Clackin Rap worked good for me fishing for Pike so I figured I would see if it would catch trout. Well it catches trout alright, big trout. My first fish hooked today was a monster Rainbow which came to the surface after I battled with it for several minutes. I never landed this fish but I was able to get a reel good look at it before it spit the Clackin Rap and headed back for cover. I estimate this fish at twenty five inches or more. This is a classic tale of the one that got away. Luck would not be on my side today as I hooked two more decent fish, well they felt decent anyway and they both escaped before coming to shore.

I was bound and determined to not let the next trout get away. I walked up and down, up and down the bank over and over again launching that lure half way across the river. You can really fire these lures out there, they are quite heavy. I was working the lure up and down, letting it hit the bottom every so often. Finally I felt a good strike, and then this trout blasted the perch pattern pulling and pulling to break free. I kept strong tension on this fish; there was no way I was letting it get away. I reeled in steadily and she fought me all the way in. I landed her and reached for my camera, I went to turn the power on and my luck today was not good, there was no juice left in the battery therefore no picture.

This was the end of my fishing day; I did try a few more casts with the Clackin Rap on my way back up river but no takers. I put the lure back in its rightful location for another day. I know now that these lures work excellent for trout on the Bow River. I am glad that I acted on a hunch and lowered the boom on some fat rainbow trout. I guess it pays to go with your gut. My camera is powered up and ready for tomorrow’s float trip down the river. Stay tuned for our next Bow River fishing trip, its going to be a good one. Get to your local tackle shop and get geared up!

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