Feb 13

Ice Fishing Hot Spots

Ice Fishing Hot Spots.

Another ice fishing location I like to frequent is up in the mountains just outside of Canmore. Spray Lakes has some very good Lake Trout fishing. Spray Lakes is located just south west of Canmore. Take highway #1 west to the Canmore turn off. Go through the town till you get to Spray Lakes Trail, then make your way up the steep hill 10 Km past the Nordic centre and you will see this large lake on your right hand side. The Lake Trout that are caught here are delicious to eat as the water here is very clean and cold all year long. You will love the scenery here also as you are right in the mountains. You will need a little sled to pull out onto the ice and sometimes snow shoes need to be worn here as the snow can be deep in places.

Feb 12

Ice Fishing Hot Spots

Ice Fishing Hot Spots.

Here is another Walleye fishery that I love to fish not only in the summer but in the winter as well. This place is Crawling Valley Reservoir. This excellent fishery is located 90 minutes east of Calgary and 10 minutes north of Bassano. There are many spots to fish here with some of my favorites spots being near the inlet canal, just off the island in the middle of the reservoir and on the south east corner of the reservoir. It’s hard to not catch fish here with some real sizeable Walleye being caught. Not only is the Walleye fishing good here, the Burbot and Pike fishing can be equally as good.

Feb 11

Ice Fishing Hot Spots

Ice Fishing Hot Spots.

The next ice fishing destination on the list is here in my own province of Alberta. If trophy pike is what you are looking for than look no further than Sylvan Lake. This large lake is located north of Calgary 20 Km west of Red Deer. This lake has some monster Pike which can be very hard fighters. It is not uncommon at this lake that every year some lucky angler will pull out a Jack that is 20 pounds. If massive Pike is what you are searching for than be sure to drill a couple of holes here, and do not be surprised to pull up a 20 pound plus Pike.

Feb 09

Ask Mike- Tips & Advice

The Drop Shot

Why is it that all the fisherman on the pro tour using this method to win pro tournaments? Quite frankly it’s because this method of fishing is very successful. This tactic was kept a secret for a long time by pro fisherman because it is so successful and produces fantastic results. The good news for us who are not tournament fisherman is the secret is out. It’s pretty hard to keep a secret when the cameras are rolling and they are watching your every move. The secret I’m talking about is called the drop shot.

What makes this technique so deadly is it lets you place your soft plastic or live bait at a pinpoint depth in the water column and keep it there without any effort. How is this you ask? This is made possible because you swap the hook and sinker from there traditional positions. With drop shotting, the weight is attached to the end of the line and the hook is placed 8 inches to 2 feet up the line. The weight acts as an anchor to carry your lure into position and keeps it there with as much, or as little action you desire while ideally keeping a semi-slack line.

Some of the keys to success using this method is selecting the right equipment and tackle for this finesse style fishing. Your rod should be no longer than 7 feet; I use a 6 foot 6 inch rod for this technique. A rod with a tip that bends under very low pressure is perfect. This will help you to shake the bait, I call it “shake and bake” on a semi-slack line which will enable you to feel the slightest nibble and increase your hook up success. This also eliminates the need for dive charts and casting/trolling charts. You will know exactly how deep you are fishing and at what depth the fish are feeding that day. This style of fishing totally eliminates the guess work.

You will also need to use specific line for this fishing application. Fluorocarbon is used exclusively with this tactic. Do not substitute monofilament or braided line. I use 6 pound test when drop shotting as it creates the most life like movements of my bait. Fluorocarbon has the lowest stretch and will let you feel even the slightest of pressure bites. It is also absolutely invisible under water and it sinks very quickly. Use this line and you see immediate results in your catch rate. Stay tuned as there will be more articles to come on the drop shot.